Chapter 1, Assault

Jack turned and looked over his shoulder at the flight of Enemy Spider Assault Transports lined up behind him in a large V formation. No… Ex-Enemy Spider Assault Transports with several times the armor and weapons as any Republic boat ever thought of carrying. Twelve of them counting the one he was piloting. He looked down at the screen showing the half empty Assault Transport's hold. Each of the Assault Transports were partially full of about a hundred Ex-enemy Ape troops, now called Red Apes after Jack had started painting them red to tell the difference between them and the real enemy’s Black suited Apes. The Red Apes had been disgraced and condemned to death with the thousands of maintenance slaves that Jack had managed to free from the first Spider Battle ship he had managed to strip a ship load of advanced technology off of before running for their lives only some 6 months before. Then proceeded to pick up thousands of more slaves and Red Apes while destroying a good portion of a small fleet of Spider Battleships.

Each Ex-enemy Assault Transport also had a mixed Company of Human marine and planetary combat troops (quickly becoming marines themselves), most of them also liberated from destroyed Spider ships after being pressed into slavery after the planetary systems they had been stationed on were taken by the Spider Battleship’s Ape troops. Each Assault Transport could hold several hundred of the big well equipped Red Apes along with the much smaller human troops. But not wanting to put all his eggs in one basket to keep casualties down, Jack had decided to take every Captured Enemy Assault Transport he could find a human pilot for. After dividing up his troop’s, that only left about a hundred Red Apes and roughly a hundred human troops for each Transport. At least they were all equipped with the Ape Assault Weapons and not the piss ant toy equipment the Republic troops and marines had come equipped with that just bounced off the Ape armor. That also meant the marines were equipped with the improved Ape armor that was better than the original ape armor (thanks to the ex-slaves) offering some protection against even Ape weapons.

Still 200 troops seemed like a lot to lose if one of the Assault transports were taken out during the assault before they even managed to get onto the damn Spider Battleship. A Spider Battleship now stranded on the outside of the damn diamond bubble created when one of the battle ships Jack was trying to rescue the slaves off of detonated its engines and a hundred years’ worth of fuel into a super fusion bomb inside The Cloud. The fusion explosion had compressed and fused the surrounding nebula cloud into a carbon diamond bubble that had almost trapped Jack and his ship the Red Pepper inside with a virtual sun in the middle turning it into a huge roughly hundred thousand mile diameter, thousand degree oven.

The Red Pepper (after surviving the plasma shock wave washing past them), using its new Spider/exslave improved guns and every torpedo and missile left on board, had finally blasted their way out of the bubble before the ship and its crew were cooked alive. Though once out of the trap and safe in the Spider Battleship hulk turned into a station, it had taken weeks for the ship to cool enough so they could get back into and even think about making repairs. Repairs that were still being performed.

Now they were assaulting the last surviving Spider Battleship in the quadrant before it could report back to the Spider Invasion Fleet making its way across human space. The Republic Navy needed time to rearm, upgrade and build more Republic Battleships to take on the monster Supper Battleships the Spiders had tens of thousands of. No, they had to take out this Spider Battleship before it could report or they were all dead. Wishing again for a second that he had brought more Ex-enemy Assault transports even if it meant using ex-slave pilots and crews. Jack quickly shook his head and rejected the thought for the hundredth time.

Not that he had anything against the ex-slave crew pilots but they had a problem of being too damn slow and carful when flying. The slave, or ex-slave pilots were basically maintenance and shuttle pilots and had an ingrain habit of being overly cautious when landing and taking off as well as flying. But then he could not blame them, any slight mistake when flying for their God Officer’s would have resulted in immediate execution. Jack could not blame them for not wanting to take chances but right then he needed pilots that could slam their Assault boats down onto an enemy ship before the enemy defense guns had a chance to blow the Assault Transport into scrap. He did not care if it got scratched, dented or ever took off again.

The best part was that the enemy built their Assault Transports with a hell of a lot of armor and stouter than the Republic boats even if they were a little heavier. They also had bigger more powerful weapons on them. But then the Spider Enemy had Tens of Thousands of years of experience to get it right. Humans were just babes when it came to making war and trying to keep from being conquered. Well not babes’ maybe, since humans had been battling humans since time began but still our weapons and ships had been toys compared to the Spider fleets swarming into human space.

Luckily they were taking their time stripping each star system as they came, giving humans time to grow up if they could. Jack, the grandson of one of the smartest professors in the Republic had seen the enemy technology during the last Fringe Battle that had cost half the Republics fleet and now with the help of some ex-enemy slaves, was quickly developing weapons and technology to do just that. If he lived long enough that is.

He had his doubts about living much longer as they approached the monster Spider Battle ship ahead but there simply was no one else around that could do it before the damn ship managed to make repairs and escape to report back to its fleet that humans in this small sector were actually managing to fight back successfully against the small enemy fleet that had stupidly let itself get broken up into small squadrons that was relatively easy to take out with overwhelming numbers. Well in Jack’s case, overwhelming ambush tactics in the cloud by his one Battle Transport with greatly improved weapons that wasn’t even a Battleship. Which at the moment was still being resurrected from being a hulk after almost losing its last battle. Leaving only this one chance at an assault to stop the enemy Battleship from repairing itself and reporting in and telling their fleet what had happened here and just as important, where here was.

All the enemy had to do was send a somewhat larger but still small 1,000 ship fleet to this sector and it would be all over for humanities attempt at resistance. That is if the enemy found out what had happened to their lost fleet. The Republic needed time to build the new ships with the new weapons and engines and train the crews to take on 10,000 monster Spider Battle ships with a 100,000 smaller cruisers, destroyers and auxiliaries slowly flooding across the Republic escorting a monster factory ship a thousand miles long and 10 Ultra Battleships a hundred miles long. Keeping the enemy in the dark as to what exactly happened for as long as possible was paramount.

Jack turned and glanced at the Ensign sitting next to him in the copilot/navigator's seat. He had tried to leave her behind on the Captured Spider Battleship Hulk they had made into a forward repair base but caught hell as soon as he opened his mouth to tell her to stay. But then if he had not opened his stupid mouth the week before to the Rear Admiral of the Destroyer Wing scouring the cloud around the newly formed bubble for Spider ships, he would not be in the stupid predicament of assaulting the Damn enemy Battleship in the first place. The Rear Admiral had heard that Jack's Captured enemy Battleship Hulk was repairing Jack's Battle Transport and wanted to know if he could send some of his Destroyers over for repairs as well. Damage they had taken while shooting up an Enemy Battleship they had found embedded into the back side of the Carbon/Carbon Diamond bubble the Battleship hulk Station was stuck on as well.

The Vice Admiral had complained to Jack that after spending weeks firing thousands of the Destroyer's squadron’s 8 inch guns and hundreds of the old conventional torpedoes into the Battleship, it still would not die. Though they were no longer getting much accurate return fire from it. They could not afford to just leave it while it showed any signs of life and he knew that Jacks Battle Transport the Red Pepper had big enough guns but was still weeks away from being space worthy again if ever. The Admiral had his doubts the Red Pepper would ever fly again and knew that the only thing left was putting troops on the hulk.

And of course thinking that the Vice Admiral was talking about putting the marines from his Destroyers onto the hulk, Jack had said. "Ya, we assaulted a hulk like it a few months ago and it was not fun. I was lucky to get most of my men out alive. I now have some damn good Spider Assault Transports we found in this Spider battleship hulk and the ex-slave refugees had taken from many of the other Spider battleships we destroyed. If the Admiral needed their help landing his troops Jack would lend them to him."

And of course the Vice Admiral had smiled and said. "Good, then I will leave it to you to assault the damn battleship and finish it off. I will send the orders over immediately." Leaning back as he stretched. "I will leave a couple of squadrons of Destroyers and a Supply Tanker to support you but I need that Damn Spider ship taken care of before the end of the month. We need to start bringing transports in to your new Battleship Hulk Station to start building it up to house research scientists that will be arriving in a few months. Until then no transports are getting near this area. Not to mention not letting this second Spider Battleship report back to the enemy fleet."

Jack’s mouth dropped open for a second and then. "What? Is that why we can't get any supplies delivered?" Shaking his head. "We lost most of our rations during the damn battles Admiral. We are starving to death over hear."

The Vice Admiral frowned. "I will send some emergency rations over with the Destroyers to tide you over until the transports arrive in a few weeks. That is if you get that damn enemy Battleship taken care of. How is your supply of reaction mass for the Red Pepper?"

Jack smiled. Evidentially the Vice Admiral did not know about the new Reaction massless engine upgrade they had rebuilt the Red Pepper's and half the fleet’s engines to. That information was evidentially above his pay grade since he did not already know, so Jack just smiled and said. "Well. Reaction mass wasn't a worry for them."

"Good, I was hoping the Red Pepper had plenty of reaction mass since it is a tanker. I will let you remass the Destroyers I leave behind and take the..."

"Whoa Admiral. I did not mean… We are damn near out of reaction mass. We may have enough for the Red Peppers needs but not even close to getting the Assault Transports to the other side of the bubble let alone back again. Not to mention supplying the needs of two squadrons of Destroyers for the attack and patrols."

"But you said you had plenty for the Red Pepper. You are just going to have to use your ship's reaction mass since it is not going anyplace for a very long while. My orders are to make sure you do not leave that hulk you call a Station anyway."

"Well Admiral. Aaa. Let's just say, that I knew that already and you are going to have to supply everything we and your Destroyers need for the assault and operational patrols afterwards. For that matter we are going to need quite a bit of reaction mass for returning casualties. I am going to have quite a few casualties and the faster I get them back here the more will survive." Jack was beginning to hope that the Admiral would change his mind about ordering them to assault the damn Spider Battleship hulk and let The Rock’s Marines come and take care of it. After all it was on the other side of the damn bubble and his troops had done quite enough already.

But Jack knew he could not leave it to report back to its fleet while they waited for The Rock to send troops. Not to mention not getting any supply transports until the damn Battleship was taken care of. He had no clue how far away The Rock (the Republic’s main supply and construction base hidden in the light year wide Nebula cloud) was. Which meant that it could take weeks after they finally took care of the Spider Battleship before their first supply transports started arriving.

"Very well Commander. I will leave a partially full tanker behind and my marines to help you. You just remember your orders and since you are stuck here anyway, I will make you the Commander of the Battleship Hulk Station since it isn’t going anyplace stuck on the side of bubble. That makes you a Commodore or basically a temporary Rear Admiral. I will put it down in my report as the Gama 13 Hulk station since that is the name of the entry maze you are at. Well what is left of it anyway? We still have not found a way out of the cloud again and the old corridor, hell most of the Maze is gone thanks to you. And if it was not for that damn finger punched in the cloud by the gas jetting out the hole in that damn sphere intercepting a natural bay, we already had access to, you would still be isolated."

It turned out that the Destroyers only had a marine damage control and security squad aboard each ship instead of a platoon. Jack only got a few hundred reinforcements to help but they were better than a kick in the butt. Almost, since they knew nothing about the new heavier Ape weapons and armor he had re-equipped his marines and troops with. Nor did they know anything about working with the Red Apes and the new Tank/medic/supply Bigfoots. Jack had delayed the Assault for a few more days to get them at least familiar with the new weapons, the improved armor and operational procedures. His attempts to train the slave pilots to fly assault maneuvers in the few days he had, had been an utter failure. Their in grown fear of making any mistakes and death made them useless.

Jack looked over his shoulder again down onto the cargo deck. The only thing he felt good about was the huge crew served Cannons most of the giant 16 foot tall Bigfoots carried over the shoulders of their fully armored suits, with the standard issue Ape Assault weapon with cut down barrels and huge pistol grips added to fit their hands in holsters as sidearms. Better equipped and more versatile than a tank Jack thought. Though he wished they had more training even if they had finished what amounted to a basic Marine boot camp using a portion of the mile wide little bubble the Station Hulk was attached to that was itself attached to the outside shell of the huge bubble they had originally been trapped in only months before.

"We are a half hour from the target Captain."

Jack started to growl at the Ensign for calling him Captain since he was only technically a Lt. Commander and then only one for a few hours after so many officers had been killed in the battles with the Spider Battleships 6 months before. Then he was put in Command of the Red Pepper’s hulk, with orders to simply make repairs and get it back to The Rock if possible or blow it up if not. But he had been telling everyone that for months and they refused to listen. Including the Red Peppers First Officer a real full fledge Commander, that should have taken over Command when he was finely rescued from the dead of being trapped in the horror that was the destroyed bow of the ship the day Jack had been given Command of the Red Pepper. Even the Captains he had rescued from certain death as prisoners on Spider Battleships Jack had destroyed and then picked up the slave crews that had escaped, had refused to take command when he demanded that they relieve him as the Red Peppers Captain and continued to call him Captain, jumping at his every suggestion as if they were orders. He still could not believe it every time they did. He was just getting used to being an Officer and now everyone kept calling him Captain of all the stupid things. He wanted to look over his shoulder for his father every time he heard the tittle.

Not even the Ensign charged (by the Admiral of the supply fleet Jack and the ship was originally part of, with keeping an eye on him because he originally was only an enlisted crewman which needed an escort in Officer’s country anyway and had a psych Red flag attached to his records), would at least have enough sense to call him Lt. Commander or at least Commander when not formally addressing him. But she pointedly refused to and simply smiled at him each time he brought it up. But then the fact that she turned out to be an old friend that had wanted to kill him for years, could have something to do with that.

Turning to the Comm/science officer of the boat. "Burp laser flash to all boats. Attack plan delta 5 in one minute." Then turning back to the Ensign. "Cue initiate in 50 seconds on my mark Ensign."

"Eye, Eye Captain. Command ready on your orders Captain."

Jack took a deep breath wishing there was some other way to do the attack but still could not think of a better approach. Nor had anyone else at any of the meetings they had had over the last week. Trying to go over the rough rocky surface of the bubble on foot to get to the Battleship would have taken them months since the horizon from the top of the Battleship sticking up out of the bubble, was a thousand miles across. "Three, two, one, deploy."

The Ensign tapped her finger on her screens icon. The last Assault Transport in each of the V lines peeled off in opposite directions followed by the next and then the next, until Jack's Transport was all by itself flying straight and true.

Jack took a deep breath knowing that they were committed now. Turning around he looked over his shoulder again at the tall thin creature in a chin to floor length narrow suit that looked like a dress with huge breasts that were not just breasts but storage sacs for oxygen when she needed them. "Can you talk to the slave crew on that battleship yet Pan?"

"I am so sorry Captain but with all the interference and the curvature of the bubble, I may not be able to contact them until we are in line of sight."

"Oh just great. Pop our head up over the horizon just in time to get it shot off." Jack started easing the Assault Transport closer to the mass of rocks and slag covering the outside of the bubble. What looked like a huge field of gold boulders laying flattened across the surface of the bubble streaked past. Jack knew the outside shell of the bubble was turning out to be a cornucopia of heavy metals concentrated from trace particles over billions of cubic miles of cloud by the rapidly expanding plasma bubble from the explosion the size of a small sun, scooping the particles up and concentrating them. Then as the rapidly expanding bubble of plasma slowed from friction hitting the mass of cloud particles and the viscosity of the plasma, the lighter elements were thrown off while the heavy particles concentrated in the plasma, rose to the outside surface of the molten carbon in rough piles of concentrated elements. In some cases element pure rocks and boulders. In others, simple large pools spread across the surface. Depending on the elements and the characteristics of the section of cloud. Jack did not think much of it as all the Assault transports had been set up to survey and record the surface of the bubble as they flew around the bubble. Though they had been flying a loose formation to save some mass (formation flying always used more fuel or mass having to jockey the throttles to stay in place) on their way around to make sure they all arrived at the same time to coordinate their attack. Only spreading out over the last few minutes to make it harder to see them as the crossed the ship’s horizon. They would be taking different routes back once the battleship was destroyed or had to retreat, first to make sure they were not followed back to the Station and then they would start surveying as much of the bubble as possible. Though it would take a hundred boats a hundred years to survey every square mile of the entire bubble. It was turning out to be one frigging big bubble.

An eternity later Jack finally started slowing the Transport down as they approached the horizon of the enemy Battleship. "Pan, anything yet?"

"Sorry Honorable Captain but I am picking up nothing."

Looking up from the tactical screen, Jack spotted the closest of the Destroyers that had been flying along just inside the cloud several thousand miles above the bubble that had spread out as well when the Ensign had issued the attack order. Jack watched it bank over into a dive to attack the huge Spider Battleship. Its 8 inch gunned turrets started firing into the hulk as the little arrow shaped ship rapidly maneuvered to avoid the sporadic fire from the battleship. Shaking his head at the sick bright pee yellow beams from the Destroyer that were lucky to knock out the battleship’s small turrets let alone penetrate the hull and then cringed at the bright blueish white beams from the Battleship streaking back at the little rapidly maneuvering Destroyer. One hit by the blueish white beams would destroy the Destroyer but none came close. He hoped the Assault Transports would have the same luck.

Jack slammed his throttles forward pushing the Assault Transport ahead at the end of a pair of long bright streaks of reaction mass trailing behind it and lunged for the Battleship as it appeared over the horizon. The 11 other Assault Transports came into sight at the same time as the Battleship. Jack hit his ship to ship Laser Comm. "Hold your fire guys. No sense in advertising we are here with the Destroyers going to all the trouble to get their attention. Just keep it low according to plan."

As soon as the Assault Transport was headed straight for the Battleship at speed, Jack pulled the throttles back to idle and the bridge seamed to suddenly be much too quiet. They had been running the engines at cruise power for the entire trip around the bubble simply because they had to keep turning to stay with the ever dropping surface of the bubble and down out of the cloud bank that started again a few thousand miles above the bubble. The clear area making it possible to fly faster than they would have been able to if the cloud had dropped back down to the surface of the bubble. Jack just hoped the experts were right and that the cleared area was still slowly expanding (though the rate was dropping) and would stay clear for at least several thousand years.

They had remassed the Shuttles only an hour before from the promised tanker. Mostly to give the Assault Transports more shielding from weapons while making it possible for the ones assigned as medevac's to make a high speed run back to the Station when needed. While he had equipped two of the Assault Transports as a Hospitals complete with Doctors as far as humans went, they only had the basics for the Red Apes and Bigfoots. He was told that the alien hospital equipment could not be dismantled and then packed into the assault shuttle soon enough for the Attack. Too much of it was power and central computer dependent and very large. Too much of the enemy equipment seemed to be over engineered to last forever or at least a very long time. Hundreds of years by what Jack had noticed with rows of consoles and equipment that had been replaced when repairs became impossible leaving the old consoles and equipment to deteriorate and fall apart in place. Jack had been surprised to find that some of the Spider technology was not only 10,000 years old but was a mix of primitive even for human standards that included Vacuum tubes mixed with tech that they could barely understand. Vacuum tubes with IC micro circuits with the primitive cathode ray tech inside of them just did not make sense.

Jack had stopped being surprised at the discoveries the Red Pepper’s crew was making daily working with the ex-slaves that he was sending on to The Rock in his weekly reports. Jack could not wait for the scientists and engineers to arrive that were on the list he had been shown by Vice Admiral Bingamton., the Wing Commander of the Destroyers before he had left. Most of the engineers and young scientists were the ones he had been working with before being put in Command of the Red Pepper hulk.

Though Jack had been shocked to find out that the Assault transports packed with crewmen, exslave engineers and Spider Tech he had sent to the last surviving pair of fleeing Transports during the battle months before had never made it to The Rock. Jack had then turned around to stop the last enemy squadron from following and destroying the English Transports loosing track of them and taking it for granted that they had gotten away clean, back to The Rock. That is until he had talked to Admiral Halsey after they had settled into the hulk Station weeks later and found out they had not been seen or heard from.

His requests to search for the Transports and the Alien Assault transport boats he had sent with the load of advanced Technology had so far gone unanswered by The Rock. While Vice Admiral Bingamton had simply said he was too busy and had no orders to search for them. Jack was starting to think that the fool Captain/Commodore of the Republic Transports had gotten himself and the two ships left in his little squadron lost in the cloud. He had heard of it happening before and that it was easy to do. Admiral Halsey warning him of that very fact when he had given him the Red Pepper’s hulk to try to get to The Rock instead of blowing it up with part of its crew still trapped in the forward section of the ship. Jack again had opened his mouth saying he could fix the damn ships engines good enough to get the ship underway and the Admiral had simply said “Good, you are in Command, just get it done.” To Jacks shock. Telling him he would have the permanent rank of Commander if he got the ship to The Rock.

The last thing he had wanted was the Admiral giving him the hulk to Command. Though as short as the Navy was in Officers, he could not fault him with the quality of the officers he first had to work with. But The Game had taught him how to deal with all kinds of incompetent officers and he soon had the ship going again only to make (what he had thought at the time) the worst mistake in his life when he decided to make a short raid into a Spider Battleship hulk they had to fly close by as they started to run from the Spider Fleet chasing them. But then he had to stop again anyway to do more repairs after an incompetent Engineering Chief had screwed up the engines. Which was the reason they had quit in the first place when the ship had been hit on the bow of the ship far away from the engines. The engines simply needed a competent engineer and a little time. So Jack had stopped the ship to change Chief Engineers and make the needed repairs and in a brief brain fart had decided that assaulting a 6,000 foot long enemy Battleship with a hand full of marines was a good idea. The fact that he was a little curious about who the so far unknown enemy was, was beside the point. Even if the Battleship did look like it was dead.

The problem was, up until the Red Pepper had slid up alongside the Spider Battleship, no one had seen a Spider Battleship up close and lived to talk about it (at least made it back to human space alive). Jack had finally realized after his brain fart had dissipated, that finding out who and what the enemy was, was more important than the ship surviving the encounter as long as he was able to get the information back to the Republic. But somehow Jack and the ship had survived. Liberating thousands of slaves while steeling incredible technology that had allowed him with a lot of luck and ex-slave help to defeat a whole squadron of enemy Spider Battleships using their Achilles Heel.

Jack’s mind turned back to the attack as he watched the Spider Battleshipthey were rapidly approaching. He ran over the arguments in his head as to when to send the first medevac back to the Station yet again in his mind. If they waited too long to get a decent load of casualties, the ones hit early would suffer and could even die by the time they made it back to the station. What surprised Jack the most was that it was the human Doctors making the case for making the first run as soon as they had the first casualties? While the aliens who would benefit the most from returning early simply said they would endure until an Assault Shuttle had a decent load and hope for the best. They understood Jacks reasons for wanting to delay even one of the heavily armed Assault Transports from leaving as long as possible. The firepower of even one Assault transport could be the difference in keeping the heavily out number troops from being overrun. Jack was planning on bringing several of the unarmed transports along piloted by the slow reacting carful aliens to act as dedicated Medevac's but they simply did not have enough reaction mass to get them all around the bubble and the tanker Captain refused to leave his assigned rendezvous coordinates, leaving the Destroyers high and dry even for a few hours. The fact that after the Battleship had been taken care of, the Tanker and the Destroyers would transfer to the Hulk Station, was beside the point.

Jack had cursed the pig headed Tanker Captain for not being even a little flexible. But then he could remember Port and Custom's officials all over the Republic just as pig headed as well as he was growing up on his families Tramp transport the Turner Joy. Not to mention a certain Battleship fleet Admiral only months before that had cost the Republic hundreds of Battleships and hundreds of thousands of crewmen when he refused to accept the fact that the Republic fleet was out gunned and out engined with the enemy battleships not requiring the use of massive amounts of reaction mass for their ships. Instead the Admiral had insisted on trying to rescue the system his family was trapped in though Jack suspected their being another hidden motive since many of his actions just seemed so strange in the reports he had read since the battle.

The result of Presidential politics interfering with Command appointments. The Admiral had used his friendship with the President and political congressional pull to get himself appointed as the attack Fleet Admiral against the advice of the Admiralty at The Rock. The surviving Battleships were still trickling back to the Cloud. Jack just hopped his best friend’s ship was amongst the survivors and that he was alright.

The problem was that the Republic now had basically no fleet to upgrade with new weapons and new engines even though they now knew how to build both ships that would fly rings around the enemy and weapons that would blast them from space. That is if they could build enough ships and then attack the enemy’s huge walls of supper battleships from their unarmored sterns.

Jack studied the huge Battleship as they coasted closer and closer. It was one of the first Battleships hit by Jack and the Red Pepper during the first part of their battle of hide and kill against Spider Battleships as the enemy fleet had worked its way into the cloud hunting the Republic squadron of transports the enemy was following. Looking to capture the ships and find The Rock, the Republic's single most important and biggest military construction and supply base.

Jack could clearly see that the first of the huge 1500 foot across 50 foot thick armored deck plates making up the front of the Spider Battleship ahead of him were buried deep into the wall of the carbon crystal bubble. The Battleship’s ass sticking straight out some 6,000 feet from the surface of the Bubble.

Jack was suddenly surprised by the rings of pure metals at the surface of the bubble surrounding the Battleship. Evidentially put there by the ships still active navigation particle shield's effects on different metals in the rapidly cooling plasma wave as it hit the ship. The force shields separating the different metals into the pure rings according to their atomic weights instead of solidifying into random rocks or pools.

Jack's eyes raised up to the narrower stern half of the ship housing the crew with the weapons and engines hanging out on long pylons or arms. The Spider ship still looked damn near undamaged even with all the holes (blasted by the Red Pepper’s slave enhanced weapons) out of the forward part of the thousand foot wide hull that included the Ship's main Primary Bridge, God Officers decks and hopefully even most of the Battle Ape hibernation decks, like they had done on the ex-enemy Battleship hulk they were now using as a repair base for the Red Pepper. Only Jack realized that not only did the holes stop only a few decks down into the Black Ape hibernation decks but it did not look like the crossed beams from the Red Pepper’s new weapons had done as much damage hitting from the side as they had done hitting down the throat of the other Spider battleship they were now using as a base. Their beams down the throat had taken out and gutted the whole forward half of the ship that included the bridge, officer and troop hibernation decks making it possible for the human crew Jack had left behind to simply move in with no opposition. The fact that the Spider Battleship’s undamaged Black Ape Hibernation decks meant that they were looking at having to take on thousands of enemy Apes. But then Jack had already realized that from the photos taken by the Destroyers even if he was hoping it would have changed once he got his Mark 2 eyes on the ship. From only feet above the rocky surface of the bubble Jack had a much better perspective about the damage done to the huge Battleship and the only void that seemed to go completely through both side of the ship was the Officer and Command decks, the hibernation decks were intact. From the Destroyer video’s taken from above it had looked like the holes were in the Ape Hibernation section. With the realization that the Officer Decks had been completely obliterated by the crossed beams of the huge captured Spider Battleship Guns the back of Jack’s mind tried to tell him something important but he was much too busy studying the damage and the Battleship and wondering why the enemy guns were not hitting anything.

Though it was impossible to tell for sure just how much damage had been done to the insides of the ship. It was clear it was never going anyplace again with its huge front flat pancake shaped shield deck completely stuck deep into the cooled surface of solid carbon-carbon Diamond crystal bubble.

Only now that they were approaching the Battleship, Jack realized that it was different than the ones he had been on or seen so far. This Spider Battleship had a much longer troop and equipment section than the others. The section from where the blasted command decks once were to the main weapons section above the power and slave decks was 2 to 3 times longer at least. Jack suddenly had a sinking feeling as he realized that as big as the damn troop hibernation section was they were looking at a lot more Black Apes to deal with. At least several tens of thousands more instead of just a few thousand.

Jack’s mind raced at the devastating news but he could not think of a better plan. It just meant that the initial strong points they were establishing at both ends of the troop decks would have a few more Black Apes to deal with. He just hoped that they could deal with 2 or even 3 times the numbers of Apes attacking them. Though he again wondered why the Spider Ship had not launched fighters. He knew they had plenty as he had seen them on the Hulk Station he had just spent the last 6 months on. Yet the Destroyers had reported none being launched. The only thing he could figure out was that they had killed all the pilots when they took out the Officer decks. But then looking at the devastation where the Godofficer decks once were he suddenly realized he was missing something important and his apprehension suddenly took a giant leap. He knew he was missing something so important that it could cost all their lives but just could not put his finger on it.

Now getting closer he could see several turrets with their gun tubes following the Destroyers while only firing occasionally with the beam not even coming close to the targets. Shaking his head baffled. "Pan have you got contact with the slaves yet now that we are in line of sight?"

"I am sorry again Captain. I cannot get an answer from anyone aboard the ship. I do not even detect a signal from the ships emergency transmitter. I am trying to access the ships systems now but I am having trouble locking onto anything."

"What? Are you being jammed? What is the problem?"

"No Jamming Captain. I get jabbering and strange noises on the communications channels for the God troops and an echoing of something on my counterpart's Comm but nothing understandable." Pan bowed to Jack's back. "Please Captain, I have failed you. Take my head as payment for my stupidity and failures."

"Oh Criste all mighty... Stop that Pan. I am not going to take you damn head. You are trying the best you can. Now stop that shit before I do take your head just to keep you from giving me anymore of that crap." Frowning. "Just keep trying and tell me if you get someone or figure out what all the noises are. Can you access the ships internal cameras? At least that would tell us something."

"Sorry again Captain but the ships central Comm systems are down. I am only picking up the individual signals from personal Comms. It is as if the Officer and Bridge decks have been destroyed. If my Female off spring was here, she could possible break into the personal Comms and turn their videos on, showing what was going on around the decks. She can do many strange things with her comm."

"Ok where and when have I heard that one before?" Smiling exasperatedly Jack shook his head.

Jack took a deep breath and lined up on their drop point on the side of the ship. One of many gaping holes from the destroyer crews targeting several torpedoes onto the same spot on the hull to finally penetrate the hull. It was half way down the hibernation decks near several rings of active turrets and in a large gundeck compartment offering them plenty of protection and defensive points with hibernation decks above and below them.

Though Jack had originally hoped that the decks below the hole he had picked were slave decks and not the Hibernation decks he now knew they were.

Their job was to neutralize the turrets on those decks before moving on to consolidate a defensive perimeter on that gun deck with the 4 other Transports in his assault section. While 4 other transports took the boat locks below in the slave section searching for survivors and the last 4 took the boat and fighter launch deck just below the armored shield decks. The last thing they needed was the Gods and their Apes getting away on any boats left up there or God forbid, started launching fighters. But then the Gods did not seem to even contemplate using fighters in open space against other ships. Jack just could not understand it. Even though Pan had assured him several times that he did not have to worry about fighters as long as they were not near any planets.

As soon as they took out the active gun turrets the Destroyers would come down and add what support they could. Mainly (as far as Jack was concerned) was to stick their noses up on the huge open God fighter and assault boat deck to support the troops landing up there and keep any fighters or currier ships from launching. The troops had orders to set up defenses and let the Apes come to them. Jack was thanking himself for insisting that they stay put on the main flight deck and defend with the massive amounts of firepower the Assault Transports and the DD’s could give them instead of attacking until they knew exactly what they were up against.

While the plan called for Jack’s troops taking the gun deck once the turrets were neutralized and then moving up clearing the Lizard Ape hibernation decks before they could thaw out and be a problem since the Battleships usually did not start thawing out Black Ape’s until the ship was actually assaulted. That is if they had not already been thawed out leaving 10,000+ enemy Apes ready to kill intruders. Now that he knew they had hibernation decks both up and down from the gun deck, Jack was prepared to abandon the deck if they ran into any substantial opposition, (better to consolidate their forces to take on massive Black Ape attacks) or to assist which ever company ran into trouble it could not handle. But then he was hopping to be as much a decoy as possible making the other companies jobs easier as well if not too many Lizard Apes had been thawed out yet. Though some how he knew that was very unlikely, he still had to give it a try.

One of the big 12 inch gun turrets on the side of the ship started turning toward the Transport as they crossed the last mile. Jack had to catch his breath. They were on final approach to their landing zone and if they could get there in time, they would be under the gun's tracking angle. But it did not look like they were going to make it since he could not maneuver now he was on final approach and only seconds from landing. Jack was just about to throw the stick over to dive for the side of the ship and hope they did not hit the hull too hard. The gun barrel tubes were almost lined up with the transport when they went off. The beams streaked past the transport and out into the cloud. A second later the transport slid into the landing zone hole and came to a stop.

Jack could not believe the idiot had missed them but then he realized what must have happened. The target hit point on most turret guns are usually just a little behind the aiming cross hair reticle of the sights as they turn. Giving the gunner time to get the range and lead right before the barrels lined up with the aim reticle if the target is going fast enough. This time the gunner had hit the trigger as soon as the targeting reticle was on the transport without waiting for the guns to catch up and lead the target. A stupid mistake by most beginning gunners without much training. Something he did not expect from a superbly trained (on pain of death if failing) Spider Battleship gunner. But then the turret fire he had seen so far was just as bad. Again something piqued the back of his brain but he was now too busy to more than notice.

Jack watched the cool bodies of the Red Apes and the hot bodies of the marines rush from the transport hatches. Flooding through the decks and within a few seconds were at the first of the turrets. "Ensign, stay here and be ready to move the transport if we need it elsewhere. Or have to leave in a hurry." Grabbing his own Ape assault gun Jack raced down to the Assault shuttle’s lock and out of the hatch and through the ship, dropping his coal black visor allowing him to use his energy sight in the bright passageways.

Seeing that one of the passageways leading to the turret that had almost killed them had been blocked from damage to the hull, he turned. Taking a different route than the squad up ahead assigned to take that turret, Jack seeing through the bulkheads and decks quickly figured out how to get past the blockage, informing the squad to follow as he ran.

He raced into the turret feed room and threw himself to one side as he raised his assault gun and stopped. A Black Lizard Ape with only half his armor on was standing in front of the guns main breaker panel with the cupboard door open throwing the main breaker to the gun turrets capacitors on then off, on then off again repeatedly. The crazed looking Ape watching the bright flash of the contacts spark each time it through the switch. The clouds of ozone was heavy in the air. Hysterical laughter came from the big Black Ape. Then after he opened the breaker again with a bright long spark and laughed hysterically, Jack noticed that the Apes head was glowing bright from a much higher temperature than their normal cool body temperature as he pulled the trigger deliberately missing the armor and blowing the Black Ape's insides across that side of the compartment.

Jack heard something from the hatch up into the main gun turret basket as the turret turned and then stopped, then turned again. Climbing carefully up through the turntable deck hatch, he looked around searching the turret as another hysterical scream coming down from above him. Jack followed the sound to the gunners chair up at the top between the twin barrels. The turret slew around as the barrels raised up to follow something and then Jack heard. “Bang! Bang!” Come from the Ape as he shook his hand at whatever he had yelled bang, bang at. Then yelled what Jack from his few language lessons thought sounded like "Got you God Fucker!" in God speak even though his suits translator had no idea. And the hysterical laughing started again. Studying the big Ape hanging half out of the gunner’s chair, he notice that the Ape's head again was shining bright like a beacon though even the heat from his body remained its normal cool blooded temperature. No, not normal now that he had a few seconds. The body temperature was elevated as well. Almost to the temperature of a worm blooded human. Strange, it was the Lizard Ape’s cool blooded body that allowed them to hibernate in deep cold storage for hundreds of years between battles. So why were these two Apes, suddenly warm blooded?

Something moved in the turntable hatch next to him. Jack jumped to one side bringing down his weapon with his finger on the trigger. But the weapon was on safe and would not fire no matter how hard he pulled the trigger.

"Hold on Captain.” The Red Ape said. "Just me Gutner Dank."

Jack dropped the barrel of his weapon and let out a long breath of air as he realized the suit in the darkness was red. Taking another breath as his heart calmed. "Damn Gutner, I damn near killed you, not to mention giving me a heart attack." Turning around to look back up at the strange acting Black Ape and then back at the normally cool blooded Red Ape of his friend. "What the heck is going on with that idiot? Ohh. And the one down below was playing with the pretty flashes from the main gun’s power breakers with the cabinet door open. What is up?"

Shaking his head as he looked up, Gutner frowned. "The last stages of a Berserker Ape Captain. We lose our minds and then die after only a few weeks or months from the increased metabolism. It makes us... No, them. Faster and smarter for a few weeks then burns out their minds and then their bodies. Many have already died. The rest will follow in a few days, a week or two at most. They are losing the battle for us." Shaking his head. "There is no honor in dying like this." Taking out the 3 foot long micronic blade attached to the side of his suit. "Thank you for honoring the one below in single mortal Combat. The most honorable way to the Gods. Please go below Captain, I will give this one an honorable death while he still has time." He started to climb the ladder to the gunner's chair 3 stories above.

Jack started down and stopped. "Be careful, he can still kill you and I don't…."

The big Red Ape looked down at Jack as he stopped on the ladder, with what Jack had learned was a sad patronizing look for them. Jack shut up and disappeared down the ladder. A few seconds later he felt and heard a heavy thump as a body hit the turn table above. Fighting down the urge to climb back up to see if Gutner was alright, a red leg finally appeared in the hatch and Jack breathed a sigh of relief. Turning, Jack brought up his weapon and fired at the big switch the Black Ape had been entertaining himself with a few minutes before. Blowing the contacts apart. Damage that could be fixed but not easily by a half crazy Black Ape.

Turning to leave Jack suddenly stopped cold as he grabbed the side of the hatch for support. Jack realized what had been bugging him as dread descended across him and raised his wrist comm. "Pan, the Apes went berserk weeks or even months ago. Why have the slaves not detonated the Fusion Cores?"

"Yes Captain, I was just getting reports from the Red Apes all over the ship. Slaves must be alive someplace on the ship. We must get to the Power Cores before the last die."

"I am headed that way now. Ensign, have the section transports ready to leave as soon as we get there." Tapping his Comm again. "Center attack force, Company B, back to the transports now. That is an order. We have to take the Power Core Deck or we are all dead. Move it!" Tapping his Comm again. "Major, big problems. You have to find the surviving slaves and protect them from the Berserker Apes before the Power Cores are detonated. Over." Jack headed down the passageway at a run using his sight to take a short cut to the Assault boat he had arrived in.

"I am with the Southern force. We have set up a perimeter around the boat locks but without the firepower of the Assault Transports we would have been overrun within minutes of arriving. Waves of the Damn Apes are rushing us. They seem to be coming out of every nook and hatch around. The only thing is they are damn stupid, more like animal beasts attacking blindly and easy to kill but there are just so damn many of them. Sorry Captain but we aren’t going anywhere until this onslaught stops. Besides I don't have any idea where anyone could stay alive with these monsters around. Hell, it looked like they were fighting and eating each other when we landed."

"If I remember correctly Major. The most protected decks are below you around the Power Core deck and below. See if you can block them from getting below the boat deck. I am headed for the Power Core deck now as soon as I can get reloaded. Out." Going through a compartment, a Black Ape was sitting on the deck trying to put something like blocks together in front of him as drool ran out of his open mouth. Jack dropped his weapon to his side and continued across the compartment toward the hatch on the other side.

Gutner Dank turned away from following Jack, stepping toward the Black Ape drawing his sword.

"Damn it Gutner, we don't have time for that. It is no threat to anyone right now." Placing the Assault gun over his back to make it easier to open hatches and run.

"I am giving him an honorable death Captain. They all deserve that."

"We will all get dishonorable deaths if we don't get to that power deck and stop them from detonating the damn Cores. You can do that later if we are still alive."

The Red Ape swung his blade cutting off the Black Apes head as he said a few words in Ape speak then turned back to follow Jack.

Jack stepped through the hatch, ran down the passageway and through another open hatch. Half way through he heard a growl as he strode out into the middle of the compartment and slowed his stride in disbelief.

An Ape covered in Red was down the side of the compartment bending over a slave corps tearing out big chunks of meat and eating it with big shakes of his head, throwing blood everywhere around him. All Jack could do was watch as the Big off colored Red Ape looked up to see Jack and then let out an ear splitting scream as he spit out the meat and then jumped over the corps and charged Jack. Fangs and claws growing as large as bayonets.

Jack could only stare at the rushing Off Red Ape for a second before he reached up dragging the assault gun off his back. With the gun halfway off his back he realized he was running out of time. The Big Red Ape was coming much faster than Jack could believe.

With his weapon off his back finely but nowhere close to being ready to use or even aimed at the beast, the Ape was just about to hit him. Jack fell over backwards and raised his legs up just in time to kick out into the chest of the Ape as his back hit the deck. The Ape’s claws raked his suit cutting gouges into the red paint of the armor as Jack let his legs pivot the 300+ pound Ape over him sending him sailing out across the compartment.

The Ape slid across the deck head first and with speed Jack could not believe, turned around with its claws scraping across the deck trying to stop his slide and launch itself back at Jack.

Still laying on the deck where he had fallen he brought up his weapon in panic, Jack fingered the safety and pulled the trigger without even aiming sending the ball of energy into the chest of the Ape as its claws made screeching sounds on the deck trying to get traction.

It fell flat to the deck dead. Jack jerked on the trigger again, sending another bolt into the head of the beast decapitating the body.

"Now that was a Glorious death Captain. You let him get one last attack and claw into you before you killed him. Only a truly wonderfully brave warrior would let a beast do that for a most glorious death. I will tell all the Apes of your generosity to our brothers." Picking Jack up off the deck by his rescue ring on the back of his armor the big Red Ape started for the far hatch as he sat Jack down on his running feet. You are truly a great warrior Captain."

Jack had to run to keep up. "But that was a Red Ape. Is this Berserker thing a disease? How easy is it to catch from the other Apes?"

The Red Ape stopped in mid stride at the hatch. Looking down at Jack for a second Gutner turned back striding to the dead off colored Red Ape on the deck. Wiping his hand across the armor of the ape, his hand came up red leaving the armor with a black swipe and red streaks. "The coloring is mostly dried blood from an iron blooded species of slaves Captain, it is not catching. It takes massive amounts of drugs and the radiation shock of instant thawing to create these monsters. But that explains why you went to the trouble and risk to give him the extra honor and danger of letting him attack you before killing him." Walking back up to Jack smiling as he slapped his back. "Tell you what Captain, we don't need to tell everyone that part of the story. Keep that just between you and me." Then stepped through the hatch with his weapon ready. "Come on Captain, we still have a ship and crew to save."

Chapter 2; Something horribly nasty this way comes.

Jack walked onto the bridge of the Assault Transport flopping down onto the Command chair. Motioning for the Ensign to remain seated in the pilot's cockpit. "Get the transport ready to launch as soon as the squads are back aboard. Slapping the Comm. "Commodore Fletcher, I need you to bring your destroyers in close to knock out the remaining point defense weapons on the lower part of the ship. I need to relocate to a new landing zone on the Power Core section."

"What is this about the ship getting ready to explode Commander?"

"That is why I am redeploying. To stop them from detonating the Cores when the last of the slaves are killed by the Berserker Apes. That is if A company in the boat locks can't find them and protect them. The shame is the Enemy Berserkers only have a few hours left to live but if they manage to kill the last survivors before we get to the Cores, none of us including your destroyers would be able to run far enough to avoid the explosion. A similar explosion created the bubble this Battleship is attached to. Get your damn butts down here to clean the lower sides of the ship so we can get down there without losing half my transports and troops or we are all dead." Jack did not have time for trying to be diplomatic.

"Watch your language Lt. Commander, I will see what I can do. Out."

“Finally someone is calling me by my official rank.” Jack chuckled and rolling his eyes for a second. “Now when it could get us all killed.”

Jack looked around the decks adjacent to the landing zone, shaking his head. Being one of the two surviving children (on his Trampship Turner Joy) born under a Neutron Star, had resulted in turning on long dead genes that allowed Jack to see most energy waves besides the simple light waves everyone else that were normal humans could see by. It was a curse most of the time but it had in the past as it now was doing, saved lives. That is if he could just get his troops loaded so he could get down where he needed to be. He could see the heat of Apes through the bulkheads and decks and too many Red Apes were stopping to give honorable deaths to Black Apes or worse yet, hunting them down instead of heading for the transports.

Hitting his comm. "This is a recall order, anyone not on the transports in 2 minutes is being left behind." Taking a deep breath. "Two minute warning. If you miss the Transports you will have to make your way to one of the other company’s if the ship does not blow up because you were not along to help protect the last surviving Slaves. I may have to pull Company C down to the Boat deck as well. Rescuing the remaining slaves is our top priority now. That is all and good luck to those left behind if you think giving a few Apes glorious deaths now instead of later is more important than keeping everyone including yourselves alive." Jack smiled as most of the hunters decided that being left behind was not such a good idea and started making beelines for the nearest Transport scattered around the gun deck.

As the last Red Ape assigned to his shuttle jumped onto the loading ramp a good minute ahead of his deadline Jack slapped the Ensign on the shoulder. "Get us out of here now Ensign and drop down the side staying as close to the hull as possible. Please avoid the turrets and pylons sticking out of the hull."

They dropped rapidly down. The transport scrapped the hull making a screeching sound for a few seconds bringing a smile to Jack's lips as he reached up to pat the Ensign cringing shoulder. "Don't worry about it Ensign. This is a tough old bird. She will take it. Just keep her close even if she scrapes once in a while."

The transport continued to drop dodging around the point defense turrets and towers. Scraping the hull every once in a while without the Ensign panicking again. Gunfire from the Transport as well as several Destroyers continued taking out the remaining point defense turrets as the Assault Transport dropped.

They passed the wide open boat locks as Jack watched the battle going on with the troops clustered around and in the Assault Transports as wave after wave of Crazed Black Apes continued to assault them. The firing from the big guns of the Assault Transports doing most of the work with the troops cleaning up the many that got past the big guns or dropping through maintenance access trunks over and around the lock, in close quarters fighting. Squinting to block out other light, Jack could see thousands of Apes on the upper decks headed for the boat deck from above.

"Pan, I thought there were only some 10,000 Apes stored in hibernation. At least that was my estimate by counting hibernation decks. I must see at least twice that many if not more coming down the ship." Jack turned to face the tall alien with the long straight dress that touched the deck even when she sat awkwardly in the Comm panel chair.

"That was our home ship the Kampuchea Captain, an Attack ship with the minimum number of Apes and only two boat maintenance bays because that was all it needed. This ship has 6 large Assault Transport maintenance locks along with general assault craft maintenance bays for ground attack fighters and APC's. All needed for the extended flight decks above and in the lower heavy armored Decks. This ship is a planetary Assault ship Captain. It can carry at least a hundred thousand planetary Assault Apes along with all their heavy equipment such as tanks and artillery. Or did at one time. Though most of these ships have lost many of their troops over the millenniums. I cannot tell you how many troops were left on this ship. Though Ape replacements are much easier to acquire than crews. The factory production ship can hatch replacements when it finds a new home planet with a reliable food source to feed them. It is also possible it was reinforced for its mission to attack any supply and maintenance bases which the detached fleet was looking for."

"Ok, so why are there slaves still alive someplace and we have not gone boom yet?" The Transport continued to drop down the side of the ship. Pointing at a hole in the side between 2 engine pylons Jack smiled as he slapped the Ensign on the shoulder and pointed. "There. Take us into that hole. It looks big enough to hold the Transport." Tapping his Comm. "We are about to slid into a large compartment. Third Platoon (Heavy weapons) will secure the perimeter. First and second, will scout the deck looking for survivors and a hatch into the Core." Turning to the Ensign. "Leave our ass out the hole far enough to serve as a landing dock for the other transports." Tapping his Comm again. "B Company Transports will dock with my boat to off load troops." Tapping the Comm again. "C Company, how are you doing up topside?"

"We made it down three decks but not finding any slaves and doing fine until a few minutes ago. I had to retreat to the flight deck. Now they are coming out of the deck like zombies. Wait one." Jack could hear big blasters in the back ground. "The air support just got here we have a couple of Destroyers hovering just below the overhead armored pancake deck, blowing a big hole in the center access trunk. What do you want us to do with all these ground attack fighters and transports up here?"

"Ahh. Save the ones you can but don't take any risks. It is possible we can use them in the future but there could be a hundred thousand enemy troops, so I want you to go back to plan A and hunker down and let the Crazy Zombie Apes come to you. Just establish a killing ground and sit back. The more you can take out up there with the massive amounts of support you can bring to bear, the fewer we have to worry about down here." Starting to cut the line Jack hesitated. "Ahh, be ready to pull out and send some of your platoons if not your whole company down to support A Company if they need it." Jack watched one of the Transports slide up to the extended stern ramp of the docked Transport and drop its side ramps onto Jacks Assault transports open stern hatch and ramp. Marines and Red Apes started running across the ramps and through the cargo hold and into the ship. The armored Bigfoots bending low duck walking to get through the side hatch. "Call me if anything changes. Commander out." Turning to the Ensign he smiled. "The Deck is yours Ensign."

“Not this time. I am coming with you.”

“No damn it! You need to stay here where it is safe.” Jack swallowed realizing that was the last thing he needed to say and tried again. “I need you to make sure the other boats get docked and the rest of the Company get deployed properly.”

“Don’t give me that bullshit. The Boat is locked down to the deck and the Apes already know what needs to be done. I am coming with you Love and that is all there is to it.”

‘No you are not and that’s an order!” Jack said in no uncertain terms then turned and left the bridge. Grabbing his heavy Ape assault gun as he did. At the hull hatch he stopped and turned around to face the Ensign following him carrying her own modified assault gun with its barrel and stock cut down for her size. "Just where do you think you are going Ensign?"

Smiling she finished inspecting the Assault gun and throwing an ammo belt with grenades from the rack next to the lock, over her head across her shoulder. "I am going with you oh mighty one. Admiral's orders remember, Captain."

Pan came gliding up as usual but with an assault weapon cut down like the Ensigns that looked completely out of place for her. What was even stranger, she was wearing a suit of armor that followed her skirt strait down to the deck. Jack had never seen her in anything but the full length dress before but took it for granted that she would put on pants if she had to put on a space suit or armored suit. But then he had only known her for a few months since he had rescued her and the first group of aliens off the first Enemy Spider Battleship hulk he had assaulted trying to find out who and what they were fighting. Besides Jack had never seen a suit built like a full length dress before. Jack decided to drop it for the moment. They really did not have the time. "Ah do you know how to use that Pan." Jack asked glancing down at the cut down Ape assault gun.

She looked up from the power pack belt she was putting on and bowed with a smile. "Yes Captain, I have been taking lessons from the Red Apes. I will not go back to slavery. You need my help when you find the slaves and possibly to get into the Power Core."

"Ok. Well, let's get this show on the road." Jack slapped his helmets face shield down then walked through the air curtain of the hatch as he looked around the ship doing his best to look past the blinding lights in the compartment around him and headed for the center of the ship where he hoped to find the Power Cores. Half way across the compartment he turned to Pan as she came sliding out across the deck. Her body looking like she was not walking under that space suit dress but just gliding. Though that was how she usually looked now that he thought about it. He had simple always taken it for granted that she walked like everyone else without really looking. But know with the hard armor not flopping around or dragging behind like he remembered over the last months he could not help wondering what was wrong. The lower skirted half remained perfectly upright as she went down the ramp to the deck and up to Jack. Shaking his head. "Pan you know your way around this ship better than I, so lead the way. Find us either the surviving slaves or the Power Cores Control Room."

"I do not understand why I cannot contact the slaves or the Power Room Crew." Pan said baffled as she lifted her visor.

Jack smiled and did the same as he realized the section of ship was still pressurized? Evidentially someone had slapped an air curtain across the hole in the hull. “Just tell me which way to go and don't get out ahead. There are a lot of crazy Apes around even with our troops spreading out ahead."

Pan stopped and bowed to Jack solemnly, then smiled as she slid through the hatch and down a corridor with her weapon ready. Jack had to almost run to keep up with her with the Ensign close behind him. Gutner Dank laughed and followed behind with a heavy weapons Fire Team of Red Apes following him.

Jack caught up to Pan as she stopped at a hatch that would not open for her. Narrowing and shading his eyes from the bright overhead light that seemed to emanate from the overhead’s corners, Jack peered at the hatch then moved his head to the side as he stepped to the side of the Corridor. It looks like someone had welded up the hatch from the other side and flooded the Corridor with something solid as well as the next 2 sections and then a very thick dense hull section that curved around to both sides that he could not see through. Some kind of tube. See through was not the right word as Jack’s eyes saw the many different radiation waves of the spectrum radiating from a source and what he could not see was any radiation coming from the thick bulkhead or hull of the core tube. Though all the power lines to and from the equipment for a few dozen feet around the tube were clear as day as long as he could shield his eyes from the glaring light around him that threatened to wash out most of the detail. Yes, he thought as he looked up and down. A huge long tube disappearing down many decks with the top curving over to form a cap a few decks above them." Shaking his head as he turned to leave. "Someone did not want anyone getting into whatever is behind the hatches. We will have to go a different way." Turning to Pan. "What is inside the armored tube?"

"The Power Core section of course Captain. Is that not where you wanted me to take you?"

"Yes but the hatch is welded and the passageway beyond to what looks like a main hatch is blocked. Is there another entrance?"

"Yes there should be 4 on this deck, though I am not that familiar with this ship’s design but they may be blocked as well. We may have to try one of the other power balls."

"Well, we won't know until we try. Evidentially someone was trying to survive the Ape Berserkers using the core as a panic room." Jack turned around and headed back down the Corridor making a turn at the junction into a side passageway. Pan catching up to him as she seemed to glide along the deck with her weapon at the ready as she leaned forward with a determined look on her face.

She beat Jack through the half open hatch into a compartment and disappeared before Jack could push it the rest of the way open. He had slowed down as he approached to survey what he could see through the partially open hatch before going through. Rolling his eyes in disgusted exasperation he suddenly rushed through behind her. Pan was standing still in the middle of the compartment with her weapon raised pointing at a slavering Berserker Ape charging her. A half-eaten body lay on the deck behind the Ape. Her finger was on the trigger but the weapon was not firing.

Jack's thumb slid down across the safety without thinking as he pulled the trigger on his assault gun without taking time to raise it to his shoulder. Shooting the charging Ape through the side of the chest with the first shot and working down across its body as he over compensated for the muzzle lift, taking out its legs dropping it to the deck to slide up against Pan's skirt with a thump, knocking her sliding across the deck to come slowly to a stop half a dozen feet back away from the dead corpse. The skirt remaining perfectly upright while her upper body was bent over above her waist with the heavy assault gun dragging on the deck. Her face looking up toward the corps as the lower half slowly came to a stop before she could straighten back up but continued to stare at body.

Jack walked up to her as he slid his gun over his shoulder where it was easy to get at, putting his arm around her shoulders he turned her away from the corps. Sliding her easily across the deck. He finely realized that she was riding in or on some kind of gravity coil platform or tub. Turning the gun up and a little sideways to make it easier for her to see. He put his hand on hers and helped her push the safety off and back on with her thumb. "The gun works better when you take the safety off. That just takes practice. Something you can't get in just the gun range or just a few lessons. You will get the beast next time."

She looked over at Jack and then back down at the gun, flicking the safety off and on several times. Then turning toward the dead Ape she pointed the gun at it, flicked the safety off and pulled the trigger killing the corps again and again. Finely looking up she flicked the safety back on and turned to Jack and the Ensign with tears in her eyes. "They have been killing us for so long I just wanted to, too." She turned and glided up to the next hatch and stopped and waited for Jack to take the lead.

They started passing Ape bodies and then Apes wondering around bumping into things as they tried to walk someplace while others sat trying to do something over and over again.

Jack killed the first couple but they did not even look up from what they were doing. When the next did not even notice him he just kept walking.

Pan stopped and pointed her weapon at the helpless Ape drooling over himself trying to do something repeatedly with its hands. Flicking the safety off, she stood staring at the pitiful creature. After a good minute as Jack watched she started flicking the safety on, then back off, then back on for a few seconds only to flick it back off ready to fire as a determined hateful look came across her face only to flick the safety on again as pity crossed her face.

Gutner Dank stepped over and hacked its head off with his micro blade. "If you can't kill them with hate, don't kill them with pity. Pity is not honorable." Slapping her on the back. "Make your first kill when the Berserker is fit and ready for you. Be honorable for both of you." Then pushed her sliding after Jack as he stepped through the next hatch.

Jack only bothered to kill after that if the beast noticed them. Or was in the process of feasting at a corps. Those seemed to have the energy and desire to kill when they finely noticed the intruders. Whether by smell or sight Jack did not care, he just dropped them before they could move as soon as he saw them. The rest he left for the Red Apes to take care of. Pan no longer seemed interested in killing anything. Making Jack relieved as he continued to step over or around the many Ape bodies already dead.

They passed 2 more main Corridors leading into the Fusion Power Core that were blocked off as was the first. Shaking his head. "Shit! Most likely the last one is blocked off as well." Jack looked down at the seemingly undamaged Ape corpses spread down the Corridor. "There has got to be a way into the damn thing." Tapping his come. "Major, now that most of the Apes are dead have you had any luck in finding any slaves alive?"

"What the hell are you talking about? We are barely holding on here even with the heavy weapon reinforcement squads C-Company has sent down."

"What? Most of the Apes down here are either dead or close to it." Looking around for a few seconds, Jack suddenly pulled his pistol out and started shooting the overhead corner light panels. "Gutner, take out all the light panels in this Corridor. Now, hurry man and shut that damn hatch." A half minute later that section of corridor was dark. Pitch black. "Ok everyone, just sit down and wait for a few minutes." As his eyes slowly got used to the dark, he was able to see farther with more detail.

The Ensign came to life in front of Jack and with a smile she stepped forward and placed a lip lock on Jack as a spark snapped between their lips without having to feel around. Breaking contact from her with a smack, Jack looked down to see Pan standing, looking around trying to figure out what was going on. Reaching out tentatively feeling for the bulkhead she was next to. Jack studied her for a seconds noticing the blood flowing through her body from the heart in her chest through her small set of lungs up to the brightness of the brain in her head. Little different than the Ensigns though they were easy to tell apart. What suddenly shocked him was when he looked down and saw nothing that resembled legs in her long skirt, but did look like a fish’s tail complete with fins. Her lower half was sitting supported in a narrow tank up above the knees on a human would be but without the human knees and then up to an all too human butt and above. "Damn, she is a mermaid Ensign."

Pan turned toward the sound of Jack's voice but did not quit get lined up. "Please pardon me Captain. I did not understand."

The ensign jabbed Jack in the ribs. "I am sorry Pan but it was a comment, meant for me about his inability to see as good as I can in the dark. And all the live hot Berserker Apes up on the boat deck running around and the lack of live Apes down here on these decks. If Captain Jack can stop gawking he just may notice that something down here is killing the Black Berserker Apes."

Jack looked at her then up at what she was talking about on the boat deck. Then looking around at the bright beacons of the sick dying Apes scattered across the decks around them he realized the Ensign was wright. Something was terribly wrong. His gaze drifted back into the brightly lit with body heat Corridor they were in and suddenly jerked back to the Red Apes that were with them. Their bodies were a lot hotter than normal and their brains where almost beacons. "Shit! Gutner Dank. You need to get the hell out of here now." The Ape looked at Jacks sound in the dark with a baffled expression Jack could clearly see. "There is something on this deck killing you and the other Red Apes. All you Red Apes have to leave this deck immediately or you are going to die. Now get out. Go!" Jack hit his Comm as the hatch was thrown open and the Apes started out. "All B Company Red Apes are to immediately evacuate this deck immediately to the transports to be taken up to the boat deck. No exceptions. There is something poisoning all the apes on this deck. Move it people. Get the Transports back at the landing zone to pick them up." Hitting the Comm again. "Doctor, the Apes are being killed down her on the Power Core Deck at an incredible faster rate than the berserker Apes above. Most all of the Black Apes down here are already dead with the few exceptions that must be late arrivals. I think it is some kind of radiation since we are at the power core but that is only a guess. I need you to check it out and see what you can do for the Apes I had down here with me for some kind of poisoning." Jack watched the stream of Apes headed back for the transports as the first transport pulled up to the back of the transport serving as a dock.

"Captain, I have one of their Doctors here and he says that he has treatments for radiation poisoning for the Apes. Are you sure? The doctor says the Apes are immune to low levels of radiation poisoning and that if the radiation is powerful enough to kill the Apes you should already be dead. He would like to come down and investigate other causes."

Jack closed the end hatch plunging the Corridor back into darkness. "Fine. He can come down and investigate all he wants but I know withholding rapid treatment, radiation poisoning can result in the antidote being worthless. I want my Apes treated now and if I am wrong they can blame me for the unneeded pain, but at least they will be alive. As for us, we are not getting any readings of radiation from our suits and we are not showing any side effects or signs of poisoning of any kind. Yet I can see the Red Apes dying all over this deck with hundreds of undamaged corpses everywhere we go and only on the decks around the power core. The body temperatures of the Red Apes up on the other decks look normal. Is it possible that the berserker apes got a high dose of radiation to help make them berserkers? We will have to check their hibernation capsules for radiation emitters when we get the time."

Looking around he finally spotted what he was looking for and smiled. Throwing the hatch open he started down the corridor and turned into the nearest passageway to the first ladder and headed up.

Stopping after going through the next hatch up Jack turned around wondering if Pan could climb only to watch her guiding herself up the ladder through the hatch with her arms. His eyes telling him that the gravcoil in her tub was doing most of the work, with her hands mostly guiding it. Jumping onto the ladder again, he headed on up until he got to the level he wanted. Then jogged down several passageways and into a dead end side passageway to a maintenance hatch in the deck next to a 10 foot wide bundle of pipes and cables running from the overhead down through the thick armored deck. Jack waited for Pan and the Ensign to catch up to him as he first tried to see the deck below but the armor was too thick. He then examined the pieces of junk scattered around the compartment and down the passageway. Junk and trash left behind anytime a large number of people go anyplace in a hurry especially if it is through cramped spaces.

Pan came up to him frowning. "Why do you rush so fast to get here and then stop Captain?"

Jack smiled. "Because if I open that hatch I will probably get shot. You won't." Frowning suddenly. “At least I hope not.”

The Ensign picked up a child's toy stuffed animal that did not look like anything a human would play with. "I can't see through the thick armor Captain but you have to be right. It looks like a lot of refugees went down that hole."

Pan looked back and forth between them. "Why would they go down into the Power Core? Especially through this hatch."

Jack chuckled. "Well I don't know. Why don't you open up the hatch and ask them." Though I don't think it is big enough for Bigfoots but then I have not seen any Bigfoot bodies around thank God. But then I have not seen that many slave bodies around either. Just hundreds of dead Crazy Apes." Looking at Pans baffled expression, Jack shook his head and stopped talking as he spotted a comm port next to the hatch. "Pan! Use the Comm port. Your communicator should work on it."

Pan looked down at the hatch and the comm port scabbed on the back side of it Jack had pointed at. Taking out her little hand held tablet she had used so much since Jack had first met her, she took a plug out of the bottom and shoved it into the port and God speak started blasting from her comm.

Pan practically screamed back for a few seconds to make herself heard and then stopped as the 3 foot wide by 6 foot thick hatch slammed up out of the deck into a recess in the overhead. A head peeked out of the opening. Seeing Pan, it started speaking until it saw Jack and the Ensign. Silence filled the little compartment as it looked around them and down the passageway with obvious terror plastered across the strange face as it stared at Jack only feet away.

Pan started talking again motioning toward Jack and then the Ensign.

The creature started speaking again as terror left its face and then disappeared down the hole.

Pan slid over to it and let herself down the hole until only her head was showing. "Come Captain, Ensign. They want to meet you." Seeing Jacks baffled look. "The survivors Captain. They have heard about you and want to meet you while they wait for the Berserkers to finish dying."

"Hold on here for a second. The slaves are safe and they are not going to blow up the ship and the Berserker Apes will die on their own shortly?"

"Ah yes Captain. Die eventually though it may take another month or two for them all to die. I believe that is what the Munchkin said."

Shaking his head in disbelief he tapped his comm. "Major. Pull all the forces off the ship immediately. I have found the slaves and we do not have to worry about their safety or them blowing up the ship at the moment and I don't want any more of our troops killed just to kill the damn berserkers that are already dead but just don’t know it yet."

"You have got to be fricking kidding Captain. I finely have enough troops with the Red Apes you sent up to kick berserker butt and you want me to leave?"

"Yes Major. That is an order and that goes for everyone including the Red Apes. Not one Red Ape's life is worth an honorable death for all the thousands of berserkers left alive. Now do it. Out." Hitting his local B-Company comm. "Nanuke, I don't know if the radiation killing the Apes is deadly to humans or not, but just in case pull your marines back to the transport behind shielding. I need just one Heavy Armored fire team at my location to serve as a hatch guard and comm relay. ASAP. You can relieve them every half hour just to make sure no one gets too high a dosage with reinforcements ready on 30 seconds notice. Out."

Turning to the Ensign. "Stay here guarding this hatch until the fire team arrives, then you can join me down below. We have a lot of questions that need answered." Jack started down the hatch in the deck and stopped as the Ensign stood staring at him pouting with her back to the passageway's entrance. Her weapon still on her back. Jack stared at her for several seconds waiting for her to comply.

The Ensign smiled down at Jack. "The Admiral ordered me to stay close to you. You don't know what is down there. It could be a trap." She said impatiently as she waited for Jack to get out of her way.

"Ensign, take your weapon off your back. Lay down behind the shallow hatch trunk there." Jack pointed behind the hatch combing. "So you have some protection. Point your frigging weapon down the passageway with the safety off and your finger on the trigger, so you can kill anything that comes down that passageway that is not human, before it fricking kills you." Jack was getting pissed. "The smell coming out of this hatch stinks to me. I imagine it will stink to the Berserkers if it gets that far up ship and lead them straight here. Now take up the fricking guard post until relieved and that is an order Ensign! Now! Before I drop down.” Jack stared at her grim faced. “Make sure you contact me before you come down just in case it is a trap, so you can bring reinforcements. Got it?"

Her expression turned pissed as she took her weapon off her back and stepped behind the hatches raised combing and laid down with her weapon pointed down the passageway. "There, Sir. That good enough for you? Sir?"

Jack looked at her pissed off expression knowing he was going to pay for it later no matter how much she said she loved him, but it was about time she learned orders were orders and they both were still in the Navy and troops die when orders are not followed. Jack counted to 5. "Drop you weapons bipod, close your damn helmet, take your weapons safety off, put your Godstar damn finger on the fricking trigger, keep your eyes glued on your assigned guard area and don't take them off of it until you are relieved. Or do I have to bust you down to recruit and send you back to basic bootship training."

"I am an officer damn it." She said tight lipped. Pissed starting to turn to hate for being treated like a damn recruit.

"And you are the only other body here besides me right now and you like any other officer including me, will perform the tasks needed to insure the completion of the mission, no matter what the Frick they are. And right now that requires you to be a fricking guard while I go down and make sure some scarred shitless moron does not have its finger hovering over the ships self-destruct button waiting to accidentally push it simply because someone farts. Now do your Godstar Damn Duty properly Ensign, so the whole Godstar attack force can stay alive as well." Staring into her hateful, pissed eyes for a second. "And Change that damn attitude fast or I am transferring you off my ship.” Jack was getting really pissed. “Outside the damn Cabin, you are still just a crewman and if you can't follow orders because you think you are too good or once out ranked me or you think you are special and don't need to, you can move back to your own Cabin got it. I lived without you around for too many years to let you treat me like you have a corn cob shoved up your ass and don't need to follow orders, risking the lives of everyone." Staring into her eyes. "Now Ensign."

She finely looked away focusing on the guard area. She adjusted the bipod and placed her body so the weapon could cover the entire entrance of the passageway while staying hidden, placed her left hand over the butt of the weapon to pull and hold it firmly into her should so she could maintain control at full auto, the safety off and her finger on the trigger and froze in place. She had spent many hours frozen in just such a position on duty in basic training guarding an area. She knew how to do it. She just did not think she would ever have to do it again. Taking a deep breath she wanted to scream at him but decided he was right and said. "Guarding the passageway until relieved Captain Sir." Taking a breath she bit her lip, then. "I will call you as soon as my relief arrives sir." She said in as normal a voice as she could muster. Doing her best to keep out the hate and sarcasm.

Jack dropped down the hatch without saying a word.

She could not believe what had gotten into her. She was a phycology major with several degrees and yet she had let herself fall into the common trap of thinking the rules did not apply to her simply because she was the Captains girlfriend, lover. She had even started thinking that she deserved promotion to lieutenant even though she still had not finished the requirements. But then Jack had gone from Non-commissioned Petty Officer to Captain of his own ship in only a couple of months. Why should she have to worry about requirements? But then he had more than fulfilled all the requirements including time in grade after spending most of a decade in The Battleship Training Virtual Reality Game that had been leaked to the general populace across the Republic. While she had spent some time in The Game trying her best to kill Jack at every opportunity, it was her Collage degrees that had earned her the Officer’s Bars. She had been made an Officer after Bootship because of her accredited college degrees while Jack‘s many degrees had been from cheaper none military accredited collages saving what his parents thought was an extravagant cost for a child they expect to drop dead any day. The fact that his Grandfather (everyone called Pop) was a Genius and was once head of the Republic’s Research Directorate did not even help. But then in time of war some rules got thrown out. All she had to do was take care of the basics that combat depended on and that one was passing the damn pilot exams. Which Jack had done with ease while she was struggling? Up until then she had considered Jack and her to be almost twins the way they had grown up.

Both Jack and the Ensign where the only surviving children of 23 children born during Jack’s family’s Trampship’s (the Turner Joy) year stranded in a neutron star system. Common knowledge said that neutron babies were handicapped, retarded and did not survive long after birth which was true for the other 21 babies that had been born while the ship was in the system. All but she and Jack had died over the next several years after the ship got out of the system. To the heart break of many of the ship’s parents (most of the ship resenting the only 2 kids that did not die). Most of the crew and Jack’s parents taking it for granted that Jack not only would die but was retarded while treating him so.

Expected to die soon, they had been left alone and ignored by all except the Ensigns parents who took Jack in as his parent were too busy saving the ship to care for a baby that was doomed to die. Jack and the ensign had grown with the ability to see what others could not while being ignored until they were 6 years old and then separated for reasons neither understood. Then Jack was disciplined whenever he had said anything about seeing through walls and decks or acted to that affect as he was growing up forcing him to subconsciously ignore the fact while the Ensign’s parents had accepted the games their daughter had played even though they had though it was only her imagination. They were much too happy to spend what little time they had with her before she to eventually died. But both Jack and the Ensign flourished though Jack had been treated like a slave by his older brother as his parents were much too busy as the Ship’s Captain and Executive Officer to worry let alone get close to a child that they expected to die any day. Even after 18 years.

Jack had run away and joined the Navy and finally realized only months before with the Ensign’s exasperated help, that others could not see what both her and he saw and took for granted. Just in time to save the ship and the fleet from total destruction in a rapidly approaching nebula while piloting the lead ship in the small fleet of armed transports running for their lives.

Jack had been a mere Gravity Coil Tech a few weeks before that. He had spent the previous boring year working on recertifying his college degrees by taking the final tests of all the college courses from his years of studies as his tramp ship plied its way across the stars. Then one day he had been brought to the bridge to learn how to trouble shoot a gravity coil problem that he salved in seconds and he noticed the enemy ships on the screen showing the feed from one of the reconnaissance drones sent out ahead of the fleet. His training from his Grandfather (Retired head of the Republic’s Central Research Institute and designer of the Republic’s existing space drive engines) had made him realize within only a few seconds that the enemy not only had more advanced Propulsion engines for their ships allowing them to easily out run anything the Republic had but that the Republic Navy could upgrade their own ship propulsion engines to be better than the Spiders. That is if the fleet survived long enough.

Jack had not only proceeded to design new engines but went on to pass all the physical and mental tests the Fleet’s Admiral could give him allowing him to rapidly advance in a rapidly expanding Navy that was building ships faster than they could train crews for, including Officers. Then the battle of all battles had left Jack in command of a wreck of a ship simply because he was the only officer on the Red Pepper at the time with orders to simply take it and its few surviving crewmen back to the Rock for repairs. Only to wind up in even more battles and a ship load of refugees and examples of the Spider’s incredibly advanced technologies.

A distant boom echoed down the passageway getting the Ensign’s attention. "What the hell was that?" Frowning. Nothing she needed to worry about she thought, too far away. Glancing briefly at the hatch and then back at the passageway. No, Jack was now a temporary Captain while she was still a damn Ensign. But then Jack had been playing The Game since he was 6 come to think of it. Well a simplified version back then. She had played it with him, with his grandfather (Pop) looking on and helping them once in a while. Even though like most kids at that age, they knew it all and didn't think they needed help with a billion credit game given away for free, that knew how to keep the interest of its players while teaching them the basics, even kids. Then as the kids grew, so did the complexity and intensity of The Battleship Crewmen Training Game. Though then she discovered boys and the attention her developing breasts got her and left the game for more interesting pursuits. Boys.

Another blast echoed down the passageways. This time closer. Making her grimace, wondering as to what had caused it. The passageway being too bright for her to see clearly much beyond a few bulkheads away. Not daring to take her eyes off the passageway's entrance even though she knew nothing was that close yet, though she could briefly see blobs of energy approaching and blowing bulkheads with each explosion in the distance. Her mind started to race as she found herself hopping Jack was not to fare away down the hole for help. Just in case she needed him. Kicking herself again for abandoning Jack many years before when he needed her as his older brother tormented and abused him relentlessly.

Back when she was eight she had developed breasts and discovered boys, older boys to be exact, like most girls and she had lost interest in The Game and to her at the time, in the immature Jack and the abuse he was getting at home. Thinking he was a week pansy nerd for not fighting back even against impossible odds of an older brother bigger and nastily smart enough to keep from getting caught by parents that did not want to know. Did not want to get that involved in a boy that could die any day.

Luckily, her parents did not believe or care about that and smothered her with love. Something her mother and father had done with Jack for his first 6 years since his parents were much too busy running the ship waiting for him to die and pretty much left him in the care of the Ensigns parents. She had considered Jack to be her brother which made it easy to dump him when she discovered boys until she was raped because of her huge breasts and had decided it was Jacks fault. Blaming Jack because of a lie (even though she knew in her heart that he had nothing to do with her rape), and wanting to kill him. Her hate forcing her to follow him into the Navy otherwise she would never have the opportunity to kill him.

Another bang shook the passageway, knocking dust and debris down the passageway. Swallowing as her eyes grew big and the light in the passageway became too bright to see anything but the passageway directly in front of her. She tried to keep her hands from shaking as she wished she could take them off the weapon's grip, take off her gloves to wipe the sweat off of them, and the drops starting to run down her face, but dared not to. Her lips felt incredibly dry, licking them did not seem to help. She forgot about the drinking tube only inches from her lips. Growing more scared each time she tried and failed to look past the passageway bulkheads and the approaching horde of psychopathic Crazed Berserker Apes slowly approaching her guard position.

She heard another noise from down the side passageway out of sight. Sounding like metal on metal. Maybe a hatch being pried open. "Jack." She said in a whisper. The suits sound amplification brought her every little noise from down the passageway. Something horribly nasty this way was coming. Getting louder and louder.

She wanted to get up and run but her basic training took over freezing her in place, freezing her muscles so she could not get up. Forcing her to stay rooted in place and wait for orders.

Another bang sounded from the passageway followed with a screech as more dust and debris drifted across the intersection. "Jack!" She whined. Desperately wanting to look down the hatch to see if anyone was there to help. Even that strange looking guard that had opened the hatch. Wanting to pull the trigger of her weapon in the hope of scarring the approaching monster away but her training would not let her before she saw a target. An Enemy Target.

She suddenly started hearing far away footsteps. "Jack!" Fighting tears. She did not want to die alone without Jack. "Jack!" She yelled into her comm.

"What Ensign." Came Jack's response. "I am a bit busy down here. Has the Fire Team reached you yet?"

The footsteps were intermittent, ending each time in clanks of something hitting something and getting closer. It sounded like a bunch of different footsteps taking turns advancing.

"Something is coming down the passageway. A lot of something and they are big. I need to leave."

"No Ensign. The fire team will be there in a few minutes. You have to hold until then."

"I am by myself damn it Jack. I need you to get your butt up here now." Her voice was trembling trying to break.

"I can't Ensign. I am in a situation here that I can't leave and I don’t have time to explain. You are going to have to hold that hatch until relieved."

"But I can't, something terrible is coming."

"Ensign you have a damn Cannon that will kill anything that walks into the passageway. Just stay calm and keep your head and shoot anything you see. Just make sure it is not human. Not your relief."

"Hell! My damn relief would be yelling at me by now damn it Jack. There is a whole damn army coming down that fricking passageway damn it." She wanted to scream, to cry, and to run. The last thing she wanted to do was lay there while a damn army of Berserkers ran her down and ripped her body apart like she had seen Apes do a dozen times already on other ships. Like she had seen Berserkers doing on this ship. She did not want to be ripped apart and eaten while she was still alive.

"Just hold until your relief shows Ensign, they are coming. I just talked to the Major and they are almost there. Just hold on. That is an order."

Suddenly she regretted letting Gutner shorten the barrel of her assault gun to make it easier to carry. She decided she wanted that little extra power the additional 6 inches of barrel would have given her. But then Gutner had said it made her gun better for short range work inside a ship's passageways. She was not sure she believed him now she was facing death. Would it even work with the barrel cut down?

Starting to panic she jerked the trigger without thinking as a bang sent something across the passageway. Tears ran down her face as she blew a foot wide hole in the far bulkhead across the intersection. She remembered the normal guns blowing holes in armored bulkheads only 3 inches around all day as some of the shots went wide missing the Berserker Apes as they were being killed. She realized the big foot diameter hole the blaster had created, made it easier to hit a target at close range but would it still kill them. Desperately wishing she had at least killed one Berserker just to make sure she could. The fact that she did not like the idea of killing the pore stupid beasts in the first place suddenly sounding ridiculously stupid now her life depended on her being able to. She realized the sounds of the approaching army had stopped.

Listening for a good minute she started to relax a little. Maybe she had scarred them off.

Then she heard it again. Only now the movements were quicker, sharper and shorter and it sounded like more were coming from a distance. Jack had told her to stay behind in the boat and stupid her, had ignored his orders. After all he was only the fricking Captain. Suddenly hating herself for being stupid as much as she now hated Jack. "Come and get me you ass holes!" She screamed and let off a burst stitching a series of foot round holes in the far bulkhead again making her feel better as the tears in her eyes made it hard to see. But then realized the holes could be used to shoot at her out of.

A recon disc slid into the passageway and she blasted it though she was not sure what it was. Only that it had been something solid that moved. "Got you little sucker! You're not getting past me shit head!" She screamed wanting to cry, instead she started laughing. She thought about throwing a grenade down the passageway but could not force herself to take her finger off the trigger long enough to get one. She could hear hundreds more Berserkers arriving. She didn’t want to die. She was going to kill Jack the next time she saw him. Stab him with her knife, shoot him with her pistol, blow a foot round hole in him with that damn gun. No, strangle him with her bare hands around his neck. He was going to die for putting her in this position. She was going to live long enough to kill him even if she died doing it. She pulled the trigger sending a long burst down the passageway across the intersection tearing out bulkheads and fixtures as she continued to scream at the Berserker Apes, the universe and Jack.

Jack stood some 10 feet from a Command Chair with his empty hands raised in the air to his sides. Pan hovered next to him with her own hands raised. None of the sounds of battle reached them through the thick inner hull of the power section. A copy of the little maintenance Dwarf Jack had dealt with while fixing the engines on the Spider Assault Transport they had used to escape the first enemy Battleship he had stupidly boarded looking for high tech booty and intelligence seemingly years before, sat in the much too large seat with his hand over the self-destruct button for the Power Core he was in charge of. Ready to blow all the fusion Cores of the ship.

"The Gods told us all about you humans, Human. I am not going to let you Godless monsters eat us alive. You are not going to chew on my leg while you keep me alive for your next meal. You are not eating my family, my baby for a snack." He started jumping up and down on the chair as he ranted trying to make his point. His hand hitting the console only inches from the big red self-destruct button.

Pan waved her hands as she slid closer toward him. "I have been with the humans for months and studied them for years. They do not eat intelligent beings. They are not going to eat you or your family. They believe in only the one Supreme God in all of us and have liberated my family and set all the slaves free. We are no longer slaves. They even pay us wages for our work and let us work at what we want. And they do not kill us for making mistakes. They forgive."

"What? Stop right there Human lover. Who ever heard of not dying for substandard work? Why would anyone do good work if they could not be killed for not doing perfect work? You lie fishtail. Take your tank and leave this ship with the humans before I save us all from being dinner."

Jack had heard the Godspeak word "fishtail," before the Dwarf had used it but this was the first time he had understood it along with several other words. He was starting to understanding the language but still could not speak it worth shit.

Jack's comm beeped. "Captain, you have got to see this."

"Ahh, Not now Major. I am busy."

"Can't wait Captain, you have got to see this. We pulled back from the ship as you ordered but you will not believe what happened. Is happening. Tap into the feed sir."

Frowning as he looked at the Dwarf. "I am not going to hurt you. I am only activating play on my wrist comm to make sure my troops have left your ship as you asked." He slowly reached over and tapped his wrist. Jack could still not understand how anyone could prefer the Monsters they knew over what only rumors said were monsters. But fear could be a powerful force.

A large picture materialized over his wrist. It showed the side of the Spider Battleship with one of the Assault Transports drifting only a few hundred yards from one of the open boat locks. A steady stream of Ape figures were running out the lock, launching themselves out into space toward the transport. "Major I can't tell for sure on this small frame, but do they have suits on?"

"No Captain they do not have suits on."

Turning to the Dwarf. "Could you put this up on your screen please?"

The Dwarf turned to the other arm of his chair and slapped at several of the controls built much too big for him and the image sprang onto the main screen.

Jack could see the Black Ape bodies out gassing foam and blood as they drifted away from the open boat lock trying to swim. Hundreds followed as more threw themselves out the lock trying to attack the boat with the human marines standing in the open hatches behind the air curtain firing at the Apes still inside the lock running through the locks air curtain.

Another Transport pulled up stopping just off another lock a ways around the ship and marines and Red Apes started firing into the lock and then unsuited Black Apes started throwing themselves out that lock at that transport as well. Their bodies kicking and trying to swim through the vacuum of space.

The Dwarf stared at the screen in shock. "You did not come to save the Berserker Apes for your own army. But you have Apes in your army. I saw them."

A figure that looked like a twin of Pan slid into the Control room from behind the little dwarf. "Gimpy, Gimpy, Gimpy! What are you doing? Calm down this instant. Tell me your problem." She said in Godspeak as she slid up beside the chair. The Dwarf sat down and looked at the long dressed woman as she slapped the cover plate over the big red button and locked it down. "What did I tell you about jumping to conclusions about these new people and listening to the God’s propaganda?"

"Yes mother but they have funny Red painted Apes with them." Looking at Jack. "They look funny and I don't want them eating my children."

"Gimpy, they are not going to eat your children or anyone else. Now go. The Core needs to be cooled and the fuel transferred back to the storage tanks. We no longer need to be able to self-destruct or take a Godship with us. These people will guard us." Turning toward Jack and Pan she bowed. "My deepest apologies." she said in English. "The Chief of this Power Cell is a little high strung and well-conditioned and bread to be easily controlled by the Godofficers. I and all the slaves had to leave the Comm pads out where any of the God Officers of the Berserker Troops could find them or they would have used them to track us down and kill all. I was not expecting you or I would have risked keeping one of the comm units. Then when you showed up I was expecting you to enter the Center Power Cell where we have a main entry that is hidden but guarded. Instead you found your own. I understand now that your Translator is from an older attack ship and does not know the design of our new model Planetary Assault Ships. I believe her ship still had the Power Balls with all three reactors grouped together on one deck instead of spread down a cylinder and was not suitable for being used as a hidden bunker. But you are here, so how may I help you Grand Warrior Captain?"

"Ah... Thank you for deactivating your self-destruct. Blowing up while trying to rescue you would have ruined my whole day."

The new Translator looked at Jack and bowed. "I believe that was an attempt at what you humans call a joke. I am honored." Turning to the screen as another Transport took up position and started another avalanche of Berserker Apes out into the void. "I believe you humans have an old saying. Like Lemmings the God troops go to their deaths. It will save us having to clean so many rotting corpses up. Thank you. It may even shorten the time needed for all the Berserker Troops to finish dying."

Jack shrugged his shoulders. He did not have a clue what she was talking about and had no idea what lemmings were. "You picked up human English rather well in such a short time but we call the God troops Apes which is what they look like to us even though they have no hair and are more lizard than mammals. Just how many Apes are or were on board this ship ahhh, Mother?" Copying what the Dwarf had called her.

Looking back at Jack she tried a human smile that settled into what Jack recognized as a Translator Smile. "We still had 80,000 battle worthy Troops or what you call Apes, aboard before they went Berserk Captain. I have had much practice with human speech. We have several thousand humans aboard ship that were to be taught to become slaves. I will have to check when I have access again to the ships Computer if you wish an exact number Captain."

Jack jerked around looking for a human in the crowd lining the 3 stories of walkways around the control center. "What? Damn. Ok, where did you get the other humans from and where are they?"

"They came from several of your outpost planets and ships the troops... The Apes of this ship participated in taking. I have put them into hibernation until your race has been completely conquered. Standard operating procedures with a new race."

"Ok Mother. Why?"

"It was found long ago that while a new race believes that it has a chance to win. It is costly to train. Once all hope of freedom is gone, training is simple."

"Ok so until then you keep all the captured inhabitants on ice?"

"I do not understand Ice Captain, but no. We only keep the more intelligent, skilled workers and captured military troops and crews. Once hope is gone, trained military personnel who are already half trained to take orders are easily completely retrained to police and help cull the conquered populations to a more manageable level. Depending on what manufacturing is required of them. The intelligent educated captives will make sure we have enough educated slaves to construct and operate the factories." Noticing Jack's change of expression but only picking up his emotions as to what it meant. "Don't worry Captain. With the Empire's Main Battleship Engine manufacturing planetary systems captured or destroyed back in the Galactic Core and as rich as your empire sounds like it is. Most of your planetary systems populations will be required for producing new engines and Battleships. Though you will lose most of your outlying systems as not worth maintaining and simply left to weather and die or used as combat training grounds for new Ape hatchlings. As long as you produce serviceable engines, your race will survive as we do."

"Ok, you said you have 3 Power Cells that I take it are just as packed as this one. How many slaves does this ship have?"

"Over 20,000 slaves not counting humans at the moment. The 50,000 humans we have in a form of hibernation, are not considered slaves at this time. They need much training and we yet do not have any statistics on what percentage will survive training to become slaves. Some past races have over a 75% failure rate. A few had to be exterminated because they could not be domesticated even though they were easily conquered. Most have an 80% success rate with a few close to 100%. Your race is a strange race and we do not have a clue where you stand yet. It is much too early in the training cycle. The fact that you have been able to destroy most of this fleet throws all prior predictions as you humans say, Out the Window."

"Ok. How did your race do Mother. Were your people easy to train?"

She looked at Jack for several seconds as her face changed. Glancing at Pan several times. "We were almost exterminated before the God officers realized our special talents made our domestication worth the effort. We still lose over 80 percent of our trainee's we send to the God Officers for approval." Jack returned her stare as he waited for her to finish. "Our special abilities make us useful to the Gods in only one job. Our only occupation is Translator/ Overseer to the rest of the slave races. We can interpret new languages rapidly with the ability to speak thousands of languages. Our ability to feel other races emotions with training to correlate, understand and smooth relations between the races give us the ability to control most races keeping them at peak production, predictability and efficiently working together while preventing uprisings and revolts."

Looking around again Jack shook his head, ignoring the shocking fact she had tried to burry inside her statement. Other things were more important right then. "You have over 20,000 slaves packed into 3 balls like this. I am sorry Mother but the math does not mesh. Simply not enough room."

She smiled again at Jack. "Not pods per say but a long tall cylinder Captain leaving plenty of room for the thousands that did not have time to get to the hibernation pods. When the God decks were hit and destroyed and the Berserkers were just starting to decant, I sent most of the ship’s slaves, as many as I could, to the empty Hibernation decks and safety in the pods I already had prepared just in case, while directing the Berserkers to other parts of the ship using a few workers as bait with closed, locked hatches." Luckily few officers survived to direct the masses at the locked hatches before the majority of slaves were safe in the pods."

"What? Where are these God officers now?"

"Do not worry Captain. Once the Berserkers took the entire ship, their minds kept degenerating and soon did not recognize the surviving God Officers and killed them long before they started killing each other. Though it is possible some God Officers have survived if they could have isolated themselves as I did my fellow slaves." Looking around her and then back at Jack. "Now that you are here. Once the Berserkers are all dead we will search the entire ship for any hidden surviving God Officers and kill them."

"Ah… I would rather you not kill them. We need to take prisoners so we can better understand our enemy Mother. I hope you understand."

"If that is what you wish, I shall order it Captain." Jack recognized her look of disappointment reminding him of Pan when he refused to kill the Red Apes before they became Red Apes. "Ah Mother, on all the other ships, dishonored slave Apes have joined me with great distinction. Are your slave Apes included in that 20,000?"

Mother looked at Jack as a distasteful grimace crossed her face. "No. I locked the 5,000 Slave Apes into an old Torpedo magazine and covered the entrance. If they survive it is their fate. I would not risk including the thousands with the rest of my slaves."

"Ok mother, I will want you to treat these Apes as you will your own slaves. Hell, for that matter, stop calling them and all the people now on the ship slaves. As of this moment they and you are not slaves. They have free will to think and do and be who and whatever they want within the restraints of reality and the laws. I would appreciate it if you would continue as Translator and ahhh… Let’s say Director, with a good salary and that most of your people will continue doing the jobs they are doing now if they wish, with pay of course." Taking a deep breath as he thought for a few seconds. "I will need to talk to these Apes as soon as possible." Looking around him again. "And Mother, please tell me about the radiation you have around the Power Balls that kills Apes? Is the radiation or poison in the air harmful to other races and humans?"

Looking at Jack with a baffled look again. "I do not know of what you talk about Captain. I know nothing about Ape killing radiation or poison in the air. Though I do know the Apes are forbidden inside the Power cylinder and the surrounding decks by the Gods. They can go through to the lower decks but even that is discouraged without the permission required. Patrols are carefully scheduled and timed on the lifts through these decks."

"Now that makes sense." Jack took a deep breath. "Ok. You know that the slaves of many ships have joined us in our fight against your Gods. How do you stand? Do you want us to let you leave to rejoin your Gods, dump you someplace simply to live far from the fighting as refugees on your own planet or will you join us in fighting them with the promise of freedom to do or settle anyplace you wish afterwards."

"You would let us go now to rejoin the Godfleet?" The Translator said with the expression Jack recognize as complete bafflement verging on shock.

"No, not now. We would put all that wish to return to your or their Gods, on a planet to live until the war is over, then return them to their ahhh, Gods." Looking around. "We will not punish or hurt anyone for their beliefs unless they lie. Aaa, say they do not want to return but stay and help us, then take action to help the Gods. Then we would execute them for treason. You do not have to decide now but in time when all are safe from the Berserkers and everyone knows what is expected of them, you can decide." Looking at the new Translator Mother, Jack bowed. "Do you have any questions?"

She looked at Jack and human smiled. "Many but not right now human. You have a problem you need to take care of before your loved one does something you and she will regret." She pointed up toward the hatch. “I feel extreme fear that is beyond panic and hate for you Captain.” Smiling and bowing. “Hate that is so massive it can only be created from the truest pure love as she hides from the possibility of failing to keep you safe. When you get there remember Captain that her hate is not for you but herself and your safety.”

Jack looked at her baffled and then looked up at the constant streaks of tightly packed balls of energy destroying bulkheads fare above not even the thick armor could hide. "Ohhh shit!"

"Captain!" Demanded his comm. "We have a problem at the hatch you wanted a detachment sent to."

"Damn." Jack was already running for the ladder going up the decks as most of the aliens got out of his way after leaving the control compartment.

Running up under the hatch leading out of the core he had set the Ensign guarding, he heard heavy weapons fire as the refugees crowded down both sides of the passageway, cowering in fear. Taking his assault gun off his back and then his power pack belt, he dropped them on the deck to make it easier to get up the long narrow hatchway through the thick Armor. Turning his comm back to the private channel he had been using with the Ensign, he heard her screaming at the unseen Berserkers. Telling them to come and get her so she could kill them all. That they were not getting past her.

Jack climbed up and stuck his head out as the Ensign sent a long burst down the passageway and across the intersection taking out another large section of bulkhead and into the existing passageway on the other side. "Take that you ass holes." She screamed. Her whole body was shaking. "I will kill you all."

Jack reached out and put his hand on the weapon. The heat from it started to smoke his glove as he pushed it to one side.

The Ensign jerked it away and sent another volley down the passageway. "What the hell are you doing? The Berserkers are right there damn it. You want to get us killed!" Her voice was starting to get hysterical.

Jack grabbed a tight hold of the weapon and pushed it to the side and down using his body weight. The shells raked the side of the passageway short of the intersection and then into the deck. "Ensign! Stop!"

She fought Jack for control of the weapon. Her eyes looking desperately crazy.

"Ensign Stop! Change your comm to the Company Chanel, now."

"What? The Berserkers are coming! Give me back the damn gun!"

"No Ensign. They are not Berserkers. No. They are marines. Our own troops." Jack reached around with his other hand and changed her comm channel on her forearm, then changed his comm as well.

"Hey Captain what is going on in there? You Ok? Or did she shoot you too?" Concerned, uneasy laughter crossed the net for a second. "Is it clear yet Captain?"

A recon disc drifted around the corner to hover peering down the corridor. The Captain held the Ensign and her weapon pinned to the deck. "Yaa, come on around guys. I have her. It’s safe now."

A Sargent peeked around the corner. "Ahh I don't know what I did to piss you off Ensign, but I am sorry. Really sorry. I promise not to do it again." He said with a smile. “And x Harry promises never to look at your breasts again and I believe him.”

Jack looked around that end of the passageway and the half dozen empty power packs for the assault gun as smoke rolled up from the barrel. "Ah Sargent, I think the Ensign is done with her weapon for a while, see if you can clean it up a bit for her and give it back to her later." He could not believe he was being so calm and nice about it when he felt like screaming at the Sargent to hurry and take the damn gun. He just wanted the damn weapon out of her hands and reach.

The Sargent jogged the few feet down the passageway and grabbed the weapon, carefully pulling it out of the firm grip the Ensign still had on it and out from under his Captain. The rest of his heavy weapons team joined them carefully coming around the corner only after peeking around checking it out first. Several of them looked worse for wear with damaged and blackened armor. One held an assault gun that looked like it was uselessly slagged after taking a direct hit.

Jack looked up at them and frowned. "You guys all right?" Jack could hear the Ensign's heavy breathing over the comm and from her open visor. It almost sounded like growling as she stared at him out of the corner of her eyes waiting to pounce as soon as he let go.

"Yaa Captain. Just a few burned spots. It does not hurt much." Said one.

"I wanted new, new armor anyway." Another said as he limped up to the hatch. “This one was all of two days old. Time to replace it anyway.”

The last one held up his weapon. "Ya, I wanted one of those Cannons the Bigfoots are carrying. Thanks for slagging my old gun for me Ensign. Now I can see about getting one." He chuckled skeptically as he looked down at his useless weapon, glad only the weapon was slagged and not him.

"Ahh. Sargent. Set up a perimeter at the surrounding junctions past the damaged area. I think the Ensign needs a little time to cool down." Jack looked down the passageway. There was no longer a bulkhead on the other side of the junction as well as the next 4. With big chunks blown out or slagged of the equipment inside what was left of the compartments in her line of fire. Most of the compartments fanning out to the side were tore up with bulkheads into other passageways blown open as well. Pieces of bulkheads structures and equipment lay everywhere fanning out as far as the eye could see. The more of the ship she had destroyed the more places shadows and phantom enemies could hide and the more she destroyed. All Jack could do was shake his head as he looked around in amazement. The scores of bodies of Black Berserker Apes that had followed the smell and cast offs from refugees to the surrounding compartments and passageways and then died hours before the ensign had started firing did not help the look.

The Sargent chuckled. "Got a perimeter established a long time ago Captain. No ape is going to get within 3 decks of this place." Smiling he turned and ushered out the rest of the squad. "We will be just around the corner if you need us sir. Though I am sending Wiley back for a new weapon and hank for new armor. They should not be gone long, we cut and blasted a bunch of bulkheads out of the way to make a direct path here from the transport so we could get here faster." Looking down at the deck he realized something. "Ah sorry sir. We tried all the channels to contact her but she was evidentially on the Command privacy channel and it turns out to be impossible to cut into once the security lock is set between the units. I have to admit Captain that if I was alone, out of comm and heard us blowing bulkheads and decks and making all the noise we were making trying to get here in a hurry, thinking we were the enemy. I would probably freak out too. We will keep this to ourselves Captain. The rest of the crew don’t need to know about this. But if you are going to plan on using officers as guards, we need to start training them better. Give them more on the job training. Less likely for this to happen again."

The Ensign started beating on Jack as he let her up. She started screaming at him. Jack quickly closed her face shield and switched her comm back to private. Rage mixing with the fear and tears streaming down her cheeks through the helmet's shield. The Sargent left, glad she had her helmet sealed again. Sure whatever she had to say would be good enough to curse for life anyone who heard her. Hopefully she would be able to laugh about it when she calmed down, someday. All he knew was that she had scarred the shit out of him and his marines and damn near killed half of them before they realized she was not one of the enemy Apes. Smiling at himself. She had definitely gone berserk. Too bad she was an officer as he could think of several damn good nicknames he could have slapped on her. Oh well. He liked her and the Captain too much to do any such thing and would caller any of his squad that tried.

It took them a week to get the ship cleaned of all the living Apes. It had taken days before the last of the Berserkers had finally thrown themselves off the ship. And then the Red Apes, Marines with both Captain Turner and the Ensign spent more days checking each deck for hidden compartments while they had searched the ship from stem to stern dispatching the ones that simply to stupid or busy doing their own thing. The ex-slaves finally started climbing out of their giant 20 deck tall panic room, not wanting to wait for the main exit corridors to be emptied and the hatches to be cut open. On the way out most could not believe the carnage around the hatch, realizing that a great battle must have taken place there. The First of the Ex-slaves that came out realized that if the Berserkers could have gotten through the hatch, most of them would have died. The refugees tried to thank Jack and the other marines with battle suits that looked like they had been in a great battle for saving their lives.

The marines trying to suppress laughs, told them that they had not defended the hatch. That they had been busy elsewhere. That the Ensign had been there all alone for seemingly hours (to the squad that she was shooting at) bringing down destruction on everything and every enemy in sight. Later yet, the ex-slave crewmen had accessed the recordings of the sole surviving camera in the area that just happen to show the hatch and the Ensign's "Epic Battle" (She finally destroyed the camera with a wild shot just before Captain Turner tackled her). She became an instant hero to 20,000 aliens on the ship from that instant on. Not one alien could pass her in the passageway or compartments without bowing and thanking her for her selfless deed of heroism and even erected bigger than life statues of her in half a dozen prominent places throughout the ship. Constructing a life sized replica of her battle at the hatch itself, complete with Berserkers (that were not there at the time, alive anyway) and monsters (that were never there) littering passageways and compartments in front of her in the wreckage that they never did repair. Her fame eventually spread to every liberated (and most none liberated) slave ship in human space.

Editor’s note.

Even now a thousand years later, vacations are planned, School kids from ships that pass even close, make outings to see and adults cross parsecs on pilgrimages go there and to her tomb many light years away, to worship at the shrines showing the humans devotion to protecting all aliens freedom from the Slave Master Gods. Don’t even try to tell them different. Or argue that Captain Turner should have more than the One Statue (even if it is the largest statue ever created) on the planet the Aliens finally decided to call home, since the Ensign has one every time you turn around to trip over and on most of their ships. Though the fact that her extremely verbal and very descriptive video went Viral and is still replayed constantly (after being set to music) by so many aliens, may have something to do with that.

Chapter 3; Mind attack

Jack could not believe how fast the ex-slave crew of the Spider ship made repairs once they got the majority of them out of cold storage or how many of them there were.

Sitting down to lunch after two weeks of hard work, Jack stuffed another old tasteless emergency ration bar into his mouth as Pan, her counterpart on the ship Yeti and a few other aliens’ at the table stuffed full plates of a variety of foods into their mouths as they talked. The smells and look of the alien food making Jack’s mouth water and his stomach growl. Making the taste of his emergency ration seam even more disgusting.

Shaking his head as the conversation about repairs paused for a few seconds. “Pan, how come this ship has a much bigger crew than your ship had and how the hell are you coming up with so damn much fresh food?” Taking another look around the huge mess deck filled with aliens. “Does it really have 20,000 ex-slaves?”

His sarcastic, disgusted voice was not picked up by Pan even though she was starting to understand many of the nuances of human speech. “Now that we have everyone out of the hibernation pods, we have Twenty Seven thousand Nine hundred and thirty one ex slaves Captain. This is a much larger ship than ours was Captain. The basic hull is wider and twice as long as the Kampuchea with troop decks that are packed several time denser using a newer drawer system instead of upright pods to hold the vast numbers of Apes and their equipment. The Kampuchea had only 1 of her shield decks enclosed to grow food while this ship has 3 and was in the process of inclosing a 4th when you liberated it. We are in the process of recycling the troop decks’ hibernation chambers into additional food, living and factory decks now they are empty.”

Yeti smiled at Jack as she took over as Pan stuffed what looked like a salad into her mouth. “I will keep a couple of decks to put the Slave Apes back into storage but the rest are too valuable for other uses.”

“I thought I said the Slave Apes were to be freed as well. What is going on with you talking about putting them back into cold storage? And now that you mention it I don’t remember seeing anyone but Red Apes from the other ships running around. Where the hell are your Apes?”

“I have them locked up still in the hold. You refuse to let me kill them so when I get around to it, I will put them back into cold storage until other arrangements can be made.”

Jack frowned as he looked at Yeti. “The other Battleships have been training them to do jobs around their ships from what I understand. Have you not been doing the same and if you have, why keep them locked up or plan to put them in cold storage?”

“We have a large enough crew that we do not need the dirty apes for workers Captain Turner. We keep them fed until the Gods need targets and weapons practice dummies.” I refuse to waste time and effort when they should have been killed outright like the rest of us.”

Jack shook his head and tapped his wrist comm. “Gutner Dank, I need you to visit the hold with this ships Apes and find out what they want to do. If we have to we will transfer them all to the Red Pepper or the Base Hulk.”

“Yes Captain, I have been talking to them already and most would like to join the Red Apes. With the rest expressing interest in learning various jobs around the ship once they are released from the hold.”

“Ok Gutner. My apologies for taking it for granted this had already been done. But why have you not told me this before?”

“It was not my place to make requests of you Captain.”

Jack realized that no Ape had ever made a request unless asked first. Jack had simply taken it for granted that once they had started talking and working they would automatically start making requests. But he had been too busy to think about it. “Well Gutner. From now on it is your job and duty to make requests for the Apes. Especially if it concerns their wellbeing. Is that understood? And make it perfectly clear that any ape is allowed to make any request they wish though that does not mean it will be carried out or acted on. Most will be if possible.”

“Yes Captain Officer.”

“Very good. Now you can get them out of that damn hold and into some decent quarters as well as organizing them into Red Apes for the ones that want and understand what that means and the rest into training programs they wish to pursue. Keep me informed of any problems and of their progress Gutner. That is all for now. Out.” Looking at Yeti sitting across the table next to Pan as Gutner’s image flicked out. “Pan, if Yeti will not take the Apes that want trained then we will. Is that understood?”

Pan smiled at Jack as Yeti frowned narrowing her eyes as she turned green. All Jack knew for sure was that was not good. Pan swallowed and spoke. “We are very good at training Apes Captain.” Pan looked at Yeti and then frowned herself. “I will have them transferred to our ship as soon as possible.”

“Very well. Is feeding another couple thousand going to be a problem?”

“No Captain.” Pans smile was back. “Between the 2 ships, we have enough food to last the few Apes we have left for decades without producing more. My apologies for not bringing this up to your attention before but I was hoping that once Yeti saw how well our Apes are doing aboard the Red Pepper and here that she would change her mind about her treatment of her Apes. Now that it is out in the open, I will take care of them as if they were my own if you issue the orders Captain.”

“You have my orders Pan. You are now responsible for all the existing and future Apes we may take in. Just be sure to consult with Gutner Dank to make sure you cover their needs, wants and desires adequately.” Jack started to get up shaking his head in disgust at the half a ration bar he was giving up eating as he looked at the garbage shoot on the bulkhead a good thirty feet away.

“What do you mean their wants and desires? They never cared for our lives let alone our wants and desires!” Yeti practically spat.

Jack frowned as he started to sit back down shaking his head. Taking a deep breath Jack opened his mouth to talk when Pan burst out using a language that Jack had never heard before. Jack had been hearing a lot of strange languages since the Ensign had forced Jack to rescue the first slaves months ago so yet a new one was not that odd. But Jack suddenly realized that Pan was speaking so fast that she could have been speaking English and he would have had a hard time understanding her.

Yeti answered her only to get cut off in mid-sentence if not word as well as both of their faces started turning many different colors as their words started coming faster and faster. Their sentences seaming briefer and briefer. It only took a few more seconds before they both sounded like intermittent or burping buzz saws until they simply stopped talking and stared at each other even though their faces kept changing like they were still talking.

Jack could only shake his head in amazement. He had decided to leave the conversation to Pan who seemed to have taken exception to Yeti’s statement to Jack but with them simply staring at each other making faces Jack decided he had enough of them and the emergency ration bar. Turning as he stood to leave as the Ensign got up to follow.

Pan suddenly turned to Jack. “We have decided that I will take her captive Apes to train as I see fit with her supplying their food as needed.” Taking a deep breath. “Her first children were killed in the arena by Black Apes for the God Officers sport for failing to get God Officer Approval even though they passed all their tests. No open overseer spots had been open across the fleet at the times each came of age and had not been contracted out for marriage. She has agreed to let only Red Apes that have killed Black Apes aboard her ship as slaves as long as they do no harm to her charges.” Pan looked at Yeti and then back at Jack. “That is with your permission Captain.”

Jack had turned back around when Pan had started speaking and could only nod as he shook his head. There was so much wrong with what Pan had said that Jack did not know where to start. He could not believe she was not following his original orders for her to take over the care of all the Apes not to mention Yeti’s whole demeanor as well as the statement about keeping some for slaves was verging on the ludicrous. Maybe she had not understood or used the wrong words.

Taking a deep breath as he sat back down he looked at Pan as he realized she knew and already understood his orders and had complied as best as she could and had asked permission not for carrying out already issued orders because she had realized Yeti’s problem and was telling Jack in the only way she knew how. That the choice of words were not a simple misunderstanding of vocabulary.

Switching his gaze to Yeti, Jack looked at her for several seconds wishing he knew Dumont facial expressions better.

Yeti took a deep breath and then in slow carefully spoken English. I will tolerate Slave Apes on my ship only if I know they well kill each other when I order it Captain.”

Jack closed his eyes taking a deep breath and then sighing as he let it out. “Translator Overseer Yeti, I am sorry if I miss understood your English but this is not your ship. I appreciate you and your people’s help when we captured it from the God Officers and berserker Ape troops. Even your help in capturing the remaining God Officers. But make no mistake, this is never going to be your ship. While I can’t see us doing anything else with this ship than making it into a Station next to the Hulk station we already have or even someplace else. At this time I cannot even guaranty that you will be living on it much longer and not on some planet if that is what you choose. Don’t get me wrong. I will do my best to keep you on as supervisor running the station if that is what you want and even in time you and your people may be able to purchase permanent quarters, cabins or station houses when things settle down. While I cannot feel your pain at the loss of your children I can understand your wish to make someone pay but please understand that we have already killed those Apes that killed your children. I can only ask that you help us win this war against the Gods that are really responsible for your children’s deaths and not take your vengeance on Apes that are trying to help us and you do that. And one last point.” Jack took a deep breath shaking his head. “We do not keep slaves for any reason including Apes. The Apes are to be treated as free and equal as all the other beings whether you like it or not or I will find someone else to supervise the crew.”

“I have been this ship’s Overseer taking care of my people for most of my life Captain Turner. They have grown and prospered because of my abilities to guide them and placate the God Officers above us. I do not plan on letting intruders disrupt or change our harmony and wellbeing simply because they killed a few Apes that were too stupid for me to control. Without my help you cannot run my ship Captain.”

Jack suddenly felt like his brain short circuited for a fraction of a second and suddenly realized that Yeti was being reasonable helpful to his wishes. After all, so what if she kept and treated the Apes and the rest of her crew as slaves. It wasn’t his ship or his business. ‘But no!’ Something was terribly wrong with that. It was his business. His responsibility not to treat anyone as slaves. ‘How could he even think that?’ Jack thought to himself.

Yeti seamed to put on an all too human smile. “You have no need to worry yourself about my ship Captain. You take care of your war and leave the ship and its people to me. Take your troops and leave the ship to me to worry about Captain Turner. Leave my ship now!”

Jack watched Yeti squint at him with a smile that seemed to grow from ear to ear as he seemed to understand how reasonable she was. Then his brain suddenly short circuited again for a fraction of a second and then he realized that her ear to ear smile was actually not what he thought it was but an ugly grimace and that he suddenly had a headache. Rubbing his temples with his hands Jack glanced at Pan as she opened her mouth.

“I am sorry Captain but I warned her not to try. You humans are too different from what we are used to.”

“Have you been influencing me and other humans as well Pan? Or at least trying to?”

Taking a deep breath. “I tried to keep you from shooting us when you burst into the central meeting hall the first time you saw us. I do not think I was able to make contact. You were so different and then I tried to plant the feeling of hate for the Apes so you would kill the Apes when I took you to the hold they were in but you ignored my attempts. Each of the other Dumonts from the other Godships have each tried to influence you humans but have all failed. You are not God Officers which we can influence to some extent at close ranges with some effort. Now that Yeti, our most powerful of all minds has only managed to give you a headache, I hope you will forgive us for trying and not kill all of us. I can name several of the other Dumonts that will gladly take over the care of this ship following your directions without arguments or further attempts to influence you or other humans.” Pan bowed deeply placing her face onto the table and waited as Yeti sat staring at Jack defiantly.

Taking a deep breath Jack tried to think of what to do. He did not like the fact that Pan and the other Dumont’s were able to influence other species with their minds and how could he be certain that they had not already done it to humans. Jack tried to think of any decisions he may have made concerning the aliens that were against his normal better judgments but could not think of anything off the top of his head while he could think of several that Pan and the other Dumonts they had rescued had not liked at the time. Though they usually did come around in time. He certainly did not like Yeti’s attack when his mind short circuited and he seemed to be seeing and feel things about Yeti and her outlook on life he knew were not possible. Yet even then he seemed to realize something was wrong with his thoughts and feelings.

Jack’s mind short circuited again as he stared at Yeti trying to think. The thought and feeling that Yeti was a good friend and could help him, started to overwhelm Jack and then his mind short circuited again leaving his mind blank for an instant as his own thoughts returned with disbelief as Yeti continued to stare unblinkingly back at Jack making his head ache.

“Leave my ship Captain Turner. You are not wanted here. I will not trade one master for another I don’t know.”

Jack suddenly realized all the talk in dozens of languages around the mess deck had suddenly seized as hundreds of faces stared at them. Most of them with strange looks he could not read or understand.

Shaking his head as sweat popped out on his face. “I do not want to be yours or anyone else’s Master Yeti. You do not need to do this. We only ask that you cooperate with us and follow our written laws that you and all your people will eventually have a chance to influence and change if you want. When you learn how and mature.”

“You speak gibberish human. The God Masters always come. We will take this ship and leave and go far away leaving you to the God Masters and your fate. I will be the Master of my ship from now on. Take your Apes who I cannot make my slaves and go. You do not need or want this hulk Captain.” The Dumont waved her hand across in front of Jack seemingly in an effort to accentuate her attempted control. A wave of pain washing over his mind as her hand waved at him blocking out the sight of her face.

Jack’s brain short circuited again but this time he did not feel the desire to comply as he had before. He only had a headache in his temples that made it hard to think.

“Stop that Yeti. This is not helping you or your people. No. you don’t care about your people. You only want to replace the old masters with yourself. Your own kingdom of slaves as you run from the Godmasters.” Jack knew that was typical of Dictator types of cultures that were freed. The people used to being slaves always found it hard and almost impossible to realize what freedom truly meant. They always thought that freedom meant that they had to replace the old tyrants with new tyrants with them in control to stay alive and treat everyone else as the slaves instead of themselves. It took generations sometimes for a Dictator or Slave cultures to realize what freedom truly meant. And even then there was always someone trying to enslave the others and make themselves kings or gods again. Even after hundreds of years. Even in the most freedom loving countries.

“Leave Captain before I have to kill you. I can make Pan leave with all the Apes since they seem to follow her orders and with you out of the way and the Apes gone your puny human ships cannot stop me from disappearing into this nebula where I will be safe from ever being discovered by humans or the Godmaster fleet even if they knew I still existed. I have felt your hunger and disgust at your food since you came aboard and cannot believe you have not left already simply to feed your faces. I do not understand why you want this ship so badly to put up with starving to death.”

Jack’s mind short circuited again though it was not as bad as before as each time it happened the pain was less. But this time it was followed with an overwhelming hunger that lessoned as he thought about the fact and realized that the feeling was not his. Not his stumach as that was separate and quickly faded.

“Aaa yes, I can influence the basic animal urges Captain. Leave before you starve to death. This ship is not worth starving to death for. Leave and come back later, much later. The ship is not going anyplace. Leave.”

It sounded like a reasonable demand until Jack thought about it a second time and realized it was all lies.

Jacks mind tried to short circuited again but didn’t and suddenly he was not hungry as the disgusting taste of the food bar he had just eaten hit him again. But then the top of his head started to feel like opening up and exploding.

Clawing at his side he grabbed the pistol Gutner Dank had insisted that he carry just in case a berserker showed up again or something more dangerous appeared. Though he wouldn’t say what. The pistol was short ranged with a shot gun type of blast that was good enough to take out an armored Ape at under 20 feet without bothering to aim much and a kick that had almost broken Jacks hand the first time he had fired it putting a 3 foot hole in the cargo container he had used for a target at 30 feet.

Dragging the pistol up onto the table as the pain in his head increased Jack realized that if he fired killing Yeti the blast would kill at least a half dozen others behind the Dumont.

Jack heard Pan yelling at Yeti in that new buzz saw language and then in English. “Stop this Yeti. This is stupid. We are not Masters. If you kill the Captain all Dumont’s will suffer when the humans cannot trust us. Stop this now.”

“I don’t care if humans trust us or not you moron. I am done with Masters except myself. Come with me Pan and I promise to treat you well if you don’t interfere with my rule.”

“No Yeti. The humans have a chance to stop the Godmasters here fare from the Galactic Core. Fare out of direct communications range even by the Fleets biggest FTL Comm. With our help they can defeat the remnants of this Godfleet and without the engine production from this factory, the house will fall wiping all records of this fleets existence from the core. It will be centuries if ever before another house sends a fleet this far out this arm. By then the humans will be powerful enough to form their own house and keep them out of this arm for good. With our people as equals and free.”

The pain in Jacks mind lessened as Pan talked interrupting Yeti’s concentration.

“Do you think I care if the humans survive as long as I and my descendants do? The Godmasters can take over this whole arm and I won’t care once I am lost inside this nebula. Besides you delude yourself to think that the Godmasters would leave this arm alone. The only time the houses unite is when outside resistance materializes. All the houses will unite and stop the game of killing each other’s fleets as soon as word gets back to the Core that the humans have killed this fleet. If even one ship makes it back to the Core with the news, the Humans are doomed when a thousand fleets with millions of ships all converge up this arm.”

Jack slowly slid his gun under the table across his knees until it was pointed up through the table at Yeti.

“Ahh I see you are as bad at history as you are at most other things including guiding your people. Preferring to rule them as slaves. You listen to the God’s propaganda instead of facts. All the houses will not even stop most of the fighting amongst themselves while they pick only one house at a time to send up this arm to fight the humans. Only one House will want the honor of wiping out the Humans. They will fight even greater battles amongst themselves for the honor to be the first and the next and the next. The humans will only have to fight each victor after they have been worn down deciding who will be next. Yes it will mean a thousand years of bitter fighting but I think the humans can eventually wear them down until the losses make even the great houses give up and go back to their Rich Core worlds. Especially when the losers start losing core worlds to those that do not lose half their forces fighting the humans. No. Eventually the Houses will decide by default to forget about the humans out on their isolated arm since they pose no threat to the Core World Houses as they go back to fighting amongst themselves. If for no other reason than to keep from losing any more of their own worlds. We just have to give them a little help and let the humans do their thing.”

“You give the Humans a little help and l will help myself.”

Jack could not reach quite far enough under the table to keep from targeting at least one alien behind Yeti even though his chin was down on the table top. Thinking about sliding out of the seat and down under the table Jack wondered if he could get away with it before Yeti realized what he was doing. Wondering if he could get far enough under the table before Yeti managed to finish killing him with her mind.

“Sorry Yeti my childhood friend, but it will take all the help we can give them.”

Jack heard a loud bang as a hole appeared out Yeti’s head along with a black burn mark in the overhead. Yeti’s body flopped down head first onto the table. With the hole in her head staring at Jack. Pan lifted a pistol up and placed it on the table taking her thumb out of the trigger guard and her fingers from around the back of the pistol grip. Jack realized that she had evidentially held it down under Yeti’s chair with it pointed up at her butt and the overhead where the laser beam would harm no one but Yeti.

Gutner Dank came running across the mess deck with a troop of Red Apes. Sliding to a stop with his gun pointed at Pan as he looked at what little remained of Yeti. “Captain Turner, I felt head ache from overseer trying to control someone. I came as fast as I could. I don’t have head ache anymore so the mind control has stopped. God Officer Orders are to kill all Overseers’ insight when we feel the mind control. Do you want me to kill this Overseer as well?”

“No.” Jack stood up from his chair as he rubbed his temples. “No. Pan killed Yeti before she could kill me when she found out I could not be influenced.”

Gutner Dank breathed a sigh of relief. “Good. I like Pan and killing her would have made me sad.”

Pan looked up at Gutner Dank and smiled. “I like you too Gutner. I am glad you did not simply kill me before you asked. Thank you. I know how hard that was for you.”

“Any other Overseer and I would have killed them as soon as I entered the compartment before I got even close.” Frowning as he looked at Pan through squinted eyes as he thought for a few seconds. “You are welcome.”

Turning to Jack. “We will have the rest of the ship’s overseers rounded up in a few minutes Captain.” Glancing at Pan and smiling as he turned back at Jack. “Is Pan the ship’s Prime Overseer now Sir.”

“Well, yes I suppose so if she wants the job.” Jack took a few steps down the table that had been mostly deserted as soon as Yeti had started her attack on Jack.

Pan looked around the mess deck as she got up from the table stepping away from the mess left in the chair as several workers took the body away and started cleaning the table and chair. Pan looked at Jack as she followed him toward the hatch and took another seat with her plate. “Well. Yes I suppose I will accept the job for now Captain. But only if I can turn it over to someone else when I find someone suitable for the task. I was hoping Yeti would eventually see and understand the opportunity you humans have offered us but all she could see was Masters and slaves.”

Jack took a seat at the same long table across from her. “Don’t feel too bad about it Pan. We have had a long history of slaves not being able to handle freedom and the responsibilities that come with it. Some people like the safety of someone caring for them and not having to think for themselves. While others can only think of getting the power for themselves. Some think freedom only means that they have to grab the power before someone else does and then treat everyone else as badly as they were treated including killing anyone that disagrees with them or threatens that power. That was all they knew in the past and can’t conceive of anything different. They can’t understand that freedom means compromising and that if what you want to do is not possible today it can be tomorrow. That losing one election is not the end of the world and they may win the next if they just learn to compromise. Sometimes it takes a generation or two for the cultures mindset to accept freedom.”

“Very well Captain. I hate to say that you make sense but I don’t understand it.” Shaking her head in a copy of what Jack had a habit of doing as she took another bite. “I have much to do including getting your humans out of hibernation so they can start helping with their own quarters now that they are not just slave cells.” Noticing Jacks change of face at that statement. “Yeti was keeping them until she had driven you and the Apes off the ship to use as her personal slaves. I warned her that was not going to work and hoped again that she would change her attitude in time.” Smiling at Jack. “I also have much work to do switching work crews from Yeti’s Palace to converting the Ape Decks to quarters for everyone.”

“What? I thought that all your labor has been going into hull repairs, cleaning up Ape remains and getting this ship cut off from its imbedded shield deck, the God Guns and repairs to its maneuvering engines, so we can move this hulk.”

“I am sorry for the misunderstanding Captain but it only takes a few hours to disconnect a shield deck, cut the God Guns loose and move the ship. Yeti was not interested in moving the ship until you and the Apes were off it. She was more interested in new quarters for herself while we built the factory to produce the needed propulsion engines.”

“What do you mean propulsion engines? Why are you not simply making repairs to the thrusters you already have? The thrusters I looked at last week did not look damaged or in that bad of shape. ” Jack got a suspicious look on his face. With everything that was going on he had taken it for granted that they were busy making thruster repairs. “Aren’t you repairing the existing thrusters?”

“No Captain. Simply repairing the existing thrusters would take us months to make the journey around the bubble. Besides Yeti wanted something that would make it possible to out run most of your ships once they got into the Nebula cloud. Don’t worry Captain I was not planning on letting her escape. The Engines we are now starting to build are 10 times as big as the existing thrusters using cloud material for reaction mass and will propel the ship around the bubble in less than a week. Though it will take a couple months to build and install.”

Jack took another bight of his disgusting ration bar as the thought of all the food humans could eat that should have arrived by then back at the Red Pepper and the other spider ship hulk. Not to mention the death of Yeti even if the body was already gone and decided that he was no longer hungry. “Pan, I want to know how long it will take you to repair enough of the existing thrusters to get this ship moving. I don’t give a flying fuck how fast but I want it moving tomorrow. You can forget about the new engines. Once this hulk gets around the bubble it is not going anywhere soon. We have other things that need to be done.”

Pan looked at Jack as she picked up another big fork full of a big leafy salad with chunks of strange vegetables covered in something that looked like Thousand Island dressing. “Yes Captain, we will start working on repairing the existing thrusters.” Then stuffed it in her mouth and started chewing.

Shaking his head Pan suddenly looked like the typical dock superintendent his father was always meeting that loved to give smiling lip service to requests and then went and did as they pleased ignoring the requests of the customer. Jack knew it had to be his reaction to Yeti’s be trail and death but was to tired and hungry to care. Tapping his wrist comm, Jack tried to keep from growling. “Mr. Weaver, get me the Red Pepper please.”

The Ensign looked over at Jack with a worried frown as she sat down next to Jack and took another bight of her emergency ration and washed it down with something resembling orange juice, the only thing that had been cleared so far by the aliens for human consumption other than water. She opened another can and slid it over in front of Jack and said. “Drink this, it will put something on our stomach and make you feel better. Not such a grump.”

“Yes Captain. I will patch them through as soon as I get them.” Jack’s wrist speaker said.

Some 20 seconds later the Red Peppers First Officer Commander Wilson appeared above Jacks wrist as he put the can down half empty. “How can I help you Captain?”

“Besides getting us some descent food over hear. I need as many of the engineering department personnel as you can spar as soon as possible. I think we know enough about the alien tech now to repair this ship’s maneuvering thrusters. I think I may even have a few improvements we can make to up their power.”

A few seconds later the face of the First Officer lit up as Jacks words finally reached him and his response returned. “With the help of all the aliens, the Red Pepper is in top shape again Sir. I could bring the whole ship over Captain. Along with a couple thousand alien volunteers. But as far as the food goes, it seems we are still on our own. No transports have shown up yet. One of the Destroyer Captain’s said that as soon as the Vice Admiral reported to The Rock that we were attacking a Spider Battleship, the transports heading for us turned around and went to some holding station. You sure you don’t want to ask the Destroyers for some of their rations? We are down to two MRE’s a day.”

“They wouldn’t have enough food amongst them to make a difference. Hell even MRE’s sound good compared to the emergency ration bars and nutrition pills we are eating here. And by the way we have an additional 50,000 captured humans that will be coming out of hibernation shortly that we will need to feed. As far as moving the Red Pepper, I need you to stay and keep a close eye on that hole in the bubble. We left a half dozen Spider ships inside that thing and I don’t want them or a boat escaping if they somehow managed to survive the heat.” Shaking his head. “You better cut rations down to 1 MRE a day with emergency bars and nutrition pills for the rest.” Jack tried not to look at the feast around him. He was glad he had segregated his crew during meals. It was all he could do to keep from reaching across and stealing some of the alien bounty sitting across the table from him. Even if it poisoned him.

The First Officer frowned. “Eye sir. I will send over a load of MRE’s with the crews. One MRE a day should give us another couple of months off the top of my head even with the new refugees but I will get back to you on that. We have pickets and sensors saturated around that hole and the probes have yet to report back any signs of life even though two of the ships are still powered up Sir. I think we can safely say that they are dead Sir.”

“They were supposed to blow themselves up. No. I am afraid not Commander. Not while even one ship is still showing power. Keep your guns trained on that damn hole even if the damn Spider ships are too damn big to get through the hole. And don’t let up on the patrols scouring the surface of the bubble around the hole and the hulk.” Smiling. “Oh that is right, we are calling it Gama 13 Station now in the dispatches back to The Rock. I was hoping that with this Spider Battleship hulk in our hands they would speed up shipments of supplies but it looks like I was wrong.”

Jack was thinking about taking another bight of his ration bar when the Frist Officer finely came back. The orange drink was helping hide the taste. “Well the ex-slaves are taking it to heart Captain. You should see what they have done to the hulk since you left. You won’t recognize it.” Looking back up from his console as he issued orders to dispatch the crews and MRE’s. “OH. The Bigfoots heard one of the Tramp Captains on a destroyer talking about wishing he could haul cargo instead of just a bunch of mass drop tanks and have produced large 200 foot long, 20 foot wide, 10 foot tall squat cargo pods that fit up in place of several drop tanks with an access tube up through and emergency hatch in the belly of the destroyer. We can use several to have the engineering crew and some exslave volunteers and their tools over to you in a few hours Captain.”

“Very good Number One.” Jack frowned. “What the hell is this about getting gossip from a Destroyer Captain? Why haven’t you talked to the Rock yourself to find out about our supply problems?”

“Aaa I am sorry Captain but it seems that when they heard of another Spider Ship over hear, The Rock cut all communication channels to us. We can’t even get the weather report sir. I sent you a report on the situation. Though I did not flag it for your immediate attention.”

“Ya well I have been a bit busy over hear.” Shaking his head. “Well Number One, have you tried going through the damn Destroyers to contact The Rock and get us our damn supplies?”

“Yes sir and I have not heard anything back yet sir. It sounds like The Rock is going crazy from what the Destroyer Captains are saying but I am having a hard time getting much out of them. It’s like they have been told to limit their contact with us as much as possible even though we have several Destroyers doing maintenance docked to the station. I am having a hard time even talking to the Commodore of the Squadron that came back here after you took the Godship. He is always busy so I have only been able to talk to the DD’s in for maintenance.”

“What the hell do you mean maintenance? They are brand new Destroyers fresh from the shipyard if I understand things right. Are you upgrading their weapons or engines or something?”

“No sir. I don’t think the Destroyer crews even know about our little upgrades but then they are simply having problems keeping their engines running not to mention their weapons. It seems their 8 inch twin gunned turrets are constantly breaking down and if they did not have two engines, most would not even have been able to make the station. I am starting to get the impression that the maintenance crews don’t know shit about their equipment or how to read a damn maintenance manual. I don’t know where they are getting their crews from but they must be dredging the bottom of the barrel. They have been a constant problem on the station. I am about ready to ban them back to their ships. All they seem able to do is get drunk and start fights with the exslaves. Even fights with the Apes which they keep losing. I am still trying to figure out where they are getting the damn booze from. Though the exslaves seem all to ready to provide them with anything they want and several dives have sprung up catering to their lowest desires. The exslave or refugees are taking whole heartedly to this free trade shit.” The First Officer shook his head in exasperation.

“Well shit. We have more important things to worry about than a few drunks right now.” Jack looked at Pan and then the compartment which was packed again with what looked like a dozen separate kitchens scattered around the bulkheads, all cooking or preparing different foods. “We need to start calling the ex-slaves something besides exslaves or refugees. Give it some thought Number One and see what you can do about informing the aaa, Translator Overseer over their about some of our human darker sides. That they should not be catering to some of our lower more despicable needs even if it can be rather profitable. And get through to The Rock somehow. We need our damn supply ships. Turner out.”

Shaking his head as he turned to face Pan. “Pan, we need a name to call you besides aliens or ex slaves. Something besides Green foot or Wetback or Bluebelly or Twoheads or the dozens of other terms we have been using for each of your many species. Got any ideas?”

Pan looked across at Jack. “We will give it some thought Captain. Though we understand why you do not wish to use our given names for our many specie even if you could pronounce most of them. My species names comes close to Dumont in English by the way but I believe you are referring to all the many different species that were slaves as a whole. I do not think I can help you there except to suggest you simply call us crewmen Captain.”

“Aaa, I am afraid there are a few problems with that Pan.” Taking a breath and then a bight of his Emergency Ration bar just to give himself time to think. His face making a grimace at the spiced cardboard taste flooding his mouth again as he chewed what was almost too hard to chew.

Finally swallowing Jack took a deep breath. “For one, you would have to sign up or enlist into the Republic Navy for me to do that. I won’t even get into how we could make any of you into officers in under 4 years. That would also open your people up to being transferred all over the fleet if Command would even approve of your enlistments. Then there is the fact we could not enlist your families though we would take care of them and again you would probably be separated from them for extended periods of time as all the Navy’s human and existing alien crewmen are. Not to mention there is a lower age limit. From what I can see, some of you are still babies at 20 years while some are adults at 5 years. Also the alien’s already in the Republic are close to human in most ways including being able to eat the same food.”

Looking at the cornucopia of different wonderfully smelling but poison to human’s food around him and shaking his head as he looked at the Emergency Ration bar with distaste yet again. “God! This is simply disgusting”. Flinging it toward a trash chute on the bulkhead some 20 feet away in disgust. Hoping as it left his hand that he at least missed the exslaves between him and the chute. “Fact is, not being able to eat most of the same foods is a big show stopper.” Jack’s mouth dropped open with him half out of his seat heading to pick up the tumbling food bar (when he inevitably missed) as the half-eaten bar sailed into the chute that automatically opened with its approach. Chuckling he finished getting up. He had things to do anyway and the last thing he wanted was being around and smelling all the food. Especially what smelled like an old fashion grilled steak at the next table?

Jack smiled as he looked around at all the food and still could not believe he had not been poisoned the first day on the original hulk station months before when he had tried so much food while being introduced to all the different races of slaves during the celebration for defeating the God Ships and freeing them. Though Pan had explained that he had not had more than a symbolic nibble of any one food or sip of anything other than flavored water to drink and even then each had been tested to not be outright poisonous to humans in small bits by then. They were still trying to find something the humans could eat more than a bight of without killing them while most were outright poisonous with even a nibble. Including the salad Pan loved.

“Captain.” Pan’s eyes went from the garbage chute to Jack. “I believe we understand what enlisting entails. You have what you call petty officers while some work to meet your Officer qualifications. We understand that our freedom has come at a high price and are willing to pay whatever it takes to help maintain that freedom for our children.”

Glancing at the ration bar the Ensign was still gnawing on and then the garbage chute. “I am sorry Captain but we did not realize that you are practically starving to death. We have been trying to figure out why you humans have been eating so little and such deplorable food. Thinking that you preferred your energy pills and such retched food as your nutrition bars, we have been taking our time testing our foods for your consumption. It is good to finely understand that you hate your food bars as much as we do when we tried them even if they are safe for us to eat. We will put testing our food for something you can digest without being poisoned at the top of our priorities Captain.”

As Jack starred at Pan, the Ensign spoke up. “Thank you Pan but it took engineers hundreds of years to genetically modified human food stocks to appeal and be digestible to all the alien species across our neck of the woods. Which is why your tests show you can eat most of it with only a few vitamin supplements. The economics and profit of food that all the different species could eat more than paid for the development costs over the hundreds of years it took to develop and succeed. The likelihood of your food from tens of thousands of light years away being compatible with humans is very slim. Especially with you having to grow different foods to feed the many species aboard your ships.” Shaking her head. “As advanced as you people are, you would think you would have developed food that was more compatible with each other over the last 10,000 years.”

Pan bowed to the Ensign. “Your food was genetically altered to be compatible to most of your species? That explains why so many of us can eat your MRE’s and those horrible Emergency Rations. Though some love them. We had never even thought of the possibility of genetically altering our food but even then research and development by slaves was punishable by death. The God Officers used the different food dependencies as weapons against us. A very effective tool for control. Watching a fellow slave race starve to death because they failed to keep the Gods happy is a great motivator.” Pan looked around the mess deck at all the different species. “You may be right Ensign but amongst all our differences we should be able to find something humans can eat that tastes better than your Emergency Rations and will keep you alive.”

“You do that Pan.” Jack said trying to keep the disbelief out of his voice. “I am going to get started on your thrusters. I want this ship moving by tomorrow. We have been given orders to destroy any ship on this side of the bubble. As close as it is to the edge of the cloud, it is too great a security risk and I have had enough of destroying perfectly good ships or in this case something we can us as another station. Beside we simply don’t have room on the other hulk station for another 30,000 exslave refugees.” Frowning. “Or the 50,000 human captives for that matter.”

Pan stared at Jack’s and the Ensign’s back as they left then took out her pad and started tapping and talking into it.

Jack grabbed a tool belt and several mechanics from the Ex-Enemy Assault Boats they were using to operate from. They arrived at the nearest stern thruster assembly on the hull that had been red tagged as out of service the week before, shortly before a red headed Greenfoot arrived at a deck jarring run. Her ship’s work suit unzipped down to her navel as usual.

Out of breath she held her hand across her chest as she bent over and tried to talk still out of breath. “Sorry Captain to have missed chow. I was trying to figure out how to get at least one of the main propulsion engines working. I didn’t think you would want to leave this ship stuck here for any longer than you had to.”

Jack looked up at her with sudden hope as she took in several deep breaths trying to catch up. “Ok, and what did you find Red?”

Looking over and then down at Jack as she straightened up shaking her head with an all too human grimace. “Sorry Sir but there simply is too much damage to all the same components on the two half way good engines to swap assemblies around and make even one operational. If an engine was running when your weapons penetrated the case, the Blackhole’s basically ate the guts completely out of them. But of the engines that were not running are still in one peace, I think that one of the engines on the other ship may have what we need but that is not helping us here and now and it could take months even if they do. Pan just called saying we don’t have the time and that you shut down the engine factory to produce repairs for the maneuvering thrusters.”

“Yes you are right, we don’t have the time to trade main engine components Red but thanks for trying.” Turning back to the Thruster Engine’s control panel and making an attempt to understand the writing appearing on the screen as he stabbed at input keys. Pan had downloaded English into the Ship’s control systems but the ship’s computer had its own ideas for translating names and concepts. “Any idea why this thruster is redlined?”

Red looked over Jack’s shoulder as he slowly worked his way down menu’s and information screens. “Please Captain, my people designed these engines 10,000 years ago. Just because we have spent the last 10,000 years working as forklifts does not mean we have forgotten our heritage.” She gently nuzzled her huge breasts up into Jack’s back, putting her arms around him from both sides pushing his hands gently out of the way. She started typing through the screens as she placed her chin softly on his head. Even after 10,000 years the control panel still fit her large almost foot wide hands perfectly.

Jack could still not believe the God Officers had not bothered to reduce the size of the controls to fit the little 4 inch wide hands of the race of Dwarfs that they had assigned to maintain the engines for the last 10,000 years. But then he was not impressed with the intelligence of the Engine Maintenance Dwarfs he had seen so far. They only seamed able to replace simple assemblies and then only if the control software could figure out which assembly was the cause of the problem. Half the thrusters on the ship were none operational simply because the Dwarfs could not read between the lines of the software and make a few deductions or replace a module just to see if it helped. But then when you have a society that rewards mistakes with death, trying to make a guise as what component to replace was not a good idea let alone taking a module apart to attempt to fix some small failed component inside. Especially when you did not have a clue as to why or what made the engine run in the first place let alone what anything did inside the engine. Jack’s older brother Dan had been good at telling him and the rest of the Turner Joy’s crew that any monkey could replace modules when told to. Which made Dan’s’ younger stupid moronic brother (Jack), perfect for the job.

Jack was starting to realize just how much his older brother must have hated him. But it had taken Jack running away from his Tramp Ship the Turner Joy to join the Navy and working with people that actually liked him to realize that. With Red’s big arms around him and her soft soothing voice patiently explaining the maintenance controls of the engine, Jack found himself wondering how he could ever have thought his older brother had ever loved him with all the abuse and broken toys.

Jack suddenly remembered lashing out at crewmen when he first started playing The Battleship Game his grandfather had given him on his 6th birthday so many years before. The Game had been developed over hundreds of years by the Republic Navy to train Officers but had grown beyond anything the Navy had ever dreamed. His grandfather had stolen a copy when he had resigned from the Republic’s Research Directorate. Though Stolen was a harsh word since he had helped develop the programing. After hundreds of years and thousands of Psychologists adding their input, The Game was very good at changing bad behavior for the better if given enough time and after some 10 years the Game had had plenty of time to mold Jack into a good officer. The Game had been very good at punishing and manipulating Jack every time Jack had lashed out copying his brother’s cruelties and greed or thrown a tantrum as young kids tend to do. The Game had taken it all in stride without Jack having a clue as he was manipulated, trained and shaped into the best Officer he could be. The Game devoting more and more resources to Jack as he developed and his command and tactical abilities became more apparent. But then The Game did that for all those that excelled.

The problem was that so many of the Navel crews while playing the game as civilians before bootship, saw little need to take the time to participate in their busy days in a navy that had to send ships out with short overworked crews in the beginning. A rapidly growing problem only a few Admirals were trying to address. One of those Admirals was Jacks original Commander who had originally promoted Jack simply as a way to stimulate the ship crews to take the time to play The Game (never thinking he would ever command a ship). To create the enlisted and commissioned officers to Command the hundreds of thousands even millions of raw dirt side recruits that were flooding into the navy that had never even been into space let alone on a ship and would have little more experience than what Bootship and a few weeks in A-school could teach them. Though what the Admiral had not yet grasped was that tens of millions of possible Dirtside recruits yet to enlist had spent years playing The Game across most of the Human Planets in the Republic.

Though many of the current recruits manning the Destroyers had not played The Game outside of Bootship which was why they were assigned to the Destroyers as the Directorate of Personnel divided up the available crewmen to the various new ships that needed crews. Taking most of the best and brightest for the Fleet’s new Battleships. Then scraping the bottom of the barrel for the Destroyers no one ever believed could make much of a dent against the enemy but the Destroyers were cheap enough to not matter while they zipped around so the many planets populations and politicians could see something defending them while the main fleet was nowhere in sight. Each planetary system getting a hundred of the destroyers as the small ships flooded off the robotic assembly lines.

The Game had even recognized the hate the Ensign had had for Jack almost immediately after she had been raped. Using The Game controlled virtual crewmen to ask pointed questions. It also recognized that Jack had not been the cause of her problem but that the Ensign had blamed Jack for it anyway. The Game had spent many years slowly turning her savage hateful treatment and hate for herself each time she met Jack in The Game into something else even though she did not know what until long after she had followed him into the Navy seeking what she had still thought of as revenge. That is until The Game had thrown them together again. The Game knew how to get the most out of each of its crewmen and officers even if The Game could not control what Jobs they were assigned or where the Navy sent them. The Game was a secret weapon even the Navy did not know it had though Jack’s Grandfather (everyone including those that knew him when he ran the Research Directorate called Pop), knew since he had been responsible for adding the final touches to The Game and connecting it directly to the Navy’s Central Personnel Assignment and Control Network before releasing it to the public to train millions of future crews. Pop even started to notice the quality of the Tramp crews raise markedly over the years after he released The Game into the civilian universe for even the tramps to play and who benefited from the extra training.

The Ensign stood not far away watching the small red headed green skinned giant with her arms around Jack and her bare boobs pressed into his back with the front of her jump suit now unzipped down to her crotch as the Ensign started fingering her stun gun. She knew Red was only helping teach Jack the maintenance system for the Alien ship and she did not have to worry but she could not help herself. She even liked Red and loved spending time with her and her little sister around the Hulk Station before they had to come on this mission. But… She clasped the butt of the stun gun tighter as her hand started to sweat. Her mind starting to turn dark with jealousy inspite of her belief and trust in Jack.

Turning around she started looking at the huge thruster that looked as big as the main drive engines on the Turner Joy yet it took 30 of them to turn and maneuver the monster Spider Battleship and was not designed to take it anyplace. Yet Jack was planning on doing just that. “But then what choice do we have with no tugs around but to get as many of the dam thrusters working as possible and moved to the stern.” She asked herself. She just hoped that the additional maintenance crewmen being brought in by the Destroyer could… “Destroyer! Jack!” The Ensign yelled.

Jack suddenly ducked out from between Red’s arms. His head rubbing against her bare boobs as the open jump suit tried to suck him into it and her boob yet again. He ducked down and his cheeks and neck turned deep red as he faced the Ensign. “What? I wasn’t doing anything. She was just showing me the…”

“Not that you numbskull. The Destroyers! We can use the Destroyers as tugs to push the ship. We have 2 full 12 ship squadrons working out of the Hulk Base unless they pulled them back to The Rock with the rest of the Wing in the last couple of days. Which they shouldn’t have with a new 72 ship Destroyer Wing arriving from Earth according to the latest dispatch.” Smiling from ear to ear. “Each of them has 2 cruiser engines. We don’t need to fix and move all these damn thrusters. We just need to slap the destroyers up against or lash them to the sides of the stern hull of this monster and use these thrusters for directional control.”

Jack stared at her for a good minute thinking as Red turned from the console.

Red smiled. “I know what is wrong with this Thruster and I think I can easily fix it Captain Jack.”

Jack turned to Red with his eyes still glazed over staring at Red’s naked eye level bright red nipples on the end of her green tinged breasts without seeing them as he grinned from ear to ear. “Ya great Red. See what you can do to get the ones on the Port side going so we have a balance around the ship operational by tomorrow while I go and grab us some tugs.”

Red’s mouth dropped open for several seconds. “What? You want me to actually fix the thrusters by myself? But I am only an Apprentice. I won’t be a Journeyman for another 20 years.”

“Yes, I expect you to get as much help as you need to get the job done. And yes I think you can fix the thrusters. That is if you choose the right help and get your butt thruster going instead of standing here talking. You have a whole cargo tank load of help coming to go with whoever you and Pan get working from here so you should not have any problem but give me a call if you do.”

Red lunged forward embracing Jack squishing his head between her boobs after her suddenly protruding bare left nipple stabbed him in the eye. “Thank you Captain I will make you proud of me.” Then she ran out of the thruster room shaking the deck as she went.

Jack held his hand up to rub his eye as he turned around to the Ensign. “God. That woman’s tits are lethal.”

“I will give you lethal tits!” As she pulled the stun gun out and fingered it up to maximum but Jack was already ignoring her as his eyes glazed over in thought.

Jack taped his wrist comm. “Lieutenant Weaver, get me the engineering specks from the Red Pepper, on those new destroyers that have been running around here for the last few months. I will be there in a few minutes.” Then sent a text to Pan that he was headed for the Assault Boat they had been using as a Command Center for taking the hulk and a Communication Center to the Red Pepper on the other side of the Bubble.

Five minutes later Jack crossed the huge lock with the Assault boat hanging half out through the Aircurtain so its Comm antenna’s had a clear unobstructed sight of the closest of the Comm relay Sats they had planted as they made their way around the bubble during their attack. Pan exited the distant hatch in the core of the ship as Jack looked back before entering the Assault boat’s hatch making Jack smile as she glided rapidly across the lock toward the Assault boat. He had not expected her to be so prompt as he still had a lot of work to do going over the Destroyer’s plans to figure out how to attach the little Ships to the hulk but then he should have known batter, he told himself as he went on into the shuttle. Lieutenant Weaver had the front page of the Destroyer Schematics up on the tactical screen as he entered the Command module taking up part of the troop and cargo bay of the Assault boat.

Upon seeing the screen Jack froze. He had seen the little Destroyers several times from a distance as they buzzed around the Red Dwarf and now the Hulks and bubble and had been a little surprised that they vaguely resembled the virtual Arrowhead shape of the destroyer he had designed and built in The Game years before. He even had put down the fact that they were armed with 8 inch guns like he had on his virtual destroyer he had in The Game as coincidence. But now to actually see the design schematics with all the finer details matching his Virtual Destroyer exactly spread out across the screen more than shocked him as he stood there frozen in place as the Command Center started filling with people.

The Ensign stopped beside Jack rubbing her shoulder up against Jack as she looked at him staring at the screen. “Are you Ok Captain? That looks a lot like your Battleship Destroyers in The Game. Did you get your design from the Navy?”

Jack slowly looked over at the Ensign then back at the screen without saying a word for half a minute. Then taking a deep breath. “They had to have gotten the design from me. Which means I have to be crazy. How the hell does the navy have hundreds of them running around.”

The Ensign stepped to the console and started running through the pages of the design details and plans.

Shaking his head. “You would have thought they would at least have fixed the problems by now. Espeacialy the problems with the 8 inch gun turrets.”

Pan slid in through the hatch and stopped beside Jack. “How can I help you Captain. I really need to get back to rearranging crews. I may have much of what the maneuvering thrusters need for repairs ready and installed before tomorrow with the extra crews working but it will take a couple of days to move them around to use most of them as propulsion thrusters.”

“Aaa, we may not need them for propulsion Pan. Ensign turn to page 23 section 5.”

Turning to glance at Jack she typed in the directions and the plans of a cradle popped up onto the screen.

“Pan, this is a cradle that can be mounted onto the hull of the Spider hulk that will plug into reinforced hard points on the Destroyers. You can see the specks in the illustration at the corner that these placed on the Spider hulks hull will lock the Destroyer to the ship and allow it to use its main engines to push the Spider ship. The stern should have room for 12 Destroyers staggered around the stern at the corner of the flat cross bulkhead hull. Another 12 should fit on the now useless engine pylons after you cut off the ruined main drive engines. I want these ready for the Destroyers to dock to by tomorrow at 1200 hours. Can you do that or not?”

Pan studied the screen holding up her pad as she scribble on it for several seconds. “Yes Captain I think we can.”

“Good. Just don’t kill yourself if you miss the deadline by a bit. OK?”

“Yes Captain, I am sure we can have the 12 sets of stern cradles in by 1200 hours. The pylon sets may take a few more hours but we can finish them up while we are underway. You have assigned Red to repair the maneuvering thrusters. Do you still want her working on them?”

“Yes, I don’t want to have to rely on differential thrust management on so many ships to fine tune our coarse or maneuvering.”

“Very well Captain I will get on it immediately. But we have several of the new thrusters half way down the production lines. I would like to finish and install them for testing. We have never produced a new design before and my Bigfoot and Ding Dong engineers are excited to test the engines. We can mount them in the flat plate hull near the core so not to interfere with the Destroyer engines. If you don’t mind Captain?”

“Put them on opposite sides of the hull to replace a couple of the knocked out thrusters.”

“Thank you Captain.” Pan glided rapidly out the hatch.

Jack had to smile at her excitement before turning back around. “Mr. Weaver, can you get me Commodore Fletcher please. Time to see if I even have the Destroyers to mount in the cradles.”

Commodore Fletcher appeared on the screen and with no distance delay he said. “Yes Captain Turner, how may I help you?”

Taking a deep breath Jack grimaced. Suddenly unsure of himself. “I need your Destroyers to temporarily mount on this hulk to push it around the bubble to the Hulk Station on the other side. I really don’t want to have to destroy another perfectly good ship when we can use it for housing the exslaves and the refugees, not to mention stripping the Spider technology from it.”

The Commander started laughing before Jack had finished his request. “You have got to be kidding Captain. These Destroyers have heavy Cruiser engines in them and will likely rip out anything you tie them down with.”

“Actually Commander we are in the process of building cradles to mount the Destroyers to the hull of the Battleship. You don’t have to worry about ripping anything out.”

Shaking his head as the Commodore continued to chuckle. “And what makes you think you can build cradles that will fit let alone hold these Destroyers?”

“Aaaa. Well Commander. I don’t think. I know. I am the designer of your Destroyers.”

The Commodore started laughing as he grabbed his stomach shaking his head. “Good one boy. I have not heard such a good piece of bullshit in a decade. Call for Tugs from The Rock if you want to move that hulk around. Wait until I tell Commondonte...”

“Go to the front of your bridge Commodore and look under the main screen. You will see an inscription etched into the mettle bulkhead. Please read it out loud for me.”

“What the hell you talking about Captain. Why should I do any such thing?”

“Just do it Commodore. I think you will be surprised. Just remember my name is Jack Jay Turner.”

Shaking his head as he chuckled in disbelief, the Commodore walked around the pilot’s navigator console and knelt down in front of the forward screen. Brushed his hand across the bulkhead he shook his head again without chuckling this time. “It says Battleship Destroyer Mk. 5- A 9. Designer, Jack Jay Turner. It gives a 2 year old date then, Produced by, General Ship Construction Corporation, Asteroid Belt Station, Earth. With production date only six months old a couple days before I was assigned as its Captain at the factory station. Production number 1237.”

Shaking his head the Commodore stepped back from the inscription staring at Jack on the main screen.

“Damn.” Jack could not help exclaiming. “They have made 1200 of those things?”

“That was 6 months ago Captain Turner. The hull number on the 6 I just received to flesh out my squadron started with the hull number 2716. I hear most are going to storage in orbit.” Narrowing his eyes. “Jack J Turner must be your father right Captain?”

Jack chuckled shaking his head. “My father’s name is Roy Turner and is a fair Tramp Trader but couldn’t repair a toaster if his life depended on it let alone design one. You may be looking for my Grandfather Pop Turner to his friends who was the Republic’s Research Director for half a century and retired some 30 years ago. Go back to your engines and look at the plack on one of them and you will see his name as the inventor of most current reaction mass engines in the Republic. But as for your ship. I designed it in The Game and my mother used to call me Jay Jay if she bothered to call me anything.”

Taking a deep breath as he studied the Commodore. “This ship has technology more advanced than any of the Spider ships we have been on or captured so far. You will bring your Destroyers down to provide propulsion so we can salvage this ship and all its secrets or call the Supreme Admiral and tell him why you decided to let the enemy have their ship back and the location of The Rock.” Jack immediately regretted his words as he tried to keep from cringing in front of the Commodore. He had let himself get big headed at hearing that not only were they building his Battleship Destroyer but that they had built over 2700 of the damn things already.

“The Admiral ordered you to destroy that hulk not salvage it.”

Jack swallowed as the Ensign spoke up cutting him off as she stepped up beside Jack. “The only way to destroy one of these things outright is to detonate its fusion cores. You can see the result of that off the damn bow of this ship. Tell you what Commandant. We will leave and you can detonate the core after we are a couple million miles away. We will tell your next of kin, you followed the Vice Admiral’s stupid asinine orders.”

“Enough Ensign. Commodore, I have orders from a full Admiral to salvage as much Spider Tech as I can.” Jack remembered one of his father’s trade sayings at the dinner table and one thing he had to admit was his father was a damn good Trader. But what did the Commodore need. “Aaa, Commodore Fletcher, I need you to dock your destroyers on the ship so I can upgrade your guns so they will actually do some damage to one of these monsters and fix your engines and turret problems while you are acting as tugs.”

Shaking his head Commodore Fletcher looked from the Ensign and her huge boobs and back at Jack. “My orders are to patrol and provide protection to take that damn Enemy ship and keep it from falling back into enemy hands and my ships can’t do that docked and acting like tugs.”

Jack’s mind raced looking for an argument that would mollify the Commodore when the Ensign spoke up again. “We have a thousand fighter bombers we can use as scouts and until you get your guns upgraded to something besides flashlights. Your ships are less than worthless Commodore right now. At least our bombers have Spider Torpedoes that are designed to take out other Spider Ships. Your new torpedoes have not even been tested yet against an operational Spider Battleship. Get your worthless ships down here Commodore and we may even be able to figure out how to mount some Spider torpedoes and give you real teeth to take on the Spiders if they do show up.”

Jack realized that the Commodore was staring at the Ensigns huge boobs as she spoke and glanced down at the stun gun on her hip. She had gotten the Captain/Admiral’s permission on the Red Dwarf to stun anyone that behaved inappropriately around her and her boobs no matter their rank. The Commodore was on the verge of getting stunned if he had been on the bridge in person. The Commodore tore his eyes away from the Ensign’s monsters without making any of the normal comments and was trying to ignore them which Jack knew was damn hard for most men to do until they got used to seeing them.

“I guess it would not hurt to take a look. Half my ships need engine work anyway. A couple are running on one engine as it is.”

Smiling Jack tried to reinforce what the Ensign had said. “We will have a couple of squadrons of scouts out by tomorrow morning Commodore before you dock. See you then Commodore Fletcher. Turner out.” Jack turned to the Ensign as the Commodore disappeared from the screen. “Just how the hell are we going to get pilots trained in Spider fighters in less than 20 hours Ensign? We don’t even know if they have simulators let alone how to use them.”

The Ensign smiled at Jack. “We don’t need to Jack. The Hulk base had some 30 refugee pilots for testing the boats after they had been worked on. This tub is twice the size with a thousand fighter bombers. They have to have pilots to test the fighters as well. With Pans and their pilots help we should be able to train our pilots well enough to at least lead a group of refugee pilots for doing simple patrol sweeps. They don’t need to be able to go into combat.”

Jack rolled his eyes as he hit his wrist Comm. “Pan it looks like I need to talk to you again at your convenience.” Shaking his head. “Now all I need is to find a damn Republic engineering design console. Aaa Mr. Weaver, see if that Destroyer bringing the maintenance engineers over from the Hulk Station has left yet and get a couple of Sim booths added to the cargo list.”

“No need to Jack.” The ensign interrupted Jack. “The Destroyers already have a simulator compartment with a half dozen booths.” She gave Jack a strange look wondering why he did not know that already. After all he was supposed to have designed the ships.

Jack shook his head. “Something I never could get used to was why The Game kept insisting on putting a Virtual Reality Simulation game booth compartment in a ship in a Virtual Reality Game. What Virtual Reality Game was a Virtual Reality Avatar going to play? I must have deleted that compartment a hundred times to use it for more important things on a packed ship that simply had no room to spare.” Taking a deep breath. “So what compartment and its vital equipment got deleted to make room for the damn Game Compartment Ensign?”

The Ensign tapped a few icons on the console. “Nothing important Captain. The 4 pack cabins with fold out computer consoles and a table in your original design was replaced with coed birthing compartments with 3 tier bunks holding some 36 crewmen each and communal heads and showers that also makes room for the additional crewmen needed for the four turrets that replace the fixed guns in your original design. I did not know you had added turrets Captain.”

“I didn’t. The turrets were in their early design phase. I still had not worked out all the bugs from the simulations yet.” Studying the Turret schematics the Ensign had put up on the screen after displaying the birthing and simulator compartments as she talked. “It looks like whoever stole my design didn’t bother to finish working out the bugs either. You would think they could at least have done that much work on their own.”

“Captain.” Mr. Weaver turned around from her comm board. “The 2 destroyers are already half way here with some 2,000 engineers and workers.” Her hand went to her ear comm as she turned back around to look at her screen. “Aaa, the Red Pepper is on the line Captain.”

“Main screen Lieutenant.”

“Captain, Commodore Harris has asked that the upgrades you promised Commodore Fletcher for his squadron be done here to his. With your permission I will start the upgrades while we are doing engine maintenance sir.”

Jack frowned as he ran his hand through his hair then scratched the back of his head. “Aaa Commander, I don’t have a clue what the turret upgrades are going to be yet and I need those Destroyers over here to use as tugs to move this monster to your side of the bubble. Tell Commodore Harris that he will have to take his squadron over here and dock to get the upgrades. You can start running patrols with the Assault Boats you have using the alien refugee pilots and mixed crews. I will see about sending over some of the fighter-bombers we have plenty of over here to supplement them. If Commander Harris objects or gives you problems give me a call.”

The Commander smiled from ear to ear on the screen. “You may not believe it but most of the Destroyer Captains have come to me wanting to make a supply run over to your side just to get closer to the action. If anything the Commodore is going to have a mutiny on his hands if he drags his feet to much. If nothing else I will start slapping a couple of pallets of MRE’s on Destroyers and send them off your direction one by one after the Commandant goes to bed tonight.”

Jack tried his best to suppress a smile. “Just make sure you keep it legal with all the paper work signed and in triplicate. As long as we get most of the destroyers over hear we should get this hulk moved over there by the end of the month.” Taking a deep breath and relaxing back into the chair. “Good going Number One. Later. Out.” Jacks stomach rumbled and someone else’s stomach answered. Turning to the Ensign. “That orange juice shit tastes decent and seams to qualm the hunger pains. See if you can rustle up some more.”

“Yes we have plenty Captain.” Pan slid silently into the command center. “I will have some brought up immediately. I hope that was not the only reason you asked me down here. I have much work to do transitioning the maintenance crews to my control. The existing Dumonts are not taking kindly at my intrusion but I can handle them. Though I have found out why they are unusually resistant. Changing Overseers is common amongst Godships. Overseers tend to die young when the God Officers are displeased. The crew seems to be taking it in stride but I have found out that the Dumonts in overseeing the various departments are all children of Yeti. It seems that after her first children were killed she had gone out of her way to make sure that each of her succeeding children had a vacancy to fill and the God Officers had a reason for passing them and installing them as Overseers by eliminating the old Overseers. Indications are she used deceit to make it look like the old Overseer had made a mistake to have them executed. Others that had gotten wise to her were simply killed by accidents or other means.”

“Aaa, weren’t you the only Overseer on the Kampuchea? Why does this ship need so many?”

“The standard complement is an Overseer for every thousand maintenance crewmen. Kampuchea should have had two additional Overseers but when the existing Overseers died of natural causes I knew I would eventually have children and took the extra work onto myself to save the jobs for them. A common practice. Then when they were sold to a different ship I could not bring myself to ask for replacements.” Pan got tears in her eyes before taking a deep breath and continuing. “Yeti seemed to have been lazy and short sighted not doing the same when openings presented themselves to her while her children were young. The records show that she in fact was not very careful reproductively and then even asked for naturally vacated positions to be filled even though she had a young child that would need a job several times and then murdered the replacements when it came time for her child to test out.”

“And you thought she would see the light about Apes and us humans. I can’t believe you are that naive Pan. It sounds like you Dumonts are a lot more human than I thought.” Taking a breath and wishing he had a cup of tea. “The reason I asked to talk to you is that I need pilots to fly security patrols using the Spider fighter Bombers. Can your maintenance crew pilots fly and train some of my pilots to fly the Fighter-bombers?”

Pan started taping on her hand held screen. “This ship is different that the Kampuchea Captain. It has pilot Apes to fly its fighter-bombers. A very demanding profession with high failure rates. I see hundreds of fighter and bomber pilots amongst the Slave Apes with hundreds of crewmen and thousands more still in hibernation. They can fly your patrols and help train your pilots in the simulators on the hanger deck. When do you need them?”

“As soon as you can get them assembled Pan.” Turning to the Ensign. “You may as well learn to fly Spider fighters Ensign. You still have a Republic pilot license to earn and hopefully it will help. Mr. Weaver you may as well learn as well. Get someone to take over Comms and Duty Officer.” Turning back to Pan. “I need as many fighter-bombers as you can get pilots for into space tomorrow morning Pan to take over patrol work from the Destroyers. Any questions or needs?”

“No Captain, I have sent word for all the aircrews and fighter maintenance personnel to head for the flight deck and start reactivating fighters. But I must caution you Captain. Fighter-bombers are worthless against Battleships and used only for planetary, moon or station operations in gravity wells where the big battleships have difficulty operating and against small spread out forces.”

“Well Pan, the fighter-bombers will be as effective as the Destroyers are right now. More so since they can carry the Spider battleship torpedoes right?”

“Actually Captain, the torpedoes are as big as the fighters. While the Torpedoes fit mounted under and in the bombers weapons bay, I have never even heard of the big torpedoes being mounted under a fighter before. Besides they are only used for attacking planetary targets such as cities.”

“Well I have a while before the first of the Destroyer transports arrive. Let’s go take a look at these monster Spider Torpedoes Pan.” Jack headed out of the Command Center container box and out the Assault Boat’s hatch and came to an abrupt stop. A line of figures wearing dresses down to the deck covering their cans slid across the hanger deck flanked by Red Apes with more following with several guns trained on each of them. It took a moment for Jack to notice that the copies of Pan with different colored dresses and designs had thick red rings around their necks. It was not until they got much closer that he started noticing minor differences in the facial features between them and Pan standing next to him. If they had been human he would have even said that they all looked like twins of varying ages.

Jack watched Gutner Dank stop a few feet in front of him and point to spots he wanted each of the Dumont to stop. He soon had all of them lined up across the front of Pan, the Ensign and Jack before turning to face Jack. “I have rounded up all Yachenadumonts on this ship Captain. One was killed when it tried to use its mind trick on us. I wish you to forgive the Trooper for her actions. She is a valuable member of Red Apes and acted appropriately even though the Overseer died. The pain she was in preventing her from not using her full strength while defending herself from the attack sir.”

Jack frowned as he looked the line of overseers over. “Ok Gutner. Why did you round them all up in the first place?”

“What you humans call, Standard Operating Procedures Captain. When one Dumont goes rough, all Dumonts who have come into contact with the aaa, crazy Dumont must be killed. Also any Dumont that attempts to mind influence Apes and or Officers must be killed. We have noticed that you humans do not kill for minor infractions and have always gone out of your way to preserve life if at all possible. We find that now that we have freedom to pursue our wants and desires, we, ourselves do not like dying as readily as we once did. We have also a, grown appreciative of other lives and prefer not to kill if it can be avoided as you have shown us Captain. For that reason we bring these to you for a decision as to what to do with them. Again I beg for what you called forgiving. To forgive Tampan for killing the Dumont when she tried to arrest him. She is very upset for failing to control him instead of killing him.”

Jack looked from Gutner to the line of Dumonts. Most looked scared to death while 3 stared open eyed back at Jack with expressions he could not even fathom. “Damn Gutner you said a mouth full. Since we have already killed Yeti for mind attacks and barely survived we probably should give Tampan a medal.” Turning to Pan who stood staring from one to the next across the line. He could not believe all of them were crazy murderers. Taking a breath. “What do you think Pan. You have to work with them. Can we start by taking off the ca…?”

Jack felt a tickle across the side of his head facing the Dumonts as his mind went blank and then a low pain on that side deep in his head. Turning his head toward that side the pain seemed to move to the front of his head. He could see a glow coming from the Dumont to the far left as its caller flashed almost too fast to see and then he could not see it flashing at all. Just a bright eye hurting light coming from the collar. Then suddenly he heard a big bang as the thick red collar exploded inward beheading the figure whose body stood there for several seconds before it slowly toppled over forward to land flat on its chest and bounce once as the collar still intact rolled away across the deck. The head flying high into the air toppling over and over to finally land on the corps legs below the butt above the grav can where it was wedged in place looking up demandingly. Jack could have sworn he saw the eyes move looking around for several seconds but knew that had to be his own imagination.

All Jack was sure about was that the pain in his head was gone as the red collar blackened around the inside started making smaller and smaller circles as it rolled around the deck. The rolling mettle on mettle sound growing in pitch as it finely flopped onto its side with the rings edge touching the deck as it rotated faster and faster until it stopped with a ringing clank.

Pan slowly slid over to the only Dumont still standing upright with most cringing down into bows making careening warbling noises. Though two others where only partially bent over and kept staring up at the standing one. The standing one’s eyes staring holes into Jack until Pan put her nose to the others nose preventing it from seeing Jack. The Gravely growling noise suddenly coming from Pan was a shock to Jack as he tried to keep from covering his ears and suddenly realized that he was not hearing sound but feeling what was generated in his head as Pans head glowed brighter and brighter. Impressions of love and caring and compassion washed over him in waves as the wall of hate continued to descend onto him.

Jack realized that if the flashing collar around the neck of the Dumont she had her face pressed tightly against exploded, it would take Pans head off as well. The dark thoughts accompanying the flash to brief to catalog.

Jumping forward he watched the Dumonts head briefly flash bright enough to heart his eyes as his head seamed to short circuit again with unimaginable pain almost stopping him dead in his tracks but as the flash of pain faded he could not believe the collar had not exploded yet as bright as the collar’s flashing had been compared to the preceding explosion of the other collar. But know the collar’s light was muted.

As the pain suddenly came back with the collar flashing back to life, Jack saw the tight grip pan had around the other Dumont as she hugged him tight against her. Her head now glowing bright enough to hurt his eyes. The Dumonts down the line seemed to scream loud enough to hurt his ears as their heads seemed to turn into bright suns themselves in the corner of his eyes as they stared at their brother. Their own collars flashing bright as suns and then as suddenly darkened as if it had never happened.

Then a fraction of a second later the head of the Dumont that Pan was hugging, flashed into a sun again as he turned to face Jack even though Pan tried to keep him from twisting his head enough. Jacks head again seamed to fill with searing pain and emotions of terror, loneliness, despair and hate he had never experienced before. The ring around their necks flashing brightly. Suddenly the terror was shoved aside as the bright light the heads were giving off quickly faded with the rings around their necks darkening yet again.

For a few seconds he found peace and then he started hearing unintelligible voices leaving impressions in his head as the heads down the line started brightening again. The impression of Shock washed over him that the attack had been shunted aside from the primeval savage depths of his mind. It was clear that he should be dead by now and the minds could not understand why he was still alive.

The voice impressions decided in unison to go after a different part of his mind and attacked again. His pain centers of his mind suddenly filled with excruciating pain until another part of his mind or was it someone else was pushed in to say no that it was not real. The impression that he could ignore the pain, push it away flooded over him. Ignore the pain. It’s not real. Isolate the feelings. His love for the Ensign flooded in from where he did not know, giving him strength. He concentrated and the pain went away as the line of heads and their rapidly flashing collars darkened again.

The Voices impressions came back on clearer this time as the heads brightened again. They decided as one to go for another part of his mind and Nightmares burst forth with monsters consuming him until he realized that they were only dreams. Something he had learned years ago, that dreams were dreams and he could influence them turning nightmares into just dreams by materializing weapons or doors or laughing at the monsters and changing them into harmless phantasies. The flood of nightmares stopped as he laughed at them and the heads and collars darkened again.

The voices came back again with the heads flaring even brighter as they seemed to start arguing about the best way and where to attack again and again he felt something rush into a part of his mind as languages flooded into him with nothing making any sense at first as his mind started to explode with far too much information overwhelming him beating him down into a deep isolated hole as he started falling apart. Just when he could not take any more of the information flooding into him something clicked and a peace fell into place allowing him to hear clearly the entities talking to each other, coordinating the masses of information they were shoving into him. Then the information started making some sense and then it all fell into place and he felt his mind expanding to hold the flood and then the flood was not a flood but just information about hundreds and then thousands of species and strange words and concepts and places that started not being so strange and then it just petered out to a trickle and stopped again with the darkness descending around him but this time he did not want it to stop.

The voices came again in a massive flood with the brightening light but this time he could understand them perfectly. His mind accessing the information that had flooded in only moments before to explain every word. They started arguing again about why the last attack had failed and where to attack next as they pushed harder and harder to overwhelm him and after he heard their plans about the parts of the brain that made no sense he watched as hundreds of impressions, images and almost thoughts intruded into his every attempted thought. He did not seem able to form a concept of his own before it was replaced with something else not associated with anything else. He rapidly stopped knowing what was his and what wasn’t as he started going mad as sights and sounds and thoughts he could not understand took over his mind washing from section to section of areas of his mind he had no idea existed.

But then something clicked as one outlandish impression was so foreign that he knew it could not be his was rejected and then another. His mind slowly started learning the difference between what was his and what wasn’t. He slowly taught himself how to differentiate what strange thoughts were not his and then he started exorcising one thought and then another and another and soon discarded whole streams of thought impressions putting up a wall to shield himself from them. The thoughts started bouncing off with less and less effort. Then he started putting together whole sentences with some difficulty while the strange thoughts continued to wash over him reflected by his shield. It seemed to take forever with a lot of hard work but he slowly became the master of his own mind again as it rejected more and more of the thoughts that were not his until they were only a buzz in the background in different parts of his brain bouncing off his shield. It even became possible to isolate the different entities intruding into each part or section of his mind and even identify the differences between them. Then he looked out at the world around him again.

Jack watched as the bright flash emanating from the Dumont’s head continued to shine hurting his eyes and pinpricks and impressions echoed across this thinking. The voices and impressions from the others started to fade as he reached up placing his hands to both sides of Pans head covering her small almost nonexistent ears and dug his fingers in between the two heads pressed amazingly close together and pulled with all he was worth twisting her head away. This second bright sun in front of him on the other side of Pan did not fade this time with the others around him but continued to brighten and the collar flashing became a solid light with overwhelming rage beat against his new shields flooding around his mind but not penetrating. The other Dumonts to the sides suddenly became black holes and then the world exploded in front of him as he watched the sun bright head fly up into the air.

Jack held Pan’s head in his hands against his own head for a fraction of a second now afraid he had broken her neck as hard as he had jerked. Letting go he fell backwards as he watched Pan fling the corpse away from her as she tumbled back to land on top of him. Her gravity can pinning his legs to the deck. Jack watched the bright head fly up into the air. Waves of pain slapping over him and trying desperately to penetrate to his heart each time it tumbled to face him only to disappear again as its face gazed elsewhere. Each tumble seamed to bring less and less pain until Jack could barely feel the waves any longer even though the head seemed to shine just as bright with its light sweeping across the hanger as it now fell toward them still tumbling through the air. Its eyes following him as it tumbled.

The head finally hit the deck only feet away from Jack only to bounce several times before it started to roll. Slowing to come to a stop facing Jack only some 10 feet away. He could barely feel the pain as a low buzz until it winked out with the light as the eyes stopped moving.

Pan rolled off of Jack, reaching down and touching the top lip of her grav cylinder. The cylinder up righted itself dragging her upper body with it until she could stand upright. Then holding her hand down toward Jack to help him up. “Now you know what is so special about my species and the worst we can get. Our only weapon is projecting pain, love, peace and some other emotions which is only a defensive close range weapon and as you can see of limited value. But it is why the Gods are quick for the Apes to put those collars around our necks when we miss behave. The collars detect the magnetic waves minds give off even if it does take a few seconds for the collars to recognize it as mind waves which was why my cousin was able to flash such high but brief amperages toward you in an effort to kill you before the collar could recognize the radiation.”

Pan brushed herself off. “I have to admit I am impressed. Your mind adapted to shut out the attack which is impossible for a non-Dumont and much faster than I have even seen a Dumont do before even after years of training. But I am surprised by how strong the attack was. Though I must apologize. I was hoping I could persuade my cousin by flooding his mind with love and wellbeing and all the good things you have done for everyone you have touched since I met you. But I have to admit his mother’s greed was too well ingrained into his mind for me to penetrate. Though I was able to dull and direct his attack to the parts of your brain that controls your own thoughts in such a way and long enough (it turns out) for your mind to develop its own defenses. Otherwise he would have been able to kill you for a good minute after his head was blown off when I could do nothing to help.” Pan looked at Jack strangely and then tried her best human smile. “Thanks for pulling my head away from his just in time. I was so lost in trying to control his attack I completely missed the warning signs the collar was about to explode. But then I was trying to mask the signs so he would not notice in time.” Pan slid forward wrapping her arms around Jack hugging him to her in a bear hug that threatened to squeeze the breath right out of him. “I am amazed and cannot believe we are both still alive.”

The Ensign picking herself up off the deck fingered her stun gun as a growl came to her throat. The wave of jealousy and hate still strong in her mind from before she had blacked out.

The Red Apes picked themselves up off the deck checking their weapons as they stared at the still comatose Dumonts hanging down from their tubs bent over at their wastes, their heads brushing the deck with their arms laying out at strange angles. All the Apes could remember was the searing pain before they had blacked out. If it had not been so sudden they would have pulled the triggers of their weapons killing all the Dumonts before the collar had time to work on the one doing the attack but the attack had been so viscous and so much more powerful than any one Dumont had ever been before that they simply had not the time to act. Now they only remembered that they were supposed to make sure the Dumonts did not use their mind tricks and they returned to keeping a close eye on each of them with their weapons ready. Unsure an attack had ever happened.

Gutner Dank picked himself up from the deck. He knew a powerful attack had been made by the now second headless body with its head not far away. He was already some 20 points smatter than the average Ape which was why he seemed to be in the right spot when he was needed most of the time instead of simply grunting or saying yes sir. He was able to see possible futures and how different actions would help or hinder the battle or situation he usually found himself in. He was smart enough to feel the love Pan was pouring into Jack from only feet away though he did not understand it and see the jealousy and hate on the Ensign face as she watched Pan hug Jack though he did not quit understand it. Fact was after being bombarded with so many emotions with the spillage from the battle directed at Jack, Gutner Dank was going to take a long time to sort things out in his very confused mind that seemed just a little smarter than it was before.

Jack hugged Pan back out of shock more than anything. Still trying to put things together and understand them. He could feel the waves of love and relief at still being alive, Pan was unintentionally directing toward him. Not realizing that he suddenly had a much better understanding of the Dumont mind and could even now understand the Dumont mind speak with surprising clarity as Pan’s mind raced talking to herself trying to sort things out in her head before her cousins’ regained consciousness. Jack understanding more and more of her mind speak as his mind practiced with the deluge a hundred times faster than normal spoken speech flooding through his mind. Slowly realizing that she was not talking out loud but in her and now his mind.

After the massive attack on his mind, it had no choice but to adapt and learn just to stay alive. He could now even see the soft light of the mind’s radiation spilling from the comatose bodies around him. The Red Apes speaking in God speak was suddenly clear and concise instead of just catching and understanding a word now and then when he was out of his suit and its translator.

Jack turned to Gutner taking his arms from around Pan. “Is there someplace you can put these Dumonts that will be safe where they can’t talk to one another until I get time to deal with them? If they give you any troubles kill them. I don’t want a repeat of what just happened. They seem able to add their powers together when they attack.” Frowning as he looked at the collars. “See if you can up the sensitivity of those collars as well. I don’t care if one or two get killed because the collars mistake them trying to talk to each other for an attack. Fact is I don’t want them talking to each other period.” Turning back to Pan. “Do I need to collar you too?”

Jack did not understand as much as feel her hurt looks as she backed away from him. “I, I promise to be good Jack.”

“That is Captain, Dumont.”

Turning, he walked up to the Ensign. “Are you alright Love?”

The Ensign’s colors changed several times confusingly as she reached out and slapped him across the face then buried herself in his arms before pushing him away. Then taking a deep breath “I am fine Captain.”

Mr. Weaver walked out of the Assault Boat whistling with a smile. Helmet in her hand. “I can’t believe I am going to be a fighter pilot! Wow.” She said to herself some 50 feet away as Jack marveled at hearing every word clearly. “A Spider Fighter pilot at that. Can you believe that one?” Looking up she spotted Jack and the Dumonts being dragged off still hanging out of their cans. “Oh. Shit!” She said to herself.” Then. “Captain!” She spoke up loud enough for everyone to hear her clearly. “I am ready anytime you are sir. Sorry I took so long. I did not know you were waiting for me.” And started walking toward them.

Jack smiled at her good mood washing over him. “That is quite all right Lieutenant.” Turning to Pan. “Let’s go Pan. No more fucking mind games or I will shoot you myself.” Suddenly feeling guilty since he knew that she had done her best to protect him shunting the attack from the base raw emotion parts of his brain that would have turned against himself devouring the rest of his mind. Diverting the attack to his thinking and reasoning centers he could control and fight back and learn with. No he could hear her talking to herself trying to reason out why she had failed to turn her nephew from the dark side and how to turn the rest into the light and back onto the path of the enlightened.

Jack started walking toward the elevator at the side of the Lock. Not needing to turn to see if anyone was following him or not. He seemed to be able to see them in his mind’s eye. At least well enough to tell where they were and how far away they were. He still could not tell who each blob feeling was except for the Ensign or maybe Pan as he concentrated, but somehow he knew in time it would get easier as was his sight for all the energy waves around him had improved with practice. Even the Apes were becoming more distinct with Gutner Dank the brightest of them all but then he had already surmised that during the first battle on that first Spider ship he tried to strip to learn about the (up until then) secret phantom enemy that was swallowing up Republic planets as fast as their vast fleet could travel across the star systems. Using his energy sight ability to look through bulkheads and decks to first know where to go and what to strip and then when the attacks started, to stay one step ahead of the hordes of enemy troops.

Shaking his head he wondered if this mind shit was something else that was in his genes and man had forgotten in the distant past. He suddenly felt Pans image in his mind brighten. Turning around he saw her facing toward her nephews and nieces as they were being pushed across the hanger in another direction. What he had realized was the energy of her mind seemed to be beaming out of her eyes toward the other Dumonts’ telling them to relax and not try anything stupid that would get themselves killed by either the collars or the Apes. She would be back to talk with each of them to show them the path of light away from the dark side.

While he studied her ability to focus her mind he realized that her nephews where quite out of it still asleep. But then she had to know that. So was she implanting the thoughts into their heads for when they woke up? Shaking his own head he studied how the shape of her head seamed to focus her mind into two separate beams focused through the shape of her eye sockets. Then Jack realized that it was the shape of the two halves of her brain in her scull that allowed the two beams to focus through each eye socket. Two halves just like the human brain. Jack realized that the farther away from Pan he got, the harder it was to see and hear her open spoken thoughts. Jack stopped, letting the others continue on as Pan finely turned and followed. Pan caught up and passed him without seeming to notice as she kept looking back over her shoulder at the other Dumonts.

Turning as Pan passed, Jack looked at the Ensign and realized that her head was shaped almost exactly like Pans with the light of her mind focused onto and a little brighter on her eyes though she did not seem to be aware of the energy. The Ensign turned to look at Jack and he suddenly could hear her ask herself what the fuck was wrong with him before she turned back away embarrassed at him looking at her. Her spoken thoughts faded as she turned. Jack smiled as he watched them walk and slide toward the elevator.

“God this is so strange.” He said to himself more mouthing than spoken.

Pan turned to him as she kept sliding away. “What was that Captain?” Her head moved back and forth a little to center onto Jack.

“Oh just talking to myself Pan.” He said with a smile as Pan’s mind spoken thoughts to herself flooded back into his mind until she turned away again. He had to catch up to her again as he look directly at her before he could again hear her mind spoken words as she talked to herself. Telling herself that she could turn the other Dumonts back to the light away from the darkness of greed and corruptness. And then started chanting to herself. Reciting the creed of the mind enlightened to help others and not thy selves. To find peace and salvation in doing what was right and proper for her charges.

Jack had to look away as they entered the elevator car. His eyes fell on the Ensign as he stepped up next to her at the back of the car. Pan tapping on the screen at the front beside the hatch as it closed. Jack noticed the flames licking from the emotion enraged section of the Ensigns mind trying to overwhelm the bright soothing mind of reason as she stared at Pan. Part fear but mostly jealousy was trying to rage across her entire mind.

Jack smiled as he watched the flames growing stronger and stronger flooding across her mind. Slipping his arm around her shoulders and hugging her he leaned into whisper into her ear so only she could hear. “I love you Ensign and only you so stop getting jealous. I have quite the discovery to tell you about later when I ravage you.”

The Ensign turned and pushed Jack away. “What makes you think I will ever let you touch me again…?” She whispered back trying to lash out at him while part of her brain tried to control herself.

Jack watched the love, passion and reason slowly win out over the dark side beating down the flames of hate and jealousy. Not that he could read her thoughts but the different emotions were readily apparent. Hate and jealousy were raging flames licking here and there uncontrollably while the analytical thought waves were much calmer and ordered. Slowly beating back the uncontrolled flickering flames. Jack stood leaning back against the bulkhead of the elevator car and smiled at her. He could feel the love taking back control of her mind with his own feelings of love and wellbeing seaming to help. She finally turned to look at Jack as a little smile fleetingly appeared on her face before she could hide it as the last of the flames died down though they still smoldered as she turned away from Jack in embarrassment to look at Pan again and then away from her as the flames threatened to rise again. The Ensign turning to look into the corner of the elevator at nothing only to glance over her shoulder at Jack staring at her before returning to the corner as a smile came to her face smothering the coals of hate some more. She slowly moved closer to stand beside him barely touching his side with hers.

Pan turned to Jack. “Captain, do you wish to stop by the torpedo deck before going to the flight deck?”

“Aaa.” Jack had to drag his mind away from the Ensign. “Aaa. Let’s get the pilots training on the fighters. We can look at the torpedoes later.”

The decks flashed past rapidly eating their way up the ship. Jack now not only getting a picture of the energy sources, wiring, and equipment across the ship along the way but the previously dull energy blobs showing body heat and blood pumping around each body with little traces of the nerves across the limbs and up through the brain that were beings (human and alien alike) where now somewhat bright as their minds’ radiation glowed deferent colors depending on species. Which was a new fact to Jack as well. Different colors for different species. Very strange.

As he sat back to relax he found himself wondering if the Dumonts that had attacked him was right and that if he was killed, the humans would abandon the hulks and the bubble and run back to The Rock leaving behind any chance Humanity had for winning the war against slavery and possible extinction. He would have to do something about that soon just in case he did get wacked.

Suddenly the elevator was sliding up through the some 300 feet of blasted destroyed God Officer and Bridge area of the ship where the God Guns the Red Pepper had stolen from the first hulk Jack had assaulted, (acquired the first batch of slaves including Pan and the Red Apes) had crossed beams to create one hell of a large explosion doing many more times the damage as the beams by themselves could do simply punching holes clear through and out the back side of the ship. Only Jack realized that even two days before he had been forced to climb up through the damaged area to get to and from the upper decks since the elevator along with the decks had been destroyed. Now not only had the wreckage been cleared out and the elevator along with the core shaft had been replaced but he could see that many of the decks were back in place with most of the rest part way across the open area. The decks did not have any compartments in them other than the ring of airtight bulkheads but he was still amazed at what all had been accomplished in such a short time. He started to ask Pan why she was wasting effort on rebuilding the decks when he had ordered the engines repaired and then realized that few workers where in evidence. That most of the construction was robotic machines following programming. But that left another question. “Pan where is all the material coming from for replacing the decks in this Command section?”

Pan glanced at Jack and then at the hatch in front of her. “We are cannibalizing the shield deck we will disconnect from tomorrow Captain.” Her mind did not feel happy as she talked facing away from Jack with the expression on her face and crossed arms suddenly understandable to Jack when before he was only puzzled making him smile as he wondered what her problem was. And then she blurted out. “We could use another couple of weeks to finish mining the material to replace our reserves.” The shock on her face was now clear as well as her mind as she started again talking to herself trying to figure out how she could have dared to question a Godofficer. ‘NO not Godofficer.’ He heard her mind speak clearly. ‘Captain Turner had told me to tell him about problems that cropped up concerning orders he had given so I should not be in danger of being killed.’ But she turned to Jack as she fought the fear that flooded over her. Not expecting to be cut down but not sure either.

“No Pan. Relax, that is what I want and need you to do. To keep me filled in on possible problems. No one in the Republic will hurt or chastise you for volunteering information and facts. Fact is, just the opposite is true. Withholding facts is what can get you in trouble and even executed if those withheld facts could have saved lives. Do you understand what I am saying?”

Pan glanced at Jack again. “Yes Captain. I believe I do. Thank you.” And then to herself disgustedly. ‘Ya but you aren’t going to let us finish mining the shield are you.’

Jack smiled as he chuckled at that. “You can leave the machines and needed personnel behind to continue mining the shield and we will send ships back to pick up the material every couple of days and even recover the equipment and personnel when it is finished. Be a good test for the Destroyers with the new cargo pods.”

Relief flooded across her mind as she relaxed a little and then became worried as she started talking to herself in her mind. ‘Did I say something to him out loud about my doubts? No I did not. Is he reading my mind?’

Jack felt Pan’s mind wash over him as she searched for an answer. He quickly blanked his mind keeping his thoughts low keyed and waited. Pan started talking to herself again. ‘Why did he not at least pass out like the others? Glad he is not dead and seems to be alright without the hate and fear that could have consumed him to death and should have left some trace. Some strong lingering emotions. But something is not right? I could not have blunted that much power totally from his primeval mind. There still should be massive waves of hate and fear washing through his mind but I see nothing like what was washing over the Ensigns mind and she was not even the point of attack. That much power even shunted to his reasoning mind should have changed something in him with some lasting effects but I cannot see any obvious mental changes. I see no lingering hate or fear. Just a blank wall like a Dumont protecting itself but now that is impossible. Though he did threaten to kill me if I tried what he said was mind games and what does he mean by mind games.’ Puzzlement flooded out of her mind.

Jack tried not to smile or react to what she said to herself but decided it was time to change the subject. So he said out loud. “Pan, can you save your Nephews and Nieces or do you need to bring over some of the Dumonts from the refugees we took off the other ships to help. We have plenty at the station. Most of them seem to be quite capable.”

Jack heard her mind go blank as she thought about it. Watching waves of emotions rising and falling across her mind as he waited. Jack breathed a sigh of relief. It seemed he did not have to worry about having to listen to all her thoughts all the time or that his every thought was going to be broadcasted to all the Dumonts insight or across the ship for that matter. Evidentially they or he had to think speak to be heard. Thanking Goldstar that the range seemed to be limited as he remembered her having to use her pad to comm the other Dumonts when they were out of the compartments she was in.

Then she continued. It took a half second to realize that she was speaking out loud and not just in his mind. He was going to have to be careful to differentiate the two. “I have never had to deal personally with Dumonts this black before. Though I have thousands of years of records to help once I get time to go through them. At this time I am hesitant to bring over other Dumonts for fear these would contaminate the others. I need to talk with and study these for a few days Captain to be sure even if we do not have to terminate some or all of them. I will bring over several to help if I can find volunteers that want to come. Though the ship this size needs a dozen Dumonts to run efficiently.” Then shaking her head as she turned away with what Jack now knew for certain was a frown after only guessing before about the strange facial contortions. She started talking to herself again in her mind. ‘Fact is there is no reason to take any risks concerning these Dumonts rejecting, infecting others or simply turning back to the dark side when my mind is turned away again. We should terminate them immediately but I cannot bring myself to do that without at least trying to turn them.’

Jack saw the turmoil going on in Pans mind. Taking a deep breath. He had glimpsed the mind that was attacking him and that mind included most of the others helping. They had used their own experiences and what they had learned attacking and killing the other Dumonts they had replaced, to attack his mind. Dredging and magnifying the terror in their victims lower primeval minds to unimaginable heights and when that failed they tried to overwhelm his mind with facts in an attempt to overload and burn out his mind. An attack that would have then been turned to strip Pan of her own will into being their slave to control the Apes and get the humans off their ship. He had been lucky they feared him more than they feared Pan. Or they would have taken care of Pan first and he would have been helpless. He had also been lucky that most of them had shut down when the collar they had on was about to blow their heads off instead of continuing their help or he would not have been able to pull Pans head back before the collar blew her face and half her brains off. But then there would have not been any of the Dumonts left to worry about.

Shaking his head. “Pan. A great Admiral once told me that a time may come when Command required Captains to sacrifice crewmen for the good of the ship and to save the rest of the crew. These monster Dumonts working together almost killed me and would have enslaved or killed you. They may succeed if given another chance.” Jack raised his wrist comm. “Gutner Dank I want you to terminate all...” He could hear her mind suddenly burst open at the thought of simply executing them. She did not understand the military mind and simply could not accept killing anyone without trying to save them first. It was too much like the Godofficers reasonless executions. Jack took a sudden breath. He knew if he took the safe road he would lose Pan’s help in the long run. He had to give her the chance to save the unsaveable, even if it cost her, her life. He would just have to figure out some way to keep the ship and crew safe even if she died or became a slave. “Ahh Belay that order Gutner. Just make sure the Dumonts are separated as far apart from each other as possible with absolutely no communication between them and leave the collars on. Oh and make sure you have remote viewing that can execute each or all of them if anything out of the ordinary happens including their guards acting strange or passing out or look like they are in pain.”

Gutner smiled back at Jack. “Yes Captain, we have been dealing with Overseers for millenniums. I will institute extreme maximum protocols immediately.”

“Very well Gutner. Aaa, I want you to personally stay away from them as well. They seem to have more effect on the more intelligent beings. The ability to influence, maybe enslave and even kill.”

“Yes Captain Sir.” Gutner’s face scrounged up for a second. “Captain, could you tell me why we are not simply executing them. I believe they tried to kill you earlier.”

“That is a good question Gutner.” Jack turned to look at Pan as her face and mind turned to horror. Jack shook his head. “I have Pan here and she would like to try to save them from themselves. To rehabilitate them if possible. I have decided to give her that chance even if they turn around and stab her in the back killing her. Something I hope does not happen but human experience tells me it will.” Jack remembered the two remaining Dumonts that had stared open eyed defiantly at him just before the attack had started. He suspected he would have to at least kill those two to save Pan but he could not just out right kill them. “Give me a report later on your procedures and precautions and we will talk more. Out.”

Turning to Pan as the elevator stopped and the hatch opened. “Pan, I want you to spend at least a week going over the records you were talking about and talking to the other Dumonts from the other ships about what you can and cannot do or accomplish. I want a plan or several plans and contingencies before you even talk to one of them.”

Pan looked at Jack as her mind raced. Jack could see the energy swirling across her mind without her having to talk to herself to know she was upset even if he could not understand what she was thinking. She finally opened her mouth. “I see your military mind demanding order with your fear at loosing me. Hoping that I will see with study and advice from others that it is a futile attempt to even try to save them. But I must try Captain even if it costs me my life. I will comply with all your wishes and help you acquaint yourself with several Dumonts that can replace me if I die.”

“If they had killed me Pan, they would have enslaved you with the power they were developing as a group. Fact is, I find it disturbing that you people are able to group your minds together increasing your power so much.”

“That surprised me as well Captain. I have never heard of that being even possible and as kids, most have tried it without success. But you are right now that I think about the power and multiple impressions I felt until just before the collar exploded. I believe that we should check the DNA of these Dumonts. It may turn out that they are genetically identical clones making their brain wave frequencies close enough for amplification instead of simply reception.” Pan started scribbling on her pad. “I will have the medical bots do the sampling and testing. This may turn out to be more complicated than I thought.” Pan stopped scribbling and turned to stare at Jack for several seconds as her mind raced again. Then she spoke in her mind. ‘How do you know about the massive power of the attack and the amplification and the other Dumonts helping Captain? I have never heard of a mind not a Dumont being telepathic let alone being awakened to reception and transmission. Do you understand me Captain? Can you hear my mind spoken thoughts?’

Jack just stood there keeping his mind blank and his face frozen. Then said out loud. “Is there a problem Pan?”

Pan shook her head and spoke out loud. “No Captain, I was just thinking.” Then to herself shaking her head and frowning. ‘That was a stupid idea. We can’t read other species thoughts or mind spoken words so how could he. Only reading general feelings and impressions while injecting our feelings to calm and influence crowds a bit which is why the Gods value us. Though some of our scholars believe our ability to access other species feelings is why we can learn and translate new languages so well.’ Pan went down a list of things they could and could not do until she stopped cold and suddenly froze. She looked back at Jack surprised. ‘What the Gods! Why am I suddenly reciting basic facts about our abilities?’

Jack suddenly realized that his passion and feelings of curiosity about the Dumont’s abilities had influenced her thinking. Freezing his mind he tried not to say shit to himself as he turned to follow the Ensign and lieutenant out of the elevator leaving a stunned baffled Pan behind. Any trace of her feelings and mind gone as soon as he turned away leaving only an impression of where her mind energy was behind him in his mind’s eye.

Chapter 4; Catching a Currier

Jack realized that he was exhausted as he walked from the elevator and then he saw the rows of Spider fighters lined up as fare as he could see across the deck in this ship wide compartment with the overhead a good hundred feet above. He had never been in a compartment this big before coming to this ship. Even though he had been through the compartment once before looking for straggling berserkers and God Officers. Jack had been way too busy with his combat suit’s visor completely dark to make it easy to see the heat the berserker Apes gave off and the power the Godofficers in their pressure cans needed to really notice let alone look. Now without his Combat suit’s helmet on let alone the visor down, Jack was amazed by its size and the contents as if he had never been there before. Hundreds of Red Apes and other aliens were lined up with a smattering of humans from the crews and marines that had been a part of the attack. Another line of Apes with strange black suits that were slimmer than the battle suits the Red Apes were wearing were lined up on the other side of the elevator hatch from the core that ran up and down the full length of the ship again now with all the repairs being so rapidly performed. Jack was suddenly not tired at all.

Looking around he suddenly realized that when he looked at any of the nearby Apes within hearing distance, their guttural Godspeak made complete sense instead of just every other or 5 words depending on what they were talking about. Now every word was perfectly understood. And then he realized the reason he was having such a hard time understanding them before was the fact that quite a few of the words they were using were not Godspeak but their own ancient language mixed in when talking amongst themselves.

Pan came walking out of the elevator still half puzzled. She finally pulled herself together and turned to Jack. “These black suited Apes, or better yet Gronks is their species name. Are all that are left of the ships fighter pilots because they had been demoted to slaves for making mistakes and were not included in the berserking. Yeti had kept them in the slave hibernation chambers since the Combat Apes did not like battling against them for practice because they were too easy to kill.” Turning to the line of Red Apes as she consulted her pad. “Those Red Apes are the pilots demoted to slaves from the other ships you destroyed and the Hulkbase. They like most pilot Apes on my and other ships, received training in both combat as well as making repairs on the ship once they became slaves. They need no training. The rest of the aliens in flight training suits are the boat maintenance pilots and have never been in a fighter before. They will take some training as they will know the basics of flying fighters from flying boats but have no clue about combat operations or weapons. The rest of the aliens are the Dwarfs, Comedians and Sumachs making up the maintenance and handling crews for the fighters. How do you want to proceed Captain?”

Jack turned to Pan. “How do you train your pilots? Do you use simulators or simply throw them into cockpits?”

“The simulators are on the next deck down. Pilots train in the simulators every day they are out of the hibernation pods and only take out the fighters for actual combat against an enemy.”

“Ok.” Jack looked around the parked fighters. “Explains why the fighters I can see up close all look brand new. Do you use classrooms for general theory and who teaches basics?”

“The recruits are expected to know basic space dynamics and tactics from training before they are assigned to the flight deck for simulator training.”

“Ok and who runs the simulators?”

“We have technicians that check each pilot into a simulator and watch over it but the training programs are already in the control computer.”

“Good, I want the humans in the sims first and training as soon as possible with a black Ape that knows English at each human’s side to help explain the equipment and procedures and speed training. I need them flying by morning. Do you have enough sims for that?”

“There are a thousand simulators Captain so the whole cohort can train together.”

“Good, that means the boat pilots can train as well with an Ape or a Gronk to help smooth things over with them as well. Oh and no executions for mistakes. This is training and mistakes are expected. I also want a couple hundred fighters prepared for launch.”

“Very well Captain.” Pan started tapping on her pad.

Jack turned to the Lieutenant and Ensign. “Ok guys and gals go get our pilots and get them down into the simulators and be quick about it.”

The Deck turned into bedlam as most everyone headed somewhere while the Red Apes remained at attention in line. The Dwarfs, Comedians and Sumachs spreading out amongst the fighters in the front rows stripping protective covers and checking the equipment. Jack could understand the ones talking that he could hear as long as he was looking at them with his head no matter what language they were talking. Most sounded excited that they were actually going to launch the fighters.

Jack waited for Pan to finish what she was doing on the pad as he marveled at his new understanding of so many languages. When she finally looked up he smiled at her. “Now I want the Red Ape pilots to be assigned to a fighter and start patrolling the area around the hulk. Make sure they know not to shoot at any Republic boats or ships as they come and go. And I suppose I need to get some kind of command center manned and operating.”

Pan looked at Jack with big eyes. “You want to actually launch fighters when there is no planet or enemy around?”

Jack chuckled. “When you don’t have 10,000 ships and are afraid of nothing, you run patrols so you can find the enemy and not get surprised by them. Besides the best way to find out what the pilots know and how good they are is to put them into a cockpit and launch their assess out the chute.” Jack smiled and started walking toward the nearest fighter. He had flown the enemy Assault boats already and figured he could get a good idea of the fighters’ capabilities simply by looking in the Cockpit even if he didn’t have any idea about how to use their weapons. Besides he was just plain curious.

As Jack walked toward the fighter he noticed the Red apes disappearing into side compartments instead of climbing into the fighters. Turning to Pan that was just catching up to him. “I wanted the Red Apes to get into the fighters and take them out into space on patrols. Not use the training simulators.”

“I am sorry Captain, the Red Apes need to change into flight suits. It will only take a few minutes. There are lockers inside normally used for flight suits but they can store their armored combat suits in while they are fitted with new flight suits in the suiting pods. Actual combat is so seldom done that new suits are issued for battles with the suits recycled after each battle and only rarely stored in the lockers if a planet turns out to be stubborn. Which is why there are 200 suit forming pods in the combat locker rooms. The training locker room below uses light weight none armored suits with the same bulk as the combat suits but are lighter, cheaper to maintain and worn by training pilots. Those were the suits the pilots below are wearing now.”

“Thanks Pan.” Jack continued walking toward the nearest fighter. He started to reach up to lower his helmet’s visor so he could read the small printed tags and warnings stenciled across the fuselage of the fighter only to realize he could read them already. He started looking for any indication for a deployable ladder wondering if they used portable role up ladders though he could not see any sitting around even for maintenance. A sumach some 8+ feet tall (Jack not realizing how tall and skinny they were or how long their arms were until one passed close beside him) ran up to the fighter (actually walked but the speed he was traveling with his long legs made it look like he was running in Jacks eyes at first glance) and slapping the side of the fuselage. A ladder extended down from below the cockpit. Then stood back to allow Jack to climb up it. Several dwarfs appeared with large boots on that lifted them up with soft hums to crawl around the fighter opening hatches and checking equipment. The sumach started taking off covers including long plastic flexible covers from over the long cannons sticking out from the wing roots.

Jack had never seen such large cannons on fighters before but realized that these were designed for attacking planets supporting the troops though they looked like they could give a good accounting of themselves against the Republic fighters that he was somewhat familiar with even though he had never actually flown one outside a simulator. Then a set of large covers were taken off of the front of the engines and Jack suddenly wondered what the hell they were for and just as suddenly knew the engines used air as reaction mass when inside a planet’s atmosphere. Something he had never heard of before and that the Republic fighters could not do. Wondering if that limited the fighters range in open space if it carried less fuel or the engines were not as efficient using regular reaction mass. Jack’s mind started dredging up more facts about the fighter he did not know he knew answering the range on reaction mass question. Not only did the fighters seem to have more efficient engines but they could use any mass the engine scoops could pull in. Most likely including cloud mass from the nebula not only to run the engines but to refill the tanks for later use.

Jack started to realize that the Dumonts that had tried to kill him had down loaded one hell of a lot of information try to over load his brain. Still not understanding at first how that would have worked until his mind dredged up the facts that all they were trying to do was over load his brain to make him go catatonic which would have allowed them to access his primeval mind that would have actually have been what they needed to access and stop his heart. Instead, somehow he had learned to catalog and stuff the information away into storage without actually looking or concentrating on it. No not somehow. Pan had provided or shown him the needed patterns to teach him how to catalog the massive amounts of information since the power they were feeding the images and impressions to him did not allow him to simply ignore any of it. But they had to ignore Pan to do it leaving her free to help him deal with it all. Though it did not sound like she was aware of exactly what she was doing at the time which was interesting.

Jack shook his head suddenly appreciating how much Pan had done for him.

“Captain, do you wish to climb into the Cockpit?” The sumach asked from a few feet away as Pan slid up.

“Aaa yes thank you.” Jack smiled as he realized that he could read the name tag on the jump suit the sumach was wearing instead of just being a bunch of symbols. “Sumacom. Do you think you could explain the controls and weapons systems on the fighter for me? I have flown the aaa, God boats before but they may differ from the fighter.”

“Yes Captain Turner, I can explain the instruments and control functions but I know nothing about piloting or how to use the weapons except to activate them.”

“That will be fine Sumacom. That is all I ask.”

Jack climbed up and peered into the cockpit and realized that he not only had to get out of Sumacom’s way for him to explain things to him but that he could fit into the cockpit with his combat armored suit still on and his weapons attached with room to spare since the cockpit was designed for Apes or to be more exacts Gronks. He was going to have to start using proper names instead of the slang tags they had put on so many of the aliens. Sumacom appeared on the other side of the cockpit as Jack started to climb in, helping him by adjusting the various parts of the seat to fit. The seat was easily made to fit Jack snuggly placing him within easy reach of all the controls and instruments that looked all too familiar after flying the Spider Assault boats.

Pan was suddenly hovering on the opposite side of the cockpit Jack had climbed up on as Sumacom plugged a couple of lines into Jack’s combat suit. That surprised Jack until he remembered that the suit was of recent spider manufacture to fit humans but with all the fittings for using the Spider Assault boats and the Spider battleship hulks and Station. The Red Pepper had still been too hot when it had come time to recharge the Republic suits so Pan had arranged for the entire human crew to be resuited with Spider technology suits. Human technology had been added where it was more advanced or needed that turned the suit into a hybrid that was more advanced with better protection than the original human combat suits and in some respects better than the Ape or Gronk suits since even more advanced technology including the crystal armor had been added that had not been allowed on the Ape or Gronk suits. Technology that the Gods did not even know about since slaves were not supposed to think let alone do research. Now because of the humans being half the size of the Apes or Gronks. Jack fit perfectly into the cockpit even with his armored combat suit.

Sumacom started explaining the cockpit to Jack but within a minute his mind started filling in the gaps and jumping ahead as Sumacom ran down the controls and instrument displays. Jack’s mind going way beyond the short brief description the tech was supplying as he talked. The anemic description of each control, screen and especially each weapon system bringing up books of information flashing to mind forcing Jack to rush through each flash to keep up with Sumacom’s lecture each time he moved on to the next. Jack finally had to hold up his hand as Sumacom started to go on after simply naming one weapon when Jack simply could not go through the whole massive book on that system in such a short time and not wanting to stop fearing they would not get back to the lecture or miss something when he did. Saying to himself in his head. ‘God man. Just give me a minute will you?’ As his mind was flooded.

Pan smiled when the sumach became baffled with Jack holding his hand up in his face. “The Captain is thinking about the weapons you just told him about. Going over possible uses and when to deploy it. You may continue when he lowers his hand.” Then to Jack in a whisper only for him. “I think I heard your mind speak Captain. That should not be possible.”

Realizing that he had not said a word out loud Jack continued to stare ahead for a good minute then turned to Pan with a frown. “You ever heard of ventriloquists Pan?”

“Yes Captain. The making of speech without moving ones lips.” Pan said out loud as she smiled. “This was different and you know it.” She said in her mind. ‘You can hear and understand me now can’t you Captain?’

‘And if I say no would you know it was a lie?’ Jack had meant to speak verbally but realized that he hadn’t.

“Yes I would have known it was a lie.” Pans eyes grew big as she answered verbally without thinking and then with her mind. ‘I can understand you. How is that possible?’

‘You are the expert here Pan. I seem to know all kinds of things I shouldn’t. Though I don’t know I know things until someone tells me or I dig for them. Ever since Yeti’s children’s mass attack in the lower deck boat hanger.”

Pan frowned thinking for a few seconds. “Evidentially Captain, each of Yeti’s children was trained in a different maintenance specialty along with the normal Dumont Organizational, Command and general technology knowledge. They all tried overwhelming you with the knowledge they knew best and you were able to compartmentalize and hold onto it all better than I had thought possible. Though I could not give your mind specific directions I expected you to shunt it into short term memory where it would quickly fade once the attack was finished.” Pan shook her head and frowned before continuing. “Though you have not slept yet allowing your mind to finish the job of storing the data permanently. You could still loose most of it.” Pan hit the emergency release on the harness Sumacom had just finished clamping over Jack when he had adjusted the seat to fit him. “Come with me now. We have to finish seating your memories before you lose them.” When Jack hesitated she slid back up level with him again and practically shouted in her mind and verbally. ‘Now hurry!’

Jack shook his head and crawled out of the cockpit placing his feet on the ladder to climb down and was suddenly grabbed by his rescue ring and hauled off the ladder before he could get a good hold onto it. With his legs and arms dangling as they raced across the hanger, Jack realized that he was attached to Pans Grav-can by something short that kept his back hard against the can beside Pan. Her hand patted Jacks helmet. “Relax Captain, we will be in the medical bay in a few seconds.” She said allowed as Jack tried to look up and around at her giving up the fight.

They sailed through a hatch that opened into a large bay that looked like most large hospital emergency rooms with beds lining one side but with what looked like hibernation booths on arms pulled out of rows of holes in the bulkhead on the other. Pan headed for one of the hibernation pods that had several clean suited technicians or doctors rushing to it.

“No, you are not putting me in one of those things.” Jack started squirming but as they reached the pod, arms reached out and grabbed him.

“Relax Captain, we are used to handling Gronks that are badly wounded and struggling. We are not going to hurt you but this is the only way I know of to access your mind and help you retain your new memories. The Gronks are terrible at remembering important details and lessons learned from combat and training sessions. The chamber will help you as well.” Pan smiled at Jack as the padded arms held him firmly and placed him in the pod. “You look like you haven’t slept in several days anyway. This will be good for you and make you feel like you could run a marathon.” Pan suddenly frowned as doubt crossed her face and mind. “That is if all the tests we have done on humans over the last 5 years have been any good.”

Jack swallowed. “You don’t even know what food you can give us and you want to fuck with my mind?”

“Actually you just got raped and shouldn’t even be alive and as far as our food goes we thought you humans would have plenty to feed yourselves. Now relax, this won’t hurt a bit but it should help you remember every detail of your rape without the trauma including hopefully, all the data. The bad thing about hibernation, especially long term hibernation is the loss of memory, specifically mainly short term memory. While the pod can’t read minds it stimulates the sections of the brains retaining memories. A simply and very effective procedure that otherwise most of the training and experience the pilot and crews go through over their short days or weeks out of the pods would be wasted with even long term memory loss over long periods of hibernation since it is not a form of stasis but simply slowing down the body until it is all but dead.” Pan smiled again as Jack’s helmet that had popped up automatically as Jack had struggled was retracted yet again and something like a band and net was fixed around his head. “Now what is it you humans say? Oh yes. Night. Night. Captain.”

Jack seemed to be rushing around the Spider Battleship sticking his head into everything from the dozen different types of toilets to tearing down the minutest piece of equipment in the biggest Godgun turret he had ever seen and then the smallest electronics. And then the voices started drifting in as a doctor was giving a lecture about ways to keep their new species alive after severe damage. It took him a few minutes to realize that only a fraction of the conversation was in English or spoken by a human as he recognized the voice of the Red Peppers Chief Surgeon. While most of the talk was given in Godspeak as well as several other languages in part with him still able to understand every word he heard. Though some of the side talk or comments or questions were to faint to understand. But then he would and did have the same problem in English at the few lectures he had attended at the occasional university his Grandfather (Pop) had dragged him too when the Turner Joy was in ports as well as during Bootship. The whole time his mind continued to race over sections and equipment on the Spider Battleship.

Jack’s mind finally stopped running around the Spider Battleship having exhaustedly examined every piece of equipment in every nook and cranny and then he slept.

He suddenly realized that he felt like he had slept for a week and should get up as he opened his eyes to blink as they got used to the light around him. Raising his hand toward his head a voice boomed at him.

“So you wake so soon Captain. You need to lay still for a few minutes longer.” Pan pushed his hand back down to his side.

“How long have I been asleep? Is the Destroyers mounted and this hulk underway yet? Are the fighters out patrolling and what kind of Flight Control Center do you have set up and how far are they patrolling and are they carrying the torpedoes and… No the torpedoes are much too big aren’t they. Jack now knew everything he needed to know about the Spider Torpedoes. Damn it. Aaaa.” Jack brought up what he knew about the Spider Torpedoes. “Yes. We will have to program them to act as mines tagging along a distance from the hulk has we are making the trip. But then I want mounts for Destroyers to carry some in place of the drop tanks. But then that will shorten their range.” Thinking of the fighter engines and their ability to use just about anything for reaction mass. He started getting into the smaller details of adding that capability to the engines on the Destroyers. “Yes all the Destroyers would have to do is duck into the cloud for a few minutes to refuel their tanks. Reducing the tankage and drop tank load considerably.” Frowning. “And I still have to redesign the damn Destroyer Turrets and find out why the engines keep breaking down. Speaking of which, how are they holding up moving this hulk around anyway?”

Pan smiled at Jack as the Ships Doctor went from lecturing about humans to being lectured to about Ape trauma and surgery not far away. Jack’s mind automatically jumping ahead of the lecture with what one of the Dumonts had stuffed into his head. Jack suddenly wishing he knew that much about human medical needs but none of the Dumonts had cared to learn enough about humans to equal even what Jack already knew.

“I am sorry Captain but you have only been in the pod for a half hour. The transport Destroyer bringing the engineering crews have not even arrived yet. I have the maintenance crews adding or changing all the placards and instruments to English in the fighters being assigned to the humans. It should be completed by the time the first humans are ready to fly. The first Red squadron has launched and is headed for the position of the most distant Destroyer now on patrol but without the torpedoes you wanted to send with them. We are using the existing flight control center with a few Gronk and human pilots serving as controllers.”

Jack stretched as he gathered his thoughts. “Ok Pan, we don’t need to send a whole squadron to replace a single destroyer especially if they have no teeth. All we can use them for is trip wires and then keep an eye on anything they find. Split the squadron up into 2 ship sections to replace as many of the Destroyers as you can until more fighters are out and follow suit. Then start working on using the God Torpedoes as mines placed in strategic positions around the ship for the fighters to command distant attacks on anything that shows up if they need to.” Jack started to get up. “I have too much to do to lay around here.”

Pan tried to push him back but Jack sat up anyway. His suit overpowering Pan’s attempt. “No Pan don’t. I remember everything they forced into me. I am fine and feel like I have slept for 10 hours. I have to get up. To damn much to do to lay around.”

The Alien Doctor ran over. “No your muscles are totally relaxed with your heart still pumping at half speed. You will cramp and could damage your heart if you move to fast. It will take another few minutes for your body to return to normal.”

Jack felt light headed as he finished sitting up holding his head. “Damn it doctor. I don’t have time for this hibernation shit. Give me a stimulant. I need to get going.”

“No, stimulants lead to berserkers, just take time. Wait another 10 minutes then walk slow and stay sitting as much as possible for next hour after that or you will spend days back in the pod recovering from the damage. Not in hibernation. Heart not slowed but your body’s blood vessels were restricted to send most blood to brain so it could work overtime. Your body just needs time to readjust or you could stroke in brain as your heart tries to force blood to rest of body or heart attack if heart muscles cramp from lack of blood flow. Lay back down and relax until blood flow is normal.” The doctor pointed up at the pods overhead monitor screen showing his last scan before he sat up.

Jack thought for a few seconds as he looked at the monitor then turned to Pan. “I was sitting in a cockpit Pan before you dragged me in here so drag me back into a cockpit and I will spend the next couple of hours sitting as the Doctor ordered.” Jack reached for his collar and his helmet slapped up around his head as he stared at Pan.

Pan did not say anything in her mind as she stared back at Jack for a few seconds. Then she slid around behind Jack and a few seconds later as she felt her mind start to raise above him he felt a jerk between his shoulders and he was off flying again across the medical bay and out into the hanger.

They passed the fighter Jack had originally climbed up into and kept going.

“Pan. We passed the fighter. Down there Pan. Turn around Pan.” Jack turned from looking at the fighter they had just passed and tried to look back over his shoulder at pan but again he couldn’t. “Damn it Pan where are you taking me?” Jack felt even more helpless and looked where they were headed. Trying to see if there was a hatch in the inner hull they were headed for.

“I am dropping you into a cockpit Captain.”

“Ok what was wrong with the fighter back there?” Jack pointed back the way they had come from.

“This is a much better cockpit Captain.”

“Listen Pan I don’t want a simulator. I want the real thing. A real fighter’s cockpit. I want to see how one of these things fly’s for real and see what is going on around the ship. Now put me down and that is an order damn it.”

“Yes Captain, putting you down.” They started descending.

Jack looked ahead as a fighter was lifted from the packed rows lining the hull with their wings folded. The fighter was moved to a ring of platforms that were pivoting down from about half way up the outer hull to hang out above the other fighters. Other fighters were being lifted up to other platforms dropping down from the hull to form open work areas around each fighter as work crews flooded out of hatches opening in the inner hull onto the platforms. The crews looking like they were even littler than the Dwarfs working on the fighter he had been in. No, not fighter. These were bigger than the fighter Jack had been in in the front row that already had plenty of room to work around. These were twice the size of the fighters in the front row with pairs of fighter engines spaced out on the gravcoil and cooling wings away from the long main fuselage.

“What the hell… And then it came to Jack. With his mind fixated on the fighters it had taken a few second to realize what he was looking at.”

“These are our planetary bombers Captain.” Pan said. “With an engineer/weapons crewman in the cockpit that can help you if you need it. I have picked a crewman that has medical training and has worked with humans before. The bombers can carry a large tonnage of bombs internally on planetary operations or additional reaction mass in the bomb bays for added range in open space. The bomber will give you twice the range in open space as the fighters and can still carry ordinance externally. The Cannons are bigger as well providing the destruction of most small bombs for attacking ground targets and should do better against the smaller ships.”

Jack’s mind was suddenly flooded with a whole book on the fighter bomber. He was glad Pan had him as he could not even see for a good half minute as everything he could possibly ever want to know about the big bomber flashed across his mind. By the time Pan deposited him into the wide open cockpit he felt like the bomber and he were old friends. Looking up at Pan as she settled hanging in midair alongside the cockpit Jack smiled. “Wow, talking about a rush. And guess what Pan? I got a glimpse of a pair of your battleship torpedoes hanging under the wings of these things amongst all the other possible ordinance sets.” Jack concentrated on one of the bigger bombs in all the sets that made his mind feel strange and wished he hadn’t. It was a neutron bomb for killing all life in a city without damaging any of the buildings or equipment. Shaking his head he quickly turned his mind elsewhere. “The only thing I don’t remember seeing are drop tanks which is strange. Bet you could figure out how to slap some destroyer drop tanks under these as well.”

Jack started running through the preflight checklist and glanced over at Pan. “These would probably be better for the reconnaissance mission than the fighters we are launching…” Jack suddenly had a thought and looked out across the hanger and realized that all work on the fighters around the core had stopped with a lot of very busy crewmen flooding over the bombers lined up on the platforms ringing the hull. “Ok. Sorry Pan. Did not see that you had already thought of that.”

A crewman was suddenly up beside the cockpit leaning over adjusting and securing Jack into the seat. Jerking him this way and that as he made sure everything was tight as Jack continued to run the preflight check list.

Jack noticed that all the covers and safety locks had been removed from the fighter/bomber as the engine start ready lights came on. Jack hit the starter for the port number 1 engine and felt it come to life as he watched the energy build up. With number 1 running smoothly he lit off engine 2#, the starboard engine.

Smiling with relief as both engines purred, Jack started to light off the engines attached Buzzard Coils for something else to do until his mind sent up a dozen red flags. Lighting off the Buzzard Coils inside the hanger would suck everything inside the hanger not nailed down into the engine to use as reaction mass. A very handy ability when attacking planets. It reduced the amount of reaction mass the fighters and bombers had to carry. But the extra mass to feed the engines was definitely not needed in the hanger far from a planet’s atmosphere with the tanks already topped off.

“By your command Captain. As soon as you told me the reason for launching the fighters, I changed the reconnaissance squadrons from fighters to the long ranged bombers with the bays loaded with reaction mass. I am sorry to say that the first squadron launched were fighters and the changeover is why there is a delay for the next. I have split up the squadrons as you requested sending pairs of fighters to take over for the Destroyers. Though even with the engines pulling in cloud material for reaction mass they are limited in their time on station since the pilots cannot get out of their seats like the pilot’s in these much bigger fighter bombers can.”

“What?” Jack had not known or even heard of such a thing let alone an inkling that was possible so he had not noticed as everything else he was looking for had flashed across his mind. Know he knew it was possible he turned from the portside edge of the cockpit close to the canopy combing to the small narrow isle running beside his seat on the starboard side with the engineer weapons crewman sitting behind the pilot’s seat sideways facing the port side where he could see and talk to the pilot when needed. Giving a Gronk pilot (let alone Jack) plenty of room to get past the console if he needed to and then the bunk, toilet and small kitchen just behind the engineer/weapons console flashed across his mind. The crew could spend days out on patrol with ease. Orbiting above the battlefield as the buzzard coils sucked in all the reaction mass they needed from the atmosphere, waiting for targets to materialize as they scanned for every scrap of metal and the ground forces pounded across the planet picking up the metals and slaves, striping the planet clean of metals at least. Ignoring most of the life forms if they were out of the way with no readings of metals that needed taking or tried to interfere. Most intelligent races had metals and tried to interfere while the less intelligent didn’t, so the Gronks ignored them as a waste of time. They got more than enough slaves and fun killing all resistance just stripping the metal.

A second crewman climbed up and started jerking Jack around checking his restraints then tapping on the maintenance screen for a few seconds and then was gone.

“Ok Pan good thinking. Though next time talk to me about it just in case I have a reason to not want to make a change. Beside I am getting tired of all the surprises. Though I have to admit that since the damn down load I have not had as many surprises.” Jack frowned. “That is if I ignore the massive surprises during the attack and since concerning my mind. The problem with the information about the ship is that sometimes I don’t know I don’t know something until you tell me I don’t know and then I know.” Shaking his head. “Damn that didn’t even make sense to me and I said it.”

Another crewman appeared next to Jack and started jerking his harness around and then checked the maintenance screen before disappearing again.

“Yes Captain I understand perfectly. I will continue informing you of the basics while letting you fill in the details unless you ask.”

“Very well Pan that is all I can ask for.” Jack looked around at all the bombers being prepared and suddenly got worried. “Pan what is the possibility that a bomber or something was launched before the Destroyers got here or we took the ship?” Pan’s eyes got big as she started tapping on her screen and then Jack found himself being jerked around again by another crewman as his mind raced. Suddenly being filled with the images of a small ship being loaded and God Officer Cans rushing toward the ship as berserkers rampaged in the background. He knew that the berserkers had come out of their pods when the God Captain and most of the God Officers had been killed by the Red Pepper crossing beams inside the ships Command and God Officer Decks. Now according to the time stamp on the recording, it had only been a few hours since the formation of the bubble with the ship stuck hard in the carbon /carbon diamond surface after killing more officers. Now some of the berserkers were already going after the God Officers as their minds degenerated. The surviving God Officers zipping around in their cans were in a hurry to leave before they got caught up in the berserker rampages. The senior God Officers not waiting for the junior cans not lucky enough to be there already as the little five hundred foot long currier ship slid out of the bay and headed into the cloud away from the hulk leaving dozens of officer cans racing after the ship as Berserkers caught up to them one by one and tearing them apart. The Cans practically exploding from the high internal pressure as the cans failed under the attacks. Jack realizing the reason for the cans were to enable a race from the depths of a very big planet to survive outside their natural environment of what earth would call a thousand atmospheres. Though the medical staff back on the Red Pepper that Jack had sent the surviving cans back to be examine at, probably already knew by now. Though they probably did not know a fraction of what Jack suddenly new now he had bothered to think about them.

Jack covered his face with his hands rubbing his temples. “Criste, it may already be too late. They left months ago. It would have only taken a day at most for them to get down the open trail and out into open space. No wait. The damn bubble fucked up all the open trails. Closing and opening new cleared areas. It could take months for them to find their way out of this maze unless they headed straight out of… No. they don’t have shield decks. It would take years for them to push their way through the cloud without burning up. They had to find a clear path out. The destroyers had just found one but then we already knew all the paths before the explosion stirred everything up and even then it would take us a full day to get through all the new switch backs to get out.” Jack had been talking to himself inside his head as yet another crewman jerked his straps around and checked his maintenance screen.

Pan sat in midair only feet away staring at him in shock. And finally said inside her head. ‘I still cannot believe I can hear every word you said in your mind. Just like we Dumonts can to each other but you are an alien, a human. We have never been able to hear let alone speak with another race. Not one Dumont in the 10,000 years we have been slaves. Are you our savior our legends talk about? An alien that can talk and mindsee better than Dumonts.’

Pan hovered there waiting as Jack’s mind raced as yet another crewman jerked his harness around and checked his maintenance screen. Jack not take his eyes off of Pan. Finally Jack sighed and spoke in his mind. ‘Yes I understand you perfectly though it took a few minutes during the attack after I came back from the hole they were smothering me in. Thanks to you helping, showing me how to shunt them into sections of my mind away from my consciousness. Thank God their time ran out giving me time to recuperate with you flooding me with your health before they attacked again.” Shaking his head Jack took a deep breath. I can understand your mind speak and all the other aliens verbal talk like they were my own language now and not just Dumonts. At first I had to be looking at them but now even talk behind my back is clear if I can hear it clearly.”

Jack looked down at crewmen jerking him around again testing his restraints then tap on his maintenance screen and finding nothing that needed maintaining he tapped off and slide off the side of the cockpit then Jack heard something hit the side of the fuselage and then rubbing. “Criste Pan? How many times does it take to check my harness and the maintenance screen?”

Pan smiled. “Each Wing wants the honor of having you as part of their Wing. By sending mechanics to inspect you and your ship they are saying that they are taking responsibility for you and your safety.” Pan frowned. “Do you want me to stop them?”

Jack closed his eyes fighting the urge to yell yes. He needed to get launched but he understood the need for the crews to identify with their new Captain. To feel as part of the family. He had learned that the hard way in The Game. Loosing battles when the crews gave up at the first sign of serious trouble even though Jack had known they were doing fine and would come out the winners but they could not see what he saw and crewmen alone scarred with all hell breaking around them would give up easily. He had even seen a matinee from a panicking crew who did not know their captain or what he was doing, with no confidence in the Captain or the other officers around them. Letting an officer as scarred as they were lead when the Captain failed to even appear like he could. He had learned that a crew had to be made a crew with all kinds of stupid bonding rituals as well as training together while being kept informed as to what was going on around them so their minds stayed focused on their jobs. A simple little ritual like this was just a start no matter how much he hated it.

Opening his eyes Jack shook his head. “Hell Pan the more the merrier.” There could not be that many more left after all the shaking around he had already endured. “Though I could do without them slapping the fuselage. Don’t tell me that is part of the ritual as well.”

Pan looked down at the side of the ship and smiled a Dumont smile Jack had finally stopped thinking was gruesome. “Have you taken a look at the side of your ship lately Captain?”

Jack rolled his eyes. “And how am I supposed to do that while strapped into this seat. What do you want to bet that if I get out to look they will start the procession all over again?”

Pan backed up as another crewman jumped up and started shaking him around pulling at his straps.

Pan raised her pad and then came back tapping on it. As the crewman finished with the maintenance screen and disappeared, a picture came up on his main cockpit screen of a ship with a half dozen foot high Wing insignias’ running down the side.

“Talking about Sports Car advertising.” But he knew this was only for the crews pride and not for the public or financing. Jack looked up at several platforms headed his way and shook his head. “Tell them to put a move on already, I need to get in space. We have a currier ship to find and stop.”

“Do you want me to inform the Destroyers to start looking Captain? I notice that you haven’t.”

“No. I need the destroyers to get this hulk moving just in case that ship escapes and warns the Spiders.” Shaking his head. “Hell if that ship escapes and they find out about this bubble with more metal slapped on the outside than anyone has ever seen before, the war is lost.” Taking a deep breath. “No the Destroyers don’t’ have the range or weapons to take on even the currier. Get those damn Battleship torpedoes mounted on the bombers. We have enough bombers to scour every damn trail half way around the cloud.” Shaking his head. “But even then all they may do is follow him out and too far behind to catch up to him once he is in clear space.” The detailed schematics of the bombers filled his mind bringing a smile. “I will take the first squadron and head straight for clear space through the cloud. With our atmosphere reentry and battle armor across the bow and wings leading edges, we should be able to make it through the clouds into clear space in only a few hours.”

Pan looked at Jack with her eyes getting big as her mouth dropped open. “Aaa. Very well Captain.” She finally said as another crewman started manhandling Jack. The crewman’s boobs hanging over into the cockpit. “I have the fighter wings that have already deployed wanting to, inspect your fighter as well Captain. I do not see the reason or necessity but I said I would pass the request to you.”

Jack immediately started to say, “No damn it!” but the words had not more than formed in his mind when he stopped and thought for a few seconds. “We have to stop at the head of the launch tubes to have the torpedoes mounted and final checks done to the ship. The bomber crews have checked me and the maintenance comp here. The fighter wings can do the final checks for launch but I don’t want delayed anymore so tell them to do it together.” Giving Pan a serious look. “You can get the torpedoes mounted in a reasonable time can’t you? The book says 11 minutes. I want that cut in half. Oh and see what armor you can add to the leading edges of these bombers in the next few minutes while you are at it. My mind says you stack the leading long V shaped trays of armor nose to crotch overlapping the ends of each other. Just slap another layer along the leading edge like they are storing it there using some of that super glue I see you folks using all the time. I think you can do the same for the bow but then it is thicker to begin with and as pointed as it is as well, it may not need it or work for that matter.”

Jack watched the hoses being withdrawn toward the ship’s hull from the back of the bombers next to him as the engineer to the side and behind him said. “Tanks full, all checks completed and ready for launch Captain.”

Jack turned around looking over his shoulder at the Gronk doing its best to smile like a human. Pride gushing from his mind.

The platform with the bomber on it left the hull and headed for the launch tube entrance at the top of the hanger by the core. The tube running across the top of the hanger from the core to the outer hull. Jack’s mind picturing the magnetic rail that was used to fling the bomber away from the ship at several thousand miles an hour. Jack had to swallow at the acceleration that was needed to do that and wondered if he could survive the launch even as he watched the rails being energized in preparation for the launch. Three other bombers joined him to line up in front of the 4 launch tubes lined up side by side. As the bomber halted backed up against a flattened section of the central core Jack watched the huge torpedoes being slid out from the core under each of the bombers wings between the engines and the central fuselage.

Jack was a little surprised when the noses of two torpedoes slid up into sight to either side of him a little to the rear. Making him apprehensive about having that much explosive power so close. Though he knew that the nose of the torpedoes had more armor on them than he did to resist enemy point defenses which were damn good since he had spent the last week going over what the Spider Battleship had to defend themselves with. Giving him a good idea why the Spider ships did not use fighters and bombers normally to attack other ships. It was a waste of time for a Spider fighter to even try to get close to an enemy battleship equipped as well as they were. He just hoped that same was not true for the currier ship they were going to try to take out. That is if they could even find it in time. He suddenly didn’t hold much hope of them stopping the currier from telling the God fleet about their little secrete though he knew they had to try.

The engineer to the side behind him spoke up. “Captain, the torpedo mass tanks will finish filling in 5 minutes and we can launch.”

Jack knew if they had to wait 5 minutes for all the bombers to fill their torpedo tanks it would take forever to get enough ships out of there to possible even find the damn ship. Then looking around he noticed more platforms with bombers on them floating in below them to back up against the flat section of the core below him facing the launch tube. He watched as torpedoes started sliding out to be mounted on them as well. Then the rest of the launch procedures came flooding into his mind telling him that they would have 200 bombers launched in a half hour with another 4 tubes on the other 3 sides of the core working as well. OK that problem salved he still felt like he was forgetting something important as he looked around and spotted the pilot staring at him from the bomber next to him. Apprehension filling his mind suddenly. Suddenly Jack knew what he had forgotten.

“Custern.” Jack turned to look over his shoulder at the engineer remembering the name tag on his flight suit still surprised that he could read it. “Get me a line to all the fighters and bombers ship wide please.”

“Hooked in Captain.” Custern said a few moments later.

“This is Captain Turner. A Currier ship filled with God Officers launched from here before we attacked and took the ship. If it is able to leave the cloud and report back to the God Fleet they will probably send their entire fleet here to take advantage of the vast amount of raw metal resources we have available here making it impossible for us to win this war and remain free. We have to find and stop that ship from leaving. Without any armored decks like the battle ships, it has to find its way through the labyrinth of clear paths to get out of the cloud into open space. Most of you will be searching those pathways trying to find it before it escapes. Just in case it is too far ahead to intercept or you do not find it before it finds its way out, I am taking a squadron through the cloud directly to open space in the hope we can intercept it before it gets away. Do your best is all I can ask or expect. Good hunting. Captain Turner out.”

Jack turned to Custern to contact launch control but the engineer spoke first. “Flight Command Center is calling Captain Turner.”

“Ok put them on then get launch control we only have a minute left and I want to be ready to launch as soon as the torpedos are topped off.”

Commander Samuels appeared on the screen. “Captain Turner sir. Permission for our human trainees and their Gronk instructors to join the search sir. The fighters are faster especially with the bombers carrying those torpedoes. We can zip through the pathways and find the ship in no time and then vector the bombers in for the kill sir.”

“Commander our pilots have only had less than an hour of instruction time and I don’t quite trust the new Gronk pilots yet. I don’t know them.”

“All due respect Captain but you had only minutes of instruction when you crashed your first Spider Assault boat into the lock to save our marines. We know the basics of these God fighters now. They aren’t that different than our own. We can fly them well enough to search the pathways while we are learning the rest. As for the new Apes, or Gronks I guess they are called now. We can leave them paired up with each of our pilots as they already are so if they try anything we will nail them. Their flying abilities are basic and repetitive from what I have seen, we won’t have any problem out flying them with their own ships sir.”

“Very well Commander, get them ready but put half in bombers with torpedoes for when the currier is found. They should be ready when we finish launching here in a half hour. Have the fighters leave through the top entrance hatches to the Transport and landing deck. Out.”

“Captain! One moment please. Some of the alien maintenance pilots just came in and while they are not comfortable flying fighters, they would like to take out some of the larger Transport Boats to serve as supply and repair bases for the fighters and bombers extending their range with the smaller fast boats serving to pick up any pilots that have to eject or tow damaged fighters back for repairs. The marines would like to tag along in the Assault Shuttles as well just in case you decide to take the ship when you find it.”

“Very well Commander but leave at least half the marines here along with a squadron of fighters and bombers. I don’t want the God Currier ship showing up with the ship unprotected just in case the Godship is only around the corner of the bubble waiting for the berserkers to die or now, for us to leave. Which reminds me. Make sure our comm Sats and channels stay protected and active and if one goes down treat it seriously and start recalling fighters and bombers to protect the Battleship. No if, ands, or butts. I will probably be out of communication once I enter the cloud and if our shielding is shit by the time we get out of the cloud, days away from returning. I am depending on you Commander. This is your ship while I am gone. Get those Destroyers mounted and this ship moved to the hulk base as fast as you can. I told Pan that she could leave a mining crew on the shield plate. Leave a small detachment of Red Apes with them just in case the Currier is still around or other problems arise.”

Launch control suddenly came on the comm. “Captain. Launching in three, two, one and.”

The Fighter Bomber was flung down the chute with Jack feeling like he had been left behind as the fighter/bomber raced away from the ship skimming along the bubble’s surface. Swallowing he got control of himself as he backed off on the throttle while he watched the three other fighter/bombers maintain formation with him. Slowly he rolled the bomber around until up was away from the bubble below and pulled back on the stick and they were soon racing up at the cloud far overhead. Now wishing he had called the Red Pepper over to create a tunnel through the cloud to clear space. But then that was the last thing they needed was a straight clear road out of and into the cloud with a God treasure pot of metals at the bottom.

As they approached the cloud a second flight of 4 joined them. Turning to the engineer/weapons tech busy at his console. “We ready to enter the cloud Mr. Custern?”

The Gronk smiled at Jack. “Yes Captain the Buzzard scoops are on at full power and everything is retracted for atmosphere entry sir.”

“Very good. Keep an eye on temperatures and let me know if we need to slow down.” Hitting the comm to the rest of the flight as he watched the last 4 fighter/bombers catching up. “Ok flight spread out a good couple of miles from each other so we don’t have to worry about collisions or our wakes interfering with each other. It is going to be a long push but keep it up as long and as fast as you can. We have to beat that Currier ship out of the cloud and destroy it or we lose the war. Stay in contact but if we get separated because you had to slow down I will see you on the other side in clear space. Good luck. Out.”

The fighter-bomber was suddenly in the cloud. At the speed they were at it was not a gradual increase of density but a sudden onrush of ionized gasses flying off the bow and leading edges of the fighter-bomber washing out all sensory input including Comms with the surrounding fighter-bombers with only their blobs on the sensors. He had not expected that but realized that he should have. It always happened when ships entered a planet’s atmosphere for landing. He should not have taken it for granted that the Gods had fixed that little problem.

“How are our temperatures Custern. Will she hold together the 6 hours it will take to get through the cloud?”

“Trying to compute that know Captain. It all depends on how dense the cloud stays. We at least are not losing reaction mass. We are scooping up more than we are using as thick as the cloud is. Fact is I am having to dump most of what the scoops are bringing in sir.”

Jack looked over at the nearest fighter blob and noticed that he could see its buzzard coils energy cone sucking in the cloud. He could see the density of the cloud increasing as the fighter/bomber pulled in the particles from a mile around it and realized that only a small fraction was being pulled into the engine scoops themselves. The rest of the compressed cone of particles was zipping past and hitting the fighter itself at several times the density of the surrounding cloud. In fact the buzzard coils were creating a vacuum from the outer edge of the cone a mile away where it was grabbing particles to within less than a hundred feet of the fighter/bomber where the cone’s particle density was several time what the rest of the cloud was at as it hit the fighter.

Swallowing Jack opened his mouth trying not to sound crazy. “Custern. Cut the Buzzard coils.”

“What sir? Captain did you say turn off the Scoops? I know my first calculations show that we will burn up long before we reach open space but give me a minute to check my calculations sir.”

“Cut the coils Custern, I think it is concentrating the cloud density hitting the ship.”

The coils went dark and the ionized fireball surrounding the ship was cut by more than half.

“God star Captain. We can easily make open space now. I think we can even speed up a bit. Just give me time to do the math sir.”

“Don’t get in a hurry with the math. Can you tune the Buzzard cones, narrowing them to just in front of the bomber?”

“Aaa, yes sir. How narrow do you want it to be?”

“Let’s try a couple hundred feet wide and see what happens.”

“Yes sir just give me a minute to program the changes.”

Jack looked over at the 11 funnels with fireballs at the narrow point surrounding the ship. And shook his head. He tapped his comm panel for the flight. “Red leader to Red flight, cut your Buzzard coils now. Cut your Buzzard coils now.” But the other ships continued as bright as before with their cones reaching out miles ahead of the fighters. Their superheated ionized halos blocking out all transmissions.

“I have them matched and focused at the lower power sir. I think Captain. Number 2 did not want to settle in with the other. Energizing now.”

The coils came on as Jack watched the cone form ahead of them and suddenly the bow of the ship started heating up into the red. Material started sloughing off back around the canopy.

“Cut the coils Custern! Cut the coils!”

The fire storm was cut off with the light halo returning.

“I don’t understand Captain. Only the nose shield heated up. The wings and engine inlets went into a vacuum. We weren’t picking up enough mass particles to say so let alone feed the engines. It was like the bow had hit a wall sir.”

“Yes it did didn’t it.” Jack frowned thinking to himself. “Each engine has its own Buzzard coils and you have to tune them to the same frequencies and power level to create the scoop cone with the ship at the center.” Jack suddenly smiled. “Custern, tune the coils in each nestle to different frequencies separating them so they will create their own scoop cones centered on each set of engines instead of one large cone centered on the ship.”

“Yes that makes sense Captain. While cruising in the stratosphere of a planet waiting to attack, all we need is to increase the gas concentration for the engines. We aren’t going fast enough to worry about friction.” The engineer worked at his console for a good minute before he turned back to Jack. “Got it Captain. Ready sir.”

“Well switch it on Mr. Custern.”

The fighter-bomber started bucking and swinging from one side to the other no matter what Jack did trying to control the ship. “Custern! What is going on? What did you do?” Then Jack saw the cones far out in front of them wiggling back and forth across the front of the ship bouncing off of each other as they tried to center over their set of engines only to bounce off the other cones to be thrown out at odd angles to snake around and back to do it all over again. Pulling the ship one way and then another.

“Nothing I seem to do helps except to make it worse Captain.”

“Aaa Jack watched the cones snaking around bouncing off of each other and suddenly remembered all it took for him to finally salve the main engine Problem on the Red Pepper was switching polarity on the odd drive coils so they were not multiplying their power into proto Blackhole’s. Only Jack had not realized the fix until after a lot of people had died. “Custern, reverse polarities on one set of the Buzzard coils. Unlike poles attract. The negatively charged cone should attract the positively charged cone locking them together without merging them.”

“Yes sir. Makes sense to me. Doing it now just give me a few seconds and…”

The ship stopped bucking as the two cones suddenly kissed locking the edges of their rims together far out in front of the ship. Only the touching edges left wisps of material slipping past the small space between them as their circular cones separated from one another letting a thin stream of cloud material swirling around in vortexes hitting the bow of the ship and even occasionally drifting out across the rest of the wings and canopy. Making the ship buck and jerk as the turbulence hit the ship form one side and then the other. Jack frowned for a few seconds as Custern and Jack were jerked back and forth unpredictably. The last thing he needed was to get space sick. He would never live it down. “Mr. Custern try closing the frequencies of the cones without matching them and see what happens. We need them to overlap a little without combining into one hug cone with the whole ship at the center.”

“Giving it a try Captain but I don’t see how that will work. The frequencies match or they don’t.”

Suddenly the ship stopped bucking as they entered a full vacuum of the lee side of two overlapping cones. The hull temperatures on the leading edges and bow of the ship dropping rapidly.

The acceleration of the ship increased dramatically without the drag of hitting a gas wall. Jack looked around as the fiery blobs of the other ships rapidly slid back behind them. Pulling back on the throttles Jack had to reduce power significantly before they started catching back up to them. “Custern see if you can get a beam through the damn ionization around the closest ship and tell them what we have done.”

“Good idea Captain. At this speed they will burn up long before they get to clear space.”

Jack listened to Custern transmitting trying to punch a message through to the nearest ship without any apparent success as the ships kept ramming themselves through the cloud with their engines at full throttle.

“Damn it Custern. They have to have run the damn numbers by know. Why aren’t they at least slowing down?”

Custern seemed to cough getting Jack’s attention.

Jack turned around to look over his shoulder at the Ape. The crewman Apes (Gronks) were smaller than the battle Apes but they were still big by human standards. “What is it Custern?”

The Gronk frowned and seemed to think for a few seconds then. “Your little speech Captain. You said we had to get across to open space as fast as we could or we could lose the war. Most of the pilots will accept their deaths if they have even a chance at getting through and would not even think of not following your orders.”

“My Godstar man. They have to have a little common sense and know that it is better to get there late than not at all.”

“Maybe some now that we are not under God Officer Control but most are not.”

Jack turned to look down the line of fireballs streaking through the cloud kicking himself for even thinking of taking anyone along with him even though he knew one ship did not stand a chance against the well-armed currier ship if they did find it.

Then one of the fireballs suddenly dropped out of formation falling back as its ball of plasma grew smaller. Jack pulled his throttles almost completely off as he stayed with the fighter hoping it would stop so he could tell them the proper way to run their Buzzard Scoops. But it only slowed down and did not stop.

“I think it is slow enough now Captain to make it through the cloud though it is going to take them 12 hours to do it.”

“See if you can get through their ionized plasma now Custern. Punch a hole at full power if you have to.” Jack watched another fireball start to slow and then another. Breathing a sigh of relief that they were starting to understand what was needed.

Then looking at the screen showing the direction they had come from where the station was even though it was far out of sight. “See if you can punch a comm through to the Spider ship and Combat Command and tell them how the bombers can operate in the cloud. Hopefully the fighters with only one engine aren’t having this problem.”

“I have already tried getting the ship on the Comm Captain and no go. They are out of range. Permission to drop a Message Torpedo with our findings Sir.”

“What? We have message torpedoes? I completely forgot about them. Damn, what else have I forgotten in my hurry to get after that damn currier ship?” Shaking his head he watched another fighter/bomber start to slow down in the distance as its huge flaming ball suddenly reduced in size. That meant half the fighter/bombers had slowed down Jack noticed. “Yes Custern, send one off with a request to send a transport out to pick up the survivors when they finally burn through all their shielding. Though by then they will burn up from simply going to fast through the cloud without power for their shields.”

“Message torpedo away Captain and I still cannot get through the ionization but at least they will make it through the cloud.”

Shaking his head Jack advanced the throttles leaving almost half the squadron behind as he passed some of the more resent stragglers that had slowed down. Though that left 5 still pushing huge fireballs racing ahead. Jack quickly caught up to them as another fireball dimmed and started falling behind leaving only 4. Jack started to hope that they all would succumb to common sense and slow down but after another hour without any sign of any of the 4 slowing Jack decided to take matters into his own hands.

“Custern, I am going to try to come up beside one of the ships letting our cones shield it from the cloud long enough to get a message with the new Buzzard protocols through. Be ready. I don’t know how long we will be able to hold it. I don’t know how our two sets of coils are going to react to one another.”

The Gronk swallowed. “Not very well at all Captain.”

Jack slid up beside the closest fighter/bomber but when their Buzzard Cones touched, all hell broke loose as the two sets of off frequency cones repelled each other sending the two ships careening away. Knocking out the Buzzard coil for the engine that happen to be closest to the more powerful single Buzzard cone on the other Fighter/bomber.

“Port side Coils are down Captain. Luckily the Starboard side coils are still providing some protection by themselves so we are still in a vacuum. I am trying to restart the Portside Coils now. Hopefully just the breakers were punched. Port side engine is on internal reaction mass.” Custern fingers ran across the console for several seconds and then. “Yes Captain, the breakers seem ok but we won’t know for sure until they cool down enough to reset. Aaa, Sir. Let’s not try that one again.”

Shaking his head as he watched the fighter/bomber they had almost collided with straighten out and continue ahead as if nothing had happened. “I am going to try getting ahead and backing down through the center of their cone. Try to match the frequencies Custern. We have to find a way to keep them from killing themselves.”

“Yes sir but I don’t like it. If I am off even a bit we could destroy both ships coils Captain.”

“Then don’t be off.” Jack slid up in front of the other fighter/bomber and started backing down the middle of the cone making sure his exhaust was well off to one side of the other Fighter/bomber. But then the force of the other ships coils started dragging Jack’s Fighter/bomber toward the center of the cone and the other ship. Jack had to finally turn his boat sideways piercing the other cone as the two fighter/bomber boats rapidly approached each other.

As soon as Jacks Fighter/bomber hit the other boat’s cone the already weakened breakers on the Port Side coils popped followed a fraction of a second later by the Starboard coils leaving the ship completely unprotected as Jack fought to keep from hitting the other boat as its buzzard coils still at full power tried to suck them into the center of the cone. Not being able to pull away with the cloud particles helping push them toward the other boat, Jack flipped his fighter/bomber around and headed directly for the other boat.

Jack was sure he waited too long as he pulled up crossing in front of the other fighter/bomber boat and penetrate the wall of the other boat’s cone to disappear behind the fighter/bomber that quickly accelerated away as if nothing had happened. The plasma bubble around the other fighter/bomber boat keeping it from seeing Jack’s fighter/bomber though the mass sensors should have picked something up Jack would have thought. But then the crew could have just thought Jack’s boat was just a big rock they had luckily missed.

Fighting to regain control as the cloud tried to tear his boat apart as they tumbled. The thin cloud hitting the sides and back of the boat at a hundred thousand miles an hour.

Jack finally was able to turn into the onrushing cloud letting the armored bow and leading edges of the wings take the heat of the cloud particles they were hitting. Alarms all over the cockpit and engineering console screaming in their ears.

With the boat stabilized into the wind of the cloud. Custern and Jack were able to slowly get the systems back on line including the Buzzard Coils after some 15 minutes of hair raising work. Even the slower section of the squadron having passed them without noticing them.

With the boat in the vacuum of the Buzzard coils again Jack pushed the throttles back up and the boat started quickly catching up to the trailing section of fighter/bombers. Taking a deep breath. “Let’s not try that again.”

Custern glanced at Jack and went back to checking systems for damage.

Catching up to the lead section of huge bright fireballs Jack wracked his mind for some way to stop them since he could not communicate with them. “Now what do we do since we can’t communicate with them?” Jack said allowed.

Custern looked over at Jack and said. “I think I could shoot their engines out with our tail defense guns. I can back off the power of the 21 millimeter guns so they won’t do too much damage. They may even be able to get them going again with backup systems but we should have time to at least slide in using our coils to protect them in our vacuum while everything is down and talk to them first.”

“Good thinking Custern.” Jack aimed for the closest boat as they approached the lead group. “You had better back off on our cones power as much as possible so we can get as close as possible.”

“Backing off now sir.” The fighter/bomber’s hull temperature started climbing and then stabilized without creating an ionized ball around the ship. “Got it at minimum now sir.”

“Good going Mr. Custern. That should get us within a mile of them. You shouldn’t have any problem knocking out their engines… No. let’s try communicating with them one last time. Use your guns to send them Morris Code.” Jack suddenly realized that he could not think of an equivalent communication system as simple as Morris code for the Gronks.

“Morris Code Captain?”

“Aaa yes, it is an ancient form of computer language before computers had been invented that humans used and still use in emergencies like this. It uses a bunch of dots and dashes to communicate words.” Looking over his shoulder at Custern. “You would not happen to have some similar kind of language the Gronks use. You should be able to use low powered pulses that can penetrate the ionized plasma to get their attention without damaging the ship.”

Custern thought for a good minute shaking his head before looking back at Jack after he had turned forward again. “No. Captain I do not recall any such primitive language and I cannot find any references in my data that resembles such slow primitive communications.” The Gronk seemed to think for a few seconds. “Why would you need such slow primitive communications Captain?”

Jack turned to look at the Gronk and smiled. “When it was invented it was quite an advantage and very advanced. Now it is taught for just such emergencies as this.”

“Yes I see how that could be an advantage. You will have to teach me this primitive language Captain.”

“Ya sure Custern. But that won’t help us right now. Try getting their attention first before you blast their engines.”

At 5 miles from the boat Custern opened up sending several groups of 3 shots into the fireball without the crew of the boat seeming to even notice. “Keep it up as we close. They have to get the hint eventually.”

At a mile from the boat Jack could see their cone getting much too close to the other boat’s much larger and more powerful cone reaching miles ahead and a mile across. “Ok. Still nothing from them? No sign at all?”

“No sir. I am starting to doubt the shells are getting through the plasma. It may be shielding the ship.”

“Ok... Well start upping the power of your guns. Aaa slowly. I really don’t want to damage the ship if we don’t have to let alone kill the crew. That is what we are trying to avoid.”

With no response at a quarter power Custern upped the guns up to half power then went back to banging away with groups of 3 shot at a time. Twenty minutes later his guns were up to full power and not only could he not get any response from the Fighter/bomber but he could not seem to even damage the engines.

All Jack could do was shake his head with frustration as he looked at all the wasted time as he thought about the enemy currier getting away. Finally jerking the stick over as he reduced the throttles Jack lined up on the back of the fighter as he reduced the power of his fighter/bombers main guns and pulled the trigger only to have the shells blow the tail end off the boat. The huge shells telling him he had screwed up. Not realizing that the bombers guns were 3.1 inch (78mm) guns and not the 42 millimeter guns on the fighter he had originally sat in. Not that he did not know. It was just that he had not known he knew since he had no reason to believe the guns between the fighter and bomber were different. Then he realized that he had been told by Pan but it had not sunk in evidentially. Damn.

With the engines gone, the buzzard cone vanished as the damaged ship’s maneuvering thrusters started flaring trying to keep the ship nosed into the oncoming cloud particles. Though without the Buzzard coils concentrating the particles the fireball was a fraction of what it was before as the ship rapidly started slowing down.

Jack pulled the throttles back but with the ship still in a vacuum even with the cone sucking in particles through the engines, the other ship rapidly fell behind them. “Custern cut our Buzzard coils now.”

With jacks Fighter/bombers coils off his fighter quickly started slowing down as its leading edges heated up from friction. Adding drag brakes, they quickly caught up to the wobbling engineless fighter as the bubble of plasma started reducing with the reduction of velocity through the thin particles of the cloud.

After Jack caught up with the damaged fighter Custern turned the Buzzard coils back on putting both ships in a vacuum allowing communications between the two fighter/bomber boats.

“Our engines just blew up. We don’t have a clue why Captain.”

“Sorry about that but I shot them off. I had to stop you before all your armor burned off and you destroyed yourselves and your boat.”

“You shot my engines off Captain?” Said the shocked pilot.

“Yes. The shame is I found a way to adjust the Buzzard coils so the boat runs inside a vacuum free from the clouds drag, though the coils capturing particles still has some drag. We can make clear space in a couple of hours if I could only figure out some way to communicate through the damn ionized plasma shell around yours and the other fighter/bombers of the Squadron. Though most of them have already slowed down and will make clear space in about 11 yours now instead of destroying their boats trying to do it in 6 hours. You and 3 other boats though did not slow down and I cannot allow you to throw your lives away trying to carry out my impossible orders.”

“Captain.” The pilot looked pissed off even for what little he knew about the Gronks. “I am not stupid or suicidal. We were going to back off and slowdown in another two hours when we still had a quarter of our shields left and be through the cloud into clear space another 3 to 4 hours after that at a speed our shields could handle. We were not about to commit suicide sir.”

“Ok...” Jack felt more than a little foolish until he realized there was no way he could know what the pilot had planned. “Ok. So tell me Pilot Bogota? Do the other 3 boats still drilling their way through this cloud streaming shield particles behind them have the same plan as you or not? Careful what you answer. Their lives are in your hands. If you say yes and you are wrong, they will die before reaching clear space. Otherwise I am going to have to shoot their engines off too.”

The Gronk pilot’s expression suddenly changed. His mouth shut as he started thinking until he took a breath straitening up and said. “I know those crews and yes they are doing the same as I planned sir. They will make clear space in 4 to 5 hours sir.”

“Very well Mr. Bogoto, I will let them go and pray that you are right and they make it there in time to help me if the enemy does show up or is already out there.”

“You can really cross the rest of the cloud in that short a time?”

“Yes, with the Buzzard coils tuned right, the cloud does not exist. They should be sending a transport out to pick you up as soon as my message torpedo makes it back to base. Sorry again for blowing off your engines. I was only trying to damage them not destroy them. I will see you back at base Mr. Bogoto. Out.”

Minutes later Jack was streaking through the cloud at a pace that would have slagged any other ship, even a fully shielded Spider Battleship. Praying that he was not too late and that there was no currier ship out there now or would ever be. That the hundreds of fighters and bombers running the pathways deep in the cloud would find it and destroy it long before he had to deal with it alone against impossible odds. But somehow he knew that he was the one that would have to deal with it. That was just how his luck was running lately.

The Ensign looked up as the trainer’s canopy was jerked open. She heard the announcement blaring across the compartment. “All pilots man your fighters and bombers. Check control for your assignments. This is not a drill. All Pilots man your fighters and bombers.”

The Gronk pilot that had been training her looked down with his hand still on the canopy. “Come Mate. We go to Glorious Battle.” He hit the quick release on her harness and jerked her up and out of the cockpit and past three cockpit Sims before her feet hit the deck. “Stay close and I will keep you safe little human. Just shoot at what I shoot at. Together we will clean space of all invaders.”

The public address system blared again. “Pilots will be briefed in the Cockpits.”

Looking around as she ran to keep up with her Gronk instructor. She could not believe what was happening. She had not even been able to pass the flight tests to qualify for Lieutenant. She kept freezing at critical moments trying to make sure she made no mistakes earning her an automatic failure each time even though she usually did the right thing when she did finally respond. That is if she was not already dead because of her hesitation. Now she was supposed to fly a Spider fighter into combat after less than an hour of instruction. This was beyond crazy.

Yet within minutes she was completely naked with the help of that stupid Gronk that would not take no for an answer and a strange creature running the suit pod the Gronk had thrown her in. While the machine did strange things to her body that included shoving things up her butt and urethra before dumping her out into where she had exactly 15 seconds to realize that she had a fully armored skin tight armored flight suit on before that stupid Gronk came out of the next pod and jerked her down the passageway and out into the hanger she had entered with Jack an hour before.

The hanger was packed with crewmen and fighters that were flying over her headed for open hatches in the overhead that were still blown wide open from the battle with air curtains across them. While bombers were lining up to be flung down launch tubes. She hardly had time to register much before the Gronk beside her flung her toward a fighter with a couple of Dwarfs and a tall stick with arms and legs crawling over it and threw her into the cockpit with amazing easy. The stick man or woman proceeded to bend over the edge of the cockpit and buckled her in tight before dropping down and started making motions and talking into a head set. She watched and listened for a few seconds before the short session in the simulator came back and she realized that she was supposed to do some things to get the fighter ready to fly.

Shaking her head she started following instructions she had just learned and the fighter started coming to life under her fingers. Still not believing what was happening.

Within minutes she was given the signal to hold by the stick figure in front of the fighter as a voice came into her helmet. “Follow me little human and we will make history together.”

She saw her training Gronk give her a sign she recognized now as a Gronk salute and then his fighter lifted off and headed up. The stick man in front of her gave her the sign to take off and she advanced the lift lever. The simulator after only an hour had taught her the basics that included not to over control and exactly what controls she needed, so now she smoothly followed the fighter ahead of her up through the hatch in the overhead and out across the landing platform under the bottom shield deck A Company had killed so many berserkers on only weeks before. The platform still lined with transports that were in the middle of loading equipment and troops to her short puzzlement before having to pay attention to follow the fighter ahead of her as her squadron of half Gronks and half humans formed up. She caught a glimpse of a steady stream of bombers being thrown from the four sides of the ship across the surface of the bubble only a couple thousand feet away as her flight climbed up toward the open space around the bubble.

Then her helmet filled with briefing instructions from Combat Control and she almost lost it when she heard that Captain Turner was headed up through the cloud to intercept the currier if it made it out of the cloud before they could find it.

Fuming she waited until after assignments had been made as she accessed her tactical using her personal pad and codes to discover they were using a systematic search pattern starting from the captured Spider Battleship and working out. Punching in Combat Command, an irritated Commander came on the screen. The Ensign interrupted him before he could speak. “You need to close the door before the horse gets out of the barn Commander. My squadron of fighters can get there in 6 hours and block the exit while you take your time searching the labyrinth of passageways.”

“What do you mean you can reach the exit in 6 hours? It would take a ship 24 to 36 hours to make it through all the switchbacks and lost paths. Which is why we are doing it systematically.”

“These fighters are faster and more maneuverable than any ship or bomber in these narrow passageways and switch backs Commander. Not to mention that we have armor and were designed for operations in an atmosphere. Turn my squadron loose and follow us up with a squadron of bombers and if it is not already out the door, we will keep it in until you can order the whole fleet to catch up to us if it does happen to be there.”

“Captain Turner is already headed through the cloud out to close the door Ensign.”

“And what happens if Captain Turner runs into problems and does not make it there in time or needs back up if he finds something and all our fighters and bombers are still back half way to the entrance. Make sure the damn door is closed Commander, then you can take your time searching every nook and cranny for the damn currier. Besides what do you think your ass would be worth if you did not listen to my suggestions and the ship escaped?”

The Commander started to turn read and then stopped. “You are that damn monster boobed bitch with the stun gun that stunned me aren’t you. The one running around with the Captain all the time as some kind of guard or …. Take your squadron and get lost for all I care. Just make sure you plug that damn door or Captain Turner can kick your butt for a change. Fact is I hope you find the damn ship and it does more than just stuns your fat ass.” He smiled as he cut the connection and issued orders for just her squadron to head for the entrance to the passageways. He was not about to waste bombers following her. He would let Captain Turner ream her butt for disobeying his orders.

The Ensign did not wait for the orders to arrive as she threw her stick over, firewalled the throttle and said “Follow me. Change of orders. We are headed for the end of the passageways and the entry gate.” To the rest of the squadron and did not bother to look back to see if any of them followed.

The Ensign’s Gronk watched the Ensigns ship wing over and pull away. The New supreme Overseer Pan had charged the Ex-Wing leader with training all the humans and keeping an eye on and protecting that particular human. Evidentially the mate of the leader of the humans Captain Turner. A duty he had not relished but had been making the best of since he had expected his next mission was going to be getting torn apart as the target for the next Gronk combat training or God entertainment session. But then that had been a thousand years ago with him spending most of his time since in the hibernation pods between short times out to watch his fellow disgraced Gronks slaughtered in the arena. He had lucked out many times simply because of his smaller size, the bigger Combat Trooper Gronks had been picked for battle instead of him and the growing number of pilots with him. The number of disgraced pilots had grown so large that the Supreme Overseer Yeti after taking over from her mother, had stopped taking the pilots out of hibernation to even face the arena as a waste of time.

It came as quite a shock to be awakened this time to find out that the only Gronks left alive on the ship were the thousands of disgraced Gronks including his pilots and the invading Red Gronks of the Human Captain Turner. He had not even known that they were at war with the humans as their next conquering subjects. But then that had not mattered to him as he was offered freedom and a choice to join the humans fight or be sent back to the Gods sometime in the future along with several other choices in between. He had to laugh at all the choices as he realized that he had no choice at all but to join the humans. After watching thousands of dishonored Gronks die in the arena and even defenseless dishonorable deaths at the hands of Godofficers to chicken to even let their opponents carry weapons. Fighting and dying an honorable death in a cockpit he loved and missed was preferable. He had no allusions that the Humans could actually win but he knew he could take many Gronks and even a few God Officers with him.

Training the little human Ensign was a disappointment at first but he had been told that it would take time before the humans trusted them enough to let them actually fly missions. Being told to man a fighter after only teaching the little human the basics came as another surprise that he was more than happy to oblige. Deciding that the humans would turn out to be Ok after all.

The Gronk Wing leader had been hatched as a Wing leader with the Intelligence most Gronks did not possess and immediately saw the advantage of cutting the Godship off from escaping at the entrance to the passageways through the nebula clouds. Not that he had ever been exposed to the situation before and had not even fathomed the possibility of there being passageways through a nebula. But then he had mostly been trained in Conquering Star Systems and Worlds and new little about taking on Starships. But even he could see that it would take more than a fighter to stop one. Using the initiative that had gotten him disgraced in the first place, he ordered the 4 nearest bomber squadrons to follow them. If they were able to reach the gate ahead of the Godship they would then be in a perfect position to attack no matter where the Godship was found while most of the bombers scouring the passageways would be in no position to even catch them. Besides even he knew the fighters were better suited for scouting the passageways and issued orders for the rest of bombers not following him to congregate at several central positions on his map to wait for the ship to be found. The Gronk wing Commander’s opinion of the little human Ensign went up a notch though he did not know that her main reason for heading for the Gate was to get to the Captain as soon as possible and not cut off the Godship’s escape even if that was the result. The Wing Commander still could not understand how torpedoes designed for taking out planetary population centers without making it too hard to salvage the metal after most of the populations were dead could take out a Godship but he was willing to leave that to the Fleet Commander Captain Turner and the bomber pilots.

Commander Samuels back at fighter control on the hulk started pulling out his hair as he realized that he had lost control of the bombers as they started to head for several central points that would put them in positions to attack the ship wherever it was found. Grudgingly accepting that maybe that was a good idea, he started breaking the fighter squadrons up into sections to cover the passageways the bombes where no longer headed for. Then started trying to figure out who the hell was controlling and sending orders to the damn bombers. Deciding that it had to be that damn monster boobed Cunt. That did it. He was going to have to make her pay for disrespecting him yet again.

After cutting through several clear open areas known as basins, inlets, lakes and a few narrow gaps they called rivers, Jack finally broke free from the cloud into open space. His ship racing up from the wall of clouds between two high ridges and a finger towering far above him. He remembered the shape of the tall finger far ahead well as he started to approach the huge hole blasted in the side of the mountain forming the Eastern wall of the Valley rift.

Jack turned his Bomber around and started to decelerate. “Full sensor sweep Custern. Look out into deep space first just in case they beat us here.” Jack suddenly realized that in his hurry to get here he had forgotten to get the codes to access the remaining sensor torpedoes left behind during the opening stages of the battle months before. They would have come in damn handy right about then. Then just as suddenly he realized that he was in an enemy bomber the remaining torpedoes he had set up as mines would go after. Looking around trying to see if any torpedoes were already headed for them.

“Custern, sweep for incoming Republic torpedoes while you are at it. I left quite a few around here as mines.”

“Got them already on my screen Captain Turner. The sensor Torpedoes report that no ship has made it out of the cloud since you took out the two Battleships sir. And my I say I am surprised that you were able to kill them so easily. I did not believe the stories but know that I have seen the recordings…”

“90% of a battle is preparation Custern.” Jack’s main screen suddenly showed all the remaining torpedoes and sensors left active within a growing ring as the IFF signal propagated farther and farther out from the bomber and the AI’s responded updating the Bomber with their stored tactical information. Suddenly worried how Custern manage to come up with all the latest IFF and control codes for the Sensors and Torpedoes. “How did you get all the Codes Custern?”

“Flight Command down loaded them before we left Captain.” Custern said puzzled. “Didn’t you order that sir?”

“Aaa, I was just testing you Custern.” Jack grimaced as he turned back around to look out the forward screen embarrassed and ashamed at yet more of his mistakes while being damn glad someone was using their head back at Flight Command.

Custern looked up as Jack turned away. Suddenly worried. While Jack had just been joking trying to cover his embarrassment, Custern came from a culture that failing a test meant instant death. He had been told that the humans did not execute for mistakes, then why was this officer suddenly testing him. For weeks now he had been out from under the threat of death at every turn and had finally began to accept the way freedom had made him feel. Putting a seemingly permanent grin on his face and ready to practically kiss the ass of most humans. Now, to suddenly be back under that terror was more than disturbing. Especially the fact that he had not even known he was being tested. It was one thing to die from failing a test but not to even know you were being tested before hand was beyond his comprehension. Hate started simmering in his mind as he stared at the back side of Jack’s head.

Jack had come up out of the cloud some distance from the pathway exit/entrance angling up over the top of it. The ring of torpedoes answering the IFF challenge expanded at less than half the speed of light as each torpedo took a few micro seconds to process and confirm before transmitting their down loads. A torpedo at the gate into the pathway suddenly lit up on the screen as the expanding ring reached it. Jack knew that it meant that the torpedo had information from other torpedoes further down the line.

Torpedoes lining the pathway started lighting up as the ring penetrated deeper and deeper into the cloud. Jack smiled since he knew that meant that a torpedo had attacked something deep inside the cloud along the pathway. He had weapons control on the Red Pepper program the torpedoes to move to the edges of the pathway at choke points as the Red Pepper penetrated deeper and deeper into the cloud during the Entrance Maze battle months before. Moving them from the random distribution the commander of the squadron that had entered the pathways ahead of Jack had programmed them for, afraid that the enemy ships following him would use them to find the entrance if he concentrated them around the path. The fact that wasted most of the torpedoes was beside the point evidentially. Jack realizing that if the enemy ships had found the torpedoes they had already found the pathway but the damage had been done already and by the time most of the torpedoes managed to make their way to the choke points the following Spider fleet had already found and entered the path leaving them behind. Forcing Jack to take the Fleet on by himself using the few torpedoes already in place to keep track of the enemy ships so he could ambush them with the Red Pepper. But that meant that now the torpedoes were where they need to be.

Jack waited for Custern to process the data and report as Jack fine-tuned the bombers course moving them closer to the wall so he could duck in and hide if he needed to once he knew where the enemy ship was. After a few minutes with nothing from Custern Jack turned around. “Ok Custern where is the ship?”

Custern’s eyes penetrated Jack as a simmering hate flooded from him. He finally looked down at his console and started working as Jack stared at him in shock. He could not believe the sudden change in the Gronk. Turning back around Jack swallowed, telling himself that he must be mistaken. That it was not hate or that the hate was for the enemy and not him. Yes that was it. For the enemy ship they were looking for.

The torpedo icons appearing on the screen deep inside the cloud changed as a ship appeared. The new icons showing what torpedoes had attacked the ship and their attack lines until they had detonated or been destroyed.

When Custern failed to deliver a report on the torpedo attacks Jack decided that he did not want to face the hate in the Gronks face again and accessed the information himself. The torpedoes had followed their programing and attacked the stern of the ship after it had passed them or turned toward another torpedo attack. Ignoring the bow of the ship. Jack watched over half the torpedoes getting destroyed as the ship passed them before they even tried to attack with most of the rest being destroyed before they could get close but a few did hit the stern knocking out several of the ships defensive guns and blowing big holes in the side as the ship turned its stern away protecting its single Drive engine that Jack realized was as long as the ship was running down its center. His mind flashing on the internal structure of the ship now that he knew which ship it was. The details of the ship being part of the massive down load when the Yeti Dumonts had tried to kill him. Jack realized that with an engine case 20 feet thick of the toughest armor the Spider ships had, there was no way the torpedoes could penetrate it hitting the hull of the ship another hundred feet from the engine casing. No, the only way they could even slow it down was to put one directly up its ass instead of just hitting it from the sides. He also realized that its ass was also easier to hit with most of its defensive guns on the hull sides and bow. Especially now that the sides had been hit a couple of times knocking out more of the point defense weapons.

“Custern, I need you to reprogram the torpedoes to move deeper into the cloud until the ship passes and then attack only from the very stern up into the engine. If they can knock out the engine we have them.”

Jack waited and then turned around as Custern stared at him. Hate filled eyes and mind started to overwhelm Jack before he finally said. “Yes sir!” And turned to his console.

Jack turned ignoring what he could not understand and started planning how to get down to the cloud and behind the ship before it got out of the passageway and into open space as the bomber finally stopped its race into space and slowly started acceleration back toward the entrance far below them at the bottom of the deep valley.

A few minutes later Jack realized that two more torpedoes had been knocked out before they had a chance to even fire while the one of several that had fired and hit the ship had hit its side again. Jack changed his screen over to the weapons screen to see that only half the commands to retask the torpedoes had been entered let alone transmitted. Jack started tapping away finishing the changes and then sent the new orders.

“What the hell is your problem Custern? Retasking the damn torpedoes was an easy job a moron could do, even me. Why you being so stupid all of a sudden?” Jack turned to look at Custern with a baffled smile that turned to shock as Custern turned to look at Jack meeting his eyes as the hated again flooded over Jack.

“What?” Stupid little me failed another one of your tests?” Custern reached over to the side of the panel at knee level and jerked hard. His muscles knotting up with the strain in his face as the handle he had grabbed came out of the panel with huge sparks arcing from the hole left behind as the bomber went dead. Looking back at Jack. “Now we are both dead not just me for failing one of your secret tests. Fact is give me another one so I can fail it too. At least this time I will know it was a test.” His face went blank as tears beaded up round his eyes. He had given up completely as he waited for death. His arms drifting up from the console in the Zero Gee of space with the gravcoils dead as well.

Jack listened in shock with his mouth open as Custern started chanting a prayer Jack’s mind said was the death chant students said after failing a test before they were thrown down the central shaft of the burrow tower to become food for the hatchlings on the bottom level. The prayer asked that they did not hit a hatchling further dishonoring themselves and that the Gods not waste any more energy on their stupid soles.

Jack turned forward not believing what just happened. That a simple stupid joke could do so much damage.

The main tactical screen in front of him came on with the words, “Emergency power.” Across the upper corner. The torpedoes were still feeding information to the bomber showing the ship still making slow progress toward the exit. He watched it take a side path as several torpedo’s hit its ass near its engine without seeming to damage the engine itself.

Jack watched it follow the path to the end then it seemed to hesitate for several minutes as Jack realized that it had not been attacked for a good half hour while it made its side journey. It slowly turned around. Jack now wishing he had not clustered all the torpedoes around the path. Leaving some along other paths to keep their interest.

Taking a deep breath Jack turned to Custern still catatonic in his seat. “Listen. I was only joking about the tests. I was not testing you. And even if I was, we do not kill even if you fail.” Jack shrugged. “Well maybe your career or take away your license but not your life.”

Custern did not seem to hear as he sat frozen still chanting.

Turning back around Jack spent the next couple of hours watching the ship work its way slowly toward the exit as it kept taking side pathways only to return within 15 to 20 minutes when it stopped getting shot at. Making Jack kick himself each time it returned to the exit path. Though with each attack Jack held his breath hoping the torpedo would hit up the engine to knock it out.

All one of the torpedoes had to do was collapse one of the artificial black holes the engine was using as anchors to push against as it came out of the back of the engine before it got far enough from the engine to do no harm when the artificial black hole collapsed and exploded releasing all the energy it had absorbed. But then that was one of the reasons the damn engine used a casing 20 feet thick besides needing the strength to contain the forces inside the shell created by the coils compressing space to create the Artificial black holes in the first place. All they needed to do was collapse and detonate one of those artificial Blackhole’s close enough to the engine for it to destroy the next coil and create a cascade of collapsing black holes up into the engine destroying it. But so far all they had managed to do was get a lot of torpedoes eaten up by the black holes.

Jack turned around to look at the catatonic Custern again before he tried to reprogram the torpedoes to attack from the stern but detonate on the side and maybe they could blow enough of the hull away to actually hit the damn engine casing and penetrate it. He knew that the torpedoes could penetrate the casing if several hit the same place on the casing. But when he tried to transmit the new orders the comm was not strong enough to reach even the nearest torpedo or sensor to have the orders passed down the chain.

Turning around Jack undid his harness so he did not have to look over his shoulder as he turned. “Damn it Custern. I was only joking about the test. I was embarrassed and mad at myself for failing to make sure we had the IFF and activation codes for the torpedoes before we left the ship only to find out that the Flight Command had given them to us anyway. Which was their job. I realize now that I had not failed because I had demoted myself to simple bomber pilot. My job is piloting and making sure we kill that damn ship before it gets away. Your job is to help me do that which you were exemplary at. Making sure we had everything we needed was Flight Commands job and not mine. It is human to feel embarrassed and ashamed when we think we have failed even though it may not be warranted. We don’t go out and kill ourselves for it. Well, usually not anyway. Telling you I was testing you was only a human joke at my not knowing Flight Command had given us the codes Custern. Not a real test of any kind. We humans don’t do that. Nor do we kill for failing tests when we do give them. Tests are how we know what we don’t know and need to learn and nothing more.”

Something floated over Jack head as he talked. Then shaking his head at the comatose Gronk as he ran out of things to say. Jack shook his head and turned back around to stare at the screen showing the God currier ship making its way along the last of the passageways headed for the exit just as a Destroyer Icon appeared on it.

Jack could not believe it when a destroyer raced up the passageway firing its sickly pee yellow beams into the back of the Godship. Jack was surprised when the yellow beams started knocking great holes into the sides taking out turrets and missile launchers. But then it was only a currier and not a thickly armored battleship.

Jack realized that he had not seen any torpedoes attacking the ship for some time now in an area that had quite a few as close to the entrance as it was. In fact the Godship had turned around to go back the way it had come because of the torpedoes stopping their attacks.

Now as the Destroyer made its attack run, dozens of torpedoes attacked from every direction. The destroyer having taken over control from Jack to coordinate their attacks with hers. He having been too busy trying to get Custern’s help to repair the bomber to notice the Destroyer icon appear on the screen or the icons of the torpedoes lose their little tell tail hash mark saying he had control of them if he could just communicate with them.

Now most of the Torpedoes were getting through and blasting huge chunks out of the sides of the Godship with most of the weapons concentrating on the Destroyer. While the Destroyer raked its 8 inch guns up and down the sides of the ship taking out turret after turret with the help of dozens of smaller 5 inch and 3 inch guns at point blank range. The missiles swarming from launchers in the cooling fins was more spectacular than the Sims had ever shown.

Jack had never seen such a display of raw power before and started screaming. “You go get those bitches! Pound the cocksuckers!” But then he realized that not even the torpedoes were penetrating more than the outer hull even as devastating as they were to the Godships defenses.

The Destroyer made several passes until the Godship had no more guns left. The Destroyer taking several good hits but because of its thick leading edge armor and modular construction it was still battle worth. Taking up a blocking position toward the exit now behind the Godship as it poured its sickly yellow 8 inch guns into its stern. Now out of both torpedoes and missiles.

“No don’t stop there. They will know the exit is in that direction you idiot.” Jack yelled at the screen. “Damn it!”

Custern turned to look at Jack screaming at his screen and then looked own at his as Jack cursed the single star Admiral for not letting him upgrade the Destroyer guns of his wing.

“The damn upgraded 8 inch guns would have made short work of that fucking ship by now you complete ass nine moron self-righteous ass hole!” Jack pounded the canopy over his head as something drifted down across the screen as he stared at the attacking Destroyer. The object getting in his way.

Grabbing it he started to fling it across the cockpit and realized that it was the handle Custern had torn out of the side of the console. It resembled an old knife edged main switch bar he had seen in pictures. The ends of the bar were held in sockets on both ends that had been ripped out of the console. Looking more closely at it he realized that the sockets had clamps that must have been attached to large one inch thick wires on both sides. Someone had designed the assembly to be replaced. Probably when the knife switch wore out. Something that could not be done with solid state switches but then solid state switches never wore out. But then they did blowout with power spikes. Sometimes catastrophically blowing up a large part of the equipment or console with them. Not a good day for the console’s operator if the power spike was large enough.

Jack looked at the dead flight controls and back at the 6 inch wide foot long main power switch. Pulling himself up out of the cockpit he slid back over the top of the Weapons/sensor/engineering console in front of Custern that now watched him pass with vacant eyes though his head moved to follow him.

Jack dropped down to the hole in the lower cabinet of the console aft of Custern with his legs hanging up into the canopy. Custern looking down at Jack from his seat as Jack stuck his head up to the hole to look in, shining his hand light from his belt into it. Smiling jack looked up at the vacant eyes staring down at him. “We may not be dead after all Mr. Custern.” Jack carefully slid the switch back into the hole only to get kicked back across the narrow passageway into the side of the cockpit as a spark arced inside the cabinet.

“Damn that hurt.” Shaking his head Jack pulled himself back to the cabinet and carefully lined the switch up again with the inside wires and tried pushing it slowly into the hole only to be thrown across to hit the side of the cockpit again as an electrical arc flashed inside the console.

“Damn that could get addictive.” Jack said with his face still wracked with pain as he pulled himself back to the cabinet. He looked inside the hole again and then at the switch several times trying to figure out a better way to do it but finally shook his head and tried carefully lining it up again but this time he rammed it in as hard as he could only to be thrown away from the cabinet even harder as smoke poured out of the hole smelling of ozone.

Custern reached over grabbing a fire extinguisher and sprayed it into the hole. Then looking at Jack baffled. “We are dead human. Why do you waste time screaming and torturing yourself when you could be making peace with your Gods?”

Jack looked up at Custern and frowned. “For one thing most humans believe there is only one supreme God for everyone including you old chap. Try reading our bible some time. As for being dead. I am still breathing and in spite of your belief, so are you.” Jack looked back into the hole in the cabinet that still had the remnants of smoke coming out of it. Blowing into it trying to clear it.

“You really were not testing me? I do not understand the joke. Why would you joke about testing?”

“Because as I said, we do not kill for failing anything including tests.” Jack took a deep breath. “Please forgive me for being stupid about your beliefs. See how stupid it is for killing someone simply because they make a mistake. There wouldn’t be any humans left if we went around killing each other for simple mistakes. Hell, we have too many other reasons to kill each other than something as stupid as that.”

Jack slid the switch back into the hole only to get knocked back across the cockpit yet again.

Custern looked at the stunned human shaking his head as he grabbed the switch that was floating free. He took ahold of the switch handle with one hand and the assembly with the other and twisted the handle counter clockwise 90 degrees and pulled. The center portion of the assembly came out of a frame leaving only the frame with the one inch thick wire clamps. Then hitting his harness release the Gronk turned over taking up the same position Jack had been in with his feet up into the canopy as Jack watched still half stunned.

“As long as I don’t ground myself to anything witch my gloves and suit’s help, I should not follow your example but I may be wrong. But I don’t have to worry about being killed if I am wrong do I Human?”

“Aaa. Ya as long as you don’t barbecue yourself Custern. I did not know that damn thing came apart. My hands are smaller than yours, let me try putting it back in now the switch is not in place to arc.”

Custern looked down at the hole as disappointment flooded his mind.

“Tell you what Custern. You seem to know what you are doing so I will just butt out.” Jack pulled himself down the small passageway across the chair and into the pilot’s seat as the screen showed the Godship streaking past the Destroyer trying to block the passageway. The destroyer then having to dodge as the Godship tried to place its Blackhole’s from its drive engine close enough to the destroyer for them to suck the destroyer into the string of black holes or at least close enough for the explosion from the collapsing Blackhole at the end to damage or even kill the destroyer.

Jack gasped as he thought the Godship had succeeded in catching the destroyer with its engine. Closing his eyes with relief when the Destroyer turned and started shooting up the Godships ass while it followed at a safe distance.

The destroyer’s guns hitting the Blackhole’s started collapsing the fields that were supposed to hold them together until they were far enough away from the ship to prevent the explosion when they collapsed from damaging the ship. The resulting explosions that included the energy added from the gun fire engulfed the stern of the ship.

Jack had to smile as Blackhole’s started exploding as soon as they came out of the engine. Only thing was after tearing off the last hundred feet of the ship’s hull from around the casing of the engine, the exploding Blackholes stopped damaging the ship while not seeming to hurt the engine or slow it down as it exited the last passageway out of the cloud.

Not waiting around for anything else to happen the Godship started accelerating up out of the valley directly toward Jack and the bomber.

Jack turned around to see Custern with his hand stuffed inside the hole. Peering through the narrow space between his hand and the switch frame as he worked with Jack’s small hand light clenched in his teeth. Jack started to say something but thought better of it. The last thing his needed to do was upset the Gronk again simply because he said something wrong. They had a few minutes yet. He hoped.

Jack started strapping himself back down suddenly wishing he had not given in to sentimentality and done the job himself. He was going to have to work on letting the feelings of others influence his decisions. But then feeling other’s feelings or moods was still a bit shocking to him. Then remembering getting knocked across the cockpit several times simply because he did not know what the hell he was doing probably meant that letting Custer do the job was the smart thing and not so much sympathy or so he hoped.

Turning around to look over his shoulder he saw Custern just floating there looking into the hole with the frame in it while holding the handle of the knife edge busbar. “Damn it Custern. The Godship is out the gate and headed this way. We need to fire the torpedoes. Get it done already.”

Custern turned to look at Jack with a strange expression on his face as apprehension and even hope percolating from him. “I can’t guaranty it will hold long sir. They are only clamped together as best as I could without tools.”

“As long as we can launch our torpedoes I don’t care how long the switch holds Mr. Custern. Just get me power.”

Custern took a deep breath and plunged the switch assembly into the bracket and then turned the handle clockwise to seat it and power flooded into the systems bringing the Bomber back to life. The Gravity coils came on slamming Custern down onto the deck in a pile as Jack started punching in targeting information for the torpedoes.

Custern pulled himself up back into his seat and started helping. “I don’t understand how a torpedo designed to kill a city by dropping a hundred thousand projectiles across some 10 square miles can be used to destroy a ship sir. Even if each projectile hit creating a massive explosion from kinetic force alone. Most the projectiles won’t even hit the ship.” The Gronk continued to work as he puzzled over the problem. “What if I programmed the torpedo to concentrate the projectiles into one central mass a thousand feet across Captain? That way at least most of the projectiles would hit the ship if the torpedoes are accurate enough.”

Jack’s mind suddenly flashed with the specks of the torpedo warhead. He had taken it for granted that the torpedoes were the Neutron bombs he had seen on the top of the list for taking out the populations of whole cities. His mind racing trying to figure out why they would use a cluster bomb with a hundred thousand inert projectiles across a city and then it dawned on him. A Neutron bomb would still destroying part of the city covering some of the metal in that area of the city with radioactive fallout while leaving any protected bunkers and their solders and weapons inside unharmed. The mass of inert projectiles spread evenly across the city every few yards would destroy every living thing with concussion, penetrating all the hard targets including deep bunkers destroying the defenses and start the demolition of buildings and equipment while leaving all metals basically intact and easy to scoop up and salvage. Smart thinking but then they had been doing it for 10,000 years.

“Ya Custern, cluster the projectiles together please. But not too tight. We don’t know how close we are going to be able to get with them yet.”

Custern smiled as he looked up at the back of Jacks helmet as he thought for a few seconds. “I think I can program the warhead to vary the pattern of projectiles depending on where the target is when it detonates, deploying the projectiles. Insuring that as many projectiles as possible hit the ship sir.”

Jack started to say no, but then a hundred battles flashed through his mind that were lost because Commanders refused to us the best weapons available to them to their full capabilities for fear they would not work or had not understood those capabilities. In this case Jack understood what the possibility was for increasing the number of hits but he feared that Custer could not program the change effectively. Swallowing as another beat of his heart thumped he said. “Ya sure Custer, just make sure it works.” Realizing he had stuck his foot in his mouth yet again. “And no I am not going to execute you if it doesn’t work like we think it should. Just get the torpedoes up to as high a velocity as possible before they fragment.”

Jack left programming the warhead to Custern while he went back to figuring out the attack profile needed to assure the best chance of a hit. He was able to calculate the acceleration of the ship at only a hundred Gee’s which was slow but figured the ship would be using its full capabilities trying to escape the Destroyer and the horde of fighters he could now see coming out of the passageway behind it. So he wasn’t worried about it suddenly jumping its acceleration. Evidentially they had done some damage to the engine.

“Fighters coming behind the Godship?” Custern just looking up thought they might be from the Godship itself until the IFF’s started coming back as friendlies.

Jack studied the IFF just to make sure he was right about the fighters and one of them even jumped out at him as being the Ensign bringing a smile to his face. They must have left the ship long before he did to make it here by now and he knew that was impossible.

“Torpedo’s ready to launch Captain.” Came Custern’s voice interrupting Jack trying to figure out how the fighters had gotten there so fast. Jack looked down at his attack profile with the estimated warhead deployment added. The Destroyer and fighters would be right in the middle of the swarm of projectiles that missed the ship. His finger hovered in front of the firing trigger on his stick.

Then saying a prayer with his eyes closed Jack took a fast breath. The instruments flickered threatening to go out completely as Jack pulled the trigger before the whole bomber lost power again. The surge of power launching the torpedo blowing the switch.

Then hitting his comm. “All unites I am attacking get the hell out from around the target now. Retreat!” Jack yelled the last into a dead dark cockpit as the two torpedoes rushed away. Their exhausts bucking the ship around as they picked up speed headed down toward the target. Both torpedoes spreading out to attack on different vectors to insure that at least one of them scored hits. Though Jack was sure that if the Godship could not increase its acceleration above 100 gee’s the majority of both torpedo’s projectiles would hit the ship. How much damage they would do was another story that was up in the air with no written ending yet.

The emergency screens came back on showing the torpedoes streaking toward the approaching Godship with the squadron of fighters and the Destroyer swarming around the ship making constant attacks. Not seaming to have heard his orders to flee and run for their lives.

Turning around careening his neck. “Custern, get me power damn it! NOW!”

Custern was out of his seat and upside down in seconds as he twisted the handle and pulled. The whole unit coming out in his hand instead of just the switch followed by a cloud of smoke. A whole section was burnt and melted. “I don’t think there is much I can do with this Captain.” Shaking his head sadly. “Fixing this switch is what got me slaved in the first place Sir.” Looking from the switch to Jack. “Only techs are allowed to fix anything.” Taking a deep breath. “My bomber was flying over a planet on patrol and I heard a pop as we lost power. A little smoke came out from around the switch as the bomber started to fall out of the sky. Not an uncommon occurrence that had sparked much debate across the squadrons as to why since no one was ever able to communicate during or survived the plunge. It did not take much to realize what the problem probably was but the maintenance Officers said that was impossible.”

Custern took a deep breath and sighed. “I had watched maintenance Dwarfs change that switch several times when it had failed in orbit. So I took the switch out and managed to plug the wire back in a few seconds before we hit the ground and of course the pilot reported me. The next thing I knew I was being dragged in and out of the pods for battle practice not expecting to live each time I came out again yet not dying and then you came along.” Climbing back into his chair. “When I thought you were testing me Captain I just could not accept the possibility of knowing that I could die at any moment for no reason again. I just could not live like that again.”

“That is ok Custern, I could not live like that either.” Jack watched the torpedoes racing toward the target that was so busy with the fighters and the destroyer that it did not even notice the torpedoes coming at it. Did not look like they were even going to try to avoid them. Jack had to force himself to breath as the torpedoes closed with the Godship gaining velocity. With the God Ship not even maneuvering but trying to out run the attacking fighters and Destroyer that did not seem able to do any serious damage to it as the stray turret occasionally come back to life to send streaks of gun fire back at the attackers before being knocked out again, Jack knew that the torpedoes attacking from two sharply different angles would cut a swath through half the fighters and even take out the destroyer if it was in the right place at the wrong time in its attacks. He even stood a good chance of losing the Ensign because of his launching the torpedoes since she seemed to be making twice the number of attacks as anyone else. But he knew if he hadn’t, the ship would have certainly gotten away, dooming the rest of humanity. Not that it was a sure thing the torpedoes could take out the Godship even if they hit but they were their only chance at stopping it now.

Jack started to curse Custern for taking out the damn main power switch but knew it would only result in the Gronk taking his own life for something that was entirely Jack’s fault. Jack suddenly wondered how many of the dozen ex-slave suicides over the last few months were from humans making innocent comments that were taken the wrong way. He was going to have to have a few talks with a few people and figure out how to nip that problem before they lost anyone else or God Forbid one of them did something that took half the ship with them in their despair.

Jack tried not to think as the torpedoes streaked their last few miles toward the Godship and suddenly detonated spreading their load of projectiles toward the Godship at a fraction of the speed of light. Then as the two clouds of projectiles reached the Godship, Jack saw the fighters suddenly appear streaking away from the target with the destroyer well clear going in the same direction as the God ship but far out ahead headed directly for the little Bomber.

The Godship simply stopped existing. No explosion. No big bang. It just was not there any longer. The only thing left as the clouds of projectiles continued on their way was a new cloud of debris drifting slowly apart still going in the direction the ship had been going.

Forty five minutes later the Ensign was canopy to canopy to Jack’s bomber with the short range Comms coming in loud and clear. The destroyer only another couple hours from joining them to strap the bomber to its belly and getting Jack and Custern out before heading back to the Battleship.

The Ensign smiled across the few feet separating them. “What’s your problem Captain Jack? Your ship looks undamaged except for some burning on your leading armor. You taking a vacation?”

“Yap quite a view if you ask me. It’s going to be the hot spot for vacations in a few years. Everyone will want to come.” The Ensign chuckled with shocked looks from Custern as Jack continued. “No we had a problem with a power coupling. You had me worried that my torpedoes’ would catch you all as close as you guys were staying to that damn Godship.”

“Well Cap, we had to make sure he didn’t see your torpedoes in time to get out of their way. They certainly did a number on that ship. Never saw a warhead like that used against a ship before. Fact is I expected a big bang. Talking about a disappointment.”

“Ya I was looking forward to the fireworks too. What’s a vacation spot with no fireworks? You can pick the vacation spot next time but it better have better fireworks.”

“Only if you are there love.”

“Hey watch it. We are on an open channel. But I have to admit not having you here with me made this one a drag. Though I have to admit it was rather educational.”

“Well don’t go running off without me next time. I am still mad at you for running off this time.” Jack gave her his finger as she continued. “Which brings up another topic. How did you get here so fast anyway?”

Jack smiled shaking his head. “We figured out how to use the fighters Buzzard coils to clear a path through the clouds. When you get back to base I will fill you in.”

“Ok then. Where did the rest of your squadron get off to?”

“Well when we figured out how to us the Buzzard coils they were already in their ionized come dead zones. Hopefully 3 of them will show up in another hour and the rest in another 5 or six. I came on ahead luckily.”

“Why you damn… Here I thought you at least had a squadron around you and you go and leave them behind?” Shaking her head. “I can’t leave you alone for one second can I? Does your Gronk fly?”

“What?” Jack stared at the silent Ensign staring back at him through their canopies. Shaking his head as he rolled his eyes Jack turned to Custern. “You ever fly one of these things or a fighter?”

Custern looked around trying to figure out if it was a trap or something. Fear washing across the Gronk’s mind as he stared at the Jack. Jack shook his head and smiled. “You aren’t in any trouble but I have never heard of maintenance and weapons crews not spending time in the ships simms flying and even a few piloting when patrols get really bored depending on the pilot. So have you at least spent time in the simulator flying?”

“Grrrr.” Custern had to force himself to answer truthfully instead of simply not saying anything. “Yes Sir. I have hundreds of hours in the Simms flying both bombers and fighters. I really have not kept track of it. But I have never flown for real.”

“Good, seal your helmet up. You can fly the Ensign’s fighter back to the Battleship.”

The ensign already had her canopy popped when Jack popped his allowing the Ensign to take Custern over and get him buckled in properly and checked out to make sure he knew the controls before turning him lose.

The Ensign’s shadow Gronk sliding his fighter up to see what was going on.

The Ensign hit her comm. “Wing Commander Klink, you did a wonderful job with me. See if you can do as well with one of your own. We need pilots and I would bet that most of your weapons officers have had a lot of time in your Simms. It is easier to train weapons officers than pilots so figure out how to get them up to speed as quickly as possible. And we will talk about recruiting new weapons officers when we get back to the ship.” The Ensign turned to Jack and smiled as she climbed into the cockpit of the Bomber. “By your Command Captain.” The Ensign said as the canopy closed and air started rushing in.

Wing Commander Klink growled deep in his throat as he looked from the Ensign to the lowly weapons officer now sitting in the cockpit of one of his fighters. He had sent more than one weapons officer to the slaves after finding them in the pilot’s seat or in a Sim. Now after being a slave himself, the ensign was forcing him to look at what he had done thousands of years before and up until that instant had not thought twice about it. Still not trusting himself to answer the Ensign or the Captain when he said, “Carry on.” Wing Commander Klink took a deep breath and said. “Well trainee if you scratch my ship I will skin you alive. Let’s start with a nice and gentle push with reverse thrusters to get you away from the Bomber and then we will see what you know.” Turning to Captain Turner. “Captain Sir. With your permission we will stop by one of the support transports serving as operational basses to practice dockings and landings before heading for the ship. Which actually is a good idea. I will spend the rest some time training this one and the other recruits with some easy practice operations from the forward basses before returning to the ship.”

“That is fine Wing Commander that is your prerogative. You are in charge of training now. Just remember that everyone makes mistakes while training. Don’t expect him to be perfect. You can drill the rough spots out in the Sims when you get back to the Ship. He only has to get the fighter home. Oh and the other thing, weapons/engineers are going to be expected to help with maintenance from now on so they can make minor repairs in flight instead of red lining a bomber in the middle of a mission when a simple repair would keep it in the fight. So I expect to be looking to maintenance crewmen for volunteers for the weapons crewmen positions along with the refugees. Think about it on the flight back and get with me to discuss any problems you see or changes you want to make. Have fun Wing Commander Klink.” Jack smiled hoping Custern performed well on the trip back. As the Ensign had already figured out. It would make filling the fighter and bombers pilot ranks a whole lot easier and quicker. Trainees with several hundred hours in Sims ware damn near pilots already if the Sim programs were any good.

Jack watched the two fighters disappear in the distance and then glanced down at the screen showing the Destroyer still at least an hour away to as it maneuvered to catch up to them. The canopy had already sealed with the cockpit pressurized as he turned around to look at the Ensign who was already stripping off her suit.

“What the hell is taking you so long fly boy. I will teach you to go off without me. Or do you like male Gronks now?”

Jack pulled her close locking lips with her as she started unfastening his suit. After thinking that he had lost her he was in just as much a hurry as she was.”

Chapter 5; Bad maintenance

Jack walked into the bridge to the announcement, “Captain on the Bridge!” Not only did he hate that but to him the Bridge was really strange looking. Part of the strangeness was the fact that months before, that whole section of the ship had been gutted by his ship the Red Pepper during the cloud battle when they had ambushed the Spider Battle ship and then at point blank range crossed three of their four captured monster Godgun’s beams inside this section of the ship to create an explosion that would have destroyed any Republic ship easily yet only took out some 30 Godofficer Command decks on the Spider Battleship. But then no Republic ship was over a mile long with a half dozen huge shield decks stacked up out front for a bow or had such thick hulls. The other stange thing was that the consoles circling the Captains Command Chair were facing toward the Captain and not outward toward the enemy as were Republic ships. For some reason the Godofficers liked to look at their officers and not what they were doing. Not that the Command chair didn’t have plenty of screens and controls around it but Jack just hated having the entire bridge crew staring at him when they were not looking down at their own screens on their consoles.

Yes he knew that the Alien crew had worked hard to finish the Bridge in time for him to use moving their ship around the bubble to the Hulk Base so he was trying his best to use it. He just hated it even though there was a constant stream of aliens in and out bursting with pride at the Gift they had given their liberator. Not that they were a nuisance as big as the bridge and the park around it was. The tourists never got close enough to bother operations from the balcony that ran around the circumference of the huge compartment but the balcony seemed to always be full when he was on the deck giving him the willies. Besides he could not believe the God Officers had allowed a balcony around their bridge for tourist anyway even though Pan assured him that the bridge was mostly a copy of the God Officer’s Bridge altered for humans.

Still, walking across a hundred feet of open space before reaching the first circle of control/monitoring consoles was made stranger by the damn art work and park like setting around the bridge area itself that even included a damn hot tub and whirlpool and workout equipment scattered around the parks paths and statues. Additional Captain’s chairs and control consoles were scattered around the park as well, including one in the middle of a damn swimming pool. Some of the pieces of equipment for the Captain’s enjoyment that were scattered around the park looked so strange that Jack did not even want to know what they did.

What made the whole thing worse was the Captain’s quarters just through a hatch off to one side of the bridge was fit for a king with at least a dozen lavishly appointed rooms including a Zero gravity bed and enough servants to boggle his mind following him everywhere trying to serve him every time he turned around including sitting on the heads command chair trying to take a dump. Though the huge pantry only contained a few emergency bars and food pills for the 3 chefs to serve. Conference rooms, a ball room and party compartment as well as two court rooms (though one looked more like a thrown room) along with a dozen other rooms he could not even figure out what they were for, were through additional hatches circling the damn huge Bridge/Park Compartment.

It had taken Jack a week to get rid of all the servants and be able to take a shower without a string of strange creatures trying to wash his back and other parts. The servant that showed up when the Ensign and he were getting frisky in the shower to help them copulate was beyond creepy. Having to find productive work for the servants elsewhere without making them feel and appear failures for being kicked out of the Captains Quarters had Jack about ready to desert running back to the Red Pepper. Though by the time they were half way to the Hulkship Station, Jack had managed to talk Pan into taking out 90% of the lavish appointments for the Captain and at least get it looking more like a Republic Naval Captain’s quarters (well probably more like the Supreme Admiral’s). Still it was livable. The fact that Jack was bouncing back and forth between the Battleship and the Hulk Station in fighters every few days helped him keep his sanity as well with the Captain’s quarters getting smaller and more acceptable each time he returned. Though they could not do anything about the bridge itself while it was in use navigating the ship in the narrow clear band of space around the Bubble. The fact that they were controlling some 22 Destroyers mounted around the stern of the hull made interrupting the bridges operations in anyway impossible.

While the bridge and Captain’s quarters were an irritation, Jack found that his biggest headache was the destroyers themselves. They were not 24 hours into the voyage around the bubble after cutting the last Godgun out of the mass of rocks on the surface of the bubble when the first destroyer started losing power in its engines.

Walking the first time out through the hole cut into the thick hull of the Battleship, through the short tube connected to the Quarterdeck lock in the belly of the Destroyer, Jack was amazed at the Battleships crews ability to get the impossible done. And then Jack turned 90 degrees to stand upright as he climbed into the Destroyer’s lock and stopped at all the filth and rust covering the lock with half the equipment and fittings inside the lock looking like junk with corrosion everywhere even if everything seemed to work. Saluting the flag and the officer of the deck before asking permission to come aboard Jack could only shake his head in amazement. Then climbing up two decks to the Destroyers Main deck’s central passageway that ran from the stern to the bow, Jack tried to maintain his temper.

The ship’s Captain Jack met and shook hands with as he stepped out onto the main deck was a good ten years older than him but then that was expected since Jack had barely turned 19 when he was shoved into Command of the Red Pepper’s hulk simply because the Admiral had no one else. He had still yet to make it to The Rock as ordered. And now Jack was here to find out why this Captain could not keep his engines running at full power.

Jack fingered his Lieutenant Commanders insignia etched on the end of his name plaque as he noticed the full Commanders insignia next to the other Captain’s name plaque on his chest. The Captain’s silver oak leaves on both their collars with a bare under them said that they were both acting captains. The fact that Jack had been only a Lieutenant Commander for a few hours when given Command of the Red Pepper while the man before him was a full Commander with two years in the grade made Jack feel all too incompetent to criticize the Captain. But then half his Command staff on the Red Pepper were full Commanders or full rank Captains that refused to take Command of the ship from him after they were rescued from several God battleships by Jack’s crew, even though he practically begged them to. Now the lives of some 90,000 new rescued refugees and slaves as well as half his original crew were counting on the Drive Engines of the 22 Destroyers attached to the Battleship and he could not allow a Captain that did not seem able to Command a simple Destroyer with a crew of just over a hundred to jeopardize their lives.

Jack introduced his Chief Engineer (a full rank Captain’s Oakleaf next to his name with Commanders pips on his collar with a bar above them showing his brevet rank while serving at the post) and shook hands with the Destroyer’s Chief Engineer that had lieutenants bars on his collars and next to his name on his chest (as expected).

The ship’s Captain turned to a rating that was walking past that saluted the Captain’s respectfully and instead of returning his salute he started screaming at the rating.

“What is your problem Second Class Whim? How many fucking times do I have to tell you that I will not tolerate dirty uniforms on my ship?” The Captain flicked his finger at a smudge on the sleeve of the electronics tech. “Get your butt to birthing and change that uniform immediately. You are already on report now. Don’t make it any worse.”

“But sir I was in the middle of repairing…” The tech started to hold up a plastic wrapped module in his hand but stopped at his Captain’s look. “Yes sir. Right away sir.” The rating turned and went back the way he had come pissed.”

“Too late Whimp. No chow tonight for back talking me.”

Jack knew the piece of equipment that rating was working on probably would not get repaired that day. “Shall we head for the engine room Captain?” Jack moved things along since he had just gotten a report as they climbed up the ladder from the quarterdeck that another Destroyer had been added to the list of DD’s that had dropped down to half thrust or worse.

The Captain dressed down another rating and then an ensign for failing to have his crew keep a spotless work space he had noticed earlier. All before they had traveled a hundred feet to the engine room.

In the port engine room Jack looked at the spotlessly clean, perfectly ordered space and the row of crewmen hurriedly lined up next to the hatch in descending height, regulation space between them in a perfectly straight line. Before the Captain turning red could yell at a rating trying to hide a cleaning rag stuffed into his back pocket, Jack turned to the closest crewman and smiled. “Where are the mass injectors Crewman Riggs?”

The young man’s face that looked 17, turned baffled. “Aaa.” Swallowing as he looked at his first class and then his Chief before his face lit up and he pointed at the end of the long engine that disappeared toward the stern. “On the engine Captain, Sir.”

Jack ignored the pointed finger. It was pointed at the wrong end of the engine. “Yes Crewman Riggs, but where on the engine?”

The crewman’s face fell into indecision. Jack stepped to the next Crewman. “Can you tell me where the reaction mass injectors are Crewman Plat?”

Crewman Plat smiled. “On the front of the engine sir.”

“Good, crewman Plat. And what on the front of the engine are they attached to?”

Her eyes shifted around starting to panic before her face lit up and she said with pride. “They are attached to the front of the coil core sir.”

“Very good crewman Plat. Now can you tell me where the spare nozzles are kept?”

“Spar nozzles sir?”

“Yes, the things the injectors use to squirt the reaction mass into the engine that need replaced every few thousand hours of operation if they are installed and maintained properly and the engine properly tuned. If not they burn out and the Engine starts losing power after only a few hundred hours.”

“Replaced Captain?”

Jack closed his eyes as he counted to five. Then turned to the ship’s Captain. “With your permission I will leave my Chief Engineer to finish checking things down here. I would love a tour of your ship Captain. I helped design these and it would be a great pleasure to actually see and touch one in real life. Nothing like the feel of hard metal.” Jack did not wait for the Captain to agree as he walked out of the engine room. He knew what the problem was without further investigation after the reports he had received from the Hulk Station when the other squadron had docked for repairs. At least it was not anything serious. With Jacks bragging about being the ship’s designer wiping off the look of contempt the Captain had worn after glancing at Jacks Lieutenant Commander’s insignia on his chest when they first shook hands. Even though the Temp. Captain’s Eagles on their collars while commanding a ship made them equals. Now the look of incredulity that settled on his face was little better even if it did silence any complaints for the moment.

Jack went straight to the Simm Compartment that was made from a section of the original birthing Compartments leaving the crew to bunk 36 to a compartment in 3 high bunks instead of many spacious cabins with 4 crewmen in roomy paired bunks. Sitting down in the number 1 Simm at the front of the compartment’s forward side, Jack typed in his command code and shook his head at the list of the games the crew had been using the Simms for. Most were civilian games from simple solitaire card games, simple Bubble drop style games, first person shooting games and a lot of Casino gambling games. Only a few accessed, The Battleship Crew Training Game (or The Game). Recording the names of The Battleship Crew Game players and their Game ranks, Jack shook his head as the ship’s Captain watched Jack delete and lock all the civilian games out leaving only, The Battleship Game (simply called, The Game, aboard Navy ships).

“What the hell are you doing? You can’t do that. The Crew can play anything they want when not on duty. I am one of the top players of Combat Duty and the Casino.”

Jack got up looked around at the many unhappy crewmen now sticking their heads out of the sim cubicles and smiled at the Captain. “Shall we go someplace we can talk Captain. You don’t want your crew to hear what I have to say.”

“You have nothing I want to hear or talk about Lieutenant Commander.” He sneered. “I don’t believe for one second you designed this ship.”

“The next time you step on your bridge, take a look at the builder’s etchings under the forward screen Captain.” Jack smiled. “Now, you are docked and locked to my ship and since I am technically a Base Commander I out rank you and technically ending your authority as Captain until I release your ship Commander. Now if you want, I have 5 full rank Captains under my command authority ready for a Full Captain’s Board as to your competency for Command and a whole bunch of Commanders that would love to take your place. Shall we adjourn to your cabin Captain? And I mean Captain only as a courtesy at the moment that is about to change if you say one more derogatory word in public.”

The Captain’s mouth dropped open as he started to say something only to freeze. He suddenly remembered the full Captain evidentially willingly serving as this Lieutenant Commanders Chief Engineer. He jerked around and headed forward practically stomping. The Captain’s viciously dressing down several more crewmen on the way forward.

Jack shut the hatch after following the Captain into his cabin and stood as the man jumped into the plush chair behind the large desk making sure Jack could not get to it. Motioning Jack to a rickety chair in front of the desk. Jack ignored the chair and stayed standing.

“Now I don’t know how you made Commander but my short few minutes with you dressing down damn near every crewman we met over minor discrepancies mostly concerning cleanliness to the point of intimidating your crew into catatonic inaction, confirms the rank you have in The Game. Only an ensign would insist that everyone have starched poster recruit uniforms during the working day and everything on the main deck be clean enough to eat off of and polished bright enough to see themselves, even the engine room decks. Thinking that spick and span meant perfect performance. You have harassed your crew into stupidity. Banishing a crewmen from the chow line because of a spot on their sleeve hours before chow call is ridiculous. I can just imagine half your crew going hungry most days over such stupidity in the chow line itself. Explaining why your ship is such a pretty pile of shiny junkyard crap in half the ship and the rest just rusted junk yard crap.”

“Respect and discipline must be reinforced and maintained through cleanliness’ for one’s self and their ship.” Blustered the Captain.

“Yes, said like a true fucking moronic Ensign. Evidentially somehow you were handed Commander’s Oak leaves without the years of proper training even as a lieutenant.” Jack said shaking his head as he crossed his arms across his chest. “Now Captain, if you want to continue in Command of this ship, you will spend the next month while attached to my ship spending 12 and 16 hours a day in The Game, learning to become a competent Commander. Notice I did not say Captain. Captains take years to become competent. Time you do not have at the moment but luckily a Competent Commander can Command a Destroyer with a crew of a hundred or so.” Jack took a deep breath. “Your engineering crew will spend the next week monopolizing the rest of the Simm booths re-learning what you have spent the last 6 months trying to drive out of them and that is how to maintain their propulsion engines while the Chief and part of my crew help. The rest of your crew will fill the rest of the time slots relearning their jobs as well over the next month. Later today I will give you a list of reassignments for your officers putting them into jobs they should have had to begin with that includes a new First Officer.”

The Destroyers Captain’s mouth started opening and closing without saying anything as he started turning red.

Jack leaned across the big desk putting his knuckles on the glass surface with his nose only inches from the Commanders. “Of course if you do not like these terms Commander, we can go straight to a Captains Competency board. I am sure my Chief engineer is pissed off enough at you by now to make sure you never step foot on a ship again as even an Ensign.” Jack smiled at him and turned, stepping to the hatch glancing at his wrist comm. “I am a busy man Commander, if I don’t see you on The Game in 10 minutes I will call that Board and my marines to have you delivered in chains and if you do not average 14 hours a day on The Game every day while locked to my ship, The Game will call the Board and the marines for me automatically. You’re not going to have time to harass this ship’s crew anymore Commander if you want to stay in Command. That includes after you leave my little hellhole, you will be required to spend 6 hours a day in The Game until it decides you are fit to Command. You can’t out run a competency board Commander if The Game decides to call one.” Jack studied the Commander for a few seconds. “Smile Commander, I just insured you will even Command a Battleship one day and may even get a star. That is if you don’t crap out before we reach the Hulk base. You aren’t lazy Commander, just stupid but that is fixable with training.”

Jack left the cabin and headed off the ship. Meeting his Engineering Chief at the lock as he was giving the Lieutenant arriving from the Red Pepper’s maintenance crew instructions. Then they headed for the next ship on Jacks list were he found basically the same thing.

The lock at the fifth ship the next day was empty. No Quarterdeck officer or rating in sight. On the way back to the engine rooms they passed several half-dressed ratings that squeezed past them without hardly noticing the two officers let alone saluting them. One was busy on her phone gossiping. Neither engine room had a sole in them with a deck that had not been swept in what looked like a few weeks and trash half hidden in the corners and around equipment. Tools lay where they had last been used. A piece of equipment off to the side was half torn apart with a couple of spare parts boxes next to it and an open tool box on the other side. A quick examination of the injectors at the head of the engine found several running hot and a few burnt nozzles lying next to the engine haphazardly on the deck that should have been changed long before they were.

Stepping into Engineering’s Main Control Room between the engines with large windows overlooking each of them and the main Fusion Generator room aft between the engines, Jack found a First class rating engrossed in a disposable magazine screen of Playboy, reading and chuckling at the joke pages with the naked voluptuous pinup coyly starring out of the main screen of engineering. His legs propped up on the central Control Console.

Jack walked across from the open hatch that was supposed to be shut at all times while underway without the rating seeming to notice as he kept chuckling. Stopping several steps from the rating Jack “Coughed,” to get the ratings attention only to have him finish the joke he was reading and chuckling again before looking up and saying with a smile. “How can I help you aaa Captain?” Glancing at the Engineering Chief. “Commander?” Without taking his feet off the console or looking the least bit worried about what he had been doing.

Jack did his best not to look as mad as he felt as he smiled back. “Where is your Engineering Chief, Engine man Boggs? Get him for me please.”

Looking around toward the offices along the back side of the control room the First Class smiled. “Looks like he is out for the moments Sir. Probably up getting lunch or something. He should be back in a little while. An hour at most I would suppose but maybe not. Hard telling Sir.” Then went back to reading his magazine. “You should read the latest issue’s Joke pages Sir. They are hilarious.” Holding the screen up for Jack to see the page and noticing the date at the bottom of the screen. “Well, the latest issue we have even if it is a few months old. Wouldn’t be surprised if you have already read them Sir. What did you think about the one…?”

Jack reached down as he stepped forward grabbing the First Class by the collar and dragging him up out of the Chair and onto his feet placing his nose an inch from the man’s nose as the magazine screen went flying across the deck. “You will stand and come to attention when a superior officer inters the compartment First Class Boggs or you will be Spaceman Boggs by the end of the day. Now I have given you an order to find your Engineering Officer for me to talk to and you will comply with that order immediately or you will be looking at my Brigg, first Class Boggs. I will ignore your outright disrespect for me and my Chief Engineer as well your dereliction of duty and flouting of navel regulations for reading none military publications while on watch for the moment but don’t push your luck. Now find your Engineering Chief and tell him I want to see him immediately. Then do the same for your Captain.” Taking a breath as he stared into the man’s eyes from only inches away. “Do you understand my orders First Class Boggs?”

“Ya, ye, yes Sir.” The man stammered.

Jack let him go and stepped back as the First Class pounded the Comm screen on the console yelling for the Engineering Chief.

A lieutenant came rushing in a few minutes later buttoning up his blouse as he ran.

Coming to attention in front of Jack the lieutenant saluted and said. “Lieutenant Quincy reporting as ordered Captain. How can I help you?”

“You can start by telling me why your engines are only producing half their rated thrust while eating twice their rated mass?”

“Aaa Sir. The engines need tuning and the burned injector nozzles replaced sir.”

Jack smiled. “Good, it is not because you don’t know what is wrong. So tell me why you have not tuned your engines and replaced the burnt nozzles?”

“It is on our maintenance schedule Captain. We will replace a few of the burnt nozzles next week and do the tune up starting the week after that on the Port Engine.”

“Just the Port engine? Why are you not changing your nozzles today Lieutenant?”

“That is just what they are scheduled at sir.” Hitting the control screen and replacing the pinup doll with the maintenance schedule screen. “Chill Captain Sir, we will get to them as the schedule dictates.”

“Mr. Quincy.” Jack forced himself to keep calm. “By the time you get around to addressing the problems with your engines you will be lucky to be producing a quarter of your rated thrust even if you could stuff anymore mass down your engines’ throats. Not to mention that I need your engines running at their rated thrust now not next month. Now go get your men and get to work changing nozzles and tuning up your engines before I court-martial you for dereliction of duty.” Jack knew that he actually did not have a leg to stand on ordering another Captain’s crew around but he could not wait for channels when he would fix that now. Turning to the First Class. “You get me your Captain Yet?”

“Yes sir. He suggests you come to his cabin if you want to talk to him. Otherwise get off his ship.”

Jack left the Main Engineering Control seething. Heading forward he approached the ship’s mess deck and started smelling food. A dozen different tantalizing smells wafting down the passageway from the galley ahead.

Stepping through the hatch Jack came to a shocking stop beside a desert counter filled with a half dozen different hot pies, donates, pastries and an ice-cream machine to one side. Every few seconds someone with a loaded tray of food would walk past him from the serving counter. The sight and smell of Barbecued Chicken still sizzling on the platter made his stomach turn as his head swam. He reached out to steady himself on the dessert counter.

A woman said, “Excuse me Captain”, as she reached around him to grab a plate of hot able pie off the counter shelf from under the warming lamps, dropped a blob of soft ice-cream on the top of it and walked back to her table not giving Jack a second look.

Jack looked down at the plate of brownies sitting next to his hand and without thinking he reached over and grabbed one and stuffed a big bight in his mouth and closed his eyes as he chewed. It seemed like he had not tasted anything so delicious in decades. Before he knew it, the brownie was gone and his hand fell on a banana hanging on the rack next to the brownies. He had not seen a fresh banana in 6 months let alone eaten one and before he knew it he had taken a bight of it as he closed his eyes again in bliss as he chewed and swallowed. Taking another bight without thinking his stomach rumbled as he inhaled half the banana. Then suddenly the sight of the woman’s body sitting in the morgue that had been so hungry she had stolen some alien food that poisoned her the day before, flashed in front of him and he suddenly was disgusted with himself. The Doctor pumping her stomach too late to get all the poisons out of her system in time. Not having a clue what was in the food that was poisoning her did not help.

Jack turned toward the food waste bins next to the scullery at the exit to the mess deck to throw the offending half eaten banana and peel away in disgust, the bins half full of good food brought Jack up short as he watched several crewmen in a row scraping the food from platters that were still half full of food into the garbage before slipping the trays through the slot to be washed.

Jack tossed the half-eaten banana into the trash in shock and then walked through the middle of the mess compartment as the shear waste started pissing him off. Suddenly the fact that the crew could not even offer the simplest of courtesies due a Captain as he passed them bothered him for the first time. Exiting through the forward hatch Jack walked along the crews’ mess waiting line for the serving counter. One or two acknowledged him with a smile and a node but most ignored him as they talked amongst themselves. Most complaining about the food, to spicy or not spicy enough, the potatoes a little lumpy or the salad was a little wilted. One crewman complained the cottage cheese tasted funny the night before while another crewman was wanting to get a petition going to get Chocolate chip Pineapple Swirl Cheesecake ice-cream served. The last crewman that just joined the line complained that it was steak and lobster night for dinner later as Jack stepped through the hatch into the ladder trunk up to Officers Country and the Captain’s cabin just aft of the bridge.

Jack stopped outside the Captain’s cabin’s hatch and forced himself not to pound on it. Taking a breath Jack knocked and then went in without waiting though he heard, “Enter.” As he opened the hatch.

Jack stopped in the open hatch to see a conference table full of food with the much overweight Captain with several chins at the far end in the middle of taking a bight out of a huge drum stick as juices dripped down his cheek onto the bib napkin. The man took up most of the end of the table in is over sized chair. Four hundred pounds at least popped into his head at the sight of the fat the uniform did not hide.

Then a second later Jack realized that he knew that Captain. His father had dealt with him many times as the two Tramp family transports had met over the years. His father called him Captain Slime bucket when he talked about him back on the Turner Joy. Said he would screw his own daughter out of her last dime and not think twice about it. Jack could not remember the exact details but his father had always gotten pissed after each time he had to deal with the man. Jack did remember very well how the captain’s family ship seemed to be broke all the time yet the Captain seemed to gain weight each time he saw him and this time was no exception. Trying to figure out how the Captain had gotten a commission in the Navy and a combat ship the Captain raised his arm up motioning to the empty seat at the opposite end of the table.

“Come in Captain and join my merry band for lunch. I hear your ship is running a little low on supplies so dig in and enjoy yourself before you go.”

Jack stepped forward grabbing onto the back of the chair without sitting down as he forced a smile. “Why thank you Captain Tweed. But I would hate to deprive your crew of any of your supplies. No sense in everyone starving.”

The officers around the table started laughing as they looked at each other sharing a secret as Captain Tweed spoke. “No need to worry about that Captain, we have plenty. Sit and enjoy the best food in the fleet.”

Jack suddenly remembered why the Turner Joy had even dealt with Captain Tweed’s ship. Tramps always traded cargo and contracts around when they met. Sending the partial loads on ships that did not need to make detours to make the deliveries. Cutting down costs for all the ships concerned. The problem was that Captain Tweed’s Tramp ship always threw banquets for the Tramp ships around them when at the ports. The fact that after the banquet and plenty of liquor, most the ships left with lowball contracts (receiving far below the going segment rate) if not free, that many times included taking cargo far out of the ships original scheduled systems on their course. With Captain Tweed’s ship coming off much the better in most of the exchanges leaving with the best paying cargo aboard most of the time on short hauls to the best planets. Jack seemed to remember Captain Tweed using the excuse that his engines were worn out to talk ships into taking loads they normally would not even touch while the Captain made off with at least one or two of the Trampship’s high paying short haul cargos.

Suddenly Jack understood why the Captain was in no hurry to keep his engines well maintained. Betting to himself that Captain Tweed missed out on a lot of patrol assignments because of it. Fact is his ship was the first to get attached to the Battleship with the Destroyer low on reaction mass. Jack had originally took it for granted that the DD had used its fuel patrolling but now that he knew its Captain he doubted that.

“Yes I can see you have the best food in the fleet. So maybe you would not mind sharing some of that with my crews on the ships and stations since you have plenty. Something besides emergency bars and pills would do wonders for my crews moral.”

Captain Tweed started coughing as something went down the wrong tube. The rest of his officers looked at Jack in shock that he would even suggest any such thing.

It took Captain Tween a couple of minutes to recover as several senior officers jumped up and started pounding his back as he bent over to the side to clear his lungs before he finally looked up at Jack and smiled as he took another deep breath. “Well now Captain Turner. I see you take after your father in more ways than just looks. He always has a way of getting to the point looking after not only his ship’s best interests but sticking his nose into other ships businesses. But tell you what, I think we can afford to give away a couple grates of MRE’s (Meals Ready to Eat).” His officers started laughing again. After they had calmed down the Captain continued. “Maybe even a few more depending on what you have to trade.”

“Trade Captain Tweed? We are not Tramps any longer. My crew is getting real tired of Emergency bars and pills with us down to one MRE a day. Even a few items of real food to add to them would go a long way to increasing my crews moral until we finally get a shipment in from The Rock.”

“Ooh. Yes. I hear you even lost another crewman yesterday. Now that is just down right sad Captain but that is your problem. Take the crates of MRE’s for yourself Captain and see what you can come up with to trade if you are so worried about your crew.” Tweed took another bight of chicken. “Oha and I wouldn’t bet on a transport making it here anytime soon. The Damn Rock is scared to death of your alien zoo. Why do you think we were sent here in the first place? It wasn’t to take on the spider ships in spite of what that damn Commodore is trying to turn our mission into. We are here to guard your sorry ass and keep any of your pets from leaving and getting away.” The Captain smiled at Jack. “Now get off my ship before I have you thrown off. You can pick up your crates of MRE’s this afternoon when you come back with a list of trade goods. I hear these aliens have a lot of high tech equipment that should bring a good profit even if I wasn’t getting it for free.” That started the officers laughing uncontrollably as Jack tried his best to control himself.

Jack found himself thanking his brother for teaching him not to react to keep from getting beaten even worse by his much bigger older brother as he smiled. “I am sure you will appreciate what I have in store for you Captain Tweed.”

“You do that boy and just for your information. I hear you have a few marines. Try taking my supplies and you won’t find anything. I am not stupid boy. I have supplies scattered all over this squadron. Don’t come back unless you are prepared to trade big time with at least a thousand tons of high tech for maybe a hundred tons of basic food if I like what you are offering. Just remember I have the food and you have a starving crew.” The Captain chuckled. “I have your Balls in my hand boy and don’t forget that. Piss me off and you will suck my dick before you get any food.”

Jack looked down at the banquet laid out between them as he smiled back. “At least you haven’t changed Captain Tweed. You did try to feed me before you screwed me up my butt. When would you like me to return with the list?”

“Oh I am in no hurry boy. Come by for dinner and we can discuss your list with some steaks and lobsters and fine wine while we talk.” Smiling from ear to ear. “Just like old times my boy.”

“Yes. Just like old times Captain.” Jack smiled back at Captain Tweed. “Oh, By the way, I have an engineering crew headed for your engine spaces to tune up your engines since your crew is so shorthanded. I need every pound of thrust every Destroyer is capable of producing if this Damn Battleship is going to make it to the Hulkstation before X-mus. Don’t get in their way Captain or you won’t have to worry about trading food or getting something besides Energy bars in one of my cells.”

The Captain blustered for a few seconds then stated. “Well don’t expect me to feed them. They aren’t welcome on my mess decks and I will post guards to keep them off.”

Jack turned around and left shutting the hatch behind him and leaning against it with his head against the cool metal for a few seconds with his eyes closed trying to calm down. In his self-imposed darkness he started seeing the electrical lines running along the overhead toward the bridge that was just forward of the Captain’s State room. Jack realizing that the captain had added the conference room to his already large cabin as his mind flashed on his original plans he had produced in The Game. More and more of the surrounding ship started appearing as his eyes got use to the dark of his closed eyes but even then the light seeping through his closed lids made it hard to get any details or distance. Jack realized that the bridge only feet away was darkened as it should be while under way. The fact that there was only one crewman on the bridge was disturbing but then the ship was locked to the Battle ship. As Jack took another breath he realized that the crewman was asleep with his feet up on the console and his chin on his chest. His breathing slow and regular.

Shaking his heads Jack straightened up from the hatch and walked down the passageway and onto the bridge. The crewman harrumphed but stayed asleep as Jack stopped by the engineering station and turned the lights completely off then took the huge wide Captain’s chair and sat back, letting his eyes get used to the total black as things started lighting up around him. It did not take long before Jack was seeing every energy source and power line across the ship no matter how small. Including crewmen’s bodies as they went about their business or lack thereof. The Captain and his cronies he was sure he remembered from the Captain’s tramp ship still sat around the conference table stuffing their faces.

It bothered Jack at first that he could not see the Battleship and its huge fusion power generators and foot thick power lines but then with its armored hull some 10 feet thick he should have expected it. The Destroyer to both sides of this ship with their main generator and engines at full thrust stood out like beacons. The power lines running up through the ships looked like the blood vessels of living bodies.

Looking back at Captain Tweed’s ship Jack started concentrating on trying to figure out if the Captain really had as much food as Jack had seen in the mess deck. Trying to think of where the hell he could hide hundreds of tons of food that could not be found with a good search. After all the damn Destroyer wasn’t that big. The only Compartments not readily accessible were the fusion core rooms which was impossible to access anyway with the engines at full power and the mass tanks.

Taking a deep breath as he tried to think, his eyes wondered to one of the Destroyers sitting on the Battleship’s hull only feet away and realized that he could see power lines running down into several of the drop mass tanks slung under and over the ship’s hull. “Damn! This old bastard had already figured out how to make the drop tanks into cargo tanks. Jack looked down ignoring the mass of wiring and energy sources cluttering his vision to find several drop tanks mounted below the mess deck packed half full of food. No wonder he wasn’t worried about a search of the ship finding the damn food. He quickly found several more completely packed tanks.

Jack left the ship and headed for the flight deck where he grabbed a fighter and slid out of the ship and back down the stern to look over the ring of Destroyers. Finding only 2 more with the hidden cargo tanks Jack looked up the three Destroyers on his screen to find out that all 4 of them were crewed by officers and men from Captain Tweed’s Tranpship. Jack marveled that the old goat had managed to not only get his officers and crew assigned to 4 Destroyers but keep them together in the same Squadron. He was not at all surprised that the Captain had figured out the one thing that would be worth a fortune out here at this time and stock up on it though he did wonder if he had anything to do with no transports being sent out this way.

A fighter suddenly appeared next to his. “Thought you could sneak out without me did you. Didn’t you learn your lesson last time?” The Ensign looked at Jack across the few feet separating the canopies of the two fighters as more fighters slid up around him. “Where we going this time? I haven’t heard of any enemy activity around here recently or are we just going for a ride?”

“Went for my ride already. I stumbled upon a few thousand tons of food and I was just checking to see exactly where and how much it was.” Jack smiled at the shocked face of the Ensign as she looked at the tank Jack pointed to. “Come we have a lot of planning to do and preparations to make in the next few hours.” Jack deftly slipped his fighter out through the squadron that had appeared around him fully loaded for bear and headed back for the landing bay but then decided to make a detour and slid up to the new huge bay being built between the top two shield decks.

The exslaves were enlarging the diameter of all the Shield armor decks by taking material from the 50 foot thick decks themselves. Hollowing them out and expanding them to over 4,000 feet so far. Jack had decided the empty top deck was plenty big to land destroyers on for repairs and alterations. The Commodores of both DD squadrons had decided to let Jack upgrade the destroyers they were Captain’s on with the latest the aliens had come up with. Then if the upgrades tested out and the Commodores liked what they saw, the rest of the Destroyers of the two squadrons would be upgraded. It had not taken Jack much to convince them after the pitiful performance they had attacking the battleship for several months before Jack took it by storm.

But now he had to not only talk to them about the original problem concerning the Destroyer engineering crews competence on most of their DDs but now this new problem. He could not very well assault 4 ships of one of the squadrons without at least telling the Squadron’s Commanding officer first.

Jack slid his fighter through the air curtain now surrounding the entire open deck with the last and forward most armored deck some hundred feet above and landed between the two Destroyers taking up only a small portion of the 3,000 foot wide deck at its center. Only the Ensign followed Jack onto the deck as the rest of the squadron went out to patrol the area since they had gone to the bother to launch. The Gronks still trying to get used to the human way of training in the actual fighters and not only Simms, taking full advantage of getting every hour they could in the fighters at the least excuse.

Jack dropped off the side of the fighter and walked up to the two squadron Commanders as they were watching a large Buzzard coil tube being attached to the wingtip of one of the Destroyers. They had barely noticed Jack landing behind them. A line running along the thick trailing edge would transfer the compressed mass from the coil tube to the engines on that side of the ship. Walking up to the Destroyer Squadron Commanders, Jack could hardly believe how fast the upgrades were going on the ship. He could see the plugs on the ends of the barrels of the 8 inch main guns as well as all the smaller point defense guns scattered all over the ship. The smaller point defense guns would only take a few days to line the barrels with the diamond crystal using the high pressure growth medium the Aliens had developed while the larger 8 inch guns would take a week. The smaller inside diameter crystal lined barrels would turn the guns into high energy bright blue beams as hot as any of the Godship guns of a similar size. Piles of thick heavy electrical cables were starting to form under each of the ships as crews tore out the old and made room for the much smaller new plasma pipe conduits that would replace them. Greatly increasing the power going to each of the many guns.

Jack had already gone that route with the Red Pepper which was why it had taken so long to get it back in shape after being cooked inside the Bubble before they could get out of the trap. But then the damage had been so great that the added time really did not amount to much construction time. Learning how to operate and maintain the plasma conduit and generators was the time consuming item on the Red Dwarf. Now that most of the bugs had been worked out, it was just a matter of installing the system on the Destroyers. What Jack really had fun at though was the scientific and engineering research needed helping Pan and the Aliens getting the bugs out and improving the systems. The Exslave engineers were damn good at what they did but they had no why of even knowing what thinking out of the box meant let alone doing it.

Jack had left a dozen very promising weapons systems not very fare in development on his last ship when he became Captain of the Red Pepper and while he had a rough idea of what most of them were, he simply did not have the time to get into them deep enough to finish them before he had left in the middle of a battle. Now trying to explain them to Pan and the aliens had wasted too many hours already. Though they continued to surprise Jack with things that had already been developed over the last 10,000 years. They all seemed to be just slight (a few major) upgrades to things already in service on the Godship. The plasma conduit and generator calculations and engineering drawings Jack had shown them where complete enough that they had taken and produced a great working system that exceeded the best Jack could imagine but only because all the basic work was already done and all they had to do was put it into production and then because they did not understand the basic principles ran into troubles getting it to work at first, almost getting them killed in the Cloud battle months before.

Jack shook his head trying to put things in perspective again. He had other things to worry about right then as he approached the two Squadron Commanders.

Before Jack could say anything Commodore Fletcher turned to Jack and said. “I was just going to call and have a chat with you Captain. I just talked to Captain Tweed and he does not appreciate you sending your engineers into his engine room without asking him first. Especially after offering you a couple of pallets of MRE’s.”

“Well Commodore, it is a bit hard to ask his permission when he is too busy feeding his face in his cabin to come down to his own engine room.” Jack knew he was in trouble. His father had always complained that the Ass Hole was always one step ahead of him. “I have a Battleship to move and his engine’s lack of thrust are slowing us down. Fact is I have sent engineering crews to every Destroyer that is not getting full optimum thrust from their engines. They have all found the same thing on most of them and that is incompetent lack of training. That is except for Captain Tweed’s ship, his crew is simply lazy. I would say subversive but I lack the evidence for that at this time.”

“Don’t be ridiculous Captain Turner, I have known the Captain since the squadron formed 6 months ago. I have attended many of his dinner parties and he is nothing but a gracious host that goes out of his way to help the other Captains of the squadron in any way he can.”

“Yes I can imagine Commodore for a modest fee. I have known Captain Tweed for 10 years that I can remember and my father 30 before that. He used to be a Tramp Captain. His help always comes with a price that leaves him a lot richer and the ship he helps a lot poorer even if it does not look like it at the time. He uses his dinners to manipulate and arrange deals his victims would never agree to in an office. Always using his poor broken down ship and slow sick crew as an excuse for getting just a little bit more that never turns out to be just a little bit. Turning a small heart felt concession into costly surrender without the victim knowing he has been screwed most of the time until long afterwards. Victims that would defend him to the death simply because he fed them, got drunk with them and patted them on the back before kicking them out the lock bankrupt.”

Jack could see he had already lost this fight as Commodore Fletcher turned red coming to the defense of Tweed even after Jack had pointed out that would happen to his face. “Very well Commodore, I must be wrong and Tweed has become a changed man since he joined the Navy. Though I am curious as to why he joined and how he managed to not only get 4 ships for his crew but kept them together in the same squadron?”

“That is none of your business Captain but Admiral Spencer of Destroyer Command specifically recruited Captain Tweed and he would now be First Squadron Commander if Admiral Spencer had not been overruled by The Rock. Now you will pull your crews off my ships. I know they are the scum of the fleet but they are my scum and I am not going to have you harassing them. They are doing the best they can with the junk ships and equipment they have been given. Just because you designed the ships and equipment does not mean you can blame my crews for your incompetence.”

“Yet you are letting me upgrade your ship with more of my incompetence Commodore.”

“I agreed with adding the Buzzard scoops to my ship because Harris vouched for you and I saw those bombers flying through the damn clouds as if they weren’t there. Not having my damn 8 inch turrets jamming every few shots would be nice too and I still think upping the temperature of the guns is just asking for problems but I will take that risk for now. I did not agree to have my entire power system stripped out and replaced by those damn flimsy pipes. Fact is, I want you to stop stripping out the power lines immediately and put them back in just the way you found them.”

Jack took a deep breath as he noticed that Commodore Harris was smiling as he shook his head at Commodore Fletcher so Jack turned to him. “Commodore Harris, what do you think? Do you want me to stop the modifications as well?”

“Me? No. You go right ahead and finish up though I have to admit my trepidation at seeing all the power cables coming out. I saw the Plasma conduits working on the Red Pepper when I was there with a demonstration of the hot high temp guns and yes I want them for my squadron as soon as possible.” Turning to Fletcher. “Buck up Harry. Give the boy a chance. Remember he is a national Hero with some 30 enemy Battleships to his name. We weren’t even able to damage one that was trapped after two months of trying.”

“Captain Tweed is a good officer and I will not have this snot nosed boy insulting him.”

Harris looked at Fletcher with a sick smile. “Ya, whatever you say Harry. But we both know Tweed is an overweight slime bucket. I wouldn’t trust him any farther than I could throw him.”

“No he isn’t Ron. Stop listening to a boy that has it out to get a good man simply because his father hated him. Tweed told me all about him when we were talking a few minutes ago.” Fletcher turned to Jack. “Get your men off my ships immediately. Tweed said he is giving you a few pallets of MRE’s to help your crew and still wants you to come over for dinner tonight in spite of your rude behavior. That is how good a man he is Turner. But in the meantime get your crews off my ships.”

“Well I guess I should kiss his ass as well Commodore. But I can’t force myself to have dinner with a man that stuffs his fat face with steak and lobsters while over five thousands crewmen around him are eating emergency ration bars and committing suicide. Fact is we only have another couple of weeks of ration bars left before we will be eating only pills until they run out. A couple of crates of MRE’s is about as useful as peeing in an airless moon and hoping something green sprouts Commodore. A nice useless gesture to make him look good to the stupid.” Taking a breath as the Commodore turned red again. “As for pulling my crews back. Regulations say that the Commander of all Dock yard Facilities will insure that all ships putting out to space are space worthy and pass all appropriate safety and engineering tests. I think my ship classifies as a Dockyard since we are upgrading your ships Commodore.” Jack waved his hand toward the Commodore’s Destroyer with its open maintenance hatches and stripped equipment littering the deck below it. “And that gives me the right to crawl all over every square inch of the ships docked to it for contraband and in this case food. It also gives me the authority to make sure your crews are properly trained putting them into the Simms 24 hours a day if that is what it takes. It also means I can enforce Navy fitness, safety and stores quantity regulations when the rest of my crews descend upon Tweed’s destroyer docked to my ship this afternoon at 1600 hours. A full 2 hours ahead of Tweed’s schedule when his galley will be packed with food he shouldn’t have.”

“You are invited to come along when I collect Captain Tweed’s generous offering that I am sure will wind up being a lot more than a couple crates of MRE’s. And by the way, I am ordering you not to discuss the coming safety and compliance inspection with any of your crew including Captain Tweed or any of your captains.”

“What gives you the right to demand anything from me you little shit? I don’t care if you are some kind of hero.”

“Glad you asked Commodore Fletcher. As the dully appointed Captain of the Red Pepper as well as the Commodore of the Gama 13 Hulk Station with the acting rank Rear Admiral, who captured this ship in time of war and legally commissioned this ship into the Republic Navy as a Prize ship of war. I, Acting Rear Admiral Turner, am the legally constituted Commander of this ship station and all ships docked to it with lower ranks. So Commodore, I became your superior officer the moment you docked with my ship. Look it up in the regulations but do not even think of disobeying my orders or you are going to be looking for a new job.”

Jack turned to Commodore Harris and stared at him like his father had a habit of doing to someone he knew already knew what needed to be done.

Commodore Harris smiled with a chuckle. “By your Command Vice Admiral, I will go and start going over training for all my ships and take a closer look at maintenance immediately.” Shaking his head. “If I had known… I will start stripping my ships of MRE’s to send you as well. How long have you guys been eating nutrition bars Captain?”

“Months at half rations. Thank you Commodore. The cooks will be breaking down everything including the MRE’s we get, making mostly stews, goulashes and soups with bread or biscuits to make the food stretch as far as possible.”

“Breaking down the MRE’s Captain?” Shaking his head.

“You can feed two and three people with each MRE broken down into the pot with nutrition pills added for the calories Commodore. Double that if you include the emergency nutrition bars. More at half rations. My cooks and Doctors have been giving me quite an education.” Taking a deep breath. “We would have started breaking down the food bars but with nothing to mix them with, they taste even worse than whole bars.”

Shaking his head Commodore Harris’s face turned serious. “Tell you what Captain, we will strip my ships of everything edible and my crews can eat with your crews. It may be a while before the next transport arrives and we may as well as starve to death together.” The Commodore tapped his wrist Comm and started issuing orders.

“Are you Crazy Ron? You don’t owe this asshole’s crews anything. Besides it is his fault. If he would have left the human refugees in those damn pods he wouldn’t have had to feed them. Hell! All he has to do is put them back in those damn pods. At least then the 80% that survive the freezing would still live eventually.”

Looking up from his comm. “Don’t be such a putz Harry. How about we put you in the freeze and see if you survive the process. No wonder you like Tweed so much. We are in this together. You wait until they start dying to help and it will be too late.” Shaking his head he went back to issuing orders.

“Who says I would help. I have my own men to worry about and feed. As terrified as The Rock is of these Aliens, they may never send a supply ship that the Captain doesn’t turn back at the first excuse if they keep picking the right Captains. At least when the Captain and his stupid turncoat humans are dead we can kill the aliens and go home.”

Jack could not believe his ears but then he had no choice but to use the information about The Rock being shoved down his throat. He did not have the luxury of disbelief and he was not going to commit 20% of the refugees to death just so the rest could survive. Fact was the 20% was just an estimate by the aliens. Humans had never been frozen a second time and as many as 50% could die or as little as 5%. There was just no way of knowing unless they started freezing humans a second time without waiting a year but then they would not know until they thawed them out again with a third time having even worse possible odds or better. There was just simply no way of knowing until it was done and the lives sacrificed. One reason the Gronks were what they were was simply the fact that their race was one of the few that had no limits on how many times or how soon they could be frozen into hibernation with a virtual Zero death rate.

Commodore Fletcher turned and stomped back toward his ship.

Commodore Harris shook his head watching him leave. “You don’t find out someone’s true nature until the chips are down right Captain. Thank God his thinking is only a minority back at The Rock but a couple of them are up the Command chain and fueling the paranoia. The Security Chief is the worst I am afraid.” Turning to Jack the Commodore shook his head sadly. “If I would have known when we arrived months ago I would have given over my squadrons food supplies then. I just had no clue. So much wasted food.” Shaking his head in disgust. Then taking a deep breath his mind looked like he changed subjects. “Captain Turner. I have a problem with sending my crews to the Simm’s for more training. There is a good reason why most have not touched the Simms since they left bootship.”

Jack looked on puzzled as he waited with the Commodore frowning while thinking for a few seconds before finally continuing. “Most of my crewmen have different MOS’s (Military Job Tittles) in The Game. I have a Cook on DD 39 that is a Chief Engineer on a Battleship in The Game with probably a hundred more engineers in The Game doing other jobs but what they are good at scattered through my fleet. Worst yet, most of my engineers on my ships in fact have other jobs in The Game at higher ranks usually with high qualification ratings in the expert range while they suck at engineering mostly since they hate being in engineering while they all love the jobs they had in The Game. Which is why they and most of my crewmen were sent to the DD’s in the first place when the fleet weeded out the miss fits when the call went out to the fleet for DD crewmen after the defeat of the fleet. Not that they don’t try but face it Captain, putting them in the Simm’s is a waste of time since The Game would not be training them in what we need them to be. Then we have the main problem with forcing them into the Simms, we simply do not have enough Simm’s.”

Jack closed his mouth as he turned away as something moved fast across the deck toward them from the core trunk getting his eyes attention even though he did not have a clue who or even what it was or care as his mind raced, trying to catch up with the ramifications of the new information about The Rock and the crew situation.

The Ensign next to Jack shrugged her shoulders and said. “Well, why don’t you just transfer the crewmen to the jobs they want and had in The Game? What is so hard about that?”

The Commodore looked at the Ensign as if she was crazy. “You can’t go around changing everyone’s MOS’s just like that. You could wind up with half the jobs on a ship without any crewmen while having too many in some departments.”

“Oh come on Commodore.” The Ensign said rolling her eyes. “You do it across both squadrons and I bet you won’t have that many vacant billets or extra crewmen. Fact is we have hundreds of extra crewmen now from the Refugees and I would be willing to bet that we have a few alien’s that would love to join the fleet as trainees if you wind up with too many in the higher ranks.”

“Come Ensign, Harry is not going to go for transferring half his crews around between his own ships let alone between squadrons.”

Jack shook his head. “He doesn’t have to Commodore. Crew transfers for safety reasons is my prerogative while you are docked on my station. Let’s start shuffling crews and get them in the Simms. It should not take too many hours in the Simms to get the crewmen back up to speed on their chosen MOS’s.”

“Aaa. Sorry Captain but it is going to take days maybe weeks of Simm time to bring them up to speed on what they have missed since they joined the Navy and been out of the game. Until then they are worthless aboard ship. And as I said, we simply do not have enough Simm’s to do that in anything less than six months probably.”

A smile came to Jack as he realized who had been racing across the deck toward them as Pan slid to a stop beside them. “Pan, just in time. We need to use your Simms on your flight deck if you can tie them into the Destroyers Training program.”

The Ensign shook her head as she spoke up. “Sorry Jack but the Spider Battleship Flight Simms are too primitive for that. They are Ok as fighter Simms but simply won’t work for The Game.” Turning to Pan. “We need you to build a thousand Copies of one of our fleet Simms Pan.”

A platform slid up next to them with the Major in it. “You talking about producing some decent Simulators? Good. Make some big enough for the Gronks and even the Bigfoots. I am getting to damn many injuries and broken equipment training against each other in real life. It is not doing the Gronks and Bigfoots much good either while the humans are laid up recovering.”

“I would have to get one of your Simms to copy but it is doable Captain.” Pan looked at Jack who was frowning at the Ensign. “Size is not a factor but I am not comfortable training Bigfoots for combat. They are turning out to be too valuable in so many other jobs now that they are no longer restricted to only handling cargo. That large brain of theirs is amazing with most of them having what you humans would call university degrees locked up inside each of them passed down from family member to family member over thousands of years. I have most of them conducting classes for thousands in their spare time with several doing it full time now. Expanding the knowledge of all the species aboard the ship and the Hulk Station. No, to lose the vast store of information even one Bigfoot has forever, would be a catastrophe Captain.”

“Pan.” Jack smiled. “The surprises just keep coming today. But then I should have guessed with Red knowing enough about propulsion engines to save our lives after 10,000 years as a forklift, it is obvious now. As for the Bigfoots joining the marines Pan. Freedom means they have the right to die so others may live as much as you or me. It also means that with the training your new Simms will provide, the possibility of any of them dying is greatly reduced. After all they are natural tanks. Though I am hoping you are also recording these classes they are doing. Fact is you should start a program to record as much information from each and every one of them as possible. History and the sciences.” Jack frowned as he thought of something. “To change the subject back Pan. How long will it take to produce the Simms? We don’t have weeks let alone months.”

“Production is no problem Captain once we have something to copy. We may have to substitute a few components depending on technology. We can’t make some of your more advanced light circuits. But we should have you several hundred within a week and a thousand a few days after that. How many total where you wanting?”

“A thousand should do for a start.” Jack said trying not to show his surprise. He was expecting her to say a few dozen at most and was in the middle of trying to figure out how to strip some out of the Red Pepper and get a few dozen here in a day or two with another day to set them back up. But a thousand? It was going to take them a month to make the voyage to the Hulk Station. With a thousand Simms they could afford to wait a week for them. Hell it would probably take that long just to get the crewmen transferred to the right MOS’s in the first place. “If you would go with the Commodore, he will show you to his ship’s Simm room. Take as many booths as you need to speed things up and get your production line going as soon as possible. We need a thousand by the end of the week. Ten thousand a week later.”

“If you will excuse me Captain I have much to do before 1600.” The Commodore braced to attention and saluted Jack.

A shocked Jack returned his salute without thinking.

Then the Commodore bowed toward Pan sweeping his hand across toward his ship and said. “If you will follow me Miss Pan, I would be honored to show you our Simm room.”

Jack could have sworn that Pan giggled as she took the Commodore’s arm as he walked and she slid toward the ship’s stern ramp. The Commodore issuing orders into his comm to start pulling several of the Simmpods out before they got there.

Jack smiled as he watched the Commodore walking with Pan sliding across the deck next to him. “OK. What is going on there?” Jack suddenly remembered the crew as his stomach growled and flopped from what little he had eaten not that long before as his mouth started watering. Turning to the Ensign. “Aaa. Looks like I screwed up not telling at least the Squadron Commanders we were on half rations. I just could not believe the transport would not come before we ran out or that so many would simply give up and die that did not need to.”

The Ensign put her arm around Jack. “Me either. I guess the old adage that an army travels on it stomach is more than just a saying.”

“Actually we are finding out it lives or dies on its stomach. And it’s the 41st century. I can’t believe we are being left out her to die by everyone. No not everyone but someone like Tweed that knows how to play the game and keep the rest from finding out until it is too late. Someone that hates aliens. Especially these Aliens and they know I won’t let them be massacred after reading the reports I have sent to the Rock. Evidentially whoever it is, can’t just order me to leave or they would have done it already. That means they have to kill us. Starve us out. Maybe hoping I will do something stupid when we get hungry enough to justify killing us all. Either way we are screwed as long as they can keep us isolated.”

“Ok Jack. So what are we going to do about it?”

“Aaaa. Shit I don’t have a clue love. I think we are going to have to hold on long enough for them to get tired of waiting and do something desperate. We just have to be ready when they do and take advantage of it. Whatever it turns out to be.” Shaking his head. “Hell. I just may kiss Tweed’s butt after all if he has as much food as it looks like.”

The Major took a deep breath. “You didn’t call me all the way up here to talk Simms did you Captain? I was in the middle of a training exercise sir.”

“What I didn’t…”

“I called the Major and Pan up here Jack. I thought they might be needed for planning the raid you were talking about.” The Ensign climbed onto the platform. “Since the Commodores are busy, we may as well go down to Command Central. Should speed things up having access to everything and a lot more comfortable. Besides its lunch time and I am starving. I will send pilots up to grab the fighters later.”

Chapter 6; Ship of food

The 20 man/cargo shuttle boat dropped down between the engines exhausts turning its ass toward the Destroyers boat lock hatch in the stern and slid into the lock. Touching down lightly onto the deck between two other boats. The hatch swiftly closed and air started screaming into the lock pressurizing it. The Destroyer had yet to see any of the upgrades the Commodore’s Destroyer was getting, including the air curtains over the hatch openings.

The storm stopped and silence returned to the lock as the external Green light lit on the air pressure panel. The load master reached for the hatch controls and Jack suddenly stepped forward and slapped the ratings hand away. “Stop! Don’t open the hatch yet.” Jack stared out the small window next to the hatch/ramp. The face of Captain Tweed staring back at him through the port in the lock hatch into the ship made his neck crawl.

“What the hell are you doing Turner?” Commodore Fletcher said baffled. “Open the damn hatch already Captain Tweed is expecting us.”

Jack turned around and looked at the Commander. “After I ordered you not to tell Tweed specifically Commander?” Jack looked back at Tweed still staring out the lock’s closed inner hatch’s port. “I can see Tweed knows we were coming.” Shaking his head. “Just so you know Commodore. Several of Tweeds enemies have died when one of his locks malfunctioned dumping them out into vacuum. And according to the stories, while Tweed watched. It has been almost a minute now and Tweed is still looking out the locks hatch port without opening his hatch. He is the one that has control of the lock not us. When he opens his hatch we will open ours.”

Commodore Fletcher stepped up to the port beside the hatch looking out. “Damn it Turner. Tweed is only being a butt waiting for you to come to him since you are the one insisting on searching his ship.” Fletcher stepped in front of Jack and slapped the button to open the hatch.

Jack already had everyone suited up just in case there was no one at the ship’s lock controls to close the hatch and pressurize the lock. Forcing them to depressurize the boat and do it by hand and then cycle through the personnel lock into the ship itself. “Helmets! And grab something solid.” Jack ordered as the hatch ramp started descending. Jack tapped his helmet up over his head as he stepped over to the side and grabbed the rack as most of the crew complied with his booming orders including Commodore Harris. Tweed was looking down from the hatch’s port at the control panel as most of the crewmen in the boat flipped up (for the God suits) or slapped hard shells over their heads and sealed them.

Jack spotted one of the marines fastening his safety line to the overhead and decided that was a good idea and pulled his line off his built. Jack hit his Comm and said. “Safety lines now!” Jack clipped his safety line on the rack next to him and grabbed Commodore Fletchers helmet from the rack for the Commodore’s Republic suit and stepped up to him from behind and started to slap it over his head as the hatch passed the half open point as it descended.

Fletcher reached up as he ducked and slapped the helmet away sending it across the cargo compartment. “How dare you!” He practically yelled at Jack. Giving Jack a dirty look before turning back around as Captain Tween looked back out of the hatches port with a big shit eating grin coming to his face. With the lock brightly lit and the inside of the boat using dim assault lights,Tweed could only see the helmetless Commodore Fletcher at the edge of the ramp with most of the rest well back out of sight in the gloom.

Suddenly the boat shook as the boats air rushed out of the half open hatch/ramp like a tornado taking everyone that was not clipped down with a safety line or had a good hold onto something, with the storm. A dozen officers and crewmen were suddenly gone in the blink of an eye. Half of them without helmets, mostly Commodore Fletcher and his Officers.

One helmetless woman holding onto one of the side supports for the half second it took for all the air in the lock to leave through the now wide open lock hatch the boat had come through, legs whipped toward the hatch as her hands refused to let go. The crewman was quick enough to let most of the air out of her lungs to keep them from exploding but leaving enough in to keep her blood in her lungs from boiling. The crewman had learned something from bootship.

The man next to the sole survivor slammed the helmet he had already grabbed over the woman’s head. He quickly locked it down and punched the emergency pressurization switch on the helmet’s side saving the woman’s life though she needed medical care.

Jack had hit the end of his safety line and then fallen to the deck of the ramp as it continued to descend the last few feet.

Commodore Harris had seen the green light over the port Tweed was staring out of before the brief storm that had switched the Green light to Red as he clung to the rack next to him. Now he watched shocked, as the ramp continued to lower and Captain Tweed stared out the port in the locks closed hatch, a big smile from ear to ear until he saw that the boat was still half full of space suited crewmen and officers. Terror suddenly crossed his face as he started shaking his head no.

The Ensign seeing Jack hit the ramp at the end of his safety line, hit her comm and shouted. “Code Red. Code Red.” Relief flooding her mind. They had made plenty of plans for many possible contingencies though this was not one of them. But the plans and preparations they had made were enough to handle this emergency. If the damn Commodore had not insisted in being so stupid they wouldn’t have had any casualties. The suited crewman that had gotten their helmets on that had not yet clipped in or grabbed something solid and had been blown back around the shuttle and out the hatch would be quickly picked up by one of the following boats. She felt sorry for the crewmen with no helmets but she didn’t have time to think about them as she followed her instincts combining various parts of the plans that fit the situation as she lunged across the ramp. “Plan Delta 5. Repeat Delta 5 for entry and Beta 2 for searching the ship.”

Several marines were already out the partially open hatch and headed around to close the locks hatch and lock it manually while others prepared the high pressure air bottles that would flood and pressurize the lock almost as fast as it had depressurized.

The Ensign jumped over Jack who was just picking himself up from the ramp and ran to the personnel lock diving across the closing outside hatch blocking then locking open the outer hatch as Tweed watched in surprise. His mouth hanging wide open for a few seconds before he started closing and opening it again. The outer hatch was the one that was armored and could be locked closed from the inside to keep boarders out. With it locked open the ship was theirs. The Ensign smiled. The third mistake that pea brained Tweed had made that day.

Jack stood up as the ramp finished descending and the air finished blasting back into the lock from the bottles in the boat. The light over the inner hatch turned green. Jack looked at the fat triple chinned terror stricken face of Tweed as he turned away from the lock’s port and disappeared.

The Ensign stepped to the side as two pissed marines worked to open the inner hatch. It took them a few seconds to bypass the electronic locks before the hatch opened and they stepped through. Their Assault guns at the ready and the safeties off. The stun guns locked in their holsters at their sides forgotten. This was no longer a friendly visit but a full outright assault as the first laser beam streaked through the open lock. Another thing Jack had not planned on.

Another laser beam streaked through the hatch with a crack as the super-heated air expanded and fresh air rushed back into the void. Answered immediately by a boom as one of the marines took out the shooter with his plasma assault gun as they took cover behind several pallets of MRE’s lined up across the compartment just inside the hatch.

“All marines assault mode Baker. Ship is Hot. Deadly force is authorized.” Jack turned to the Ensign at the control panel terminal for the hatch. “Get me into the ship’s public address system and make it fast before some other fool gets killed.”

“Already working on it Jack. Just give me a few more seconds.” Another beam cracked across the compartment hitting the bulkhead next to the Ensign. She ducked down as much as possible as she worked. The marines returned fire with booms coming from their plasma shells that hit down the passageway.

“Damn it Ensign. We did announce ourselves when we landed didn’t we?”

The Ensign continued to work. “I talked to Tweed himself at the lock and he said that they were ready and waiting for us. That we were cleared to land. I didn’t think he meant he was ready to blow the lock.

More laser beams streaked down through the passageway with their cracks answered with the booms of the plasma assault guns.

“Got it Jack. Comm 4.”

Jack tapped his wrist Comm. “This is Captain… Vice Admiral Turner. My forces have boarded your ship for an unannounced Safety inspection only to have Captain Tweed kill members of the boarding party. He is now wanted for murder. All Ship’s personnel will stand down and muster in the mess deck. Any personnel seen with a weapon will be shot and executed on sight. Any resistance and you will be shot on sight. I repeat. Captain Tweed is now officially relieved of command and charged with Murder. Any assistance you render him is treason and will be punished accordingly. All hands will muster on the mess deck immediately. All officers will muster in the ward room. Resistance is futile and will be considered treason and punishable by death. That is all. Admiral Turner out.”

Commodore Harris stepped up beside Jack. “Tweed could be anywhere on this ship with a hundreds of places to hide Captain.”

Jack turned around and frowned for a few seconds before smiling. “Well actually Commodore, I don’t think he can hide from me.” Jack darkened his helmet’s visor until it was dark enough to serve as a welding helmet cutting out all normally visible light. He nor anyone else that had survived the locks depressurization, had not yet had time to even open their visors.

Jack looked down a few seconds later and could not believe the hot waddling foot prints that looked like slippers left on the passageway’s deck in front of the lock. The only foot prints. The boots of the marines and the boarding party were too well insulated to even leave marks let alone heat prints. Following those prints with his eyes, Jack realized that Tweed was so fat that he had waddled down the passageway leaving prints that staggered and were impossible to mistake for anyone else.

Commodore Harris watched Jack’s visor darken and then look down at the deck before Jack took off down the passageway saying, “Couldn’t miss that trail if I was blind.” A laser beam streaked down the passageway hitting Jack square on the chest without even slowing him down as a marine on the side returned the fire knocking the shooter out of his hiding place to the deck with a big hole in his shoulder sending the standard issue republic laser gun sliding across the deck. Looking up at the Ensign, the Commodore asked baffled. “What’s with the blackened visor Ensign? And what trail is he talking about?” The Commodore noticed that the Ensigns visor was darkened as well.

“Aaaa. Sorry Commodore but we can see in the deep infrared with the visor darkened. Tweeds footprints stand out like beacons. Four hundred pounds of fat in house slippers leave a damn nice thermal footprint.”

The Commodore had noticed the red suits Jack and his detail were wearing but had not known that they were armored or had special abilities. He had started to ask what was with the red suits several times but things were simply moving too fast. Other than the color they looked much different than the normal Republic suits and were a hell of a lot smaller than the marine armored suits his marines wore though he had left them behind not seeing any reason to bring them along. Yet he watched Jack get hit several more times without even slowing down. “Ok, I have got to get my marines your fancy suits Ensign. Hell I want one as well but you can keep the color.”

“The new standard crewman’s suit is just part of the upgrades with your ships Commodore. You should see the new Marine armored suit. They are pretty much tanks. Just give us some time now that you have joined our little band. As for the color, that was to make sure we knew who our own troops were. The fighting got damn close and nasty in the Spider ships. The color just kind of became traditional.”

The Ensign grabbed an assault gun from one of the crewmen that just came off the boat. “Go back and get another gun and guard this hatch. Don’t let anyone back through and make sure that the follow on crews are all armed. Don’t start loading the pallets until you have enough men to keep a good sized watch covering the detail. And while you are at it don’t let anyone touch that control panel. Security will scan it for evidence as soon as we finish.” Then followed Jack down the passageway.

The Commodore looked down at the stun gun he drew out of his holster and sighed. Discarding the idea of grabbing one of the new assault guns he did not know how to operate, he started down the passageway. Then stepping over one of the laser guns laying across the deck next to a body, he stopped. He knew the stun gun was no good against even the light armor the ship’s crew now had on. He picked up the weapon, holstering the pistol then checked it over as he continued. Realizing he did not have to worry about telling friend from foe with the Red painted suits. No. Not painted as he looked at the man guarding the lock. The suit color seamed to permeate deep into the suit. The scratches and dings from being knocked around when the lock was evacuated did not penetrate the color.

The hatch to the Port side Engine room suddenly opened making Harris jump as a weaponless rating came out and started down the passageway. The crewman froze when he saw Harris pointing the laser gun at him. “Aaa. I was ordered to report to the mess Commodore.” He said as his hands shot up over his head.

“Ok. Yes you were. Is there anyone else in that engine room?”

“No. Sir. I had the watch.”

“Good. Go back in and make sure that engine stays running no matter what any of your officers’ say or order.”

“Aaaa. Yes sir.”

“Anyone in Central Engineering Control?”

“Aaa not now. I was the only watch sir. The Chief is on DD-14, Lieutenant Dang is on DD-15 and the ensign on 16 with the crew split up between them. Lieutenant Jewls is now the Chief engineer on this tub and I have a couple other ratings but they are useless.” Shaking his head disgustedly. “Both engine rooms are empty. I just went through number One to check a few things before reporting to the mess deck. Sir.” Holding up a Pad with the vital readings of both engines on it.

“I didn’t realize things were that bad with Tweed. Will you follow my orders and keep the engines running?”

“Yes sir. Aaa. Does that mean aaa? I aaa Sir. I was ordered not to do any maintenance unless I got approval first. The last thing the Captain wants is basic maintenance done. The engines have to be about ready to quit or the fusion core on the verge of exploding before I can get authorization to fix anything unless it is the annual fleet qualifications and then we only do enough to pass. The crew that was here earlier at least changed the damn Nozzles and did a little tuning. They were so badly out of phase it is driving me crazy. But there is still a lot of work that needs done.”

“Aaa. We have a maintenance detail on the way. Hold the fort until they arrive and then you can go hog wild on whatever needs done.”

“Yes sir I will do my best.” The First Class smiled from ear to ear and stepped to the hatch across the passageway from the hatch he had come out of. “Can I do a little bit of work before they get here sir?”

Harris smiled. Just like the typical Engineer. “Your first duty for the moment is to keep anyone from shutting them down or sabotaging them First Class Murphy. As long as you can keep them safe you can do whatever you want.” Looking down at the laser gun he now had pointed down the passageway for a second. “Speaking of keeping them safe.” The Commodore unbuckled the stun gun’s holster and handed it to the First Class. “Use this if you have to.” Then chuckling. “And paint a good sized Red stripe around your upper arms so our troops know you are friendly.”

“Red Commodore?” Looking like he was talking to a crazy man for a second and then spotting the red suited marine by the lock. The First class shrugged his shoulders. “Ok Sir. Whatever you say. Sir. Aaa is it true the Captain is wanted for murder?”

“Yes I watched him blow the lock with helmetless crewmen in it.”

The First Class swallowed. “I knew all those other lock deaths were not accidental but what can a guy do when the officers tell you it is none of your business during the investigations.”

“Ok if you knew, why have you stayed with the Captain?”

“What can I say Commodore. My family is here and they think old Tweed is a God. Besides, no other ship will have me with our reputation.” Frowning. “I was hoping things had changed when Tweed decided to join the Navy after screwing so many Tramp ships that no one would even come to his dinners let alone deal with him anymore but he hasn’t. I figure he has already bilked the Navy out of a couple million at least and now the accidents have started again from what you say. Who died by the way?”

“Commodore Fletcher and his staff.”

“Oh God. All Tweed has been talking about lately was getting rid of Fletcher and becoming the Squadron’s Commodore. I heard the officers talking about being able to embezzle hundreds of millions from the Navy once he was Commodore. The Engineering Chief has a whole list of fake repairs and fake warn out equipment to replace spread out across the Squadron. Something he can’t get away with, with the Commodore watching. Hell he has been trying to convince the Commodore that half the equipment on our 4 ships is junk and needs to be replaced. Which is why they wouldn’t let me make repairs until they get the money to replace the engines to pocket while I finely make the repairs. Real strange how the Commodore always agrees with the Captain’s requests to replace worn out equipment and my junk engines at the dinner parties. And then changes his mind a few days after he gets back aboard his own ship. But then every time he talks to me I find myself agreeing as well and I know better.” Shaking his head as his face started tuning red. “These really are damn good high performance engines Commodore. All you have to do is keep up with the maintenance.” Taking a deep breath, First Class Murphy sighed. “Most of the ship’s crew are good people that just want to do their jobs and be left alone. Please don’t punish them for what the few do sir. I will make sure the engines stay running and if I get enough time before the Captain worms his way out of these charges, purring at full thrust.”

The Commodore saw the last Red suit disappear into the mess deck a hundred feet up the passageway and knew he needed to catch up. “Very good First Class Murphy I am depending on you, get to it.”

The First Class Saluted and disappeared into the Starboard engine room.

The Commodore went up the passageway trying not to run but knowing he needed to catch up to the little group. Not liking the thought of being alone on a hostile ship.Then the hatch to the ladder trunk leading down to the Quarter deck entry hatch lock in the belly of the ship, opened as a huge marine in red Battle Armor burst out of it and pointed a monster Cannon at him for a fraction of a second. Harris suddenly realized that it was one of Turner’s Red Apes or what Turner was now calling Gronks. Either way it had a fucking big gun pointed at him or had (the muzzle was now moving up and away) while he had one of the enemy’s pitiful laser guns and there was no way for the creature to know that he was one of the good guys.

Dropping the laser gun as he screeched to a halt and letting it fly across the deck into the feet of the Red suited Gronk almost as tall as the passageway, the Commodore raised his hands well above his head and yelled I surrender. Don’t shoot!”

The big Red suited Gronk with the grossest expression the Commodore had ever seen, (and would later find out was a big ass Gronk smile), picked up the laser gun before it had stopped sliding and handed it back to Harris and said in passible English with a strange accent. “Your gun, Commodore Harriss. You may need it. If you would excuses us pleases, we have work to do Sir.”

Harris took the weapon as the Big Red Suited Gronk squeezed past him followed by several more to go about their business. The shocked Commodore continued on to the mess deck suddenly not in such a big hurry.

The Commodore entered the mess deck as the hatch in front of him opened automatically. Captain Turner was in the middle of the compartment with the DD’s crewmen sitting at tables spread around the outer edges trying to stay as far away as they could from the strange Red Battlesuited Gronks that had appeared in the middle of their ship.

Jack looked around him. His helmet was retracted back into his collar letting the crewmen see him. “Ok now, we will try this again. Any of you see Captain Tweed lately?”

One of the crewmen toward the center raised her hand looking around her defiantly at the others. “He came through just a few minutes ago gasping for breath and waddled toward the bow and I suppose officers country and his fucking pig pen cabin.” The well-built woman looked more scarred of the crewmen around her than the invading monster marines.

A large man in the corner half hidden behind several others, yelled at her. “Shut up you whore or you will see the lock later.”

Jack pulled out his stun gun and shot the man in the head from some 40 feet away knowing that would scramble his brain for days but his head was the only open target. “Lock him up immediately and put her into separate protective custody Sargent.” Jack said to the closest Gronk Sgt.

Then to the Commodore’s shock, Jack started walking around shooting men and women scattered around the mess deck for no obvious reason.

After shooting some 20 crewmen he paused looking around. Anyone else here who doesn’t like me arresting your Pig Captain Tweed for murder?”

The Commodore’s eyes were drawn to several faces that glanced up with hate in their eyes at Captain Turner and suddenly he started firing again taking out another half dozen crewmen. What surprised the Commodore most was that most of the faces who were scared only moments before as they stared down at the tables in front of them, had smiles of satisfaction or relief on them. Even more as more bodies dropped.

Then Jack bellowed. “God, you people are fucking stupid. Anymore think that your Captain Tweed is a wonderful person?” There were no takers. Turning back to the Sargent as more Red suited Marines arrived. “Get these fucking slackers off this ship and into separated cells. I don’t want any of them talking or seeing each other or who is cooperating with us. Anyone new that is brought onto this deck gets similar treatment if anyone here says one derogatory word about them.” Jack looked up suddenly smiling. “Actually that is a good idea. Anyone here now, have anything to say about anyone left amongst you that you would rather not have here. Speak now or forever hold your peace.”

The woman that had spoken up first pointed at someone in the back corner opposite to the one that had threatened her. “That is another of Pig Tweeds enforcers who likes to rape women while he brags about who he has killed.

Several other women jumped up echoing her comments. “Jack shot him without hesitating or giving him a chance to move or respond. It took another 5 minutes to finish cleaning out the mess deck by which time almost half the present crew was knocked out drooling on the deck or in need of clean underwear as they were dragged off.

Jack closed his helmet back up over his head again as he turned to the Commodore. “Should we go Pig hunting again? I think that it has been long enough for him to get holed up someplace and relax.” The Commodore heard as if Jack was not wearing a helmet enclosing his head.

The Commodore walked up to Jack cutting in a private channel to him. “You can’t condemn half the damn crew simply because you didn’t like their looks or someone is pissed off at someone else.”

“It will all get washed out in the end after we interrogate them.” Jack chuckled making the Commodore wonder what was going on. “If you have not noticed Commodore but all or most of the ones I stunned have the Swastika patches on their arms denoting Tweeds original crewmen. Most of the rest of the crew are fleet transfers he has been terrorizing. I have just told the marines taking the other 3 ships to arrest anyone with those patches. Shall we go before he has time to fort up?”

Three crewmen came into the Mess deck from the stern with a marine behind them. Several of the crewmen in the mess had barely enough time to point at them before the Ensign had dropped two of them with her stun gun.

Blowing on the tip of the barrel she smiled over at Jack and the surprised Commodore. “Everyone for the last 6 months has been so damn respectful and polite concerning these, (She lifted up her giant breasts) I haven’t had to stun anyone. I was starting to feel invisible. Needed the practice. As it is it took me two shots to get the one in front with his full body in plain sight. I think I need to start wondering around these destroyers so I can get some target practice in.”

“I think you have had plenty of target practice already Ensign, you hit the third guy with only a couple of square inches to target behind the second on the first shot.” Jack smiled. “Let’s go Anny Oakley.”

“How do you know I wasn’t aiming at the second guy?”

Jack chuckled. “Because it was the third guy that was already leering at your boobs with his eyes bugged out. And thanks for not taking the easier shot hitting him in the head scrambling his brains for a week. I think he is going to have a lot to say.” Jack turned and stepped through the hatch and headed forward. The Commodore and Ensign hurrying to catch up.

Jack followed the still warm trail forward and up the officer’s country ladder trunk strait to the Conference hatch now part of the Captain’s cabin.

The Commodore was only a few steps behind Jack as Jack reached over his shoulder and grabbed the pistol grip and pulled the big assault gun up over his shoulder and down to port arms. With the stock folded up alongside the breach, shortening the gun to make it easier to handle in close quarters even with its fat 20 inch long barrel, Jack switched hands to point the barrel at the starboard bulkhead as he walked up toward the hatch. Some 5 feet short of the hatch the gun barked blowing a hole in the starboard bulkhead at chest high. Jack continued walking forward without slowing down and passed the closed hatch to stop another 5 feet past the hatch where the gun barked again blowing another hole in the bulkhead.

Without really stopping, Jack returned to the Conference room hatch switching the pistol grip back to his right hand. Taking a breath Jack used his left hand to open his helmet and then the hatch before grabbing onto the front stock again. Taking a couple of steps, Jack pointed the gun strait in and then he stopped in the open hatch as the Commodore caught up to him. The gun was pointed directly at Tweed sitting at the head of the table as Tweed’s sweat beaded face turned white.

The Commodore opened his visor to smell burnt flesh. As Jack took a step in and the Commodore followed he saw the body of an officer laying on the deck in front of each of the holes Jack had blasted through the bulkhead. Gronk blaster assault guns still clutched in their hands pointed toward the hatch.

“Ok Tweed, any of your officer’s fart and you die.” Jack said, though all the Commodore could see were Tweed’s 4 senior officers sitting around the head of the table to each side of the heavily panting Tweed with their hands in full view as they smiled lovingly at tweed. They did not even seem to notice Captain Turner.

Tweeds hand moved less than an inch on the table and Jack jerked the assault gun up to blast the overhead behind Tweed with a burst of shots blowing a hole in the upper corner of the bulkhead and overhead revealing the remnants of a laser turret. “Do that again and I will kill you instead Tweed.”

“You can’t do this. This is my ship. Whatever accident happened in the boat lock, I was here the whole time. I had 6 witnesses or are you going to kill my remaining 4 witnesses as well.”

“Sorry but I don’t like ambushes. I don’t know how you got Gronk Assault guns but I will find out. And as I announced a few minutes ago anyone caught with a weapon was and will be shot on sight.”

“Oh, now you can see through bulkheads Captain Turner?”

“Looks like it was just lucky guesses tweed. Was nowhere else one could spring a trap unless you have a midget hiding under the table. You are under arrest for murdering Commodore Fletcher and his staff. Anything you say can and will be used against you in a court of law.”

“Now isn’t that a coincidence. That makes me Commodore of this Squadron and you can’t arrest me without my flag superiors’ consent and you can’t even contact him in less than a month by the time those fools back at The Rock get done shuttling your message back and forth across the Cloud to make sure it can’t be traced to The Rock and then tested for worms and bugs and viruses a hundred times before they even open it to analyze it for another month for secret codes and meanings before my Wing Commander Admiral Klink even sees your report or message. I on the other had have a direct line to the Admiral now that I am Squadron Commander. And even if you have a taped confession with video of me doing it and press charges, I only need five minutes with the judge and he will dismiss the charges with prejudice even if it costs him his career later. You are the one that is going to get executed by the time I get done with you and I don’t even need evidence once I get done talking to the prosecutors and judges. Now get off my ship. Or do I have to have the crews from my squadron come over here and kick you off.”

Jack smiled shaking his head. “Damn Tweed are you so full of yourself that you don’t even know what is going on in the universe around you? For Crist’s sake we are at War and all you are interested in is profits.”

Tweed sat back in his oversized, overstuffed Chair with his fat spilling out around it. “Of course my boy. Why do you think I let old Klink talk me into signing up with the Navy Commanding Destroyers? I stand to make a killing. No right minded Commander will ever send destroyers up against the Spider Battleships. I will spend the war doing police shit like this selling and buying and making millions. Hell once I heard you guys were cut off out here and low on supplies, I talked old Klink into volunteering for this assignment then made sure no sane transport Captain would come near this place though the Chief of Security for the Rock was already trying to do just that. The Ass holes at The Rock maybe scarred shitless of you and your aliens and your toys but I realized right off that trading food for advanced alien tech will make me a fortune back on earth. I have a transport waiting for my cargo as soon as we rotate back to The Rock.” Tweed smiled from ear to ear. “So let me see your list of alien tech boy and get this show on the road. If I get what I want from you I may even be generous about not pressing charges for you killing old stupid Fletcher. After all he was on your shuttle boat when he died.”

“Not going to wash Tweed.” Commodore Harris said. “I saw you down at the lock when the hatch was blown. You are going down for murder.”

“Now, now.” Turning to the first officers to his right. “How long have we been here today Number One?”

“All afternoon Captain.” The officer said with a smile.

“See Commodore. You must have been seeing things in the excitement.”

“So the crewmen who saw you running through the mess deck a few minutes after we saw you in the lock’s port was seeing things as well Tweed?” The Ensign said as she stepped into the Conference compartment.

“Yes as soon as I talk to them they will change their stories Ensign.” The Captain’s eyes grew big as he saw the Ensign’s huge breasts. “Fact is I am sure after I have talked to you in private, you will realize you made a sad mistake.”

“Dream on Fatfuck. I am never going to be in the same room with you alone.”

“Now Pretty Ensign. Come closer and I am sure I can change your mind. Come feel my needs lovely girl.” Tweed smiled from ear to ear as he stared at the Ensign. “You have no reason to fear me, I am just a lonely helpless man with needs. Come closer and help me please.”

Commodore Harris’s head started aching as he watched the Ensign standing next to him take a hesitant step toward Tweed and say. “Oh you pour man.”

Jack suddenly realized that Tweed’s mind was lighting up like the Dumonts’ had when they had attacked him while his senior officers minds flushed with love as they stared at the Captain without a single word in their minds to themselves about anything. Jack was getting used to ignoring most of the self-mind talk babbling around him and to have nothing at all from the Officers around him was not normal which had not changed from when he had been there for lunch. Tweed’s gaze was focusing on the Ensign as he leaned forward trying to get closer as he stared raising his hand with his palm out to Jacks surprise. “Come closer Ensign and let this pore innocent old man talk to you for a few minutes and you will understand that I could never do anything so terrible ever.” Taking a deep breath as he stared at the ensign. “Come closer. You need to come closer Ensign. Come and listen to this pour man’s innocent voice of reason. Come closer and feel my innocent lonely needs.” Tweed seemed to think nothing of Jack and the Commodore in the Compartment as he continued to stare at the Ensign. “You will protect me against this horrible Captain Turner and the Commander. They are so despicable you must shoot and kill Turner immediately!”

Jacks shook his head as the ensign took another step toward Tweed mumbling something.

Jack felt the slight ache in his head as the air seemed to glow brighter between Tweed and the Ensign as she stepped closer. Shaking his head Jack took out his stun gun and shot tweed in the head ending the attack.

The Ensign jumped back hitting the bulkhead hard as she grabbed her head. “Fucking God Damn. What was I doing?”

Jack stepped to the Ensign keeping the stun gun pointed at the 4 officers now sitting staring across the table at nothing with eyes as big as gulf balls. Putting his arm around the Ensign. “It is ok now. I stunned him. Evidentially he is an Empath similar to Pan and the other Dumonts. Probably how he controls his crew. It also explains how he managed to screw over so many people for so long. Thank god it seems to have been short range and not permanent once people got away from him.”

The Commodore stared at the Ensign and Jack with his mouth open. “Empath?”

The ships First Officer turned from looking at Jack and looked at Tweed and then jumped up out of his seat, backing until he was plastered to the bulkhead. “What the Fuck is that mass of shit?” He said as he turned pale. “Where is Captain Tweed?” The First Officer reached out and shook the shoulder of the female officer sitting next to him at the table. “Stern! Where is the Captain?”

Shaking her head she turned to look at Jack and then back at Tweed and then did a double take. “He was right there a few seconds ago.” Taking a baffled breath. “Who the hell is that old Fat Fuck?” Disgust plastered all over her face as she looked closer staring at the face of the head draped back over the head rest of the chair. “No it can’t be. That is Tweed? He gained 300 disgusting pounds, 20 years and not one damn muscle.” Shaking her head as she turned pale. Tears streaming to her eyes. “No! I have been sucking that fat fucks cock for years now letting him fuck me. NO God! I remember every fucking sick detail now including the damn roles of naked fat. How the hell could I…” She screamed as her face turned pale. She swiveled the chair around trying to get out as she put her hand over her mouth and started retching. Her stomach convulsing. Half out of the chair her leg got caught on something and she fell across the table toward Tweed. Only catching herself from falling into him barely a foot away. She breathed in as her face turned green wrinkling up her nose and lost it. Her stomach emptying itself projecting its contents all over tweed over and over again as she propped herself up on her hands trying to keep from falling into and touching him.

Gutner Dank pounded down the passageway sliding to a stop at the hatch. Looking around the Compartment with his gun ready. The deck felt like half the Gronks on the ship were headed this way. “Felt Overseer mind probe Captain but I see no Dumonts to kill. Which way did it go Sir.”

“Relax Gutner, Captain Tweed is the Empath. I shot him in the head with a stun gun. Take him and treat him like the Dumonts already in custody but keep him well separated from the rest. I don’t think he has the power or capabilities of the Dumonts but I also don’t want him learning anything from them either just in case. And again keep your distance.”

Jack turned to Commodore Harris as the Ensign disengaged from him and took her Assault Blaster and started walking toward Tweed. Her finger on the Trigger with the safety off. Gutner Dank standing back as he watched her approach the Captain sprawled in the chair with folds of fat hanging off the sides and under his arms and chin. “Just try that shit now ass hole.”

“Commodore Harris, I am going to need to see Captain Tweed’s records. I need to see where he was born.”

The Commodore shrugged his shoulders as his stare shifted between Tweed and the horrified or catatonic officers around the table. “Sure Captain, but I don’t understand why that would be important.”

The Female Executive Officer started stripping right there next to the table ripping half her clothes off without bothering to unfasten them. “Get me off this damn ship now! Immediately. I am not spending another second on this God Forsaken ship.” Half naked she headed for the hatch Jack had come through only to be stopped by one of the Gronks that had showed up at the run.

As she continued to strip with tears streaming down her face trying to get around the Gronk. She screamed. “That fucker puke face has been raping me for years. I said get me off this fucking ship!” As she finished stripping and started clawing at the Gronk who ignored her and did not move.

Jack turned to the Gronk. “Sgt. Necklop. Take this human to sick bay and keep her under close guard and in sight at all times including the head. She is not to touch anything or talk to anyone other than the ships Doctors. Until I say so. You are authorized to use deadly force. Is that clear?”

“Under close sight isolation guard until you say so. Eye Sir.”

“Very well. You may proceed.” Unlike human marines or guards, Jack knew that the Gronk would not argue, sympathize or listen to complaints about privacy or melt to the woman’s tears or lust for the woman’s naked body or fall asleep after getting bored, giving her many chances to escape or send and receive messages to make plans with the rest of the crew. Jack quickly assigned arriving Gronks to take each of the officers into custody with the same instructions.

Jack finally walked over to the Ensign with her assault gun still sitting in the mouth of the unconscious Captain with Gutner Dank standing to one side waiting with several others he had detailed to help him when they arrived. Putting his arm around the Ensign. “He can’t hurt you now Ensign.”

“I can still feel that ass holes lust and contempt and feel what the hell he wanted to do to me after I got close enough to him to force me to love him.” She looked at Jack suddenly surprised. “I could hear him talking to himself.” Her eyes getting big. “How the hell is that possible?”

“It took the Yeti and her Dumont clones attacking me to open my mind enough to do that as well. I think Tweeds attack on you did the same to you.” Jack said as he studied her for a few seconds. Then tried talking to himself in his mind. “Can you hear me talking to myself in my head love?”

“No shit Jack. I can’t believe this. Say something again. Aaa, in your mind.”

“Then you did hear me mind speak. This is getting more amazing all the time. Fact is I think I remember us doing this when we were really little kids but I’m not sure.”

The Ensign pulled her weapon from Tweeds mouth and stepped back. “Well I am sure but I just thought it or they were old dreams or my imagination. Can you still hear me?”

“Yes love.”

“How far can we do this? What kind of range do we have Hun.”

“I don‘t know. Pan can do it with other Dumonts but only at close range I think. I know I can’t hear here beyond a few yards and then I have to be looking at her. They have to use the pads to communicate most of the time. We may have the same restrictions but I don’t know. We will have to do some experimenting when we get time.” The Ensign and Jack stepped back away from Tweed and Gutner stepped in and started preparing tweed for transporting.

Jack hit his come checking to make sure that the mass tanks packed with food were ready to be moved when they jettisoned them from the Destroyer and then headed for the bridge only yards away. The food tanks would be taken to the main hanger.

Commander Harris followed them and then watched as the Ensign and Jack worked at different consoles interacting with each other with many glances or longer looks while they waited for the other to finish some step before proceeding, without speaking unless it was necessary to talk to one of the crews around the ship. It was beyond strange to watch their facial expressions change as if they were talking and joking with each other yet not saying a word. Then the Ensign slapped the console she was at and turned to Jack as she waited looking at him a few seconds before turning back and shutting down the console to go to a different console and again act like she was going down a check list only her and Captain Turner could hear. Stepping closer he looked to see if they had some kind of text comm between them (even though he knew of no such possibility), but found nothing.

Finally the Commodore hit the console in front of him making both the Ensign and Jack jump and turn around as he said. “Damn it! What the hell is going on? First you knew that tweed was going to blow the damn lock and then you seem to know exactly where Tweed is going which can be explained by the suit seeing an infrared trail but then you shoot through a damn insulated bulkhead to take out two armed men waiting to spring a trap that I sure can’t explain with any sensors I know about. Then Tweed seems to be forcing the Ensign to come to him simply by demanding that she come while he is insulting her and she goes only to have you shoot Tweed in the head.”

“Then his officers turn into zombies and act like he had them hypnotized or something for years doing ungodly acts against their will. Only to have an army of Gronks bust into the Compartment ready to kill an Overseer for doing something called a mind prob. Only for you to tell them that Tweed is the Empath and not a Dumont or what you told me before were the Gods slaves Overseers. And now you two have spent the last 15 minutes doing procedures that require close cooperation between separate crewmen at separate consoles reading long checklists without saying a fucking word to each other which is fucking impossible. I know that it is impossible. I have been doing the damn same check lists for a year now and they simply cannot be done without close verbal communications and cooperation between the operators.”

Looking between the Ensign and the Captain who seem to be talking to each other as their facial expressions change without talking.

“You are not leaving this bridge until you tell me what the fuck is going on here.”

Jack smiled as he looked at Harris. Shook his head and held up his finger toward the Commodore before turning around to the console he was at. Only to stop and turn back around. “Aaa Sorry Commodore. Just one minute please.” And held up his finger again for emphases as he turned around and started typing on the console. Suddenly he looked over at the Ensign and shook his head yes as his lips moved a little without anything coming out and went back to typing on the console.

“Aaa, Commodore, if you please?” The Ensign smiled as Harris turned a baffled expression toward her. “Jack... Captain Turner and I were conceived and born under or around a neutron star when our ship the Turner Joy was marooned around it for a good year.”

“What, that is impossible. Trade routes are plotted to stay far away from neutron stars simply because even passing one will destroy a freshly fertilized egg while creating deformed children if it is not mature enough. A ship simply can’t carry enough shielding to protect even a few from the radiation flooding from a neutron star.”

The Ensign smiled at the Commodore. “Actually Commodore that is not close to being accurate for all, only a small percentage but that is still enough to force transport lanes to be plotted far from any possible contact or transporting civilians. Only thing is that Tramps need to cut travel times in order to make profits so they do go near neutron stars all the time with little health risks. They don’t usually get stranded orbiting one. The Turner Joy cut a little too close to a neutron star and wound up hitting something that emptied its mass tanks. It took them a year to limp around to finally find enough mass to escape to the next system. That was when Jack, a dozen other babies and I were born. Though no one knows how many miscarriages (both early and late term), happened for sure. Of the 15 babies born in that year only Jack and I survived the first couple of years. The others dying mostly due to deformities and weak constitutions so I was told. But Jack and I thrived. Only thing is it turned out that we had some genes turned on that are normally dormant in all other humans. At least that was what the gal in the placement center after bootship said to me.”

The Ensign looked over at Jack and smiled. “Oh really, you too. Ok.”

Then back at the Commodore. “Anyway we grew up together thinking that seeing through bulkheads and decks was natural until about the age of 5 or 6 or was it 7 when we were separated. We simply did not know that normal humans could only see what you call visible light waves while Jack and I could see just about every form of energy wave that is out there. Though because of circumstanced Jack was… How should I say? Aaa. Conditioned by his family after leaving the care of my parents not to see anything but what everyone else could though even then he continued to see some energy waves besides light though he did not realize it since he was mostly ignored by his family and expected to keep his mouth shut. While my family encouraged me even though they never believed me. Putting it down to an overstimulated imagination. They were just fucking happy I was still alive.”

“Anyway it was Jack’s somewhat forced isolationism that pushed him into playing The Battleship Crew Game, for 40 to 100 hours a week over 10 years that earned him the Red Pepper. While his Grandfather being just about the smartest professor in the Republic and putting him through classes most Collage kids don’t even get to hear about, made it possible for him to tell at a glance that the Spiders had an engine on their battleships that did not require the use of thousands of tons of mass and then using that knowledge to design an even more advanced massless engine that can run rings around the Spiders Battleships that are now reequipping the fleet.

Jack turned and looked at the Ensign then rolled his eyes.

“Oh you shut up. I will tell him what I want to tell him.”

Turning back to the Commodore. “It was Jack’s time in the game that enabled him to design the tactics and battle plan that defeated the first Spider Fleet in what you know as the Trench Battle and then later the second fleet in the Passageway battles that wound up creating the bubble and getting us here.”

“I said for you to just shut up. I am telling this and I am not boring him.” As she glanced back at Jack irritated with him.

“And it was our ability to see through the decks of the hulk Jack first tried to raid that allowed us to survive against 10,000 God Ape troops long enough to not only rescue some 3,000 God Slaves but Capture some 100,000 tons of God equipment that should go a long way to winning this war for us. That is if The Damn Rock ever lets our forces use it.”

Jack turned to the Ensign with a frown. “Well thank God you left some of the story out or we would be here for another week and the Commodore would have died from boredom.”

“Well he had to know enough to know we aren’t freaks and that you know what you are doing.” The Ensign let that sink in for a few seconds since she could see the Commodore’s eyes were glazed over.

Finally the Commodore looked over and took a deep breath. “Ok fine but what does that have to do with you two seeming to read minds and Tweed forcing people to be his slaves using his mind. Is that what the God Overseers do to enslave their crews?”

Jack turned around. “No. The Dumonts or Overseers have an empathic ability to sense moods and feelings and a little ability to influence crowds from what I understand. At least most of them. None of them have the ability that we just saw Tweed have with his ability to enslave people directly.” Jack looked thoughtful for a few seconds. “Though that could be why the Gods made the Gronks able to sense mind manipulation or Probing as they call it with the orders to kill any Overseers that they detect with that ability. A kind of check and balance for the God Officers who may be susceptible to such control which points to another species that is in overall control of or above the God Officers. The God Officers could simply be another mind enslaved race.” Thinking about that for a few seconds. “Anyway the Dumonts or Overseers use their empathy ability to sense the meanings of words in new languages and talk to the thousands of species the God ships use as crews. As well as the ability to sense the mood of the different groups of slaves and to give them what they need to be content with their lot in life and work together as one group instead of many separate. I don’t think it is so much as influence as sensing the needs that enables them to pacify the masses. Though it may take a little bit of both. It simply may take time for me to find out the whole truth.”

Shaking his head as he frowned and then smiled at the Commodore. “No, you want to know how we are able to mind talk to each other which by the way the Dumonts or Overseers can do naturally with each other as well but supposedly not with other species. The thing is I am not sure wright know how or why the Ensign and I can mind talk. I can’t find anything in Tweeds records that says that he was born anywhere near a neutron star but then again the Dumont’s certainly aren’t birthed consistently near one. I have noticed that our brain cases are similar in shape focusing mind waves out the eye sockets like primitive radar dishes. So it just maybe a natural genetic ability of both our races, the Dumonts and Humans and maybe the attack of the Yeti Dumont and her Clones against me when we captured this battleship opened or turned on my ability and then Tweeds attack on the Ensign turned hers on. But then why haven’t the hundreds or even thousands of others Tweed has attacked not had the same ability turned on. Not to mention that Tweed did not seem able to mind talk at all while trying to convince the Ensign to approach him. All he was projecting was massive emotions of pity and helplessness with a low tone of love under it all while trying to tap into the Ensigns primitive emotions to defend her young.”

Jack sat back and crossed his hands behind his head. “The thing is Commodore I don’t really have a clue why we now have the ability or why the Dumonts do as well.”

“You can read my mind?” The Commodore sounded disturbed.

“No! No. Not at all. Not even the Dumonts that attacked my mind could read minds as far as reading thoughts. They could transfer images, facts and their own feelings to each other when they wanted to and did so in mass trying to overwhelm and beat my mind into overloading like a capacitor or battery and blow up. But reading another’s thoughts directly does not seem possible. I have to transmit or talk to myself kind of while facing the Ensign to project my words or pictures to her and then over only a short distance if our ability is anything like the Dumonts.”

The Commodore took a deep breath. “So can you read my thoughts?”

The Ensign looked at the Commodore and started squinting at him. “Think of something.” After a few seconds. “Are you thinking of anything or just sitting there.”

Jack chuckled. “Commodore try talking to her but do not speak allowed.”

“Something like this.”

“Yes you’ve got it by God.”

Shaking his head. “This is a bit of work. I actually have to think or force myself to talk inside my head. Can you still hear me?”

The Ensign smiled and said out loud. “I did not realize it would be so hard but I am only hearing part of your conversation. You are skipping words. Like you are still mostly thinking to yourself instead of projecting.”

Jack smiled and said allowed. “Try talking back to him in your mind Ensign. That may help the both of you to concentrate.” He could hear both of them perfectly in his head as they tried to mind talk with each other. Jack suddenly wondering if the ease the Ensign had been talking with him earlier had been a case of him doing most of the work without thinking or realizing it. Hoping the Ensign would get better at it in time and if it could be taught to other humans.

And then the Commodore burst his bubble. “Sorry Ensign. But I am not getting a thing from you and this trying to concentrate to talk to you is giving me a headache.”

“And I am still only getting a few words I think from you and even then I am not so sure anymore.” The Ensign said shaking her head sadly.

“Ok guys enough for now. Evidentially I was the one carrying the Ensign’s and my mind conversation earlier.” Taking a breath. “I assure you Commodore I can only hear your mind speak if you want me to. Or should I say if you are talking to yourself kind of like you were trying to talk to the Ensign but without you trying so hard. Though I can sense your open emotions or moods like frustration or fear or worry or the happiness you felt when you actually thought you were communicating with the Ensign with your mind and now the disappointment. But then most people can read that from most people’s faces.”

“Ok but that still does not explain why you are so good at it Captain Turner.”

Jack shook his head sadly. “When we first took over this hulk a bunch of cloned Dumonts on board tried to kill me using their minds. I got the impression that the clones where able to combine their minds to kill several other Dumonts when Yeti, the mother of the clones, needed to make jobs for her siblings. The only reason they did not succeed with me was that Pan was able to help me when they tried to kill me and yet they still almost succeeded.”

Getting the Commodores worried feelings washing over him. “Don’t Worry Commodore, Dumonts cannot copy the act. Each Dumont is on what you would call a different frequency that I can even see as a kind of finger print color. The Yeti Dumont had made perfect clones of herself that thought at the same frequency as she did and from what I understand it took her going through thousands of embryos and killing off most of the babies to get the few she had that matched her frequency close enough to use. You don’t have to worry about them ganging up against us pour humans.”

“The important part right now is figuring out exactly what kind of powers Tweed has and why and if there are others.” Jack thought for a few seconds. “And maybe we should take a second look at the new Dumonts Pan had brought over to help run this Battleship. I still haven’t really meant them.” Looking at the Commodore. “Supposedly they can’t read the mind talk of other species as I said while sensing their feeling. But I seem able to. Now I don’t know if it is because the Yeti group attacked me forcing my mind to learn or what but I can hear their mind talk if I am close enough. After these last 2 attacks I am really shy in trust at the moment and would like to put my own fears behind me. Not that I don’t trust Pan cause I do with my life but Pan was a bit naive about Yeti and her clones and I don’t know these others and it is time to fix that.”

Jack turned from the Commodore to the Ensign. “I must beg your forgiveness Ensign. I want you to supervise the unloading of the cargo tanks of supplies while I take care of this little mater. I am weary of having you in the compartment now that you know since they can feel our feelings and may pick up your fear or trepidation of their ability and your expectations about the meeting as you react to what they say that you can understand. Not to mention that if one of them can read the average human mind in spite of what Pan says, they could easily get that information about me from you without you realizing it. Something I am going to have to be very careful of in my own mind while listening to them.” Jack shook his head. “Fact is, getting enough time to listen without being obvious is going to be a problem.”

Tapping his finger on the console. “What I need Commodore is for you and the Ensign to come up with a series of problems to call me about after I have been there a few minutes finishing up some paper work that should buy me some time. I would like to get at least an hour of simply listening to them when they are bored without having to interact with them. It is amazing what people will talk about in a group when they are bored and think no one is paying attention to them. I spent a lot of time growing up forgotten in the corner of conference rooms doing just that.”

“Are you Game Commodore?” Jack asked. “Ensign?”

With big smiles across their faces they spent the next 15 minutes planning plausible problems that Jack would need time to salve or take care of while Pan and the Dumonts waited in his office later.

Finally slapping his comm. “Pan, could you get all the new Dumonts aboard the ship together. I would like to meet them all. Please apologize for my rudeness in not doing so earlier.”

“Yes Captain Jack. We will be glad to meet with you at your convenience.”

“Very well Pan. How about in an hour in that fine new Captain’s Office Compartment next to the Captain’s Cabin you built for me.” Jack hated the whole deck. They had rebuilt the destroyed bridge deck including the Bridge and Officers Cabins along with the Captain’s Cabin that turned out to be opulent enough for a king. The whole deck was more like the most expensive play land cruise ship ever built than the Command deck of a battleship. Jack was hoping it would mask any feelings he would have concerning the individual Dumonts as he listened in on their conversations when they thought he could not hear their mind speak let alone even understand them when they spoke allowed amongst each other using their native language. Suddenly wondering why they spoke verbally at all when he had seen two or three of them meet in passageways and the mess decks since they arrived but put the thought aside for the moment as he had much more important issues to worry about.

Jack was starting to feel like a real supper spy from one of the holovid movies and hoped Pan honored his orders not to tell the rest of the Dumonts about his new abilities.

Chapter 7; Bored to death spying

Jack sat at his new Captain’s desk reading file after file on the huge screen top. Several strange nick-knacks and pointless alien looking machines scattered around the edge. The single servant (out of the some 20 that were originally tripping over each other and him) he had allowed to stay to maintain the cabin complex and empty captain’s galley had just finished refreshing the tea and water most of the row of Dumonts were drinking as they waited for him to finish what he had told them could not wait, after quick introductions when they had arrived. Jack was glad his huge cabin office was plenty plush to make them comfortable while he ignored them.

But after 15 minutes he had yet to hear one word from any of them either verbally or mentally. Finally thinking that something had happened to his ability to hear them mind talk. Something as simple as time letting the initial trauma of the attack heal or possibly he was simply too far away from them though he was sure he had listened to Pan talking to herself at over twice the range and now she was ass silent as the rest. Jack took a deep breath. Well he had to take a leek anyway now that he had calmed down from his initial excitement at playing the spy.

Standing up Jack smiled at the dead stone faced group arched around the front of the big desk. “If you will excuse me for just a minute. Nature calls and then we will get down to more pleasantries. I have been looking forward to hearing about each and every one of you and your families.”

Jack turned and headed for the hatch to the side of his desk. He had to force himself not to stop when he heard. ‘What in the God’s service is he talking about Panitrebalationaelfloorintine? What business is it of this human concerning our families? I read in one of their books that humans use families to control important humans conduct including killing them just like the God Officers.’

‘No. Not this or most humans.’ Pan said in Jack’s mind as he reached the door. ‘It is a custom of humans to show interest in people they care about. Most humans will then adopt those families as their own to protect. That is what this human has done with my children. He has gone far out of his way to make sure that my family is well taken care of. Fact is he has gone out of his way to make sure all our people have been taken care of as well as possible.’

Another Dumont, Zap, spoke inside Jack’s mind. ‘I do not understand this human. He demands that you build this massive Command deck to rival even the God Officers whims and then dismisses most of the servants not even keeping one for his own bed. Did you not pick at least one of the many sex servants to fill his needs properly?’

‘He did not demand the construction of the Command deck or anything else. We constructed it for him to show our appreciation for freeing us from slavery. Most of the races contributed to the design and outfitting of the deck trying to please and make him feel at home. And I did not demand any slaves for there were far too many volunteers wanting to serve or to use the human’s terms, work for the Captain. I had to use the human’s lottery system to choose members from each group wanting to contribute. We still know too little to predict them yet. As far as sex companions the Captain has another human as his companion and as is most of our couplings, he seems to be monogamous. Rejecting all those who have shown interest fulfilling his desires.’ Pan seemed to hesitate or a moment. ‘But then I am not sure he even realized that most were even offering.’

‘So then he is Alien phobic, dismissing most of his workers. I strongly sense his hate for this deck and the work they have done here for him.’ Said another Dumont Jack labelled Chump when he simplified his name upon meeting him earlier.

‘That is not necessarily accurate. His hate may be for something else and not the deck itself. I am investigating the possibilities now. As for the staff, he has shown a lack of tolerance for waste and said that he was sure that the workers had more important jobs to do than get in his way doing things he could do for himself. Accordingly I have rescheduled the workers around the deck to avoid contact as much as possible.’

‘Yes I have noticed many of the workers I have passed on this deck have feelings of disappointment and resentment at something and being forced to work in the shadows again could be most of it.’

Jack had sat on the pot trying to relax but having to force himself not to feel surprised or shock at what he was hearing as Pan and the Dumonts discussed things. Though he could not help feeling overwhelming pride and then shame at himself as he listened even though he was trying to force himself not to feel any emotions that would leak out to the group he knew were damn good at feeling emotions. He had realized as soon as he had first seen the deck that it had been built for humans but had thought it as just a humanized version of the Gods design. The thought that the whole deck had been designed by dozens of different races making contributions had not even crossed his mind. Though he had to admit it looked like a committee or several comities had designed different sections of the deck. What was worse was that he had seen several workers briefly only for them to rapidly disappear even when he had tried to complement them or ask them questions the few times he had slept in his new cabin but had been too busy and disgusted at the opulence of the Gods to give the encounters much thought.

The conversation continued from there to cover humans generally and their oddities and trying to understand them. Even getting into the fact that they were starving to death in front of their eyes which led to the Alien’s efforts to find something the humans could eat out of the thousands of tons of food they were producing for themselves. The aliens not believing that they had failed to come up with even one food that offered even basic nutrition and not poison the humans. The talking had degenerated (or advanced) into the specifics of looking for something to feed the humans when Jack decided he had spent why too much time in the head and flushed the toilet and washed his hands.

Still embarrassed by his not understanding or even knowing everything the aliens had tried to do for him Jack stepped out of the head.

‘The human is embarrassed.’ Said Chump in Jack’s head. ‘I have noticed that the humans perform sex in privacy to relax their nerves and tension and then become embarrassed afterwards.’

Another said. ‘I have noticed several get embarrasses around others simply vacating their bodily wastes. Especially if they respect those that may have noticed.’

‘I do not believe this human respects us or he would not have kept us here wasting our time.’ Chump said with what Jack felt as mild disgust.

Though Jack tried his best to simply listen without reacting or even really thinking about anything they were now saying. Instead he tried to consciously think of what needed to be done to bring the new reassigned crews of the Destroyers up to speed while simply cataloging what was said. But he could not help letting it influence what he said as he sat back down at the desk and tapped a few keys before looking up and speaking.

‘Please forgive me ladies and gentlemen for my rudeness. I know you have been on the station for a while know but as you have probably heard, things are moving along at a rather rapid pace at the moment with all the new bodies thawed out and trying to get this Station operational and moved with the other Hulk Station having its own problems. Then with the death of one of our Squadron Commanders and most of his staff and the arrest of half a trampship’s former crew and its Captain for those murders and other crimes threw another monkey wrench into the works.” Jack took a breath shaking his head before he continued. “The good point about the little raid is that we have discovered several thousand tons of food for us humans that should last a few months. Hopefully until a transport from The Rock arrives. And just as important hopefully it will stop anymore poisoning deaths from crewmen trying to eat your foods. I have a few other things on my mind as well but I simply could not put off meeting all of you any longer. I would like to assure you that I hold no ill will toward you or any other Dumonts for what Yeti and her clones did. But the complete trust like I have with Pan will take some time. All that I ask of you is for you to do your jobs as best as you can and bring any of yours or your crews questions to Pan. Or me if you do not like her solutions or advice. My office is always open to each of you.”

Jack stood up and walked around the desk to sit on the corner facing the Dumont next to Pan. “It is customary for the Captain of any ship or business to get to know the senior officers or workers that are working for him. Please Ms. Sleeten, if I may call you that, tell me a little about yourself and your family.

The Dumont looked up at Jack as fear flooded over him from her for a few seconds but then she got ahold of herself and started speaking English. “I, I have 2 children still living. Two have failed the exams in the past and are dead. My oldest remaining, Sleven, is about to take the qualification exams for Overseer. My husband has high hopes for his successful passage. My youngest Sanchees is 6.” She swallowed as trepidation washed over her. “Is it true that you humans do not execute those that fail to pass or do not have a job opening? She has no marriage opportunity at this time with no prospective Overseers available for her not to take the tests.”

Jack looked at Pan wondering why she had not told her something as basic as the answer to that question but then realized that that specific topic had never come up. Taking a deep breath Jack smiled. “Well now I am sure she will pass but even if she doesn’t or even decides not to take the test and go for another occupation we will not execute her or anyone else for failing. Hell, if we humans executed everyone that failed a test the first time around we wouldn’t have much of a population.”

“Failed the first time around?” She said baffled.

“Yes I know several people that have taken the flight test a bunch of times and failed it only to eventually pass with flying colors. Though some never pass the test and go on to do great things in other careers.” Jack frowned. “Oh and my condolences on the loss of your other two kids. Could you tell me what their names were so I may honor them?”

Tears started running down her cheek as she gave Jack their full 30 character names instead of the shortened versions Pan had agreed on letting the humans call them.

Jack took her hand into his trying to be sympathetic and was flooded with thousands of images and scenes concerning the two kids as they had grown up and then their executions when they had passed their tests but failed to find an opening in the fleet for Overseers. Jack tried to keep his emotions in check as her grief tried to overwhelm him finally having to let go of her hand when the desk’s Comm beeped getting everyone’s attention.

Taking his time moving back around the desk Jack took a few seconds to compose himself before having to tap the Comm and even then he found he could say nothing and simply grunted. “Ya.”

“Captain, we are having a few problems here. We have only limited space to store the food at this time. There really isn’t much room yet around the Galley we are trying to put together on this tub and too many cooks with different lists. I am sending you the food lists now and need your decision on which to unpack from the storage pods.”

“We are just going to have to keep most of the food in the pods for now under guard and take out what is needed each day.” Jack looked at the row of Dumonts. “If you would excuse me for a few minutes please I will be back with you shortly. Please make yourselves at home with the snacks and drinks on the back cupboard. Again I am sorry for the losses of loved ones you all have suffered and beg you to tell me about each of them when your turn comes.”

Jack started concentrating on the lists. Not that they were made up but they could have waited. They spent the next 20 minutes talking between themselves about their families and how some had been lucky enough to find job openings on the various ships of the God fleet while others became spouses for those that had been successful instead of taking the tests. The more emotional conversations or statements coming out verbally instead of simply between minds. Jack was shocked to learn that several had taken jobs or spouses on ships that Jack had then destroyed without being able to rescuer their slave crews.

Jack thanked Godstar that most of the Dumonts were females throwing off huge waves of grief and sorrow and hopefully covering his shocked emotions. Even though the two male Dumonts were less effected than the females their concentrations seemed to be on the females for the moment.

Jack finished the lists and sat patiently at his desk as several took a while to compose themselves. Jack not needing an excuse not to notice as Sleeten continued to cry for a while before being able to compose herself.

The female Dumont next to Sleeten finally patting her comfortingly as she looked at Jack and started talking about her own family and the loss of her children and husband to a God officers wrath.

Jack hesitated coming back around the desk but decided that not too could show lack of respect for the others. He was glad when the Overseer did not get as emotional as Sleeten or reach out to take his hand even though he thought he would be ready for the flood the next time.

Jack did not give the Ensign the signal again until after they all had finished talking about their families. Jack feeling like he had to spend a few minutes talking about his grandfather as well but keeping it short.

He got them discussing the ship when he again gave the Ensign the signal and he became busy with another ship’s problem.

Jack was a little surprised when Chump started making derogatory comments about the ship and Pan’s decisions. Though each comment started a round of debate amongst the Dumonts giving Jack tons of information about both how the Overseers worked and thought as well as the Godship itself. Jack was also glad that Pan was giving the rest of the Dumonts a lot of information about what Jack expected of them and how to work with the humans.

And then the subject of freedom came up and how strange and scary freedom was. What started Jack wondering was when Pan started explaining how freedom was different than the old slave and master routine and several just simply could not seem to grasp the concept or the differences except that now they got paid money that they were not sure what to do with even though Jack got the impression that a healthy Black Market economy was in full swing both on and between ships of the Godfleet. He also got the impression that several were starting to think of replacing the God Officers Dictatorial way of doing things with their own dictators. Some as themselves or others as the Dictators.

Jack had studied in history classes how hard it was for groups of people on Communist and Slave planets to go from being told what, where and how to live their lives at the whim of only a few at the top, to having to not only decide what job they wanted and where they would live but figure out how to pay for and then actually pay for everything on time over and over again, month after month in their daily lives. Most slaves even on Communist planets not only found the transition impossible to make but could not understand the most simplest of election concepts such as changing the people running things simply by voting them in or out every few years. All they had ever known and ever lived with was that whoever was on top running things controlled everything forever, including life and death for those not in favor. To them elections were never temporary (Ohhh well, next election) but life and death issues that warranted life and death actions and doing anything including cheating, ballot stuffing and even murder to insure that their leader won even if it meant killing the opposition else they would again be on the bottom dying at the whim of the winners. Not even knowing how to pick a leader to support and falling easily for platitudes and emotional lies. This attitude not only extended to the elections but as to how things were run by the winners feeling all to justified in taking as much as they could by any means possible including corruption while enslaving and killing those that lost.

Unless a strong outside force could police the ex-slaves over at least a generation, they would vote themselves right back into Communism and slavery simply from stupidity. History had shown that the outside force had to be viewed as benevolent while making slow changes in government, teaching them from the bottom up in many local elections and slowly working up the governmental chain, teaching the populace that losing elections did not mean dying at the hands of the winners and that it was stupid to tolerate corruption because winners always became losers eventually. It took time for societies to realize that free trade and limited Government made Corruption impossible to maintain while strong centralized Governments always degenerated into Communist or Dictator Slave states that bread high intolerable levels of Corruption and poverty and not the utopias for all that were always promised.

The shame was that all too often total Democracies voted themselves into large government Communist Slave States over time, using the excuse that the few Rich had all the money even though 70 to 80% of the population were either Rich or in the middle income brackets and easily able to buy cheaper versions of all the luxuries the (superrich villains had). While a few demanded that the Rich needed their money taken away from them to feed the 2 to 5% pour (that mostly refused to or couldn’t work) until eventually the only rich were the Communist Government (Masters) and 80 to 90% of the people (slaves) could barely afford to eat let alone buy the few luxuries only the 10% in the Government (For the People) Masters were given for free. The people objecting to the Government being the only rich, were always sent to reeducation camps that few returned from. Eventually, the 5 to 20% that the activists considered pore that used to have cars and Videos and 2 and 3 bedroom houses with garages, living to a hundred or better with cheap versions of everything the rich had, where suddenly starving to death in gutters by the time they were 30. The middle classes that used to be rich were lucky to buy clothes and food with multiple families in small apartments or shacks. Once the Government has control of all the money, they never worry about how many little people and the pore, starve to death or die to keep them living the rich life.

Jack had seen too many planets dying after the money was taken from the Rich in the mistaken belief that wealth was a big fixed sized Pie with the Rich taking too big a share. When reality showed that the pie of wealthy free trade economies was able to grow infinitely large as needed. That everyone working creating products whether machines or art or food and earning money grew the size of the wealth pie. That few realized that no matter how much money you spend, there would always be a few people living on the streets or homeless, who simply could not handle a complicated life or even wished to. Using them as an excuse to steel from the Rich to give to the pore who were mostly not the homeless starving pore often talked about, was never more than an excuse to take power from the masses to give it to the few. There would always be some pore no matter how much money the government taxed. Even if you stole enough from the rich to put every homeless person in a world into hotel rooms with unlimited room service, you would still have those that refused to come out of the cold or hold a job even if all that job was, was sitting in a chair pushing a button and doing nothing else.

Only many others would say, “Why work if the government will pay for everything I want simply for sitting in a chair for a few hours a day. Especially if they allow simple excuses to not even have to do that little bit of work?” Why vote for anyone that would not let you get paid for not working? Welfare and the Dole always degenerate into terminal cancer and excuses to steal even more money from the Rich until there are no longer any Rich left to steal from. And you have even more pore and homeless than before. Not because they can’t handle society or complications of life as before but because they have no jobs. No Rich to provide jobs. No Rich to buy anything the pore may develop and produce themselves. No Rich to buy even the basics of life let alone luxuries that provide the jobs for the masses to afford to purchase the basics of life such as food and a roof and Cheep luxuries the Rich pay fortunes to develop. Suddenly with the Rich Free Trade gone and a huge Central Government controlling everything including what everyone does or says in the name of The People, (Communism, Dictatorship, Fascism), the Pie is damn small and shrinking and only the few Communist, Corrupt Big Government Masters, get to eat from it.

Jack had intentionally limited the freedoms the ex-slaves had to the simple basics. Treating them more like Merchant Marine crewmen assigning them cabins to start with and letting them chose between several jobs they seemed qualified for with the option of changing that in time. Letting them pick simple representatives amongst the groups to represent them for the simple decisions to start with. Arranging for several types of groups to represent each ex-slave in the many different aspects of their lives as a thousand years of studies shows works best to teach them over time how democracies worked and how to pick politicians. Diluting the ex-slaves anguish at the possibility of their only representative not being their choice. With at least 3 different representatives to vote into each office such as comities for cabins, food, jobs, production, services, entertainment, sports and several simple local government ward Chiefs, Commissioners, and such.

Staying away from a single elected person in each office with control over the exslaves usually provided the best training for a budding democracy while those same choices were slowly turned over to the free market. With each office controlling some aspect of the exslaves life having at least 3 persons elected by the different groups they were a part of insures that there is a good possibility that every ex-slave had at least one of the three being one they voted for giving them the feeling that they had won while diluting most of the radicals in budding democracies the ability to cause harm as all three had to agree to act.

In time the slave’s realization that any single election did not matter enough to kill over and giving them the taste that too much government was not good with the dozens of comities intruding into every aspect of their lives at first that gave them the comfortable feeling of the dictatorship that in time would grow to be cumbersome and hated and eventually abolished by the majority. Learning how it was possible for only a few elected politicians in the many committees to influence and force the majority to do stupid things such as wearing only a single color of socks or banning some foods only a few did not care for. Even learning how politicians and radicals could lie to get elected by promising the moon and the sun and deliver only darkness or produce the same meal or movie for weeks until everyone was sick of it but the committee. But that was in the future. Right now the Ex-slaves were just starting to realize that they were not going to die at some god’s whim and that they actually had some control over their lives.

It was entertaining to Jack as he listened to Pan and the others start to get emotional about the election for dozens of comities for little things like cabin assignments and food menus. He was just glad none of them had to vote for something more serious like an overall congressmen or Judge or even a supreme President that would easily and usually did at this stage become a dictator for life.

Covering his face with his hands as he rubbed his temples to keep from laughing at the grade school antics of a budding democracy, Chump suddenly mind talked with his voice seeming to boom into Jacks head causing everyone else to shut up. ‘It does not matter you fools. We are still slaves only by another name.’

Jack’s mind went blank as he forced himself not to think or react as he continued to rub his temple and then his eyes.

Pan turned to Chump as his mind flared. ‘How can you say that? Not one of us has yet to be killed by these humans. They let us live and work as we please making few demands upon any of us and these very comities we are arguing about prove that we are no slaves.’

‘And they pay us wages right?’ Chump smiled. ‘What do we do with these wages? Is there anything here we need or can buy with them that we cannot already make ourselves in our factories. Fact is the factories when not dedicated to the needs of the humans and rebuilding this ship now produce products that no one wants but a few that are friends with the factory comities while ignoring many needs.’

‘Well that is better than before when they produced nothing but what the Gods demanded and most of that we could not use as well. Give us time and we will change the committee members or think of other ways of doing things.’

‘That is the problem. All those committees are worse than the Gods. At least the Gods left us alone when they were not killing us’

‘Give us time Chump. There is much to learn and already people are producing things the factories can’t or the manufacturing committees do not approve of. Besides in another week we hold another election and maybe the committee’s will change again. There are many candidates that want change. Want more freedom from the Committees but I have not heard anyone propose something better. Do you have any idea’s what we can do different?’

‘No but that is not the point. We are still slaves on this ship. I was not asked to come to this ship leaving my family behind on what humans call the Hulk Station. I was not given a choice as to the job I was given here. I am still just as much a slave as before.’

Suddenly the other Dumonts started agreeing with Chump. Most had left their families behind when told to get on the shuttle to go around the bubble to this Battleship and were not happy about it.

Pan tried to get a word in edgewise as Jack looked up at the group staring straight ahead looking catatonic. ‘My apologies Cousins but I should not have ordered you hear when the Captain expressed the need. I should have asked you each first. I am still getting used to this freedom thing.’

‘Your apologies are a human thing and only show that you are a puppet of the human God dictator carrying out his wishes and we are still slaves.’

‘I am not a slave. The human Captain is in charge of this ship and all the other humans as they are in their military and while they must follow orders they are free to do as they please when off duty and were not required to join their military. We are not in their military and can refuse to work for them if we please but while we work for them we must obey the orders of the officers appointed above us that we work for.’

‘Then we can go back to the other ship? To our families?’ Chump asked without speaking.

‘Yes you can. Do you want to go back?’

The Dumonts seemed to be staring at each other as Jack sat back trying to look like he was working but spending more time listening in his head than pretending to work as he stared at the desk top.

There was a strange buzz in Jacks head for a second. Then. ‘Will I be executed for disobeying a God order and going back to the ship and my family?’

Pan took a deep breath as she shook her head. ‘No. The Captain has spent many hours with me trying to make me understand. You and your family will be taken care of until you decide what you want to do. Work for the humans or be amongst those that are eventually sent to a planet that we can call our own as colonists or eventually to return to the Gods. That is your decision to make as you see fit. As I have said before I must apologize for bringing you here without thinking of your wants and needs. I am still having a hard time putting this freedom thing to reality.’

Several of them started mind talking at the same time expressing their desire to return to their families. What surprised Jack was that he was able to understand them all even when they all talked at the same time.

Pan finely quieted them down and said. ‘As you wish. I shall arrange transportation.’

Pan turned to Jack and said out loud. “Captain Jack. If I could talk with you for a minute please.”

Jack looked up and smiled. ‘I will be done with this in a few more minutes but what do you wish to talk about now?’

“Several of my cousins wish to return to the Hulk station and their families Captain.”

Jack was still trying to decide how to handle the situation without talking to himself. Fearing that they would be able to hear him as he stabbed around to delay for a few more seconds as his mind raced. “Ok Pan. Do they have jobs at the hulk station?”

Several of the Dumonts turned to look at each other as Jack felt a wave of fear wash across him at the prospect of being killed because they had no official jobs.

“No Captain, they only wish to be with their families.”

Jack could not believe how a simple question trying to buy himself time to think had such a huge repercussion. “Very well Pan the next shuttle headed for the Hulkstation is in…” Jack checked the corner of his desk. “Is 23 hours away. They just missed this one. My apologies.” Jack looked back down at his desk and started reading the report again and then stopped looking back up. “Aaa Pan, why were they not told they could bring their families along when they agreed to come help us?”

“Aaa Captain, I did not ask them, but ordered them brought and did not think of their families.”

Jack shook his head sadly. “I am ashamed of you Pan. We had a little talk about what you can do and what you must not do. Your people are not slaves any longer. Now fix it. Offer them the jobs properly and tell them that the ones that wish to take you up on your offer can have their loved ones on the next shuttle headed this why.” Jack checked the corner of his desk again. “Leaving in about 8 hours. Then thank the ones that leave for coming and apologize for their inconvenience and time away from their families. Then figure out some way to compensate them for dragging them here against their will. Then you can ask for volunteers for each job still left open from the Hulk Station.”

A flurry of mind talk was exchanged with most of them finally agreeing to stay with a few job assignment changes making them very happy with several wishing to leave the meeting to arrange new quarters while one could not wait to get started with his new job.

Then Chump burst the bubble as he said in his mind. ‘We are still slaves. You had to ask the new God permission and get instructions.’

‘That is ridicules Chump. What do I have to do to convince you that we are no longer slaves?’

Chump thought about it for a few seconds and then said. “I want to return to my family now not tomorrow. If we are truly free you can arrange for me to go now.’

Jack almost lost his composure as he heard that and Pan started arguing with Chump. Telling him that he was being unreasonable. Taking a deep breath Jack could not believe it when he reached over and started typing on the side of the desk making arrangements to do just that. He knew the reasoning behind the ridiculous request and understood it. It was an illogical stupid request born from desperation and emotions. Emotions that Chump could use to talk the other Dumonts into joining his little band and possibly wondering off on their own troublesome faction, becoming a detriment to the ship.

Jack quickly found out that there was no shuttles available to take the stubborn Dumont home to his family before the shuttle that would be arriving the next day on its regularly scheduled run between ships arrived here and then turned around to return to the Hulk Station. All the other shuttles had already left an hour before transporting much needed food that had been confiscated from Tweed’s ships to the Hulk Station that was in just as bad of shape as the Battleship was food wise. They were already beyond the no return range of the shuttles. By the time the closest one could get turned around and back, the regular shuttle would be docking with the Battleship.

No. Jack needed another way to get to the hulk station. Fact was, he needed a faster way to get between the hulk station and the Battle ship. The 10 hour flights the shuttles took was all too long. But then he did not have a spare Destroyer to put shuttling back and forth between the ship and station. They were either locked down pushing the ship or up between the armored decks with half their guts torn out being rebuilt. But even then the current Destroyer would use up to damn much reaction mass bouncing back and forth between them for simply a few passengers and the average load of cargo. The thousands of tons of food being sent to the Hulk Station was not a normal load and would not be repeated again. Fact was the reaction mass the shuttles were going through was nothing to sneeze at either.

No. What he needed was a cargo carrying Torpedo Bomber that could use the cloud for reaction mass with the speed to do not just one round a day but several rounds a day. Though just equipping the transports with scoops would help the Reaction mass problem.

Jack started tapping the desk again bringing up the schematics of the Spidership’s Torpedo Bombers. The one he had piloted for the attack on the runaway Spider currier ship was fresh in his mind with the Ensign and him exploring most or what turned out to be a roomy cockpit before the Destroyer had picked them up. Not that he had looked that close at the fittings themselves.

It only took Jack a few minutes to find out that the top gun turret at the back of the cockpit was modular and easy to change and even leave off. Greatly increasing the cockpits open cabin area. Several other weapons systems and combat equipment could be taken out as well making plenty of room for a good dozen people to ride in fare comfort. Though he was disappointed that the weapons console would not come out without some major work, he decided that it was probably a good idea to leave the weapons/sensor/countermeasures console in place to run not only the tail gun but leave the pilot able to use the wing cannons that were even harder to take out than the Control console according to the maintenance work sheets. He would have to check with Pan later to see if they had plans for a transport version of the Torpedo Bomber they could build with a much bigger hull and minus the weapons.

Looking up at the stone faced Dumonts still arguing with their faces turning red Jack smiled trying to think of a way to interrupt them with the good news without tipping his hand and his ability. Finally shaking his head Jack slapped the desk hard creating a loud crack jerking both Dumonts into silence in his mind as they all looked in surprise at him.

“Ok Guys enough is enough. You two look like you are about to blow a blood vessel in both your necks. What is the argument about?”

Pan looked at Jack in surprise as she touched her neck then looked at the still red Chump as Chump stared back at her.

Turning back to Jack, Pan took a deep breath and said. “We need to send Chump back to the Hulk Station now not tomorrow. We can do nothing less for bringing him hear against his will.” Pan looked at Jack stern faced.

Jack did his best to look and feel surprised. “I told you Pan that the next shuttle does not leave before tomorrow. You know all the other shuttles have left taking supplies to the Hulk Station already.”

“Yes Sir but we need to send him now not tomorrow.”

Jack sat back all ready knowing he would approve it. He just knew it was not a good idea to give in too soon. Then as he thought, wasting time, he remembered the shuffle in jobs that had happened a few minutes before and that Chump had not been included in the swaps. He also remembered that while talking about his family and his new job, Jack had felt Chumps disappointment with being assigned supervising the Farm Decks even though that was what he had been doing for 20 years on the Battleship he had been on. He could not fault Pan. Looking at the Dumont Jack frowned. “Chump, what job would you like to have if you could pick any job on this ship?”

That took him back. Jack was suddenly flooded with multiple emotions emanating from Chump. From bafflement to one big question Mark with pin pricks of expectation. Chump stared at Jack for a good minute as Jack stared back without blinking. Finally he said. I majored in the Flight deck since I was 5. I had to take the farm decks when that was the only opening in the fleet.”

Jack turned to the woman Dumont that had been assigned to the flight deck. “Are you happy with your assignment?”

She looked back at Chump and then at Jack. I too took the flight deck as the only opening instead of dying. I like the job but I also liked my time on the farm decks and growing things when I was young and I took many classes on our farm decks for enjoyment but that is not my expertise.” Looking back at Chump. “If the flight decks will make him happy and I do not have to worry about being executed, I would like to try the farm deck but it has been many years since my training.”

Jack smiled. “Very well. Chump, take a look at the plans I am sending you of a Torpedo Bomber. I have marked what I want stripped out of it to use it as a fast transport between this ship and the Hulk Station. The sooner you get it stripped the sooner you can go home to your family and even bring them back here to your new job if you still want the Flight Deck. You will also be responsible for training Overseer Tymes in the idiosyncrasies of the Farm deck and I suggest you use her knowledge to learn the finer points of the Flight Deck and even help you strip the Bomber.” Looking around the group of shocked emotions radiating back at him Jack smiled. “With all the changes further conversations with any of you at this time about your sections is a waste. We will now adjourn this meeting and after you have all had enough time to settle in to your new assignments, I will talk again with the ones that decide to remain. Thank you very much for coming and all you have accomplished while you were here. Again my apology to all of you for bringing you here against your wills and wish you a pleasant trip back to the station. I look forward to talking again to you all. Even the ones that decide to leave.” Jack went back to work not hurrying any of them to leave though most did as he seemed to ignore them.

Only Pan remained as most rushed out to their new jobs or make other arrangements. Looking up as they were left alone with Pan staring at him. “I backed you because I realized that it was a power struggle between the old slave mentality and the new freedom that is not quite freedom yet. Part of your job is to anticipate these problems before they become problems. Though I realize that you lack some of the skills needed for handling free thinking unpredictable workers as of yet but I know you have the skill with your empathy to make up for the years of inexperience. Just remember you no longer have the omnipresence of death looming over everyone to back you anymore. You have to use your smarts and feelings to anticipate problems to keep and motivate the crew.”

Pan bowed slightly. “As you wish Captain.”

“And that is another thing. In private you can call me Jack… Oh and I need you to start looking for overseers that are not Dumonts amongst the crew. Not that you and the other Dumonts have not done a fantastic job but there are not that many of you and the workers need to feel that they can accomplish anything and seeing other races as overseers or in positions of leadershipwill go a long way to doing that. Also I would like you to think of letting me commission you into the Navy as an officer so I can keep you around no matter where I am assigned. But I can understand if you would rather remain as a contractor on the Station. Though it is possible that the powers that be will eventually militarize the station, replacing the civilian staff. It is very possible that the powers that be will want us to repair this ship for front line service since it is the only battleship we have that can stand up head to head to even one God Battleship. That is if we can repair its guns and find engines for it. I don’t see that happening for quite a while if ever. I would hope the Hulk Station will stay as a production facility as well as a forward base.”

Pan frowned as her mind went dark to Jack making him wonder if he had really pulled a boner this time. He was getting real tired of innocent talk eliciting nasty consequences. But then that is what he gets for letting his mouth run without thinking, he thought to himself. Jack sat there starting to get worried as he waited to see what words of stupidity had gotten Pan upset.

Pan stared at Jack for several minutes before she finally spoke. “I beg your pardon Captain Jack. Please do not kill… Aaa, I do not believe that refurbishing this battleship is in the best interest of anyone. Sending this ship back into Combat even if we could repair the engines and God Guns would be a waste of valuable resources with the chances of this ship surviving alone against even two fully functional God Battleships doubtful let alone a whole squadron. They would easily batter down the shield decks and destroy or even capture the ship.” Pan took a deep breath letting her naked breasts expand out of her blouse a good foot in front of her as her mood began to lighten. “No, a single Battleships factories are limited in what they can produce. By combining the two battleship’s factories, we can not only increase the size of equipment we can produce but the complexity of equipment as well, geometrically. We do that by producing factory modules themselves. Special factory modules. Modules a single ship by itself cannot produce.”

“Ok… Aaaa. Well then I will ground the ship into the bubble next to the Hulk base and you can connect them with a tube. Hopefully the powers that be will think that it is as stuck as the hulk is and not get ideas.”

“No Captain Jack.”

“What do you mean no? And call me one or the other, Captain Jack sounds like a Pirate Movie tittle.”

“We must dock the Battleships butt to butt. Stern to stern I believe is the proper Navel term Jack. The ships are already designed to do exactly that. Locking sterns together for transferring large quantities of supplies and repairs that cannot be accomplished singly. The Factories are already in the sterns below the power cores and refurbishing the storage decks between the factories will give them plenty of room to expand production facilities while we add rings of warehouses and construction bays around the outsides of the hull using the materials mined from the bubbles surface and left over from the shield deck imbedded at the crash site still being mined.”

Pan took another deep breath exposing her tits again. “Please forgive me again but I do not wish to join your Navy and become an officer to follow you to your next assignment.” She took a quick hurried breath and practically spat out. “I wish to stay with the station and expand the production facilities and the station’s size. I want to make this Station the world you were talking about giving to the Slaves. With the materials and metals deposited on the Bubbles surface and the second Battleships facilities, we can expand the station across hundreds and eventually millions of square miles inside the bubble with the fusion core at the center of the bubble providing unlimited energy for thousands of years if not forever once we tame the core furnace. We can tone the fusion furnace down to providing just enough energy to keep the inner surface at a comfortable temperature at one atmosphere with an industrial complex rotating around half of it to shade half the bubble into days and nights. I want to create a world for trillions not for just the slaves but for all species including you humans. The only world that will last is one that includes all peoples Jack.”

The Ensign that had been watching from another compartment for signals to interrupt during the meeting as they had planned, came bursting through the hatch red faced with her stun gun already drawn. Starring at Pans expanding and contracting naked boobs with their big red tits sticking out toward Jack (female Dumont’s Oxygen storage sacks) as she raised the weapon.

Jack felt her jealous rage before she slammed the hatch open and was already lunging out of his chair but he doubted he could reach her in time. If he had just not been show shocked at what Pan had proposed, he would have felt her coming in plenty of time. But then he was still getting used to this strange new ability of his.

In desperation Jack lashed out at the Ensign screaming in his mind. “NO Love! She is only excited by her dream. She is not trying to seduce me.”

Jack shouting into her mind stopping her as Pan turned following Jack as he ran around the side of the desk to the Ensign.

Taking another deep breath in her excitement, her boobs grew even bigger. “I think we can even put an air curtain around the whole entire bubble and create what you humans call a Garden of Eden across its trillions of square miles of the outer surface.”

The Ensign took one look at Pan’s expanding breasts as she kept talking about expanding the Station into the biggest planet in the universe. Making her breasts with huge red nipples bounce as she turned to keep up with Jack lunging toward the Ensign. Not even noticing what was going on around her.

“Not with my man you whore!” The Ensign pulled the trigger sending the stun beam past Pan just missing her huge breasts as they bounced, the beam hitting the desk behind her.

Gutner was suddenly there jerking the pistol out of the Ensign’s hand as Jack tackled her sending them both to the deck past Gutner’s legs.

Pan continued to babble on about the new bubble planet as Jack tried to get the Ensign to calm down. Not even noticing that she had been shot at or that Jack was screaming at the Ensign using his mind as well as his voice.

Jack finally got the Ensign to calm down sitting in a chair in the Corner with Gutner standing over her.

Pan finally ran down as Jack sat back down behind his desk. “So what do you think Jack? Isn’t that a wonderful idea? Can we keep the Battleship?”

Jack glanced at the Ensign with jealousy oozing from herd and spiking with Pan calling him Jack. “Aaa. Overseer. Maybe you should just keep calling me Captain.” Jack raised is hand and motioned at Pans huge boobs while trying not to look at the twin tits jutting even farther out at him. “Could you please aaa put them away.”

Pan looked down from looking excitedly at Jack to her breasts and shook her head. “How they get out there. Sorry Captain.” She said as she started exhaling, and exhaling and exhaling, deflating her boobs. “I guess I was more excited than I thought. But can you see what a great opportunity this is?”

Jack could smell and feel the almost pure oxygen flowing from Pan exhaled breath toward him. The heady excitement as the large quantity of pure oxygen hit his blood and permeated through his mind and body giving him a bit of a rush as he took another breath even though he really did not need to. “Could be the number one marvel of the universe Overseer Pan. But please remember that we are at War right now fighting for all our lives. The Spider Gods find out about this treasure and capture it. It is all over for humanity. They won’t need a mature Iron star.”

“Aaa not exactly correct but close Captain. I do not believe that some of the more rare and important elements will be found on the shell but you are right. The vast quantities of all the other elements would be disastrous for us all if the Gods found this. But I think we can grow the base to produce weapons for the war in quantities no one else can. Not even the Gods. But that means we must find a plentiful source for those rare elements as well. Elements that are only fond in the cores of heavy metal planets that are big enough or on the surface of mature almost dead Black Dwarfs. We call them Heavy Netted Dwarfs because their surfaces look like fishermen’s nets spread across them. They are very, very rare.”

Jack’s eyes lit up as the Ensign’s behavior was forgotten. “You can mine these Heavy Netted dwarfs and the cores? Aaa just how big does a core have to be to have these rare metals? A few hundred miles or thousands?”

“The Dwarf cores have to be thousands of miles across or the pressures never got high enough to produce the rarest of elements. As for the Heavy Netted Dwarfs. Only one Dwarf in thousands is of the right age to be netted. Only a time span of less than a million years of the billions of years life of a Dwarf is netted. The rest is either too hot or too cold. Both of which makes it impossible to mine. Fact is we don’t actually mine the Heavy Netted Dwarf as scoop up the molten element as it flows to the surface before it sinks again as it cools. Then lastly only one in thousands of Netted Dwarfs have the heaviest elements. Much rarer than mature heavy metal stars.”

“So a heavy metal planetary core has to be bigger than a couple hundred miles across. Much bigger than a moon. Damn it. But you say you can simply scoop up the rare elements from the Netted Dwarf.” Jack suddenly knew where they could hopefully get all the rare elements they would ever need. That is if the powers that be would let them since the same powers that be were terrified of the very people trying to help them and were orbiting that very star. Shaking his head as the Ensign groaned with disgust as Pam’s boobs finally disappeared back into their little covered mounds on her chest.

Glancing at the Ensign with Gutner still standing over her to keep her from doing something stupid. He had too many other things to do to worry about rare elements they may never need even if they couldn’t get the two Battleships mated permanently and then producing first. Now that Pan had said something about the ship’s being able to mate, he was able to find the information stuffed into his mind. Now he needed to check into getting some simulator time to practice docking a billion ton monster to another half bullion ton monster without destroying them both. He did not need the problems with a jealous Ensign that was still too emotional at the moment to even talk to.

“Very well Pan, you can start planning on combining the two production facilities when we dock the two ships together. That also means integrating the two crews.” Jack forced himself to take a breath, the pure oxygen Pan had been breathing at him had been providing him with more than enough oxygen, reducing his regular breathing rhythms. “Up grading the Destroyers after we dock and I don’t need them for propulsion on this monster anymore are top priority. I also…”

“Jack aaaaaa, Captain, we do not need to wait to upgrade the Destroyers. We can complete most all of the upgrades while they are docked to the sides of the ship before we reach the Hulk station. Whoever designed the Destroyers did a good job. The engines and all the other systems can be isolated from each other while keeping the engines running. Including adding the Buzzard coils to collect reaction mass for the engines from the Nebula cloud in just a few days now we have torn apart the first two DD’s on the upper deck. We can produce easy to install kits for them all.”

“Very good Pan. Get to it and update me later on your progress.” As Pan started to leave Jack stopped her. “Oh Pan. Thank you for your help and not telling them I could hear them mind speak.”

“Yes Captain. I am sorry if you could not understand everything that they were saying. It is easy to turn to our natural language instead of God speak when mind talking. Though when I used English they did usually answer in English in their minds. I hope it was enough for you to alleviate your fears even if you could not understand a lot the others had said.”

Jack was a bit surprised that Pan had not realized that he could understand everything they said. Not even realizing that they had been mind speaking in anything but English. Though now that she had said something about it, he realized that he had noticed that they had spoken in several languages and yet he had understood every word. Ok, so how come she did not know that he could understand other languages. He would have to think about that a bit. “Oh, a, yes thank you again Pan. This mind speak shit is still new and strange to me and hopefully I will get better.”

Taking a deep breath. “I did not realize all the work and bother everyone had gone to and done to produce the bridge and my quarters. It is the best Command deck in the entire Republic fleet and I love it even if it does scare me a bit. Aaa, I am just a bit afraid of what my superior officers will think when they see it. Please thank everyone for me and tell the crew on the deck not to hide from me while they are doing their jobs. It, it. Aaa it is a waste of their time to have to wait for me to get out of their way. I really did not mean to insult anyone. I just figured they would rather be doing something else but taking care of me.” Not knowing what else to say Jack just shut up and went back to work.

Pan left smiling and then Gutner. Leaving Jack and the Ensign alone in the office.

When they were gone Jack looked up at the Ensign. “What the hell was that all about? There is no excuse for you acting that way. Besides you and Pan are great friends.”

“Not when she goes flashing those monster boobs at you she isn’t.”

“Damn You Ensign. How can you be jealous of boobs that are almost none existent?”

“Bull shit. Those damn things get bigger than mine and you can’t keep your eyes off of them.”

Jack stepped up to her grabbing her arm and dragged her out of the chair and through the Captain’s sweet to the Bedroom where he flung her onto the bed and said. “The only boobs I am interested in are yours now strip.” Jack unzipped his own suit as he slammed the bedroom hatch.

The Stern of the Battleship hit the Hulk Station collapsing both hulls into each other as the Station hulk was pushed into the clear bubble shattering it. Sending the inside covering of green and red crops flashing out into the vacuum of space as the sterns of both ships continued to disintegrate into each other. Finally the fusion core of the oldest ship was hit collapsing its shielding and it exploded destroying both ships and knocking a hole into the hundred thousand mile wide bubble with a fusion furnace at its center. The huge bubble started shattering from the stresses of the fusion explosion on its shell with the internal pressure scattering the pieces back out into the cloud from whence they had come from until almost half of the perfectly round ball was destroyed. The central fusion core no longer receiving enough reflecting radiation to continue its fusion furnace quickly died going cold and that area of space returned to the normal cold blackness it had known for eons.

Jack through back the simulator’s canopy cursing. A dozen times now he had failed to dock with the fixed Hulk Station. Though he usually hadn’t done as bad a job of it as he had done this time. Climbing out he walked around forcing himself not to curse in front of the flight crews watching him around the other simulators.

A Dumont came rushing up to him. Jack did not recognize him until he spoke. “Captain, I have finished converting the first Torpedo Bomber into Transport mode. With your permission I will leave to bring back our families as soon as I get a pilot?”

“Very well Chump, have a nice trip and I look forward to meeting your family.”

“Thank you Captain. They wish to thank you personally when they arrive for letting them join me and for my promotion.” Chump started to move away only to stop and turn back around. “Captain, which pilots do you want us to use on the bomber shuttles? The regular shuttle crews or the bombers crews?”

Jack looked at the simulator dreading having to climb back in only to crash and burn again. He needed a break and some fun. “Tell you what Chump, I will pilot you there to make sure your family get back safe and sound and then I will make up my mind.” Jack stepped up to the Dumont slapping him on the back, dragging him along as he headed for the elevator.

Jack found that Chump had made additional changes he had figured would take too long including taking out the lower turret and stripping the Bombay for more cargo room. Except for being a little cramped in head room, the bomber transport now had a nice long cargo bay with an elevator ladder arrangement in place of the lower turret for loading pallets.

“With your permission we will start the construction of the cargo transport version of the Bomber design with a cargo hold twice as big Captain and more comfortable seats. Though those you call Bigfoots are still too big to fit.”

“I was just wondering if building a Transport version was possible Chump. I can’t wait to see it. How long will it take to produce one?”

“One of the Factories can have the first one out the hatch in a week with one every couple of hours after that. How many do you want us to produce Captain?”

“Ok that long. Well, I would think a half a dozen would be plenty but if it takes a week to get it going make a few spares while you are at it and do a full squadron. We have plenty of room to park spares.”

Jack climbed up through the belly hatch noticing all the room and then up around the weapons officers console and into the pilot’s seat and started the bomber/transport’s checklist. Half way through it something caught his attention outside the canopy. Looking up he saw the Red headed little Bigfoot sticking her head into a side maintenance hatch of the Starboard engine. “What the hell is she doing here?”

Chump stuck his head up into the canopy and smiled. “Oh yes the Little Bigfoot. She has been a great help around the flight deck since I got here. Her muscling out the turrets and other equipment and holding the elevator in place cut the rework time in half. She keeps trying to talk us into making a simulator she can get into.” Chump making a strange noise Jack realized was a Dumont chuckling. “Now isn’t that the most ridiculous thing you have ever heard Captain. She is too big to fit into any of the cockpits so making a simulator for just her is stupid.”

“Ya you have a point.” Opening the escape hatch in the canopy Jack stood up and yelled. “Red. You doing strange things to my engines?”

Red snapped around to look at Jack and smiled. “Ya didn’t want this one going spastic on you Captain. You piloting this piece of junk?” Closing the hatch she started walking toward Jack standing in the cockpit.

“Ya, just thought I would run over and grab some of the Overseer Dumont families since they decided to stay awhile.”

Red’s smile dropped off her face replaced with a frown as sadness flashed over Jack and she stopped a few feet away. “Ya I heard. This piece of junk has lost a lot of weight recently so I thought I would beef up the Buzzard coils a little to handle the extra velocity just in case you get into the cloud.”

“Ok Red, what is wrong? You know you are a bit big to fit into a cockpit don’t you?”

“Yes Captain. It’s not that.” Taking a deep breath. “I just miss my sister is all. Never been away from her this long before.”

“What? Why didn’t you bring her over after we took the ship? No reason not to as far as I can see.”

“Didn’t know I could Captain.” Her face lit up as she grinned from ear to ear. “I have never ridden in a bomber before. Can I ride over with you to get my sister Captain? Please. I won’t take up much room and I miss her so much.”

Jack looked down the empty cargo hold over Chumps head sitting in the Weapons Officers Console running checks on the craft. “If you can get in, sure Red.”

Chump looked up at Jack as disbelief flooded from him mixing with the overwhelming joy Red was beaming with. 30 seconds later Red was climbing up through the open elevator hatch making herself comfortable with her butt on the deck, her back against one side, knees against her chest, feet pushing against the other side and her head scrapping the overhead. But she fit.

Jack smiled shaking his head and then suddenly Red let out a little scream. “Better do something before we leave Captain.” As she moved awkwardly back to the elevator hatch. “Better tinkle before we leave. I won’t fit in that head very well.”

Jack went back to the check list. A few moments later Jack’s comm beeped. Expecting the Ensign he was surprised when Pan showed up on the screen. “Captain, I am going to make a quick trip over to the Hulk Station now that we have a transport that can make a round trip in less than 8 hours. I will be back with Chump and the other families. That is unless you need my help with something right now.”

“No I gave up trying to dock this ship with the Hulk Station in the Simm for a while. You wouldn’t believe how much damage I seemed able to do. Anyway go, I am sure the ship will be fine.”

“Silly Captain.” Pan shook her head from side to side trying to imitate what she had seen Jack do but getting a lot carried away. Jack was afraid she would give herself whiplash. “The reason I am going over to the Hulk Station is to make the proper adjustment to the stern so the two ships can dock Captain. Until both ships are properly set you will destroy them both trying to dock. The shields and gravity coils and half a hundred other minor details make docking impossible until both ships are tuned to match each other.”

A mass of details she was talking about flooded into Jacks awareness from the depths of his mind telling him the thousand and one things that needed to be done to dock the two ships. Making Jack shake his head as well as he chuckled. “Damn I am going to have to figure out a way to remember or dredge things like this up before I make a fool out of myself.” Now that he knew what the problem was he knew it would be easy to dock the ships together.

“What was that Captain?” Pan said.

“Oh nothing. Have a nice trip Pan.” Jack cut the connection and went back to his check list.

Jack felt something tickling his mind and knew Pan was climbing into the hold and then he heard Chump say. “It was about time you showed up.” As he got out of the console and sat on the bench along the side hull next to Pan.

Jack finished the check list and looked out the canopy for Red. Suddenly hoping to see the Ensign coming. Tapping is comm he tried the ensign again and got her mailbox. Figuring she was still in the Simm he left her a message. “Hey Jock. Headed for the Hulk Station to pick up some dependents and test this new bomber/cargo configuration and get off the ship for a while and stretch my legs. Don’t say I never invited you along on a ride. I could have used a Navigator/engineer on this bus. Be back in about 8 hours. By love.” Jack felt the bomber move as the weight shot up a thousand pounds. Turning around he looked over his shoulder as Red took up the same position she had before with her knees to her chest. “Damn, that is one dense girl.”

Then he heard Pan ask. “What you doing here Bigfoot?” The derision in her voice and mind shocked Jack.

Taking a breath to chastise Pan, Red spoke ignoring the insult before Jack could say anything. “I am going to get my sister and bring her back with me. I am so excited I feel like I am going to pop. She is going to love it here. There are a whole bunch of kids her age to play with and they have started a real school with real classes.” Red hugged her knees. “Oh I am so glad you are here Overseer. I need a new larger Cabin now. Can I have a two bedroom cabin like a real family? Oh this is going to be so great.”

Jack smiled to himself. “I am going to have to talk to Pan about what was with that attitude some time.” Jack said to himself in a whisper.

Pan turned around to face Chump and said. “It’s none of your business how I do my job Chump.”

Chump looked up at Pan from the pad he was working on. “What is your problem?”

“That’s my business. You just get your family and do your new job and don’t blather it up or I will have you back in the farm decks.” Then turned to her own pad.

Red turned and jumped in with both feet. Not caring what Pan had said about her but not about to let her get away with such rudeness to someone else. “Hey he has done a great job getting this bomber changed over to a transport and a program to get a whole squadron switched over in the next few hours until the new Cargo versions can be built as well as the factory starting construction already. And he has already made some changes on the flight deck that has speeded up the turnaround time for getting boats back into space. So Chill out there honorable Overseer.”

Jack had to smile at Reds use of the human expression.

“That is none of your business forklift. You just worry about your business learning maintenance since you are too good to carry cargo anymore and just get your sister.” Jack was surprised again at Pan’s attitude and realize that they were not talking English. Jack was surprised again that he could understand Godspeak so well. He thought about seeing how well he could speak it but decided that now was not the time to shit all over his executive officer even if she wasn’t technically his executive Officer. One of the reasons he had suggested she sign up as a Naval Officer earlier that day. But then such an outburst revealing their hidden beliefs was what he had been hoping for from the Dumonts he had in his office hours before but was surprised to hear the words coming out of Pan.

Jack narrowed his eyes as he turned back to tap the cargo hatch close icon on his screen. ‘A Ship’s Executive Officer was supposed to handle the needs of the ship’s crew and not abuse them or take out their own problems on the crew. He needed to change her attitude fast or dump her but now was not the time and place to have that out with her.’

Pan slapped her pad down on the bench seat next to her and turned to Red. “They will have a 3 bedroom cabin built for you and your sister by the time you return Forklift.” Puzzled that Pan had made an error in the number of bedrooms for Red’s Cabin he turned around as Pan continued. “Have you found a mate yet for your new child?”

“I have a year before the birth Overseer but thank you for asking.”

Pan seemed to study Red for a few seconds and then started talking using a strange new language Jack had never heard before but he could understand perfectly after the first few words. “Echini chenteca ponia. You are young and your parents have died. You lack the proper guidance. You need to choose soon. Your new child needs the guidance of a second, a male mind to develop his full mental capabilities properly. I know you did not plan for your mate to die when you chose the sex of your child but now you must think of the child and put away your grief and choose a new mate. Soon.” Jack realized that Pan was talking to Red in her native language as tears started streaming down Reds face as she stared at the bulkhead across from her and not Pan. “Dear young one. You need to quit hiding on the flight deck and start spending more time with your brethren. Many eligible males see you and want to get to know you but will not intrude into your grief which is proper but it has been six months now. Your elders have come to me to force you from the flight decks to work closer with your people so they can help you with your grief and choose. They worry for both you and your child.”

Jack could not believe what he was hearing as his mind was flooded with new images and facts with each word as part of his mind did the takeoff check list and the transport lifted off the deck as he applied power to the lift coils.

“Some do not respect my grief and only see an opportunity for an easy conquest of a small helpless woman child. My disgust for the few that refuse to leave me alone make it impossible for me to see any others. Having my sister with me will help both my grief and my child Overseer. Please do not force me back to the cargo decks. The fighters and bombers and now the transports require all the systems of a whole ship in a smaller complete package allowing me to work on and maintain everything and not just a single system as with the ship’s crew even if that system is more complex or simply larger. Here I am happy working with people more my size and can use more of what my ancestors have studied for so many centuries without being able to touch.”

“Yes my child, but remember half your memories are from your fathers Ancestors. Do not rob your child of those memories.”

“Please Overseer. I believe that my child already has my mate’s memories and does not need an oaf trying to force his to over right my loves. I want a partner that will teach and mold and help my child understand the memories my child already has while adding his own to expand my child’s mind, not dominate.”

Jack could see in his mind Pan looking at Red for several seconds as he slipped the transport up out of the hanger following flight control’s directions up across the upper flight deck following the route the fighters had taken for their first patrol looking for the God Currier ship the week before.

“Your elders believe that your grief is blinding you but I see that is not the case. I will talk with them to keep the creeps away when you are on the transport decks and your new cabin I have placed in the center close to the school. Forcing you to have to interact with others but I will allow you to stay working on the Flight decks as you wish.” Pan seemed to smile in Jacks mind. “I hear you have already talked to Chump about building a Simulator large enough for you. I will have a word with him as well. We have many Forks your size now from this and all the other ships families and having you earning your pilots rating could work as a good example for them to broaden their horizons as well instead of feeling handicapped and relegated to the one job as cargo handlers.”

The transport slid away from the ship as Jack looked down at the ring of Destroyers pushing the big ship through space. Their ring of exhaust trails streaking back away from the tail end of the ship.

Pan turned to Chump reaching out and batting the pad he was busy on, off to one side. “Chump, I want you to build the new Bomber/transports with cockpits big enough for the forklift dwarfs to pilot. Now that they are not having to stay hidden to stay alive we should start using them were we can besides teaching.”

“What are you crazy, they weigh a (1/2ton) at least.”

Pan frowned at him. “The small ones are not that much bigger than a Gronk. Just do it. Not like I am asking you to build a fighter big enough for them. Fighters are much too dangerous to risk Forklift lives in. Just do it before I decide to send you back to the farm decks. I am not sure the new Overseer will be able to handle them without reducing production.”

“Don’t worry, Tymes will do just fine. I will see to it.”

“Good. Build several Flight Simulators for Red and the Greenfoot/Forklift Dwarfs as well while you are at it. Most of the other Dwarfs Forks have expressed interest in working the flight deck but I have put them off waiting to see how this Fork fares.” Jack could not understand or believe how it was becoming easier to understand different languages and how his mind substituted English words and names he had given people for the usually unpronounceable names in the native language. Pan’s sudden changes of attitude was also baffling. Though he was going to have to work on her people handling skills. She was still talking like the dictator of old.

“Are you insane? Just making the change when I get back will delay the production days. It will take me days just to enlarge the Cockpit and the other parts of the Transport bomber to accommodate Dwarf Dumonts.” Frowning as he took a deep breath filling his chin sack and letting it out again as he calmed down. “I will make the change as soon as I can. Hopefully in time for half the Transports to accept Dumont Dwarf pilots and sensor/engineer/load master consoles operators.”

With the transport now away from the ship and on course to the Hulk Station. Jack hit the auto pilot and turned in his seat to look back along the console and paused.

Pan whipped around and stared at Jack for a few seconds in surprised and then. “What the God hell are you doing here!” she said in dumonties.

Jack almost answered her but caught himself in time. “Aaa, what was that?”

“I was just a bit surprised that you are our pilot Captain. Don’t you have work to do back on the ship?”

“Thought I would take a break and see the sights. Not to mention I should check on how the Station and the Red Pepper are doing. After all I have been gone a few days now.”

“Yes Captain we have been gone a lot longer than we had planned.”

“Well since I did not grab a sensor operator, which one of you wants the job this trip?”

“Aaa. Captain.” Chump looked at the console. “I do not have a clue how to run the auxiliary board on one of these things except for maintenance. I did the basic startup checklist but that is about all I can do. Do you wish me to monitor the engines?”

Pan’s face frowned as she shrugged her shoulders in another imitation of Jack. “I have not a clue as well Captain.”

Red smiled. “I can Captain, I can’t fit into a simulator but that does not mean I can’t study the manuals and control consoles are control consoles. I think I have the Weapons/engineering/sensor console down good enough to spot and track anything around the Transport and even operate the defenses. The engineering side is no problem. I have that down pat.” Red started crawling up past Pan and Chump. Pan and chump having to press themselves up against the bench as she squeezed past them. At the console she took something out of a pocket and did something to the seat then moved it back beside the console out of her way and fastened it back to the deck. Then she crossed her legs in front of her with her knees touching the sides of the console with her butt on the deck and back against the bulkhead. Jack realized that while the Gronk had taken up most of the space sitting in the consoles chair. Red took up all the space but without the chair in the way, her head and arms were at just the right height to use the console. Red taped the horizontal control screen’s face making the icons grow to fit her fingers losing some to a second page. While the main vertical viewing screen’s icons actually grew smaller with many Jack had not seen before added.

“Got the scans going out and running a check on the transport now and brought up the Comms on the next relay sat.”

“Very good Red. You might see if Pan or Chump have anything they need sent back to the ship or on to the Station.” Jack watched as the tactical screen in front of him grew more crowded as Red added more information to it.

Then Pan’s irritated voice intruded into his thoughts. “No! Not that big you dunce. Quit being ridiculous.” They both were looking at their stretched hand screens that were tied together sharing information. “Get real here. Can’t you see she almost fits into an existing Gronk console? I was not talking about putting a 16 foot tall Forklift/Bigfoot to pilot the transport. We only need room for Gronks 10 foot tall. You are just trying to make it too big to produce so you don’t have to, is all you are doing. Now do it right!”

“I am doing it right. If you want the Forklifts to fly then it has to be this big.”

The two Dumonts started arguing in mind speak over every minor detail of the alterations to the transport including items that were not a result of enlarging the cockpit. At times making Jack’s head ring with their volume.

They finally transmitted the up dated plans and immediately started arguing over the best way to run the Farm Decks.

Jack brought up the plans they had transmitted and could only shake his head. The transport looked like something any committee that did not know their ass’s from a bird’s beak, would design or in this case alter. Jack made the necessary changes to make a decent transport that Red could fly without taking up half the cargo hold and sent them off to replace what had been sent to one of the factories. Jack had basically simply lengthened the cockpit a couple of feet to make some leg room lowered the seat a little and raised the height of the canopy (easy to do) to clear her head while increasing the outside view. Moving the Weapons/engineering/sensor console to face forward behind the pilot with their legs up straddling the pilot’s seat since the hull of the transport was several feet wider than the Torpedo/bomber still allowed for the pilot to step back around the Weapon’s Console into a small area for the head and galley and then an airtight bulkhead with a hatch to a much longer, wider and taller cargo hold. Making the seats and controls adjustable allowed anyone from a small human to someone a little bigger than Red to pilot the transport or man the auxiliary console. Though having Greenfoots man both positions at the same time would make for a very cramped cockpit. Jack had thought about taking the auxiliary console out entirely but decided that being able to add weapons back on if needed was a good idea. Then Jack got carried away and added the ability to have a full length belly hatch in an even longer cargo bay hull that doubled the weapons or cargo it could carry while upping the size of the tail turret guns and their firing arcs. He was surprised that he was able to keep the stealth lines of the bomber even with the wider cargo hold by keeping the height of the hold down to the minimum. He decided to try something new for the hell of it since he had the bomb bay doors in for launching weapons and changed the clamshell doors that let weapons fall or be ejected out the bottom, into a solid elevator hatch across the belly of the bomber transport that dropped down on solid arms to the deck for easy loading and unloading cargo from all 4 sides if there was no tanks or weapons hanging down from the wings. A weapons pallet could also be slid on to carry any weapons you wanted.

Jack was sitting and admiring his work when Pan and Chump noticed that Red was cataloging element deposits on the surface of the bubble and started arguing about mining them including how many mines would be needed and how far would they have to go to find what the factories needed. Asking Red to bring up a map of what the shuttles had found on the way over during the attack on the battleship and then the search for the missing God Currier ship the week before.

Jack quickly realized that the half a dozen smaller transports he thought they would need with another half dozen as a reserve was not going to be near enough with all the mines they were talking about establishing. Not when they had a fleet to build for the war they were in. Taking a deep breath he sent orders off to increase the number built of the much bigger transport to a hundred and hoped that would be enough to get them going. Then took another look at the upgraded plans and added more hard points for more weapons just in case.

Suddenly not sure about his plan for an elevator cargo and weapon’s deployment system. It was cute and easy to fall in love with but complicated and if damaged would prevent any weapons from being launched and probably could not be deployed in an atmosphere. Cursing himself Jack decided to play it safe and scrapped the elevator and went back to 4 narrow slits in the deck for deploying weapons and jerked out the tail turret and added the classic ramp hatch for cargo. Though he did barrow his small top/bottom point defense turret he had designed for the DDs using the much more powerful god guns to replace the original Republic guns. Slapping one at the end of each wing in a reaction mass tank. Their guns able to shoot forward, backwards or to the sides, while still leaving the big main guns the original bomber had in front of the engines.

Jack suddenly realized with the way Pan and Chump were talking that they needed to get the mines going as soon as possible even though all they would be doing is skimming metals off the surface of the bubble and that meant using the larger assault shuttles until the new bomber transports could be built in the numbers needed. The problem there was that most of the Assault shuttles and even the large Transport boats were out serving as forward bases for the squadrons of fighters and bombers patrolling space around the Battleship and Hulk Station. The only free Assault Shuttles were the half dozen now headed for the Hulk Station loaded with food.

“Captain.” Red said from behind Jack. “If you could change coarse up into the edge of the Cloud I could start scooping up reaction mass so we could stop wasting what we have aboard and even refill the tanks. Though we have only used some 5 % so far. The Shuttles and boats serving as patrol basses are going through a lot of mass and with the last tanker getting ready to leave we should save as much for them as possible.”

Jack wanted to kick himself for forgetting about the Bombers mass scoop and immediately pulled back the stick to head for the cloud deck above them. Tell me when you get a good scoop established Red and thanks for reminding me.” Jack shook his head. That was something else that was going to screw them. Losing the last tanker to head back for The Rock to supposedly remass. Only they had already sent their other two tankers off to remass and hadn’t heard a word back from either of them let alone returned with fresh reaction mass. But then they had not gotten any supply transports either. They were damn lucky Tweed had seen the opportunity and tried to run a conn on them. Jack was going to have to talk to him some more about what he knew about why he knew the Transports would not come and maybe why their Tankers were not returning. But one thing he was sure about was that he did not want their last tanker leaving until one returned and that they better damn well start coming up with alternatives to using the Shuttles and Transport boats.

“Got the scoop going now Captain? We will be topped off in some 15 minutes.”

“Damn! That’s it Red.”

“Aaaa, is something wrong Captain?”

“Ya, I can be an idiot some times. I should have thought of this a week ago.”

“Thought of what Captain?”

“Adding scoops to the damn Assault Shuttles and Transport boats. Get me the Hulk Station Red and Overseer Yarr.”

“Aaa yes sir. Just one minute please.”

It did not take Red a minute before Yarr was on the Jack’s screen. “Yes Captain. How may I help you?”

“I need you to add Buzzard Scoops to the Assault transports now headed your way when they land. You can take them off your fighters. Leave them on the bombers just in case the patrols uncover an enemy ships. We have got to start saving reaction mass since we have not gotten any of our tankers back. Then I need you to set the Assault Shuttles up to start making runs to the new mines we need to establish for production materials. You can get with Pan and Chump aaaa…” Jack suddenly wrenched his mind around to a stop. He was not supposed to know they were talking about mining yet. Their whole mining argument had been subvocalized in their minds in Dumonties and not English or even God speak. “Aaa?”

Yarr jumped in while Jack was thinking. “I have been talking to Pan about starting some mines away from the Station. We are already mining around the Station but they lack some of the rare metals and elements.”

“Good then you can start with the shuttles as soon as you get the Scoops pulled and mounted. You can also start sending boats that are not busy out to start surveying the bubble for possible mining sights. Damn the fighters would be good for that with the right sensors but we need their scoops.”

“No Captain.”

Jack did a quick double take in his mind.

“We do not need to pull the scoops off the fighters. I will have new scoops built that are the proper sizes for the different classes of boats by the time they land.”

“Ok Yarr.” Jack’s mind ran down the list of critical equipment he knew the factories of the Hulk Station was already building. “Sorry Yarr but I really don’t want you to stop production on any of the critical equipment your factories are now producing. Just take them off the fighters.”

“Captain, no need to stop any of the critical equipment. I have a factory Core just coming off the production line that I will put on the Scoops.”

“Ok? What was the factory core producing before it stopped?”

“You miss understood me Captain. This is a brand new Production Core I will set up with one of the proper modules we already have sitting idle that is not needed for any of the equipment already being produced.”

“Aaa. Ok.” Jacks mind suddenly filled with facts about the production cores. Mainly with the fact that in order for a factory to build new production Cores, it took at least 8 other production Cores working together to produce the complicated cores and Battleships only came with two cores along with a set of all the possible modules that allowed the production cores to produce just about anything. One of the dozen basic modules would plug into the production core depending on what the core needed to produce. Jack new they had a couple of extra cores Pan had taken with them when they escaped their dying Battleship and that was why they were able to have 4 production lines turning out critical equipment at the moment. But they need 8 to produce a new core… “Yarr, where did you get the extra Cores?”

Yarr smiled a Dumont smile. “Every group of slaves that managed to get off their Battleship before it died managed to take at least one core with them with several their whole entire manufacturing sweat. I have been using the excess cores to produce new cores Captain.”

“Ok Yarr. Aaa why are you producing new core factories if you already have too many?”

“Captain?” Yarr looked at Jack strangely. With Yarr not being close by, Jack found himself missing being able to understand what the Dumont was feeling or what the expression meant but he took the expression as not good. “You can never have too many Factory Cores Captain. It takes multiple cores to produce the more complicated equipment and many more to produce ships. Since we do not have a large supply of materials and rare elements, I am taking this opportunity to produce them for when we will need all we can get our hands on and have a ready supply of materials. We will double our number of cores by the end of your human month and then again in another month even while using some new cores for critical equipment such as the Mass Scoops. That is if as I believe and have now planned for, you do want to continue scoop production to outfit all the Assault Shuttles and Transport Boats with scoops. Though that will require delaying using the Assault Shuttles for locating and establishing mines while we use them to replace Shuttles and Transport boats serving as patrol basses as we rotated them through the Station to be outfitted.”

Jack cringed at the amount of time that would take. Not to mention the waste of reaction mass to rotate them all through the Station even though once outfitted, mass would not be a problem as long as they were operating near the clouds. That was just it. As long as they were near a cloud. Jack did not like having his forces strategic moves hampered by not having the flexibility to operate outside the Nebula clouds. A limitation that could mean the death of thousands. And yet no matter what he did his last tanker was only days away from leaving empty by the time he got everything equipped with scoops. Jack swallowed wanting to pound his head against the instrument panel for his stupidity.

“Yarr, I want you to hold the Tanker docked to the Station and add scoops to it so it can refill its tanks skimming the cloud around the bubble.”

“But Captain that does not make sense. Why bother outfitting the Tanker? Once all the Shuttles and transports are outfitted with scoops, the Tanker is redundant.”

“Come Yarr. The Battleship will still need reaction mass for its maneuvering thrusters until it gets docked and then any visiting ships. I want the mass tanks in the Station filled just in case we get a couple of squadrons passing through. After all this is a forward deployed Station and I can’t imagine the powers that be not using it as a staging base. Though I am starting to wonder why they are not using it already.”

Yarr made a face and again Jack could not understand it. “Fear is a very powerful emotion and policy maker Captain. It has lost more battles than anything else in all of history. We will have the tanker scooped up in a couple of days. But there is one problem Captain. We have been converting the Station’s mass tanks into living quarters and other uses but we will curtail those operations now. Is there anything else I can help you with? You have given me much that must be done now.”

“No… Yes there is. You said the cores could produce ships. Right?” Jack ran a few things over in his mind. “Aaaa. How big of a ship can you make and how fast can you produce them? Aaa a ship about the size, no. Twice the size of the Destroyers now powering the Battleship. We are going to have to get some bigger guns mounted than the 8 inch guns those are carrying.”

Yarr sat back thinking for a good minute then leaned forward again. “The basic hull and outfitting will take 8 cores about a month for the first, though engines and weapons are extra and right now we do not have the rare elements and metals to produce either large weapons or engines. Producing multiple hulls is just a matter of how many Cores and construction bots do we have to dedicate to the production.” Jack at least understood the smile Yarr gave Jack. “See. Now you understand why I am concentrating on Core production Captain. Give us time and we will be able to produce a fleet for you. Though we will need much more room. Much, much more room Captain.”

“Aaaa Yarr? Just how many Cores did the other refugees manage to take with them?”

“32 Captain.”

“Ok. 32 plus your two and Pan’s two and the four on the Battleship we just took gives 40 to start with so you will have what 80 by the end of the month. Not bad.”

“No Captain. We have been producing cores for months now. We will have about a hundred and fifty by the end of this month. Once the Planetary Attack ship docks, we will be able to convert its thousands of salvage bots to construction bots speeding up things considerable. Then with the needed elements and metals once deposits are found and the mines start shipping, we will be able to produce our first Supercore that will be able to produce weapons and our most advanced computers though I must admit that you humans seem to have more advanced electronics and lighttronics after repairing your Red Pepper. Even our Supercores cannot replace most of your advanced lighttronics damaged when you and your ship was trapped in the furnace inside the bubble. Though much of the rest of your ships equipment we can copy and improve upon.”

“Ok. Jack had not even asked if they could repair the equipment aboard the ship that had been damaged by the heat and battles before that. Though they had done a wonderful job repairing the hull and structure of the Battletanker and turning it into a Battle Transport with most of the refugees they had rescued off that first Battleship hulk Jack had tried to raid for information about the up until then secrete mysterious enemy, preferring to stay on the Red Pepper instead of moving onto the Hulk Station once the hull had cooled down and been repaired.”

One reason Jack had been so impatiently waiting for a supply transport was all the equipment and electrical and lighttronics that needed replaced. Though the ship was operational again using the secondary less capable emergency backup systems that lacked most of the more advanced and sophisticated abilities of the front line equipment. Making the Red Pepper a hard ship to fight if it had to go into battle right then. With the targeting of its weapons considerably reduced to almost point blank range. Jack was not even sure the damn engines would work unless they stripped out the ion coils and started stuffing mass down their throats again. One reason he was holding off even taking it out of the dock they had built around it. Waiting for a Transport to deliver the needed engine replacement parts and computers. Though his First Officer was more confident in the Ion engine working with the backups than Jack was. Not wanting to risk damaging the engine any farther before having the replacement parts on hand after watching one of the prototype engines turn into a black hole and eat the boat it was in. No, the last thing Jack wanted to do was light off an engine that could destroy everything within a thousand miles unless it was absolutely imperative the Red Pepper had to go into battle. But then that would be the worst time to find out just how bad the engines were with no time to even make crude repairs. Jack just kept hoping the damn transports would start arriving from The Rock as the Admiral had promised. But each day the Transports did not start arriving he became just that much more disillusioned with The Rock.

Shaking his head he looked at Yarr. “You really think you can replace and even improve most of the damaged equipment on the Red Pepper?”

“Yes Captain we have studied your ship extensively except for your engines which you told us not to touch. We have working prototypes of all the damaged equipment and systems we took out of your ship. They all out perform your original specifications Captain. Greatly exceeding what either of our technologies can do alone. That is except for the computers. We simply cannot build circuits close to as small, compact and fast as yours. We do not even understand the technology though we are making progress. Our experts tell me it will take decades and much work to come close if we even can figure out how you produce them. We cannot even get a definite break down of what they are made of let alone how.” Taking a breath. “But then we have much your scientists would probably have problems understanding as well. Which is why we are both better cooperating hey Captain.”

“From what I can see. You have my permission to do what you can replacing damaged equipment on the Red Pepper. We have got to get that ship battle ready again. I will send my First Officer a message to expect your people. If I have time I would like a look at what you have been talking about. Until then I am going to call back the inner patrols to start scanning the bubble for what you need for the factories. Aaa that is if you can equip them with the sensors they need to do that. Can you?”

“Sensors need the same rare elements as the big guns do so we lack what we need Captain until we find them.”

Jack could not believe what he had just heard. “Aaa You need the same elements for the sensors as for the God Guns so you have none.” Jack took a breath and forced himself not to yell. “You have 6 junk God Guns hanging off the damn Station. Gut them for what the hell you need.”

Jack guessed that Yarr’s next expression was either shock or hate. “But. But Captain it is death to tamper with God Guns. To even touch one will insure your whole family dies horrible deaths by the God offi… cers…” Yarr looked down with a completely different expression before looking back up at Jack and kind of smiled Jack thought but he wasn’t sure. “We will start aaa. Gutting the God Guns immediately Captain.”

“Very well Yarr. Report to me with your progress when I land. Out. NO wait! I have the Battleship using one her factories to produce a Transport version of the bombers. I need you to take over production of its other 3 factories critical production so they can cooperate on getting as many Transports out as possible as soon as possible. Get with the Production Overseer Harlem and get it straightened out. Out.”

“Yes sir I am already in contact with Harlem concerning other production matters you brought up and we agree that it would be easier and more efficient if you let me take over Transport production here and left his factories alone. Less down time and lost production Captain since she has only started parts for the Transport construction in one factory. I will have the transport divided between 5 factory cores shortening production time for the first Transport to about the time you arrive. With your hundred transports produced in a couple of days.”

Suspicion flashed through his mind that the two Dumonts were talking mentally across the huge distance between Station and Battleship but reason won out as he noticed Yarr’s one hand tapping something to the side of the console and took a breath. Pan was always good at talking while texting. “Aaa, don’t you need to test the prototype for bugs before you commit to production.”

“Yes and no Captain, We are testing it virtually as we speak and will fly the prototype as soon as it comes off the production line shutting down for a few hours if changes are needed. None of the equipment on the Transport is new, only the size of the basic hull and cockpit is different. Most problems should only be minor fitting and placement problems. Nothing that will need much testing or can’t be changed later. We will make a few minor improvements as we go. If you please Captain we have work to do.”

“Yes Yarr. Out.” As the screen went blank Jack suddenly cringed. He remembered to many times when people had said minor improvements only to come back with something completely different and not even close to what Jack had wanted. “He would just have to wait though and hope when he saw the prototype in a few hours that it did not turn out to be an exact copy of the original Torpedo bomber.

“Captain, I keep picking up a distress call through the Buzzard cone. Very faint and I can’t get a lock on it. Just a general direction.” Red said from behind him. “I think the cone is amplifying the signal. I have been getting intermittent threads of it for some time now. In fact I did not know it was a distress call until I combined the threads and snips.”

“Ok. Aaa verbal or text?”

“Verbal Captain. Sending the combined message to you now.”

Jack listened to it several times but it was so scratchy and faint that he was not sure but it sounded like it said. “Help, SOS. We are… stranded deep in cloud sector... SOS. Help…”

“Well. Good work Red. But without the ship’s name, location or a time stamp, it could be decades old and from tens of light years away on the other side of the Nebula. Hundreds of ships have disappeared into the Nebula both Republic and enemy ships from past wars looking for The Rock over the centuries. Keep an eye on it for more details and record the direction the best you can with each intercept but right now I need to talk to Combat Flight Control back on the Battleship.”

Pan was suddenly yelling in his mind. “You stupid floating turd the birds won’t even peck. We need to use the few shuttles we have left to search for the rare elements we need. Not establish mines for material we can scrape off the bubble close to the Station or the shield deck we left behind that already have mines going and the equipment to expand!”

“You can use 2 of the shuttles to search while the rest establish central mines at these locations for Simi rare elements we have already found to serve as staging areas for when we find the truly rare elements.” Chump said back without yelling.

Jack spent some time talking to Combat Flight Control thinning out the patrols and the support transports so they could recall the rest to get the prospecting and mining programs going.

Pan again broke into his thoughts as she yelled at Chump again. “No you slime bottom dweller. Without the critical rare elements the Simi rare aren’t worth Killifish. It is going to take a concentrated effort by what little we can get to find what we need scattered across trillions of square miles of the bubble if it is even there.”

“That is the point landlubber. We need the Simi rare elements to build better sensors so we can use wider search patterns and look deeper into the outer crust to find the rarest of the elements and not miss anything.”

Jack was getting a lot tired of listening to the two of them arguing but he dared not tell them he had already taken care of the problem else Chump would get suspicious that he could hear them mind talking. But enough was enough. “Pan! Jack yelled getting everyone’s attention. Aaa, why don’t you come up and let Red teach you how to operate the Console and the duties of a Weapon’s Engineer.” Calming down Jack smiled over his shoulder at the other Dumont that was staring at him as well. “Chump, you can start at the little cargo master’s board next to the elevator just aft of the head using the training program and then go around and check the cargo compartment for leaks or any signs of problems. A slow leak can kill a crew over time if the safeties or alarms are damaged. The responsibilities of a cargo master. You can change places with Pan when she has the basics down.” Jack’s eyes started to shine as he turned back. “Feel free to hide little notes where you think a problem could occur for Pan to find if she does not get lazy and is smart enough. And then trade every half hour after that so you each can get some experience on both systems. At the end of the trip we will count the number of notes not found to decide the better Overseer. Only notes on legitimate critical parts or possible leaks will be counted.” Hoping the little game used on recruits would keep them busy and out of his head while he tried to think. If he had been the trainer he would have left little notes around to see if the new crewmen were doing their job and keep old crewmen on their toes like what had been done to him. But it had been 6, no 7 years since he had that low of a rank in The Game.

“We are kind of busy Captain.” Pan said.

“Doesn’t look like it to me and the next time you take a ride I want you both to be able to pull your weight like Red here if shit hits the fan.” Jack smiled. “We humans call it cross training and it comes in handy when casualties start happening during combat. So Pan, get your can up next to Red and start studying.”

Red moved the chair back up next to her and Pan made herself comfortable then Red pulled up a program on her screen. “Overseer, take this training program onto your pad. It will take you through the basics and with you next to me, it be easier for you to compare what the program shows you and what you can see me doing. Ask me and I will explain problems or answer any questions you have.”

“Why don’t you let me sit at the console to start with?” Pan was put out not happy that she had to waste her time.

“It would be a waste of time until you have the basics in your head Overseer. If you think you know it all then take the test at the end of the training program and we will skip the basics and you can have the board Overseer and I will start training you on the advanced systems and procedures.”

Pan just looked at her without saying a thing verbally or in her mind for a good half minute then turned to her pad and started reading.

Jack smiled as he pulled up the schematics of the Destroyer onto the main screen in front of him from his pad and started expanding its size. He knew the Destroyers needed bigger weapons to take on the Spider Battleships and the only big weapons he was intimately familiar with were the 16 inch guns of the Republic Battleships so he used 8 of them as a template to work from as he had done with the 8 inch guns on his original Destroyers the Navy had stolen from The Game.

The Navy had needed something cheap and easy to build to replace the Battleships. Something they could fly around populated systems to keep the public happy with all the battleships away in the fleet. The big gun Admirals’ ruling the roost and running the show, (tired of politicians yelling for ships to protect the home systems) had simply gone to the book of designs and picked the top rated 8 inch cruiser. Only noticing that it was fast and easy to produce and not that it was a small DD design. They also did not know that someone had tapped The Game into the system. That the little Destroyer was only a reality in, The Game. Though, since Jack had used the Navy’s own master design tools to design this ship (amongst many he had designed for fun over the years) that were part of The Game, the idle small automated ship factory hidden amongst Sol systems asteroid belt was able to easily plug the design in and produce thousands of them. Most of which went straight to the storage yards since the Navy was low on trained crews and Officers to man ships. While a trickle went to the hundreds of Star systems scattered around the Republic when each system proved they had reserve crews ready for them. At first only one or two DD’s managed to make it to each of the hundreds of star systems though that had changed as more crews were trained and now most of production was going straight to the Republic systems.

Jack would have been surprised to find out that the improvements he had made to fix the DD’s 8 inch turrets and a few other problems the week before where already on the new production line with kits headed out to repair DD’s already on patrol around the Republic. Though the DD’s in storage were far down the list. The a few of the kits had already been dumped next to some of the DD’s in storage with no one to install them.

Jack would go through the list of God guns the God Battleship factory Cores could produce that were about 16 inch, later. Jack was using this more to pass the time during the trip and give him a rough idea of what could be done when and if he did get serious. The last thing he wanted to do right then was go back to the piles of paper work and decisions waiting for him back in the real world. Loosing himself in the design system of The Game and the new ship. He had learned so much over the last year about real world combat and ships that he lost himself in upgrading the systems and the new ship to take his new knowledge into account.

When Pan started screaming it took Jack a few seconds to realize where he was and then the only thing that kept him in his seat was his straps. Jack turned to look over his shoulder to see Pan sliding up the cargo compartment holding a note out and waving it in the air. “You bottom swimmer. You actually thought I would not find something as simple as this. A leak in a vent line?”

Jack shook his head taking a few deep breaths trying to calm down after thinking that someone had died. Then checked space around them and went back to his screens and the new ship. Taking a few seconds to enjoy the emerging ship on the screen and the improvements he was adding along with the big guns. Realizing that he was designing it around the Battleship engine powering the Battle Transport Red Pepper and most of the Fleet, he shook his head. During his short time at The Rock while serving on the Super tanker Red Dwarf almost a year before, he had heard about the Engine shortage for the Battleships and Battle Transports. That they were producing hulls faster than the Engines to power them. Which meant that it was stupid to design the new Cruiser sized Destroyer around those engines but then he really didn’t have much choice at the moment unless he wanted to slap a good half dozen or more of the Cruiser Engines on the back that the Destroyers were already using. The Pair of Cruiser Engines on his original smaller Destroyers gave them the speed and acceleration of fighters but with 8 of the 8 inch guns. Heavy Cruisers usually carried 36 to 48 of the 8 inch guns in turrets. The DD’s had plenty of fire power when you had a dozen destroyers rapidly close to gang up and destroy any battleship in The Game, Republic Battleships that is.

The Spider Gods Battleships were a different breed all together and needed a bigger nut to crack them. At least something as big as the 16 inch guns the Republic had been equipping their battleships with until lately. That is as long as he could put them on Destroyers big enough to carry them with the speed to get around behind the huge Enemy battleships and their monster shield decks. The Spider Battleships had plenty of armor against anyone attacker that tried to punch it out head to head with them. Pure stupidity as fare as Jack was concerned. But if you had thousands of battleships preventing an enemy from getting around behind the fleet, it worked.

No, Jack needed a lot of power for his new improved destroyers but he would have to design around what he knew until he could get the time to find out what the Battleship construction Cores had on their lists of big powerful engines. But then he had not been that impressed with what he had seen of the God Engines so far. While the Buzzard scoops were good, the engines on the bombers and fighters were a lot bigger and heavier than the Republic engines with the same amount of power but then they did not seem to need as much maintenance as the Republic engines either. The Republic engines seemed to be a lot more efficient as well though the God fighters and bombers having the scoops more than made up for the deficiency at least around planets with atmospheres and the nebula clouds that could be used for reaction mass.

The fact that the new battleship engines going to the fleet was now his new engine design that did not require large amounts of mass also made using the Battleship engines for propulsion on his big destroyers impossible with the probability of them falling into the God Spider hands to be copied. Though Jack knew that the new reaction massless engines was exactly what his big Battleship Destroyers needed. That keeping a secret that could save the Republic to only use on weapons that were worthless against the enemy while the Republic and humanity died was rather stupid. He just had to get his Battleship Destroyers into Battle and prove that they could do the job and then demand that he be allowed to use the best the Republic had in them. Even if they could fall into enemy hands since the destroyers were simply too small to insure they self-destructed if badly damaged and captured. Jack smiled at the thought that if he had enough of his destroyers to make sure that he won every battle, there was no way one of his engines could fall into enemy hands. But then he knew that was an impossibility if he ever heard one. Going up against those monsters out in open space was not going to be a cake walk. Men and crews were going to die and a lot of them.

Looking down at the schematic Jack increased the leading edge armor of the arrow shaped ship to 50 feet with a solid flat angled face to reflect the enemy weapons as much as possible. The same thickness of the God Battleship shield decks Pan had told him would take several God Gun hits strait on before being penetrated. Then spent some time designing disappearing mounts for the 16 inch guns that would hid them behind the arrowhead leading edge shield between firings much like the 8 inch gun turrets now on the DD’s.

“You Bottom Feeder!” Jack heard the scream echoing from the back of the hold making him smile. At least he was ready for it this time and it wasn’t in his head. Looking over his shoulder he watched Pan sliding forward waving another piece of paper as she continued to yell. “You bottom slim! This could not possibly happen. Captain. Captain. He is making up problems that cannot possible… Captain. Captain!” About half way up the hold she stopped yelling and got a strange look on her face as Jack’s mind picked up a week voice that quickly grew louder as Pan got closer. “You bottom feeder will not get away with this. I am going to tell the Captain that you are making up things trying to best me and I will not have it.” Then out loud with almost a scream. “Captain! Captain!”

Jack noticed Red turn to her console and start tapping Icons.

“Captain!” Pan yelled again. “LOOK at this note. You tell him that this could never…” Her pad started peeping getting her attention. Looking down at her pad as she took it out of a pocket she dropped the paper and promptly sat down on the bench. “My wonderful Leep. How did you know I was coming?” Pan said in Dumontee’s

Red sat back with a huge smile on her face and winked at him when he looked at her.

Jack turned around and tapped the comm screen and realized that Red had placed the call to the Hulk Station and Pan’s kids. Jack turned and smiled at Red who reached over to her screen and started tapping.

Turning back forward he saw a text message appear on his screen. “The Dumonts’ are getting on my nerves Captain. All they have been doing is arguing about everything. I hope her kids keep her occupied. I need the peace and quiet for a while.”

Jack tapped back. “Thanks.”

Looking down at his work Jack realized that the huge block of armor 50 feet thick on his new design now made even the battleship engine anemic. Cutting the flat block down to a wedge only 30 feet thick along only half of the steeply slanted leading edge of the arrow. Jack hoped that a hit on the sharply angled armor would provide enough protection over the vitals for the ship to survive at least one hit from the God Guns. That was the best he could do and keep the speed and acceleration up were it needed to be. But that also meant that he could not get away from using the new Battleship engines he had designed that the Big Battleships had a monopoly on. That is unless he could get to the Cruiser engine factory to see if it could produce engines almost as big as the Battleship engines, hope they would be big enough to run without a lot of reworking and then use two of them. Two would be a lot safer anyway allowing the DD to take some battle damage and lose an engine without being stranded and destroyed.

Taking a deep breath Jack saved the design as his number one preference then got to work dumping all the armor and disappearing guns that made the ship survivable but also more complicated and expensive. The stripped down B version with 8, 16 inch guns was a lot faster with single Battleship engine, but the big DD’s C version was much more survivable with some10 of the smaller Cruiser engines lined up in a row along the back even if it had a shorter range unless he could figure out a new reaction massless cruiser sized Ion engine. Then Jack saved both B and C models. Knowing that the 10 engine C model was probably the one that would get put into production if it ever was and if so they could expect 2 to 5 times the casualties. Range did make a difference when it came to survival. They would get the job done if deployed properly but it would be a blood bath for both sides instead of the one sided battles he preferred in The Game.

“Captain.” Red leaned forward putting her hand on his shoulder. “I have a fix on that distress signal. Sir.”

Jack looked up and realized that they were only an hour out from of the Hulk Station. “Put it up on the tactical Red.” And realized it was already there. “Shit that is only a couple hours away using the Buzzard coils to clear a way through the clouds. What the hell could it be?” Shaking his head. “Tell Combat Flight Control that we are going to investigate.” Knowing that the Assault shuttles were being up graded with scoops of their own. “When they finish upgrading the Assault Shuttles, have them hold in case we need them for rescue work. And have them send a combat fighter squadron along just in case we get into trouble.” Jack was already pulling up into the cloud. “Be quick about it before the cloud gets thick enough and cuts off the comms.” Taking a breath. “Oaa. We do have emergency message missiles don’t we?”

Red was busy with her board for a good minute before turning to Jack. “Only one message missile Captain. The rest were taken out during the refit as none essential since this is not a combat boat any longer.”

“Oaa. Goody. Well that may just fuck us over if we have to come back out to report to get more help.” Jack looked over his shoulder as Red finished what she was doing and sat back.

“I think I got the messages through Captain. Got a response that was not intelligible at the end though because of the cloud, so I am not sure.”

“Hey…” Pan started yelling. “I was cut off in the middle of talking to my children. They don’t seem to understand that they cannot come with me to the other ship.” Stepping up to Red pushing her body over Chump sitting in the chair next to the console studying. “Get my Comm back immediately forklift. Or do you need more training?”

“That will be enough of that Pan!” Jack lashed out at Pan forgetting to hold his mind blank while he talked. Pan’s eyes grew big as her mouth started opening and closing, staring at Jack. “We are headed deep into the cloud on a rescue mission. It is not Red’s fault the Comms are out and I am definitely going to have to work with you about your people skills.”

Chump being squeezed back over his seat by Pan with her breasts sticking out a foot as she was hyperventilating with rage, looked at Jack turned half around looking back across Red at Pan, decided that things were getting very interesting.

“You said that in my mind Captain! I thought you wanted to keep your new power secrete?”

“Sorry, I do Pan but Red is not the problem, now go back and tend to your assigned job.” Jack tried to keep his face and mind expressionless.

“I heard you Captain.”

“I hope so. I had to yell loud enough over your caterwauling so you would.”

“No. I heard you in my mind talking Dumontee’s.”

“Now that would be nice trick. I think you were hallucinating.” Jack smiled at Pan. “How could I have possibly have learned your language. I can’t even pronounce half your words.” Jack turned back around to his instruments. “I think you were just mad and hearing things that were not there. I think you need to go back to the cargo masters station and calm down Pan.”

Turning to Chump. “You heard him didn’t you Chump?”

Chump was staring at Pan’s bare boobs sticking out across his face now that she was standing up strait and not pining him to the back of the seat with them. “I am not sure what I heard other than you yelling.” The sack under his chin that was the male Dumont’s oxygen storage was starting to inflate as he smiled not taking his eyes off her boobs.

Pan whipped around with her boobs hitting Chump in the face then flinging back and forth across her front from side to side as she slid back down the hold toward the Cargo masters console. Her hands and arms waving around over her head as she gesticulated emphasizing her words. Mumbling something about how stupid men could be.

Jack tuned back around as Chump watched her sit facing the side and the cargo console. Grabbing her still flopping boobs over the nipples with some effort to chase them down, she started collapsing them back toward her chest as she breathed out one long continues breath. All the while her lips kept moving as she continued to talk about how worthless men were without needing to stop long enough to breathe in. Jack had never seen anyone talk so long without breathing (though he had seen a few woman try) and could not take his eyes off of her as she continued to push her boobs in with her fingers over her nipples while talking up a storm to no one in particular. And talk and talk.

Jack had long ran out of breath as he watched in amazement for several minutes with her mouth never slowing until she glanced at them and realized that she was being watched and huffily turned away so they could not see with more derogatory comments following. Her words never stopped or even slowed down though they could no longer see her lips move.

Jack turned away to check his instruments and the tactical screen for possible collisions then turned back to hear her still talking. “My Godstar. Have you ever heard a woman talk so long ever without even taking one breath?” He asked Red without expecting an answer as he wondered just how big her boobs still were and how long she could continue.

“I am timing it for you Captain. I am a bit curious myself.” Red smiled.

Jack just shook his head. “I would think she would run out of things to say eventually.”

“Come Captain.” Chump said from beside Red as he looked up from the lesson on his pad with a glance at Pan. “Have you ever met a woman that did not have something to say? My wife could probably give her a run for the record as you humans say. You should see my wife when she gets really inflated she really is a wind bag when she gets going. I think my wife holds the record.” Glancing at Pan with a smile. “But we will see.”

Jack chuckled. “I suppose you are right Chump.” Then turned around to attend to his own business just glad he had evidentially been able to bluff his way past his laps of attention. “Red, fine tune the collector cone a bit and let’s see how fast we can go in this soup. I really don’t want to spend the rest of the afternoon out here and miss dinner.” But Jack knew that even if they found a hundred year old hulk with the crew long dead, they would be lucky to make it back to the Station before breakfast. Anything else would be even longer.

“Pan, when you get done talking to yourself, check and see what emergency ration stores we have aboard.” But even if they did, Jack knew that he probably couldn’t eat them. Jack gowned in despair and then thought to himself. ‘I bet they are not even trying to find humans something we can eat.’

“I heard that in my mind Captain.” Pan yelled from the Cargo Masters console. She continued talking without slowing down. “We have a month’s supply of rations aboard but not for you. Sorry. It must have slipped that male mind of Chump’s trying to learn the sensor board up there.”

Jack just did his best to ignore her. He was getting tired of her mood swings.

“Five minutes to the distress signal Captain. It is still week even at this range. It must be very old.”

Jack pulled the throttles back letting the drag of the cloud on the scoop slow them down. “Have you got it on the scopes yet?”

“Not clear yet Captain, I am getting a long narrow smudge with something around the middle but not enough for any details. Though the dimensions of the smudge does fit the dimensions of a battle cruiser from an exterminated Empire race in the database. That should only be coincidental since they have been dead for 4,000 years and are on the other side of the Galactic Core.”

“Exterminated?”

“Yes. They had the misfortune while expanding to stumble onto the Ewonox 1063 Clan in another arm of the Galaxy much closer to the Core. The Hundred thousand Supper Battleships of the clan washed over them like water. Though it took a few decades and so weakened the Clan that they suffered total defeat to another Clan a few decades later and the Ewonox 1063 Clan was themselves exterminated.” Red bent forward looking closely at the screen. “Rules have been agreed upon since then to keep that from happening to another Clan.” Turning to smile at Jack. “Though it does still happen, it takes a lot longer now as the Clan is given time to recover as is the Clan our enemy Gods are part of.”

“Ok. Our Enemy Clan is being given time to recover from its defeats? How?”

“Our Enemy Clan has been allowed time to recover the needed resource systems and rebuild its fleets. This fleet was allowed to escape with this Clans last engine factory instead of being whipped out or captured with the rest. Allowing the Clan to continue if it could retake a resource system. The Top Clan God though decided that it would be easier to find new resources than to take back a heavily protected resource system and sent the fleet to find a rich system safe from possible attack far out this arm of the Galaxy while the rest concentrated on keeping and expanding the planetary systems they already had. Building the smaller cruisers, support ships and Battleship hulls while they wait for this fleet to start sending engines back. So we are here. If this fleet does not succeed the Clan will die. If the Clan dies, the God Empire around the Galactic Core will never know we even exist out here and it will be thousands of years if ever before another attempt to expand out this way is made.

We must destroy the entire fleet without letting ships escape to take the word back to the Clan’s Top God. But you humans should not count on that. They would send a fleet without any Battleships but would number in the millions just to recover the Factory. It is the slow Dreadnaught engine Factory that is being so heavily guarded and protected as the fleet makes its way across your empire looking for a rich resource system that is keeping them from washing so rapidly over your Republic. But then once they find that perfect Heavy metal system and start producing new weapons and shields for the cruisers they have and then Dreadnought engines, you humans and now us, will not stand a chance of surviving as anything but a few slaves.”

Jack took a few minutes to absorb the history lesson. Pan had said something a while back about the enemy having the Dreadnaughts but Jack had had so much else on that he had filed it away and forgotten until now and thanks to almost being killed with information all the details he never wanted to know came flooding up to wash over him. So the news did not come as a big surprise but it still sent cackles up his neck at all the details of the monster 10 mile long ships.

Jack looked up shaking the flood of details out of his mind just as the ship seemed to appear out of the cloud. It only took a second for Jack to realize that it was no ancient alien ship or even that old. It was two Battle Transports stuck nose to stern. Or to be more accurate crashed stern to bow. The stern of the lower ship was burnt with the cooling landing fines melted with their framework pushed arching back up along the hull. The stern of the top ship was pushed down over the bow of the bottom ship almost to the bridge to Jack’s estimate. The top ships cooling and landing fins warped and bent back similarly to the lower fins but not as badly making the bulge around the middle Red had seen in the blob at long range. The bow or what could be seen of the lower ship looked like it had been melted by the engine exhaust of the upper ship as the two ships collided, welding the two ships together.

“So that is why no one has heard from the two ships since you sent them off to The Rock Jack.” Red stared at the image on her screen. “What in the Gods happened Captain Jack?”

“Looks like they hit the cloud at speed and the trailing ship did not dodge. They must have gotten to the end of the tunnel I drilled for them and didn’t slow down. No. At the end of the Cloud battle, the Godship self-destructed creating the Bubble about the time they would have been in the last tunnel we drilled after waiting for the two assault shuttles I sent to catch up to them with samples of most of the alien tech to make sure it reached The Rock. The shock wave must have collapsed the tunnel with them in it at speed.” Jack shook his head in amazement. “See if you can find the shuttles clamped to the hull or did they get swept away by the cloud?”

“Found them just rotating up from around the back as the ship slowly spins on its access. It looks like they were in a battle which does not make sense.”

“Ok did they have to fight their way onto the ship?” Jack asked as he studied the hulk through his canopy as they approached.

“No sir. Looks like one ship was shooting at the other after they collided.”

“What the hell?” Jack punched up the magnified sensors on his screen. It showed many of the two ships turrets pointed at each other with half of them knocked out. Most of the knocked out turrets were on the upper ship’s hull from signs of anti-armor missiles he knew the Platoon of marines and Gronks that he had sent along to protect the aliens had.

Red moved the camera back to the Assault shuttles to show the remnants of some kind of frame that had been set up between the two Shuttles sitting about a hundred feet apart on one side of the lower ship. Tatters of fabric and other materials were randomly drifting out from the frame from the centripetal force of the slowly spinning ship. “They were there for some time before the battle Captain. The emergency food production shelter had been set up with at least one growth cycle completed before the shooting started destroying them I would guess.” Shaking her head. “What I really don’t understand Captain is why the emergency locator beacon was not automatically turned on when the emergency shelter was deployed. We should have heard it as well as all other Godships within 10 lightyears. But our emergency band is silent.”

“Well maybe it was damaged.”

“On both Assault shuttles? Highly unlikely Captain.” Red turned to look at Jack.

“Aaaa wait one, I have watched hundreds of lifepods and boats deserting Godships some 7 months ago now. Why am I just now finding out about this beacon and shouldn’t there be hundreds of them around after destroying two complete fleets?”

“To start with Captain, life pods are a holdover from when the ships were stolen from the original designers and no longer carry beacons. The Gods do not care if the crews die. Only boats that operated with Gods aboard have emergency beacons still. Both the Assault shuttles were God Shuttles and equipped with the beacon even though no Gods were aboard them at the time the refugees took them. Though that could be why. If no Godofficer was there to activate them. As for the Battleship hulks, only a God Officer can initiate emergency beacons on Ships. Though with the emergency beacons located in the Captain’s Cabin and bridge, you destroying that section of most of the Battleships prevented that from happening.”

Taking a deep breath, Red’s nipples peeked out around her wide open jump suit as her whole body shuddered in disgust. “As for destroying two fleets Captain. Actually, you only destroyed a couple of maxi-squadrons. A fleet consists of ten thousand Battleships, a hundred thousand axillaries and a thousand Dreadnaughts. Ten fleets combine to form a Dreadnought fleet.” Red looked up as Jack turned in his seat to stare open mouthed at her. “Then there are line fleets that form the basic battle force and have only Dreadnoughts in them that number 100,000. Ten line fleets combine to form a God fleet.” Shaking her head. “Yes Captain, once they get there factory set up above a parts fabrication building circling the entire equator on the surface of a heavy metal system’s Prime planet, it will be required to produce a hundred Dreadnaught engines a week to send to the Dreadnought factories back at the core and humans to will find the joys of job performance to perfection with execution for minor mistakes. In time you will build more engine factories to go to your other heavy metal systems.”

“Of this fleet’s 10,000 Dreadnoughts, 100,000 Battleships and a Million Auxiliaries’ that include everything from cruisers to transports when this God fleet was created about 10,000 years ago, only 10 Dreadnoughts, about 12,000 Battleships and some 50,000 combat cruisers are left even after most have been destroyed and replaced many times over. Only the majority of the Million Auxiliaries’ have survived mostly because they are ignored by the opposing forces unless it is convenient or they get in the way. Though it is quite common for auxiliary fleets to get into savage battles with other auxiliary fleets. Our Fleet’s Supreme God has been very good at keeping the auxiliary’s out of battles. Probably more because replacing them was costly and took away from Dreadnought production and without them and the resources they transport and protect, Dreadnought production is impossible.”

Red looked up frowning with a strange look Jack was able to recognize as bafflement as the fact was dredged up from the depths of his mind. “Though close to a million auxiliaries are not needed for just one Dreadnought Factory. Which some of our experts say is why they kept losing factories when the auxiliary fleets with their hundreds of thousands of Destroyers and light cruisers could have slowed the enemy down enough to defeat them or at least saved the majority of the factories and even a resource system or two, though it would have cost most of the auxiliary’s. It is also baffling to our people as to why they are dragging so many of the auxiliary ships along as much as it is costing in fuel and slowing the fleet down even more than the slow factory is already. But then, it could mean that the Supreme Fleet God will use the Engine factory to produce more factories before starting engine production or a combination of the two. All the auxiliary’s would speed constructing the new factories and moving them to other systems as well.” Shrugging her shoulders. “Maybe it plans on producing Battleships or even whole Dreadnoughts instead of just Dreadnought engines but then no one knows a God’s mind.”

Jack turned back to study the hulks. Switching off the cockpit and instrument lights.

“Ok, we have only seen the Battleships I think.” Remembering a Certain Admiral that thought that most of the ships reported by the scouts were simply smaller copies of the Battleships. But then he thought the Battleships were simply small cruisers or even destroyers since there were so damn many of them in the system they had just taken. Was the Admiral right? “What do their cruisers look like? Just copies of the Battleships?”

“The standard cruisers are somewhat like your battleships in construction but a little smaller with what are called Battlecruisers that look like the Battleships but are the same size as the cruisers. All the auxiliary’s are too small to have the Black hole Engines the Battleships and Dreadnoughts have and suffer from the same restrictions all your ships suffer from as far as range, needing reaction mass to operate. Oh and that includes the Factory. It takes an incredible amount of reaction mass just to change direction. After slowing down for the first system that turned out to be a virgin Iron star with no usable heavy metals, the factory ship is basically drifting along behind the Fleet at roughly a light year a year.” Red smiled. “One of the reasons it has taken so many years to reach this deep into this arm and your Republic.”

Jack smiled. “And that is why it is taking them so long to take each system. The larger the army the slower it travels. Especially if you have to constantly find reaction mass for most of it.” Glad that a million ships were not going to run out ahead of the fleet leaving their one and only remaining Factory ship to be taken or destroyed.

But then in the darkness of the lightless cockpit, he started seeing troubling things inside the hulks.

Chapter 8; Lost Transports

Admiral Halsey looked up from the report on his desk as the Comm chimed. “Yes! What the hell is it now?” Being an Admiral and Captain of a miles long Super tanker/transport called the Red Dwarf was a pain in the Ass when it came to getting Admiral Shit done.

“Captain, the replacement Battletransport for the Tomato has arrived from its shakedown cruise around the system and requests a clear lock to come aboard to report and turn the ship over to us and the crew report in.”

The Admiral/Captain turned around to look out the screen taking up the entire hull bulkhead of his office. The replacement Transport was hanging a couple miles off the Port bow of the Super Tanker/Transport. Shaking his head he still could not believe the stupidity of the Construction and Development Counsel of the Congress that had taken over the responsibility of designing battleships since half of the fleet was wiped out 6 months before. The Republic Congress blaming the Naval Design Borough for the battleship faults even though Congress had been micromanaging Battleship designs for decades know. Congress had insisted on taking full control of copying the enemy’s Battleship design as much as possible with the new Battleships coming off the production line that included several post Rim Battle changes that finally resulted in ten 50 foot thick solid laminated, 400 foot wide armored decks stacked 50 feet apart (totaling a thousand feet long), slapped onto the bow of the 300 foot wide 1,000 foot long Weapons (500 feet)/engineering (500feet) section of the battleships with Sixty, 24 inch guns on twin telescoping turrets that would peek out from around the fat shield decks to fire. The Battletransports had the same exact hull as the Battleships to speed up production but they had only 12 of the battleship’s heavy guns in a single ring at the stern with the rest of the gundecks turned into troop or refugee decks. The 50 foot thick solid armored decks had been hallowed out with hundreds of additional small 44 foot high cargo holds inside each deck. (‘At least they had listened to something he had suggested’. The Admiral had said to himself when he had first seen the new design before it was built.

The new Battle Transports were just a cheap unarmored version of the same basic hull to reduce production costs. What the Admiral objected to was that the damn transport’s cargo carrying sections used the same 400 foot wide template for their 1,000 foot long cargo deck section even if the cargo decks were hollow and made from the standard light weight foam steel instead of armor and could carry twice the cargo of the original 300 foot wide Transport/Tankers. The fact that tankers were no longer needed with the Turner Drive did not help though the ship sitting in space before him had been made into the Transport version simple to cut the cost of producing the normal tank bulkheads that honey combed the tankers to keep sloshing reaction mass from changing a ships course. The problem was that the damn new Transports had only about 25 feet of clearance all the way around getting into the Docking/Maintenances Locks. But at least they could carry a lot of cargo.

The only good thing about the new Battleships that had been coming off the production lines for some 3 months now was that with the new Turner Drive that required virtually no Reaction Mass, 75% of the ship did not have to be devoted to hauling reaction mass. Though the damn Guns were still little better than flashlights against the enemy Battleships no matter what the engineers kept assuring the Congressional Weapons Board about them being more powerful. Ignoring the fact that the damn guns kept burning out after only a few shots if they didn’t simply explode. Though the engineers had at least come up with a way to change barrels rather quickly.

But then The Admiral could not get rid of the feeling that the Congressional Construction Procurement and Design Board that had taken over Battleship production after the massive losses 6 months before seemed to have something different on their minds than taking on the Enemy Battleships. What that was he had no idea.

Shaking his head the Admiral could not believe that anyone could look at all the evidence Turner had transmitted to them from his battles and come up with the conclusions they had. After actually boarding an enemy Battleship hulk and even capturing one of them and rescuing tens of thousands of slave crewmen, the Lieutenant Commander had earned the right to tell the Republic what they needed to do, to defeat these monsters and yet the Congressional Construction and Procurement Board treated the information like it was the fantasies from a child and insisted in using only what even they admitted was information from scout ships and conjecture from before the disastrous battle over 6 months ago and the lying excuse ravings of the very Admiral that was responsible for the destroying half the Republic fleet. Even ignoring the information from the Navies own intelligence department and returning ships that survived the slaughter of the Fleet that confirmed Turners conclusions. Any moron could see that head to head slugfest battles were not winnable when they were so outmatched against the Enemy’s Battleships.

The Admiral had to restrain himself from getting sick at the very thought of all the waste during the battle. Only the Battleships that had been equipped with the Turner drive upgrades using Gravity Coils stripped from the tanks of the Super Tanker/Transports like the Red Dwarf or married themselves to the Dwarfs had survived the slaughter simply because they did not run out of reaction mass when the Attack Fleet was finally ordered to retire. The shame as far as Admiral Halsey was concerned was that the Fleet Admiral’s Command ship had not been one of the casualties. But his was one of the first Battleships to get the upgraded engines and had stayed more than far enough to the rear to escape even if it was slower.

This was the first time Admiral Halsey had seen any of the new Battleship and Battle Transport configuration with his own eyes and not just a vid. Bringing back his shock when the news of the massive defeat and loss of the fleet had finely settled in as reality upon reaching The Rock some 6 months before. Only days after he had managed to get his small fleet of surviving transports (he had brought back to pick up new grave coils to upgrade the engines of the entire fleet as well as the new 24 inch high temp weapons to rearm the entire fleet), through the blockade of an enemy Battleship fleet that had surprised everyone. Thanks to a kid that had spent 10 years growing up playing The Game and was a Tactical Genius that most people would dismiss as a simple Nerd. The kid had first ambushed an attacking squadron from a group of Battleship hulks and then set up multiple traps around the nebula cloud entrance. Giving the Republic their first and so far their only Victory’s.

The news of the Republic fleet’s great slaughter had leaked only a week after they reached The Rock, sending the Republic’s government and population into panicked shock that they still had not seemed to have recovered from even though the enemy had not taken advantage of the massive win to quickly take over the rest of the Republic and had continued its slow march forward taking only two other systems in the 6 months since. Systems that the Red Dwarf and its sister ships had just finished evacuating.

To say that the Admiral was a little pissed at the sight of the new Transport when the Red Dwarf’s First Officer continued was to say the least.

“We were not expecting them for another week and the locks are still filled with most of the 824 Destroyers we picked up at Earth’s Asteroid reserve StorageStation and the new transport boats we picked up at the factory.” Shaking his head. “I still don’t understand why they didn’t man the DD’s with all the recruits we picked up Even if they are Earth trained. Or why they are just storing the DD’s away in one of The Rock’s Crevasses?”

The Admiral turned back to face his First Officer shaking his head sadly. “The Destroyers were built to help mollify the Republic’s star systems Presidents, Representatives, Senators and the populations into thinking that they were being defended even though all the Battleships were pulled out of their home systems. Each system now has all the Destroyers they have home defense reserve crews for at the moment with the Factory production out running the rate of the home defense crew training around the Republic. Having hundreds of brand new mothballed destroyers floating around a publicly accessed storage yard they don’t have crews for, even if it is in Earth System’s Asteroid belt, is not good PR.” The Admiral got an even worse look on his face. “As for the Earth trained crewmen, I wouldn’t even man the DD’s with them. They only have 3 weeks of Earth Bootcamp with no space training at all. Supposedly Earth’s Unions objected to more than 3 weeks of Bootcamp training.” Almost growling. Fact is all the Bootships have been mothballed at Q-19. The Colonies are no longer sending recruits for training. Congressional orders. They are using only Earth trained crews now since Earth has an overpopulation problem and needs to lose a few million of them.”

Glancing at the Battle Transport again. “What can you tell me about the Captain on that Transport? I have not had time to look at his jacket yet since he is early.”

The officer on the screen took a deep breath as he accessed his screen. “The Captain is Lieutenant Commander Burns, 24. He was the Boat Officer on one of the lost Battleships. Except for Task Force 58, most of the crews from TF-52 with only the old reaction mass engined ships managed to get to one of the Dwarfs during the retreat when the Battleships ran out of reaction mass. It seems he was a second Lieutenant at the time and was instrumental in getting the crew to safety with his Ship’s Captain recommending him for the Congressional Medal of Honor and promotion. He locked out the life boats from deploying without orders when the order to abandon ship was given since the lifeboats could not make the Dwarf on their own. Then in command of one of the shuttle Transports he made multiple trips to the Dwarf browbeating other pilots to do the same and even physically expelling pilots that refused to make runs back to the Battleship while refueling on the Dwarf. Then on his last trip back he programed the Battleship’s Auto pilot to turn around and collide with the enemy Battleship that was in the lead catching up to the fleet that had already destroyed several retreating ships. He also unlocked the lifeboats having had the crewmen waiting for transport, load them with heavy equipment, junk, and decoys. Programing them to launch and target the approaching enemy ships as the battleship launched the last of its missile decoys and was almost left stranded when he was late getting back to the shuttle from the auxiliary bridge.”

“According to a report I read, one of the marines had to hold a pistol to the pilot’s head to make him wait for the Lieutenant. His shuttle landed with only a couple hundred pounds of reaction mass left and packed with over 500 sailors and marines. The Battleship and many of the life boats collided with the lead enemy ships but no one can confirm if any of them were destroyed though no other ships were lost due to direct enemy action after that. ” Shaking his head. “Though he has a few minor disciplinary entries, the promotion was approved, this is his first command.” Looking down as he tapped his screen the Commander frowned. “Over half of his crew are raw recruits fresh from Bootship A-schools or Spacehead Ensigns from ROTC Collage programs. Hell Captain, I wouldn’t let him dock without sending over a docking crew to hold his hand even if we had an open dock. He was in the replacement pool on The Rock and how the hell he got this assignment is beyond me. The ship should have gone to a Commander at least.”

The Admiral closed his eyes taking a deep breath. “Get me Captain Burns on my screen and by the way how long has he been in command of the transport and on the shakedown cruise?”

“Aaa, given command two months ago while still outfitting and 3 weeks on the shakedown cruise that was just around The Rock. Hell half our crew are more qualified than he is Admiral.”

“Not for long Number One. You know we have had the last of the Bootship recruits training right next to ship’s company on the voyage here from Earth.” The Admiral shock his head with a sigh as he looked back down at his desk and the orders he had just received. “We are losing 90% of our experienced crewmen over the next couple of weeks.” Shaking his head. “I just got the orders an hour ago. They have decided to assign experienced crews early in battleship production trying to speed the battle ships deployments. Our experienced crews will form flying crews to teach the Earth Dirtbags how to be Spacemen. Transfering from ship to ship as they come out of the yards until they have finished their shake down cruises and leave The Rock’s Ocean (the space that was relatively clear of the cloud surrounding the Netted Dwarf, The Rock orbited). I am afraid I am going to hold on to you Number One, simply to make my life easier. You would not get your own Battleship anyway. Congressional Captain’s and Officers from Earth are taking Command of all new Battleships and have been for months from what I understand.”

The Admiral took a deep breath. “Eventually I maybe be able to get you a Dwarf if they finally finish the 10 they have under construction. The old battleships that survived the last Rim Battle are still crewed with navel Captains, Officers and crews but are scattered around The Cloud to protect The Cloud. Though when I am able to get Turner Drive Engine upgrade kits for them, I have been using them as transports to Earth and the Colonies. With their Mass tanks empty they make decent transports. I am even starting to have them tear out tank bulkheads each time they get near a yard making them better transports. Though after having several in the Betelgeuse System ship yards at the same time having bulkheads torn out, I was given orders not to have more than 3 of them in the same system at the same time or even convoy them since they can defend themselves. Which worries me. The fact that they are not sending the Battleships to the Colony systems to protect them is starting to make my hair and skin crawl. Something is going on that is just wrong.” Shaking his head as he looked back up at his First Officer. “Sorry but I really need you here Number One.”

A, none too happy, First Officer turned as someone off screen said something and then back at the Admiral trying not to sneer. “Captain Burns now sir.” He was getting to the point where he would even take the Command of a Transport. Though with the Admiral as the Official Captain, he was technically the Captain of the Red Pepper, just without the name or rank.

The First Officer disappeared and the bridge of a Battletransport appeared with a dumpy looking, stringy kid with big black plastic rimmed glasses that did not look like he was 23years old, sitting in the Captain’s Chair. “Reporting as ordered, Admiral.”

“You are Captain Burns?” All the Admiral could do was shake his head no in disbelief.

“Yes Admiral. My orders say to deliver the Tomato to one of the Red Dwarf’s docking locks and turn the ship over to your skeleton crew Admiral Halsey.”

“We do not work that way on the Red Dwarf or my fleet anymore. We found out the hard way, putting together a crew every time you want to launch one of the auxiliary transports takes too long even if you have a skeleton crew permanently assigned. Besides with the new massless engines, dragging perfectly good light speed Transports along in the Dwarf’s docks is just a waste of space. We are now set up for carrying 500 of the new 400 foot long Shuttle Transport boats and I plan on keeping it that way unless we need the Docks for repairing damaged ships. We can transfer cargo from the ships on the ramps outside the locks through new cargo tubes in the lock’s hatch a lot easier than having the ships in the locks themselves. Using the lock’s fold down decks for cargo handling. I have assigned permanent crews to the Dwarfs other 5 Battle Transports and I will do the same to the Red Tomato. So I don’t need you to dock inside one of the locks of the Red Dwarf. Fact is with the locks still full of DD’s and cargo boats you can’t even dock on the ramps right now.”

Captain Burns frowned turning to the side. “Comm next drop time to The Rock please.” Taking a breath. “Very well Admiral, then we will be returning back down to The Rock and the assignment pool again.” Looking around sorrowfully. “Well, this is a good ship Admiral. She will serve you well.” The Captain spotted something to the side of the bridge that made him chuckle, then turned to the Admiral. “One second Admiral. With a new crew it is best to take care of things before they turn into bad habits. Especially if I am turning the crew out to other ship Commanders.”

Turning away Captain Burns took a deep breath. “Ensign Lot, what are you doing?” Captain Burns listened for a few seconds and then. “No Ensign, you calibrate the positive and then the negative side and don’t get in such a hurry. That is when mistakes are made. Follow the check list, you forgot to lock it in even though you were wrong.” Another couple of second’s as Burns watched the Ensign and then. “Not so much Ensign, back off a good 30% or our ship will get sucked up into the Dwarf when we land on the platform. Remember it is just for stabilizing the ship with the Dwarf. We are not starting a gravity field fight or jousting.”

Turning back to the Admiral. “Looks like we go back up to the Battle-damaged Orange Dwarf they are rebuilding in orbit ahead of you and do it again Admiral.” Turning to the other side for a second as someone said something to the Captain before turning back to the Admiral. “You will find the Tomato in slip 43 Transport section G Admiral. We have time to make a few more practice dockings on the Orange Dwarf before our scheduled drop corridor opens up back down to The Rock. No sense in wasting good training time for the crew Admiral. Even if they are just going back into the pool.”

The Admiral frowned as he noticed that Lieutenant Commander’s records had, ‘The Game,’ details listed on it under qualifications. He had ordered that the name and rating in ‘The Game’, be listed in the records for the crewmen in his Transport Fleet but that should have not transferred over to fleet records let alone be listed under ‘qualifications’. But here it was with the Lieutenant Commander’s Game rank as a 6 year level 6 Captain with a whole shit load of medals and campaign ribbons with stars for actions in The Game. The Admiral shook his head as he looked back up. The young Lieutenant Commander was handling the bridge crew rather better than most of his Commanders would after only a couple of months. Most lieutenants would have been lording it over the bridge crew with swelled heads.” Taking a closer look at the crew. Most of the bridge crew were busy in the background doing their jobs getting the ship ready to dock while Captain Burns talked to him.

Taking a deep breath the Admiral couldn’t believe what he was about to do. Especially since they were at The Rock and there was absolutely no reason why he should with all the senior officers around. “Captain Burns. What are you doing? I don’t remember ordering you to take the Tomato back to The Rock.” Even if that was what he had planned for Burns to do and then scrape together a crew from his already dwindling crew and send an experienced crew down to man the ship. That is until most of the experienced crewmen had to transfer out as ordered. The Admiral smiled. This crew was not aboard the ship yet and technically not part of his crew. Yet. If this captain and his crew were kept busy without actually reporting to the ship until after the crew transfers were complete, the ship and its crew would go a long way to addressing his crew shortage problem. After all a new ship’s yard acceptance shakedown cruise was always crew heavy to quickly take care of any equipment problems that cropped up. Looking down at the crew sheet for the ship, the Admiral smiled. Burns had double the normal crew needed to man the ship with a large portion more than simply recruits.

“I am sorry Admiral but my orders state to dock with the Red Dwarf and join the crew on this date. And that if that is not possible, to return to The Rock for crew reassignment. Sending a message to you Admiral Halsey, confirming the condition and placement of the Tomato for later pickup. I have arranged and informed you of the location your crew can find the Tomato and have already transmitted a preliminary report on the condition and quality of the ships systems that will be updated after my crew does a thorough post deployment check of all the ships systems before reporting to the reassignment pool barracks. I understand and accept why the Famous Admiral Halsey would not want such a young and inexperienced Captain to join a crew that has accomplished so much for this war.” Seeing the Admiral’s expression that did not look at all happy. “Is there something wrong Admiral? Did I miss something?”

“Yes Captain. You missed a lot.” Looking down and taping the window on the paper work he had been working on for the last hour since it came in, Admiral Halsey shook his head as he glanced back at the files he had been skimming on Lieutenant Commander Burns and the ship now sitting a couple miles out his port knowing he was taking a hell of a chance. “It seems that 90% of my experienced crew and officers are being transferred to battleships that are being built at this moment. They did not take into account that I would have a new replacement Battle Transport for the Tomato that was destroyed reporting now, which leaves me short of experienced officers as well as crewmen to man said ship. Now you come up with a whole ship’s crew with at least a couple months of experience with very positive Shake Down cruise inspector reports which is more than most of my new crew has and you think I will send them back for reassignment at the pool.”

Shaking his head. “Now I must admit I am impressed with what training command has reported about you, and your officers during your deployment. Though I have to admit that you look like just about the last person I would put in command of a Battle Transport. But then the very last person I or anyone else would ever put in command of a Battle Transport wound up destroying a whole enemy fleet and capturing one of those Battleships.” Shaking his head with a frown. “I think I will take a chance on you if you will stop being so dense Lt. Commander.”

The Admiral took a deep breath giving himself a chance to change his mind. “I only told you that we no longer birth our Battle Transports inside the Docks. I did not reject you and your crew.” Taking a deep breath. “After spending a couple of hours docking practice on the Orange Dwarf ahead of us, you will test your ships ability to dock on the outer platform of number 1 lock and take on a load of cargo and transferees for The Rock. You will continue transfer tests between the Red Dwarf and The Rock until further notice. And I expect that you and your crew will be so busy performing transfer tests, that you will not have the time to officially report to and turn your ship and crew over to me for a very long time.” Getting a wry grin. “Hopefully that is if you are not too self-deprecating and dense to understand that the Red Dwarf is under orders to transfer 90% of our experienced crewmen down to The Rock to be replaced by recruits while we are here having upgrades done to our engines, mass storage tanks and other systems and you are technically not part of my crew yet.”

Looking at Captain Burns for a few seconds as shock started leaving his face the Admiral continued. “I understand what you have probably been going through getting a Command at your age. My own First Officer wants to send a docking crew over to hold your hand but I am not going to. You do the job properly and don’t ding my new Transport or the Red Dwarf and I won’t have a complaint. Until I do, it is your ship. We have a billion tons of cargo and a million crewmen, workers and dependents to transfer to The Rock and my other transports are still in transit probably waiting for pilot bridge crews to bring them into The Rock’s system, while all the other Battle Transports are transporting much needed cargo from a hundred stars across the Republic to Q-19 or The New Rock that is being built as far from the enemy as possible.” The Admiral and his fleet had just finished making a run out to The New Rock (as it was starting to be called) with some 10 million refugees and a whole system’s equipment and supplies taken from the next system the Spiders were headed for in order to build up The New Rock’s production capabilities as fast as possible. “So you are all we have as far as big Transports go until the first of the Tomato’s sister ships finish working up their crews and pass deployment inspections in the next week or two.” The reports from the Training command he had been seeing suggested that the other transports were not doing half as well and in fact the next ship may take even weeks longer. “Hopefully my other Transports will finally make it through the Gauntlet (the slang for the series of mazes to keep The Rocks location secret) in the next week. But you are it for now so just get it done. I am counting on you and the Tomato Captain Burns.” Admiral Halsey out.”

The Admiral fought down the erg to smirk at the thought of a whole class of transports being called the Tomato class with the Tomato being the lead or first ship of the class produced. It was a shame that the pencil pushers never bothered to take their heads out of their asses when naming ships. Lead ships should never be a joke but then the whole class of ships originally built to serve as shuttles for the Dwarfs were a joke until Turner redesigned their engines and he started killing the enemy Battleships with his. Something not one Republic Battleship had managed to do yet except for maybe a lowly Second Lieutenant now Commanding a Battletransport.

That was something else he needed to do. He had not gotten any new reports for over a month from Turner and his little band. He had managed to talk with Captain Turner several times over the first few months. But now the last report he had gotten was months old and said that the Red Pepper was being rebuilt and that Turner was creating some kind of Station made out of the Enemy Battleship’s hulk Jack had told him about. The Station was welded to the side of the bubble created when a Spider Battleship had self-destructed. At least the Wing of Destroyers he had sent to help them were running around looking for more Battleships to take on. Even worse was that in the months since he was finding it harder and harder to send supply transports to Captain Turner and his thousands of refugees and exslaves. Not even knowing if any had gotten through as the reports he received were getting stretched out farther and farther apart with continuing requests for supply transports. Slapping his Comm. “Exec, any reports on Turner and the Red Pepper or hell, even from the Destroyers in that neck of the woods?”

“Sorry sir. I have made several inquiries about Captain Turner sense he is still listed as part of the Red Dwarf’s complement as well as his crew. But I keep getting a security need to know label each time I try. Not even using your high security clearances help sir. Though I have heard all kinds of roomers. And some rather reliable facts sir.”

The last thing he needed to hear were a bunch of rumors. “What do you mean rather reliable facts Phil?”

“Well Admiral. The pilot bridge crew that brought us in were talking in the wardroom about an old forgotten entry point clearing at the far end of the Cloud that has a bunch of Transports and Tankers that are classed as Alien contaminated and are quarantined. They can’t even contact them directly for fear of alien viruses transferring over the comm signals and taking over their ships. It seems that one of the crew piloted a squadron of new Battleships to a waypoint short of the Entry Station there to make sure none of them leave the entry Station. Another member piloted a Transport that was headed for a Spider Hulk Battleship that supposedly had been captured and turned into some kind of Way Station. But as soon as they reached the Waypoint collection area short of the new Spider Hulk Station, the ship received orders to go directly to the Quarantine entry point Station the other pilot had been to. Something about another damaged Spider Battleship turning up in the area of the Station the Destroyers were trying to destroy with little success.”

“That doesn’t even make any sense.” Frowning. “What about the transports Turner said he loaded with advanced tech and sent to The Rock, then disappeared? Are they in that damn quarantine collection waypoint?”

“I have no way of knowing except the rumors say no.”

“What rumors?”

“That the aliens took over the ships, ate the human crew and are out wondering around the cloud trying to escape or looking for more victims depending on which roomer you listen to.”

“How the hell do rumors start about something that is supposed to be top secret in the first place? Never mind. Secrets are always rumor factories.”

“You should hear some of the rumors about Jack. They are better than the news report propaganda about him. A bunch has him secretly building a Spider Battleship Fleet crewed by alien ex slaves to take on the Enemy fleet.” The Exec chuckled. “The ones I can’t figure out about are the ones about Turner finding a hidden utopia world orbiting a sun hidden in the middle of the Cloud.” Then getting serious. “The rumors that disturb me most after hearing about the quarantine waypoint, are the ones that report messages from Turner saying that his crew is starving to death because supplies are not getting to them.” Shaking his head. “Rumor or not, I think every transport we have sent that way has wound up in that damn entry Station quarantine area without getting near the Red Pepper. I know that messages from the area of what Turner called the Hulk Station is being routed all over the cloud supposedly to make it impossible to trace them back to The Rock which was why the last one we got was months old while the average delay is only a few days from everyplace else. Things must be damn bad around here for the rumors to be coming to my attention this fast without having to even try. I hate to say this Admiral but I think High Command is panicking. Like we have lost the war already and they are just waiting to jump ship with the Rats.”

The Admiral turned to watch the Tomato slowly head for the Orange Dwarf as dozens of the new 400 foot transport boats streamed to and from locks at both ends of the ship. “I know several that have jumped ship already Phil but I hope most aren’t. Get me Rock Command on the Comm and Admiral Schultz. Priority Alpha.”

The Admiral was standing at the edge of the deck and the bubble port hours later as the Tomato touched down on the dock platform and huge arms came out to clamp onto the sides of the big ship securing it solidly against all movement as cargo hatches started opening out and down to become ramps with tubes into the transport. The Comm Beeped. “Admiral Schultz on the line Admiral.”

“Put him through.” The Admiral did not bother turning around as the image of Admiral Schultz appeared on the opposite side of the big desk behind the Admiral.

“I see you are back from your little errand and packed out with supplies for more Battleships.” His smile turning to a frown as Admiral Halsey remained at the port with his back to him. “I see that you have the first of the new Transports arriving today Halsey. Sorry we could not replace the Red Pepper sooner but we needed the Battleships more than another Transport until the new line opened up. Producing a few transports in it to get out the bugs before it starts producing Battleships should make you happy at least.”

Admiral Halsey turned around. “Without Transports you don’t have a Battleship fleet Schultz. I have been losing a lot of transports recently and not to enemy action.” Halsey turned his seat around and sat before turning to face Schultz. The Admiral’s new Congressional uniform irking Halsey every time he saw it. “Why the hell am I not getting the updates about the Aliens, The Hulk Station and Turner? Tell me just what the hell is going on around here? I had to dodge a damn Battleship on the way in here that was a hundred miles out of its lane and now I see that the Orange Dwarf is still not repaired. It should have been done by now complete with the new massless engines.”

“What the hell are you complaining Hulsey. You are getting the new engines. I thought you would want to be first in the line for them. As for the Orange Dwarf. I reduced its priority and diverted the resources to producing more Battleships were it should have been in the first place.” Schultz smiled. “And don’t worry your little Transport head about reports that concern Battle Officers. You just concentrate on humping cargo for the real Earth Officers that are actually trying to win this war.”

“You little weasel. I am a Flag officer and member of the War Council and have more battle stars than you ever will have and I still out rank you by 6 months. You will put me back on the class Triple A intelligence list and return the Orange Dwarf to full priority 1A for repairs immediately. Now what the hell is going on with Sector 51, Captain Turner and the Alien ex-slaves? Why am I hearing rumors that Turners crew is starving to death and supplies are not reaching the Hulk Station like I ordered?”

Admiral Schultz sneered. “For your information Hulsey, they found another Spider ship and supposedly after a whole wing of your stupid Destroyers could not make a dent in it, Turner assaulted it and in spite of it having a hundred thousand troops, he somehow managed to kill them all and captured it with over 20,000 slaves and some 50,000 captured humans if I remember the numbers right. Even you can’t believe that bullshit. Turner has turned traitor on us and is massing a fleet in our back yard getting ready to assault The Rock as soon as Spider reinforcements arrive. That is if he can find The Rock. We are just making sure he can’t by not letting any ship that had any contact with area 51 get near the rock. As far as supply ships reaching Area 51 and your Hulk Station. It is not my fault that they keep turning around short of getting there. I can’t order transport Captain’s to commit suicide. It would be a waste of time anyway. Like asking a chicken to stand still while you cut off its head. They, like you, really aren’t line officers.” Schultz looked at Halsey turning red. “Don’t worry Halsey, we are ready to take care of the whole problem. A force of brand new Battleships and Assault Transports with some 40,000 front line armored Combat marines are headed there to wipe out the lot of them.”

“You fool. Those ex slaves and Turner are the only ones that have the technology to win this war.”

“Not when we get done Halsey. We sent the Republic’s Research Directorate and a ship load of scientists to take charge of the new technology. Don’t worry we will still get the technology but it will be in Human hands not a bunch of stinking Aliens.”

“Tell me, has your Director of Research come up with anything new or revolutionary over the last 4 months?”

“Of course he has. He fixed the problem with the 24 inch guns burning out on the first shot.”

“That was Turner’s engineering development crew working with a few directions from Turner in the Hulk Station and even then your Research Directorate fucked it up and they are lucky to get a dozen shots before they blow up. He has even better liners on the guns of the Red Pepper that don’t burn out after only a couple dozen shot. But that is alien tech you wouldn’t allow into The Rock”

“Well we now are working on plasma power lines and generators replacing miles and thousands of tons of metal wires and old reactor cell generators. We should have them perfected in another year.”

“Turner developed and had them in his ship the Red Pepper to triple the power going to his upgraded guns that don’t burn out to destroy the enemy fleet before the Director even heard of the possibility 6 months ago.” Smiling at Schultz. “All the other improvements to the Fleet in the last 6 months have all been Turners directly or what he started with his engineers before I dumped him on the hulk of the Red Pepper, without the help from the Director of Research.”

“Bullshit. The Director told us how Turner stole his design for the Turner Drive and it is obvious that he stole the directors other work as well.”

Realizing it was a waste of time arguing with the block head, Halsey just shook his head. “I am calling a meeting of the Council. This has got to end now.”

“Go ahead but most are out of the system.” Schultz smiled at Halsey. “You are going to have to wait for them to return to get a quorum to call a meeting.” Chuckling he sneered at Hulsey. “I sent Vice Admiral Ditzen to take command of the Station and assess the Enemy Alien problem with the Approval of the Council. It won’t be my fault if Ditzen decides the Aliens need to be eliminated along with the traitor Turner. By the time you get a quorum my squadron will have salved the problem once and for all and we can start building up the so called Hulk Station as a completely human facility since it is in a perfect location for an entry base we can let the enemy find and destroy thinking it is The Rock.”

“What you think Turner is just going to let your squadron waltz in and slaughter tens of thousands of aliens and humans that know the truth?”

“He won’t have a choice. His reports said that his ship is little better than a hulk and without reaction mass the Destroyers are even more worthless than they are with reaction mass. We will get a chance to see what these new battleships can do against the enemy ships even if they are hulks and if they are not, that is even better.”

“You can’t possibly think Turner is a traitor. The Destroyer Wing Commander as well as the Tanker Captains backed Turner up about everything in his reports.”

“That does not matter. They could have guns pointed at their heads or maybe the aliens are controlling their minds.”

Halsey rolled his eyes. “If the aliens can control minds we have already lost you moron.”

“Not if we stay away from them and kill them and anyone that come in contact with them first.” Smiling from ear to hear.

Halsey could not believe the childish paranoid crap spewing from his mouth. Except that he had already sent forces to exterminate them. “You paranoid Ass.” Then cut the connection.

Halsey started shuffling through reports and accessing buried raw communication files.

Slapping the Comm an hour later. “Get me Admiral Clark.” It took a couple of minutes to get through as he went through top security files pulling up orders and lists of ships headed for the Hulk Station that his security rating as an Admiral could finally access again.

The screen lit up across his desk. “Glad to have you back Halsey. I made sure the transports got off to the Hulk Station. I don’t know what you were worried about. Shultz has been very cooperative. What I am worried about is that we have not heard from the area for a couple of months now and the transports are not returning. We have lost some 50 transports now. I have been hearing rumors that the Spiders are capturing them and their crews in that area.”

“Bull shit. I just talked to Schultz and he thinks the only good alien is a dead alien, including Turner. I have been looking over his orders and records of ship deployments. I don’t think he has been as cooperative as you think. None of the transports have gotten through to the Hulk Station simply because he has made his orders clear that if the Captain farts he is to head for a Quarantine assembly area instead of the Hulk Base. They are all stuck there not captured by Spider Battleships. The Red Pepper and Thousands of rescued crewmen and civilians are on emergency ration bars and MRE’s according to the dispatch reports that have been classified as garbage and not decodable so they are not entered into the comm channels for delivery. It only took my system a few seconds to decode them.”

“Come Halsey, Schultz has the whole Rock and construction base to worry about. He can’t supervise everything. I am sure the Comm foul-up is simply negligence by some recruit technician. As soon as the squadron he sent reaches the Hulk Station with the transports I saw leave with them they will have plenty to eat. Once the situation there is stabilized and the facts are established, I am sure all the restrictions will be lifted.”

“And what if he slaughters all the aliens and most of the refugees which is what he has ordered?”

“No one is going to slaughter anyone if they surrender without a fight. There is a lot we need to find out about them and the enemy through interrogation if they won’t cooperate.”

“Jesus Crist Superstar Clark. Take a look at the reports that did not get decoded from Turner. I am sending them to you know. There are tens of thousands of pages of detailed information all about the damn enemy including what color their shit is. The Technology the Exslaves are willing to help us gain will win the war. They are already cooperating. Schultz did not need to send a fucking super prison mega transport he had specially built for the operation with dissection labs and torcher chambers instead of repairing the Orange Dwarf.”

“Quit exaggerating Halsey and I agreed to let him slow up repairs on the Orange Dwarf until the engines were ready. Now the Council’s oversight committee authorized him to send a squadron to investigate and stabilize the situation and clean up the damn mess your Captain Turner has made of things enlisting fucking enemy aliens into the Navy, and that is all he will do. Now I have work to do and so do you. We need those Dwarfs ready on time to strip the next system and I see you still have those god damn Destroyers plugging your docks. Get too it and leave the damn enemy aliens to the people whose job it is. If they don’t resist and fully cooperate, they will not be harmed much. Now I don’t want to hear another word about it from you. Out.”

Chapter 9; Mutiny on the Bounty.

Jack carefully touched down on the bow of the two ships welded together and engaged the parking anchor gluing the Bomber/Transport to the hull. Unfastening his belt he turned and climbed out of the Cockpit and back across Red using her knees being careful not to grab her breasts hanging out of the suit (that was unzipped to her navel), to pull on as she lifted him across to the deck just aft of her. Then she went back to tuning the sensors for being in direct contact with the ship’s hull.

Jack started checking Pan’s suit. “You sure you don’t want to stay in the Transport? I don’t know what we are going to find inside. It could be dangerous.”

“And worry about what was happening to you and Red? No I am going besides I sent my people on those assault shuttles and I have to find them.” Turning to Chump. “You don’t have any aaa Irons in the fire to use a human expression. You need not go.”

“Stay here by myself and wait for the Boggy man? To use another human expression I think is so cute.” Chump smiled at Jack. “I do so love your children’s books.”

Shaking his head Jack finished checking Pan and started checking Chump.

“Captain, I am not getting any signs of life on the upper decks at all.” Red said from the terminal. I still don’t understand why the bow would be empty unless it is damaged and in vacuum but I get signs normal air and heat. I do detect several of the crews birthing compartments lower down with many people in the middle bunks and others I think are females walking around from bunk to bunk carrying things and interacting with the people on the bunks with some of those in very strange positions. This does not make sense at all. Is this some kind of group sexual aaa orgy if I remember the word right?”

“Well get your suit zipped up over those monsters of yours and your helmet on and we will find out. That is if we can get through the damn lock. I would rather find out what the logs say on the bridge before we make our presence known which was why I picked the bow to enter at. I could not find anyone on the Officer Country decks so we should be able to reach the bridge without being spotted if we are careful with the internal sensors.”

Jack gave Red a Quick once over since he already knew she could handle vacuum. Then stepped to the ladder hatch. He was surprised to watch a vacuum lock extend from the hatch down to the hull but knew it was a waste of time to use it since Red could not fit through the hatch and started venting the transports air.

“Aaa Captain, if you please.” Red took his hand off the vent and stepped onto the elevator hatch next to the ladder hatch. “Shall we go?”

Jack stood up getting a feeling of embarrassment as Pan and Chump joined them and with a smile Red hit the control panel.

The elevator/hatch quickly dropped down to the hull as an air curtain formed around the sides between the platform and the hull of the transport. Red stepped off the platform with a smile pushing through the almost invisible shimmering curtain. “Much easier Captain.” And headed for the lock in the hull.

Jack followed feeling stupid. Hoping he would not feel even more stupid when he found the damn hatch was manually locked on the inside or that they had changed the universal lock codes.

When the hatch popped open the first time he tapped in the open command he was pleasantly surprised and tremendously relieved. Helping Red through the hatch when she got stuck firsts with her big butt and then with her boobs in the way, took a few seconds of pulling and pushing on the monsters to work them through the small round hatch but they were finally in. Jack was glad to see that the inner hatch was the size of a normal door hatch and once the air was equalized Red only had to bend over to get through.

They had entered the forward Torpedo Room and was glad to notice that all the torpedo’s were in their storage tubes and had not been fired. Meaning that whatever the problem was about all the signs of combat on the hull it was probably not pirates but left more questions.

Jack went to the armored hatch and stared at it or (through it) for a few moments and then opened it and stepped through glad to find no traces of fighting. They headed down with Jack checking every deck without finding any damage or crewmen until they reached the Bridge. The passageways around the bridge was covered in blaster and laser marked pools of dried blood trails leading onto and off the bridge.

The bridge was a mess with most of the consoles destroyed by both laser and blaster fire but again the corrosion and dried blood said it had happened months before.

Jack found a small maintenance screen in one corner hidden behind a blasted chair that had not been destroyed and started taping on it. Only taking a few minutes to bring up the ship’s security logs.

For an hour they watched clips of the two ship’s crews fighting each other for no apparent reason going back month by month and then the two ships were cruising along one behind the other down a narrow tube through the clouds when a shock wave hit them and suddenly the two ships were deep in the clouds at a small percentage of the speed of light.

The bridge of the ship Jack and his little party was on showed alarms going off as the stern quickly started to melt from the friction of the Cloud as the Commodore ordered his ship to fall in behind the lead ship to use it as cover from the deadly cloud. The Chief Engineer begging the Commodore to let them cone the drive engines using the directions Jack had given them to clean a tunnel out of the cloud in front of them. The Commodore said that coning the drives to dig out a tunnel was impossible and they would just use the other ships as it burned up in the cloud as protection. The ship’s engines finely burned out just as they approached the tunnel the other ship ahead of them was making. Word coming across the speaker that the Engineering Chief had ordered the engine rooms abandoned.

The ship suddenly stopped bucking as it fell into line behind the ship in front of them. Then only a few minutes later as their screens cleared the other ship loomed ahead that was still rapidly slowing from friction. The Commodore ordered the helmsman to ram the other ship to continue using it as a shield and suddenly they hit the bow of the other ship driving their stern down into the other ships bow. Suddenly the ships Helmsman was busy fighting to keep the two ships now locked together lined up with the stern of the other ship to the cloud as superheated plasma streamed back along the sides like any planetary atmospheric entry.

Finally the plasma stopped streaming past the two ships. It took weeks for the stern of the ship still lodged into the bow of the other ship to cool enough start work to try to get to the other ship down past the engine room wreckage. The Cloud still streaming past making it impossible to go outside and down the hull to the other ship.

And yet more weeks to get through what was left of the bow of the other ship and make contact with what was left of the other ships crew.

It did not take long listening to the recordings to figure out that the Commodore had put all the aliens Jack had sent to be taken to The Rock and their equipment on the other ship. Not wanting any of the filthy stinking aliens on his ship. Once the two ship’s crews had made contact he immediately took command of both ships since the Captain of the other ship had died with half the crew when the ships collided with the destruction of most of the bow of the ship and immediately started blaming the Aliens for what had happened.

When the Commodore started killing Aliens, the other ship’s Executive officer now the highest ranking officer left alive stopped him using the Gronks and Marines Jack had sent along with the ship’s own marines. Kicking the Commodore and his crew off his ship and back up to the Commodore’s own ship.

It wasn’t until the lower ship’s Executive officer started broadcasting an emergency distress signal that the Commodore scared that the enemy Spiders that had been attacking when they left would use it to home in on them that the war started in earnest. The Commodore trying to kill all the Aliens and stop the emergency beacon and destroy all communications gear on the two ships while the Exec kept raiding the other ship to scrounge enough Comm gear to reestablish the signal each time the Commodore succeeded in stopping it.

The recordings stopped when the bridge was destroyed in a raid to take the transmitters to reestablish the emergency beacon. Jack down loaded everything to his suit and then headed down ship to put an end to the war. Stopping at the long range Comm Compartment Jack could only shake his head at all the incredible damage. Not one circuit board or light block remained intact. The Comm equipment and anything that could be used to transmit a signal had been destroyed several times over with almost as much blood in and around the compartment as the Bridge. A body with a hole burned in its chest lay in the corner under a destroyed cabinet that had to be only days old. A comm tech’s patch on her shoulder. Though Jack had no idea what either ships patch looked like he figured that the ships patch on the other shoulder was probably from the lower ship since a glass laser circuit board from a long range comm was still clutched in her hand. A laser pistol in her other hand was half hidden. Her finger still pulling the trigger.

Jack took the laser pistol checking it over and then quickly disassembled it. Fixing its malfunctioning power clip by turning the clip around to line up properly. Wondering how the gal had managed to force the clip in backwards in the first place but realizing that in the heat of battle inexperience could do many amazing things and in this case probably cost her, her life. Jack was just glad that he had some kind of weapon now. So much for a milk run with no weapons and no emergency beacon.

Turning to Red. “You did send out the message torpedo didn’t you?” Even though he remembered telling her he could not remember hearing or feeling the thump that should have accompanied the launch. But then he was a bit busy at the time.

“Yes Captain. Though it is going to take some time to get back to the ship even following the trail we cleared.”

Pan turned from watching out the Comm Compartment’s hatch. “Are we going to go back to the Transport and wait for reinforcements Captain? I don’t think these people are going to be too friendly.”

Jack looked down through the deck shaking his head. “No Pan. I can see both laser and blaster fire down the ship. No. A lot of people are probably still dying and it needs to be stopped. Though it would probably be a good idea if you all went back to the Transport and informed who ever shows up what is going on. I can handle this on my own.”

Chump turned from digging in another corner. “Pan you and Red go back when we are done here. The Captain is going to need someone to tell our people on the other side. They won’t know the Captain from a bilge rat.”

Red hauled a console that had been blown off its pedestal from some kind of blast, off another body and pulled out a 4 foot long curved bladed saber laying under it. “Hey! I am not staying behind. I am your only tank on this little foray. Those laser pistols aren’t going to hurt me much.” The saber blade had Gronk markings on the blade and hilt. The hilt fit her hand perfectly but then it was made for Gronks. The blade came alive with the edge lighting up when she grasped it firmly. The whole blade shimmering with a hum as she brandished it around sweeping it through the air slicing what was left of a steel stanchion off at the end.

“Ya but laser assault guns will and even a laser pistol can blind you. Not to mention the blasters that have probably been captured on this side.” Jack wondering how the man even as big as he was managed to heft the big 4 foot blade.

“Well I am not staying behind Captain. I will be fine.”

“Then that leaves you Pan. We will stay in contact. Lock the hatch behind you and if nothing else, you can tell the relief forces where they are holding us when they get here.”

Pan swallowed licking her lips. “No. I am not going back alone. I will stay with you. I can set up a recording to inform who ever shows up later where to find our bodies.” And started tapping on her pad.

Chump had Red cut up a flat steel bar he pulled from a console into three inch triangles that he stuffed into his pockets. Then looked at several pieces of conduit running along and down from the overhead until he found what he wanted and had Red cut off about a 4 foot piece. Stripping the wires out of it he sighted down it and smiled. “Perfect.” He had her cut a slightly smaller diameter conduit that fit nicely into the first into short 3 inch long lengths to Jack’s consternation as he took up watch at the hatch.

“Come on Chump. We need to be going.”

“Just a few minutes, Cap.” Chump said with a strange clipped voice as Jack’s mind was flooded with mischievous pride. Reaching out to Jack. “May borrow gun. Please.”

Bewildered, Jack handed over the pistol as Pan went back into the compartment.

Chump turned down the heat of the pistol and started melting one end of the short steel tubes. Fashioning them into points. Then dropping them into a bucket of water Pan had gotten from a cleaning closet. While he was closing off the end of the short tubes, Red was cutting up what was left of the steel bar he had used to make the little triangles from, into narrow strips.

Taking a few seconds to sort the little strips by size, he took the biggest pile. Dropping a strip into one of the short closed ended tubes he held the tube half under the water in the bucket with crude tongs. Then used the laser pointed down the tube with short pulses to melt the steel strip before letting the tube drop to the bottom of the bucket with a hiss. Chump quickly repeated the process with the rest of the short tubes and strips.

While Pan dropped a strip into each tube then placed the tube into the crude tongs to be melted one after another, Red continued rummaging through the destroyed compartment.

A few minutes later Red came up to Jack and put a gunbelt with a holster around his waist. Jack started to cringe away until he saw that the belt was not the blood and gore covered belt and holster that he had left around the crewmen he had gotten the gun from. Jack started to dig the power clips that he had stuffed into his pockets a few minutes before out of his pockets until he realized that the mag pouches on the belt were full already. Checking the power readings on them he put them back in his pockets then checked the mags in the belt pouches.

Looking up at Red she smiled and said. “The Pistol was slagged. Evidentially early on.”

Watching Pan Slide over holding up a combat knife Jack grimaced. “You know how to use that?”

“No.” She said. “But it is better than nothing. I can’t use a throwing wedge or a blow gun.”

“OK? I was wondering if that was what it was or not. The problem is that blowguns aren’t very good. Air and lungs can only do so much and those weighted end tube slugs look awfully heavy.”

Pan smiled. “Not air and lungs Captain. Remember me telling you we can store pure oxygen to survive the noxious fumes from my home planet. Our females store the oxygen in our breasts so we can provide for our young children before they are developed enough to provide for themselves. The males, Chump, store the pure oxygen they separate from the nitrogen and other gasses in a bladder around their neck just like we females can but they can also break water down to store the oxygen if they are away from breathable air for long periods of time. Storing the hydrogen in another bladder down in their butt. The males take great pride in how far they can shoot flames out their butts when they are young. Most disgusting but they can also combine that mixture in their mouths to create an explosion to propel projectiles down what we call a Pooka from the noise it makes, a very strong hollow pole that grows naturally on our home planet. We still have contests now and even bad marksmen can hit a Mellon at a hundred yards while a good shot can take down a Monsterbeast the size of what you humans call an elephant at a thousand yards.”

Jack turned to look at Chump. He was in the process of melting the remaining strips into short tubes that had the same length as their width. The short mettle stubs were lined up along the tiled deck with Chump quickly going from on stub to the next filling them with the molten metal. With 40 or 50 of the little things filled, he straightened up and started pouring water over the whole bunch to cool them off with steam hissing up from them as the water flowed out across the deck. As the pellets cooled Chump started stuffing the long cylinders he had already made into the somewhat cleaned belt that had been around the woman Jack had taken the pistol from. Lining them up in rows filling each power pack pouch.

Pan used her knife to cut the pant leg off the dead woman. Tying one end closed with wire, she made a small bag then used wire pulled from the conduit to make a shoulder strap and fasten the flap that folded over the top.

Chump brought the refilled bucket back from the cleaning closet and picked up the half way cooled slugs off the tiles with the tongs and dropped them into the bucket to finish cooling them.

Shaking his head in bewilderment Jack went back to watching the passageway.

Jack suddenly turned to look through the bulkhead toward the core. Jack quickly slapped at his caller, his helmet quickly raising the sections from his collar up across his head. Then tapped the visor closed and darkened it. Something had caught his eye on the opposite side of the ship on that same deck but it was hard to see even with his visor blocking out the blinding light from the passageway. He suddenly realized that he was looking at the armored Captain’s Cabin. The ships armored core had prevented him from seeing much but flickers of movement while normal light was shining in his eyes and even now he was only able to see vague shapes from the infrared and other radiation penetrating the armor. Especially at this distance through the additional bulkheads.

Without thinking Jack stepped out into the passageway and started walking. Drawing the laser pistol Pan had placed in the holster a few minutes before. Automatically running the checks on it again.

Red caught up with him as he passed the core. “What’s going on Captain? You just passed the hatch to the core elevator.”

“Yes I know.” And kept walking without taking his eyes off the Captain’s Cabin. He did not like what he thought he was seeing as he started walking faster.

Running up to the Captain’s cabin Jack stopped at the hatch staring off to one side.

The Dumonts caught up to them. “What is it Captain?”

The erg to answer the two Dumonts staring at him as well as the feeling of wellbeing calm trying to sooth him but his rage continued to build at what he thought he was looking at.

Tapping his collar to retract his helmet Jack Aimed the laser and burned the lock on the hatch. Taking a deep breath he kicked the hatch open and stepped through.

A man with a scruffy beard was standing in front of a table with his pants down around his ankles. A woman was spread eagle on the table at just the right height for penetration with her butt hanging just over the edge with her legs spread eagle hanging in the air to the sides on chains to the overhead. Her arms also chained into the air.

The young girl was crying as she kicked at her chains holding her legs spread up toward the overhead. She pulled hard with her arms chained off to the side. A strap across her stomach held her hips in place from moving.

The man glanced at Jack. “Get the hell out of the Captain’s Cabin you fool.”

“What the hell are you doing?” Jack said inanely. He knew exactly what he was doing.

A big smile came across the man’s face. “Just one of the fringe benefits of guarding the Captains haram play toys. I get to play as long as I clean them up afterwards.” A bucket with a sponge in it sat on the deck next to the table. “King Robinson likes his pussy clean and fresh smelling after a battle and I have 6 more to do yet.” He let out a laugh as he picked up a Blast pistol. “Thought you would get some too hey? Now get the hell out or I will kill you now instead of letting the King do it when he finds out you broke in. Maybe I will forget about telling him and just make you pay me to stay alive.” He finger fucked her with his free hand and a smile as he waved the pistol in the air.

“I said get the fuck out.” Looking around pissed. The man finely noticed the laser pistol Jack had and started to jerk the pistol toward Jack at the hatch.

Jack burned him through the chest before he got close. Not wanting to take a chance on a head shot. But the half second beam hit the Blast pistol as it was brought around after burning a hole half through the man. Jack watched the slag fly off to one side with disappointment. He could have used the Blaster. It was a better weapon than the Laser.

Jack hung back as Red and Pan rushed forward. Red cutting the chains with single swipes of her Micronic Saber while Pan took the woman in her arms comforting her.

Jack walked to the bedroom door. Five women were chained around the room to the bulkheads. One still had a Lieutenant pinned officer’s shirt hanging open down the front barely covering her breasts and nothing else. The others had even less.

“Red, get in here and cut these women loose. Chump see if you can find some cloths for them.”

The lieutenant looked up at Jack and blinked a couple of times and said. “You’re Captain Turner aren’t you?”

Baffled. Jack just shook his head.

“Well it took you long enough to get here.” Taking a deep breath as she smiled. “That means they found something in that store room after all.”

Jack just looked at her baffled as Red cut her loose.

“We have been playing this stupid cat and mouse shit for 6 months. We get an emergency signal going and that fucker attacks until he destroys it. Not like we could hide it with it squawking to the universe. Luckily the Gronks are good fighters and that ass hole Commodore is running out of troops and lies.” Pointing to the closet she turned to Chump. “You will find some cloths in there.” Then went over to a drawer and pulled out a lieutenant Commanders uniform neatly folded but no bra or panties and put it on chucking the lieutenants garb and looking back at Jack. “He likes to fuck me in my uniform but insists on demoting me the rest of the time.” Quickly saluting Jack before she started buttoning up her blouse without a bra. “I am Lieutenant Commander Glenn, the Exec now acting Commander of the Paprika. I got taken a couple days ago when we raided a store room we hoped would have the parts we needed to fix up a beacon again. I was pretty sure that ass wouldn’t kill me when my party needed a distraction to get away. But then I had not planned on getting caught but I screwed up changing mags.”

Turning to the mirror to make herself presentable. “You finish taking the rest of the ship yet?”

The girls did not bother putting on cloths as they tried to hold onto each other sobbing while they climbed back into the huge bed under the covers.

“Aaa. No. We just got here and this is it. We were transferring between ships when we found your distress call but hopefully we will have reinforcements soon.” Taking a deep breath. “So I take it that the Commodore is going to try to take out the beacon and that is why so many troops are massing in the lower empty gun deck.”

The Commander smiled. “Ya, I thought he was going to kill me last night when his raiding party was captured intact after torturing me to get the details of our week points the day before. His guys didn’t stand a chance.” Shaking her head. “He probably would have killed me this time when his little army walked into a killing ground this evening but thanks to you he won’t get the chance. The damn fucker tried to play good saint bad ass hole on me last night. My nipples and cunt are still hurting from the electric shocks. At least my people won’t have to worry about that little army of his anymore. The shame is that those damn Gronks simply won’t attack since they were ordered to only defend the aliens. Or we could have put an end to this months ago. He retreats and licks his wounds and comes back again avoiding the damn Gronks. It is impossible to guard every passageway and ladder with enough strength to keep a mass attack from getting through.” Getting a stern look on her face. “All I know is that my people better damn well follow orders and kill the lot of them or I am going to be one pissed Exec.” Looking at Jack and smiling. “That is if your guys don’t get here by then.”

The Lt. Commander started out the bedroom door as Jack stopped her. “You best tend to your crew Captain.” He nodded toward the clustered girls.

“Fuck them. They are not my crew and you better tie them up. They are wholly brainwashed into loving their new King and will slit your throats at the first chance.” Looking at them like they were worse than dirt. “Who the hell do you think did most of the torturing? I even watched them help that puke self-proclaimed King kill one of his own crew that crossed him.”

Jack’s eyes widened. “Well what do you think we should do with them?” As he followed her out into the main room.

“I would suggest you put them out the nearest lock.” Frowning as she shook her head and continuing. “But Sick bay and cuffed to a bunk would probably have to do for now. They have been regaling me with stories about how many crewmen they have helped the Commodore kill which has amounted to them plunging the knifes into and cutting parts off and waiting for them to bleed to death. Or chocking them to death to make their cocks bigger while they fucked them in front of the Commodore.”

“You ungrateful bitch!” Screamed someone from the bedroom. “He is your benevolent King Traitor. We will make you pay for those words.”

Captain Glenn, bent down and picked up the Blaster and seeing that it was garbage shook her head and laid it on the table she had been naked spread eagle on a few times herself. “Well, I killed and wounded a good half dozen of them before they took me. I should have practiced changing mags more often.” Chuckling. “Well, I couldn’t bother to even practice a few times. Didn’t see the need. After all who can’t change a simple mag? Turns out it is a lot harder to change mags in combat than I thought. I was always to fucking busy even on the firing range shooting at targets and look what it cost me. I should have listened to the marines and stood there practicing over and over but it looked so stupid just standing or sitting of laying there grabbing mags out of there pouches and slamming the damn mags in to the gun then cycling the gun and jerking them out again only to do it all over again. I did it a couple times once and dropped a mag and felt stupid so I stopped and never practiced again and look what it got me.”

Heading for the hatch. “Let’s start in the ward room. We don’t need any of those ass holes behind us before we head down and I could use a meal and a weapon.”

Jack started to follow her since she seemed to know what she was doing.

Hearing the patter of feet across the deck as hate filled the Compartment behind him. Turning around he saw one of the naked women from the bed pick up the blaster from the table. “I am not going to let you kill my King you bitch!” She screamed as she raised it toward Commander Glenn.

Jack started to smile knowing that the Blaster was junk but a sudden burst of fear hit him from the bedroom door as Chump came through and turning toward him Jack watched the man’s hand flick from a pocket toward the young woman and before he knew it, one of the triangles was buried in her head with only a little of the flat end sticking out. Chump had not known that the Blaster was junk.

She dropped like a rock. The Junk Blaster hitting the deck still clutched in her hand with her finger on the pulled trigger, thumb on the safety flicked off, her other hand gripping the butt of the pistol as a professional does. Jack suddenly remembering the joy flashing from her at the chance to kill again just before she died.

Sudden grief at killing, started washing over Jack from Chump. Getting Jack’s full attention as Chump dropped to his knees. Pan was there in a second putting her arms around him as she had done to the first woman now laying on the couch sobbing. Her energy washing over Chump trying to sooth him and take the pain as she had done only minutes before.

Walking back to the table and the now dead woman Jack got a glimpse of the other three women hiding under the covers of the bed. Massive amounts of fear washing from all three of them. Jack picked up the junk Blaster, having to pry her fingers off from around it. Walking back to Captain Glenn as he rubbed the soot from around the melted burned hole in the side of it. He handed it to her as he pushed her out into the passageway and in a low voice with his mouth close to her ear. “Get rid of this piece of junk when you get a chance. No one else has to know it is junk. Got that? Ever.”

She looked at Jack and frowned. “I don’t think you have to worry about the rest of the women. She was the one that did all the killing I saw and from the way they talked now that I think of it, she probably did most of it except what she and the Commodore forced the others to do to stay alive. The one on the couch is a new one brought in yesterday for refusing an order. Though I don’t know what order.”

Jack spun Lt. Commander Glenn around by her arm, stepping to the hatch again. “Good. She can tell us what the hell is going on around here and who we can trust. She will sympathize with and trust you. Now go and help her.”

Snarling. “Fuck her! She has probably killed at least one of my crewmen.”

“Bullshit! You don’t know that. She could be here now simply because she refused to kill. Now get your butt over there and find out what the hell is going on up here.”

Glenn looked at Jack frowning then stepped into the Cabin.

Jack followed, kneeling beside the two Dumonts. “Chump, I need your help. You did what you had to do. If you hadn’t I and the Captain would be dead.”

Pan looked at Jack. Being next to the couch with the first victim when Jack had picked it up, she knew that the Blaster was junk. “Captain the Blas…”

In desperation to make her shut up he tried to use what is known as a Command Voice in the hope it would get the needed message across as he held up his hand trying to signal for her to stop before she finished the word. A light seemed to flash between his head across his hand and hit Pan right between the eyes knocking her back onto her butt as her mouth stopped moving in mid word.)

“Could have killed us all!” Seeing but not understanding or even sure of what happened as he finished the sentence.

Hearing her thoughts in a blink of an eye, of doubt with the question of why the Captain had not taken the Blaster if it would work and then amazement that did not make any sense to Jack.

“It still had a shot or two before it quit or blew up possibly killing the person shooting it.” Jack could not believe he had said the lie. But he knew Chump had to believe that he had not murdered anyone. Though technically he hadn’t anyway. In reality anyone with a gun was a threat and a legitimate target especially if they pointed it at someone else. Condition of the gun was not relevant. Even if it was just a toy. The intent was there. And then remembering that Pan was damn good at feeling others feelings and pain and telling if they were lying. He knew she would know he was lying and see the lie for what it was but would she see why? He decided to press on. “She could easily have killed all four of us Chump if you had not stopped her when you did. You simply had no choice. You saved all our lives Chump.” Jack hugged him around the shoulder trying to make an impression as he shook him back and forth trying to get his mind off of the dead body he was still staring at. Jack tried to turn him away from the sight but finely having to get between Chump and the body before his eyes moved to look at Jack.

Pan’s face was blank for a few seconds staring at him. Then she turned to Krump. “You saved our lives Chumpac…..” Using his full Dumont name that Jack could not even pronounce or understand except he suddenly could at least understand it as it referred to his birth place, relatives and ancestor’s and the time he was born. Unlike humans that had a social security number for perfect identification. All they had was a name.

Turning to Pan. “Get that lieutenant’s blouse in the bedroom. I think it is this crewman’s and see if you can find her pants.”

Jack pulled Chump and his can upright and started dragging him across the deck which wasn’t that hard with the gravity can supporting him. Then over his shoulder. “Come on Red. Time to go. Captain Glenn, we will be back as soon as we check out the Wardroom down the passageway.”

Pan came into the living room with the lieutenant’s blouse as Red picked up her blade to follow Jack. Commander Glenn was talking to the woman on the couch that was starting to pull herself together.

As soon as the woman saw the Lieutenant’s blouse, her face changed. She stared at the blouse for a few seconds as Jack and Chump disappeared out the hatch with Red following close behind and then pushed herself off the couch and grabbed the blouse and ran barefoot after Jack as she pulled it on. Commander Glenn and Pan looking on baffled. “Hey wait up! You aren’t going anyplace without me.” The blouse barely covering her butt as she fastened the lower part of the front across her waist leaving her breasts half exposed as they bounced. “You are going to need me to get in.”

Pan hesitated then followed while Commander Glenn shook her head as she stepped into the bedroom and jerked the blanket off the hiding women. “Get dressed and then get your god damn butts down to the sickbay.” Then she turned around and left.

Jack took a few steps down the passageway to follow the half-naked lieutenant but then turned back and jerked the still catatonic Chump around placing his face in front of him. “Chump! Look at me!” Chump’s eyes finally focused on Jack’s face only inches away. “You need to buck it up man before you get us all killed. Without your help we are all dead so pull it together now.”

“I just killed that woman.”

Jack pushed him against the bulkhead making him hit the back of his head against it. “Ya and you are going to have to do it again if you want us to stay alive as well as yourself. Now get with the program.” Jack stared into his eyes. He had seen it before when good men that could hit a practice target at a thousand yards killed their first enemy. The Turner Joy had been boarded several times by pirates both in space and on the out of the way planets the Trampship often had to land on as he grew up. “You can do it. Just think about staying alive and concentrate on what we have to do next and forget the fucking past.” Jack let go of him and started down the passageway.

“It’s just that I have never felt so much hate and pure evil before.” Taking a breath he followed, taking his blowgun off his back and loading a pellet from his bag into it.

Jack passed the lieutenant that was starting to stagger from the exertion and then slowed to look around with his visor closed as he approached the Wardroom.

The Lieutenant padded up to Jack trying to catch her breath. “Let me go into the Wardroom first Captain.”

Jack glanced around at the lieutenant as he retracted his helmet, spotting the name plate on her right breast of the blouse. “Why Lt. Shepperd?”

“If anyone is in there I can distract them long enough for you to kill them.”

“And what if they aren’t bad guys but officers just trying to stay alive?”

“Only the King’s cronies are allowed in the Wardroom Captain. Only the ones that prove themselves by beating, raping or killing a crewman get into the Clubhouse. Even damn recruits get in once they prove themselves and then even a lieutenant not willing to call him King has to obey their every wish.”

“So now you are just going to waltz in and do what?”

She looked over at Jack. “There is only going to be one person in the ward room, the rest are all down getting ready to assault the other ship to take out that beacon. He knows he does not have enough manpower to take the damn ship yet with most of the crew recovering from past battles until they all recover. He just has to keep the other ship from calling for help. I just have a score to settle with Mr. Big shot in the Ward Room. He is always there.”

“Well I hate to disappoint you but there is no one in the ward room right now. But can you get into the emergency weapons locker there?”

She looked at Jack skeptically. “Don’t be ridiculous. The Exec. Practically lives there holding court. They have probably changed the code to the weapons locker but I am sure we can talk the Exec into giving it to us. I am looking forward to earning the Bastard Kings approval. He just isn’t going to like how I do it.”

“No you are not Lieutenant. But you are welcome to go first.” Jack said as he stepped aside from the wardroom’s hatch. She did not even have a weapon.

Lieutenant Shepperd practically ran into the wardroom and promptly screamed.

Jack burst through the hatch drawing his pistol to find the Lieutenant looking around the empty tables and counters as she screamed. “That fucker’s not here!” As tears started running down her face.

Jack put his arm around the Lieutenant’s shoulder as Red and Chump ran through the hatch behind them weapons ready.

Captain Glenn walked in and headed for the weapons locker. Trying her code she frowned. “They changed the universal back door code somehow.” Turning to the lieutenant. “Try your code just in case they are stupid.”

Jack did not think that the King would be that stupid as Shepperd walked toward the locker’s hatch. Jack tapped his helmet up and closed the visor darkening it down to total black as he took a few steps closer to the hatch.

It took a few minutes as he heard the lieutenant curse after trying her code for the third time and watch her body heat image pound the hatch with one closed fist and then turn away.

With no power on inside the Weapons locker, there was not much energy coming off the basic power cables that ran through the small compartment. Jack could not see a thing inside it.

Red stepped up. “Ok ladies stand back and let an expert show you how to cut their way into the locker.” Brandishing the long shimmering blade.

Jack shook his head as the contents of the locker came into view as the micronic blade pierced the hatch. The blade sending off a mass of frequency waves all up and down the spectrum. “Don’t waste your time Red. The locker is empty except for a few knives I think. Useless to us.”

“Well. Speak for yourself Captain. There are a few of us who would love to have anything including a knife right now.” Commander Glenn said. “Go for it big girl.” Nodding and swinging her hand toward the hatch.

Red continued slicing the Micronic blade down the steel face if the hatch. Three more times she plunged the blade into and slicing the steel created a rectangular opening inside the hatch’s frame.

As the plate in the hatch fell to the deck with a crash, Jack slid his helmet back over into his collar as the stink of melting metal and plastic assaulted his nose making him wish he had waited a little longer.

Commander Glenn carefully stepped through the hole in the hatch staying away from the still red hot edges.

“The knives are over in the back right hand corner top drawer.”

A few seconds later she started handing out the knives through the hatch. Shepperd lined the knives along the counter top next to the hatch until the Commander ran out of knives and Shepperd started picking them back up one at a time keeping several she liked off to one side for a closer look.

Commander Glenn finally reappeared with a satchel thrown over her shoulder as she climbed back through the hole.

“What is in the satchel Commander?”

“You hit the knives dead on. You have X-ray vision or something?”

“Only in the dark away from the bright lights for most things. Did I miss something?”

“Ya the box of Grenades in the front corner. The lieutenant must have told you about the drawer of knives and didn’t know about the Grenades. Nice Joke Captain.”

Jack smiled. “Thank you Captain.” Watching the lieutenant trying to find places to put knives in her blouse after strapping a couple to her bare legs already. “You find any more satchels, bags or grenades for the rest of you girls.” And then to the rest. “Anyone find something for the Lieutenant to cover her butt yet.”

The lieutenant turned around to Jack and smiled as she wiggled her butt toward him then straightening up. “I thought my butt was already covered Captain.” As she pulled the blouse farther down her legs checking with her hands to make sure the back was covering her butt. “Don’t you like my little mini dress?”

“Ya until you bend over to strap the knives to your thighs.”

“I guess we should stop by my cabin then.”

Commander Glen came out of the locker with three bags and handed two of them to the ladies. “These are all flash bangs girls. I am not going to trust you with frags. You don’t have the training to keep form killing yourselves or us with them. Make sure you grab the spoon with your fingers and not your palm and hold on tight when you pull the pin and then throw them at least 30 feet. They only have a three second fuse for use aboard ship so their range is limited. The Captain or I can change the fuse setting if needed but don’t even try on your own or it could go off as soon as you let go of it. Just remember not to look at the flash and cover your ears or you won’t be doing anything for several minutes. And for God’s sake every time you throw one, yell Bang Out. So we can close and cover as well. And if you hear I or the Captain yell Grenade Out. You damn well better get under cover or you may be hit as well. Got that?”

She handed the third bag to Jack. “These are all frags Captain. Tell the girls if you want a Flashbang thrown.”

Red crossed her arms. “Don’t I get any grenades? The flash bangs look like fun.”

Commander Glenn frowned. “A satchel will just get in your way with the blade, slowing you down and could just get you killed.” Reaching back through the still hot rimmed hole she brought out another pack and started to hand Red several Flashbangs out of it. “Tuck these away safe… No. Your hands are too big. You could easily drop one trying to pull the pin and that could get us all killed.” Dropping them back into the pack she handed the bag to Chump and climbed back into the locker and came out a few minutes later with a backpack and several belts. Handing the pack to Red. “Put this on. It will stay out of your way while swinging the blade. It is full of small demolition charges about the size of your hand. They are more versatile and can still be used as monster Flashbangs if we need them but remember anyone within 30 feet without a suit of armor will be killed from the concussion and much farther if the blast blows something up when they go off. As big as you are, you should be able to throw them clear across the holds or bays.” Handing her two web belts that had been hooked together with smoke cans attached most of the way around. “These are smoke grenades. Not a close in weapon either. Make sure you throw them only if the Captain or I tell you to and then where we tell you too. If they go off too close in a corridor they can do us more harm than good blinding us and not the enemy. They are for covering your ass so you can get close enough to use your blade or cove all our asses so we can back out of a corridor if the other end turns out to be heavily defended.”

Red fastened the belt around her and had to hold it up to keep it from falling over her wide hips. “Really Captain, did you really think I was this fat?”

The Captain quickly shortened the belt having to take off a couple of the Smoke canisters until it laid across Red’s hips at an angle. Then Red modeled it, turning around with a big smile. “How does it look?”

“Like the latest thing out of Parris Red.” Jack said with a smile.

Captain Glenn turned to Lt. Shepperd handing her the remaining web belt. “This will hold those knives you insist on wearing and help keep your blouse down over your butt.”

With everyone finally at least looking like they were ready Jack walked out the Wardroom hatch. “Lead the way Shepperd. Let’s get you dressed.”

Jack closed his helmet up again darkening the visor as they walked. He didn’t want any surprises. It only took them a couple of minutes to get to her cabin but they found it stripped bare except what was broken. Not even underwear or a bra.

Though she did find a thin string bikini swim suit bottom. Looking at it she shook her head. “I never got the courage to wear it in public but it is better than nothing. At least it covers the important part even if it does leave my bare butt out in the open.” Pulling it on she frowned. Now I feel like I have a wedgy up my ass. How come I never noticed that all the times I tried it on?”

“You’re not trying to be sexy now.” Commander Glenn said chuckling. “At least we don’t look so much like a side show trying to make a porno flick now.” Seeing the Lieutenant walking away. “Or maybe not.”

Jack stopped the elevator on the crew deck above the sickbay getting looks from the others. Jacks voice came out of the speaker of the closed helmet. “There are a bunch of crewmen in there bunks on this deck I want to check out.”

“Casualties.” Lt. Shepperd said as they trooped off the elevator. “The other ship has been very good at only trying to wound the attackers instead of killing them until recently.”

The Commander turned to the lieutenant. “Ya we tried to keep from killing but when you tortured and killed that crewmen in front of our defense line on ship wide cameras, I finely said enough was enough.” Tonight my crew is going to kill as many of you as they can.”

“Hey. Captain Glenn. That wasn’t us. That was that ass hole King Commodore Robinson.” Lieutenant Shepperd said.

Jack walked through the hatch taking down his helmet and again he wished he hadn’t with the smell hitting him in the face. He stared at the middle waist high bunks of the 3 high sets of racks filled with bandaged men and women. The moans and cries of pain washing over him even though the Birthing compartment was mostly quiet.

A women came running up in a white blood stained smock wiping her hands on a towel. “Who are you?” She said to Jack and then she spotted Lt. Shepperd. “I thought they had killed you. The King said you had committed treason against him.”

“Well I am still alive and the Toad is not.”

A smile crossed the woman’s face. “The Toad is dead? Thank God for little miracles.” She looked around the group with her gaze finally stopping on Commander Glenn. “I take it the trap the king had planned didn’t work since you are here. Did you kill the bastard?”

“Not yet. These others are from off the ship and are trying to find out what is going on. What is this about a trap?”

The woman turned white. “No he would kill me. Go away. Talk to the Doctor just go away if you have not killed him yet. Go away. Leave before he kills everyone in this compartment. GO!” The woman started crying as she turned and ran back through the rows of bunks.

The Lieutenant started to follow. “Wait come back here!”

Jack held out his arm stopping her. “Let her go. She is too scared to help us. Let’s head for the Sickbay. The Ship’s Doctor would be a better source of information anyway.”

Red who had been crouching just outside the hatch with her hand on the top lip with her head stuck through watching what was going on, backed out. The others started to follow.

Jack suddenly found it hard to move with so much pain and sorrow flooding over him from everyone in the compartment.

Pan put her arm across his shoulder and the pain and suffering faded away. Then Pan’s voice started talking in his head. “You are going to have to learn to tune it out Jack.”

Jack tried to ignore the voice forcing himself to stare straight ahead but finally had to ask. ‘How do you put up with this every day?”

“This sadness and despair is rare. In time I will teach you how to block it out but just remember Jack you have a gift that no Dumont has ever had in recorded history. Even know with little training I feel how powerful your mind can someday be especially after stopping me from telling Krump that he murdered that woman. Your will stopped me cold and then made me fear for him at the thought of telling him. Something even I could not have done to another Dumont let alone another race. Now with so much sorrow and pain around us I feel your anguish and I can help you get past it so you can function as if you were a Dumont, if you let me.” Taking a breath even though she was not speaking aloud. “I can teach you how to handle the feelings flooding into you and even tell you about the legends of the greats from the past that legends say had your powers. They may hold clues to what you can do and how to control it.” She felt some fear from Jack as he turned his head and looked at her out of the corner of his eye. “You need not fear me Jack, I only want to help. Let me help you.”

“Ya you say that now but I have been beat up to many times for doing things my brother could not to believe you. Fact is I don’t have a clue what is happening to me and why and it scares me to no end.” Jack said without speaking. “If I am as powerfull as you say, you will grow to hate and hurt me just like my brother.”

“No I will not Jack. Let me help you Jack. I will never hurt you. Hate is not in me and you know it. Our legends say that an all Seeing Mind Bender of an unknown people will one day set all people free and I believe that is you and I get the privilege and honor of helping you.” Taking another breath. “You need not fear trusting me as you can see my mind has no hate Mind Bender.”

“What the hell do you mean Mind Bender?”

“I have read that you humans have what you call hypnotists that can bend minds to believe things for short periods of time that are not true as long as it is not against their nature. Change their behaviors simply by suggestions when the subjects are in a trance. I believe you can do that with your mind without a trance by simply making focused suggestions in their minds the way you stopped me from telling Krump even though I believe that he should know the truth and with time and help, he would recover. I still believe that but I still cannot tell him though the fear of telling him is starting to wear off. Though I think I understand the reasons why. I find it repulsive to continue the lie.”

“Please don’t. If you tell him now he may go into a catatonic shock at thinking he murdered someone as he was starting to do when I stopped you, we will all die because he will not only not be able to help but we will have to take care of him.” Jack grimaced. “I am sorry I did that to you but you must wait until we are out of this mess if you must ruin the rest of his life with the guilt and shame simply because you are to week to bear the burden.”

“I must tell him some day but it can wait while I help you.” Though she was not so sure anymore. She had not realized that the truth could ruin the rest of his life. She was going to have to think about that.

Jack looked at her. “Good though I don’t see how you can help me right now.”

Pan let go of Jack and backed up a couple of steps and the pain and suffering flooded back over him again. She stood there for a few seconds as Commander Glenn looked back through the hatch at them baffled at the delay. Then Pan stepped back and put her arm around Jack and the flood fell to a trickle. “We Dumonts with concentration can bend feelings enough over an area to calm people and crowds. Make them feel comfortable, peaceful and get their full attention to stop riots and make giving them orders easier. To influence the basic primitive part of their minds. We cannot stop, make or even tell anyone to do anything on a higher level. I can sooth but I must use my training and skills as an Overseer to argue, cajole and reason with those I command to accomplish anything. Right now I am projecting soothing feelings onto you to counter act all the pain and suffering around us. I cannot tell anyone that they are not in pain. I cannot direct their minds that are concentrating on their pain elsewhere to lessen their perceived pain but you can I believe. I am going to back off again. Try to focus your mind on projecting as you did to me but using more peaceful suggestions for those in the compartment to think about to get their minds off the pain that is slowing their recovery by keeping them from sleeping so their bodies can repair themselves, no matter how exhausted they are.”

Pan took her arms from around Jack again and backed up behind him. The pain and despair flooded back making Jack wince. He tried to think happy thoughts out across the compartment but it did not seem to help.

“Be more specific Captain. Paint a picture in your head of someplace or thing that makes you happy and concentrate.”

Jack tried for several minutes but nothing lessoned the volume of the pain hitting him.

The Nurse came back out of the passageway between bunks and suddenly Jack felt the fear and hate being directed at him. Hate that started to grow as the crewmen around her found something to blame for their pain and suffering.

“Now this I can handle.” Pan said as she stepped to one side of Jack raising her arms.

Jack looked over as a peaceful feeling settled over him in waves that grew and receded as Pan raised and lowered her arms and hands palm out.

Pan started to talk. “You need not fear us, we are here to help. We are your friends.”

Puzzled as the strength of the feelings of calming peace grew powerful each time her hands were level between his head and hers. Flipping up his helmet again and darkening his visor it only took a few seconds for Jack to see a light flash across his eyes and a few more to see the waves from that light wash over the compartment in a line from her eyes across her hands and out across the compartment. The hate and fear lessoning each time the wave washed over the nurse and the crewmen around her though the pain and suffering remained.

“Captain Turner!” Commander Glenn said from the hatch. “We have to go now.”

Jack shook his head and frowned. She was right every minute they wasted here the more likely that they would be found by a patrol or the alarm given. Folding back his helmet, Jack concentrated on the pain and suffering shoving it into a side compartment in his mind as he had done during the Mind attack from the clones so he could function. Then stepped over and grabbed Pan by the arm and pulled her toward the hatch. “Come on Pan we have to go.”

The pain and suffering faded after a few feet down the passageway though they passed several more compartments just as bad. They dropped down to the next deck and the Sickbay. Jack was almost floored at the hatch before he could even enter as a scream of pain hit him and then subsided. Staggering through the hatch, Jack was hit again. In panic Jack shoved the pain into the back of his mind tuning it out as much as he could with the next wave of pain as his eyes fell on the screaming woman on a table in a side room with a man cutting into her arm with a scalpel.

Jack ran across the compartment into the operating room. Taking in the details he could not see from outside Jack stopped himself from decking the man with the scalpel working on an arm strapped to a brace to keep it from moving as the woman screamed again trying to break her bonds strapping her to the table.

“Damn it Doctor! Use some damn anesthetic or something!”

Without taking his eyes off the scalpel deep inside the arm he said. “What anesthetic. That damn Commodore is keeping that for himself for future use.” Glancing around as the scalpel froze for a second. “Just who the hell are you! It doesn’t matter get out now.” The Doctor turned back to his work and the scalpel moved sending another wave of pain as the woman screamed again and tried even harder to move raising her head desperately as the nurse tried to soothe her.

Jack reached out without thinking placing his hand on the woman’s head. “Stop!”

The woman stopped screaming though sweat continued to run down her face as she turned to look at Jack with desperate pain filled eyes.

“Think of your family.” A picture of her kids and husband appeared in Jack’s mind. “Yes you have a wonderful family. Take them on a vacation. Take them away from all of this.”

As scenes of vacations flashed across Jack’s mind and then birthdays and X-masses and the looks on faces opening gifts and making love to her husband and then pain flashed through his mind again. And Jack remembered how Pan had said it was like hypnotizing someone but with his mind. Remembering the Hypnotist side shows he had seen. The books and movies showing people being hypnotized. “No pain. You feel no pain. Just the loving caress of your husband.” Jack stroked her head. “Relax. You feel fine. You are going to be Fine.”

The Doctor looked up as she stopped squirming and jerking the muscles in her arm. “You should have shown up a half hour ago. I would have been done already with half the damage.” Grabbing a curved needle and thread off a tray he started sewing the muscle back together. “Every time I got a few stitches in she would tear them out again and I would have to start over.” His fingers worked almost too fast for Jack to watch. “Just give me a few more seconds and we will be finished.”

Jack had a thousand questions but he did not want to disturb the Doctor as his hands and fingers flew.

“More 3, O, damn it.” He said to the nurse on the other side of the tray that had been staring at Jack. The nurse turn and started digging into a drawer. “Damn who uses damn stitches anymore. Damn Commodore keeping the fucking medical glue locked up.”

Another nurse grabbed Jack by the arm and turned him around. She slid a surgical gown sleeve up the arm she had grabbed and then up the other, pulling it up over the front of his armored suit then pushed him back up against the head of the table tying it in the back and adjusted a sterilization light more directly at his head and face. Jack went back to stroking the woman’s head for anything better to do as the Doctor worked.

The woman on the table looked up at Jack and smiled half asleep. “I didn’t want to fight but they made me go anyway. Please don’t make me go back.”

Jack smiled. “Hush. No one is going to make you fight anymore. Go to sleep and dream about your wonderful family and wake tomorrow without pain.”

She closed her eyes and slept.

Jack had been feeling the pain from the next Compartment and turned from the sleeping woman. He found a recovery room with half a dozen beds. Feeling overwhelmed Jack stood frozen in the hatch as the pain washed over him.

Pan slid up taking his arm from behind. “That was a good thing you did for the patient in surgery. Now you must do the same for the others.”

Jack swallowed and stepped to the first bed. The man grabbed Jack by the arm pulling him closer. “I will do anything the King wants. I will join his fucking guard. Just give me something for the pain.” He begged.

Jack raised his free hand to the man’s head. “You don’t need to join the Kings crap. You are no longer in pain. You feel fine now. You can sleep now and wake refreshed. You won’t feel any pain until the doctor says you are fit for duty and then it will be only a distant memory. Now sleep.”

The man relaxed back into his pillow, closed his eyes and started snoring. Jack let his hand slide down over the man’s body and noticed that he could see deep into the man’s body where his hand was. He stopped his hand over the bandages wrapped around the man’s stumach and wished he hadn’t at the sight of the man’s eviscerated and patched intestines. Though he could not believe he was seeing such without his visor down and blackened but then this was different and not like the blood vessel and nerve bundle streaked body he was used to but as if he was seeing a three Dee model of the intestines up close. Shaking his head he turned to the next bed.

Jack went from bed to bed with Pan and Krump smiling while Red kneeling to one side, Lt. Shepperd and Captain Glenn watched and wondered what was going on.

Suddenly a crash came from the outer ward and Jack who was closest, stepped to the hatch and froze. A dozen men and women in black suits came rushing through the just blown hatch with laser and blast guns at the ready.

Jack knew that with the ward packed with casualties they did not dare fight here. Turning to the others. “We have to find a way out the back fast.” Pushing Commander Glenn back into the recovery room as the Doctor came out of the operating room.

“What the hell is going on here?” The Doctor said baffled. Did you blow up something?

“No. The ass holes out there did.” Jack said pointing back out into the ward. “Is there a back way out of here?”

“Aaa, yes. Just follow the passageway that way. Down past the offices and store rooms. There is a hatch on the other end.” The Doctor pointed to the passageway next to the operating room.

“Good. Go everyone Go. You first Glenn.”

Commander Glenn started off down the passageway as the others followed.

“Thanks Doctor, help is on the way just hold on until they get here.” Jack stepped to Red who was waiting for Jack. “Get going Red I will follow.”

“No Captain I will bring up the rear. You go. We cannot lose you.”

“Damn it Red I have a pistol and you don’t now go.” Jack grabbed a hold of her arm but even with suit power she did not budge from her crouched position next to the passageway.

Two men, one with a laser the other big guy with a Gronk Assault gun that looked small in his hands appeared in the hatch from the ward. “It’s a damn Red monster shoot!” Shouted the one with the laser.

They started to bring up their weapons at the same time. With the surgical gown on Jack could not even get at his laser pistol. As the weapons rose to point at Red Jack stepped toward them raising his hands and said. “No! Stop!”

The two stopped with their weapons pointing at Red but not quite into firing position on their shoulders.

Jack could not believe that they had stopped, seemingly frozen as both their mouths opened in shock. Swallowing Jack continued in desperation. “She is not a monster. Just a big beautiful harmless human with a lot of green tattoos.” Jack took a couple steps toward them. “Yes. Yes. AAA… She is the most beautiful human you have ever seen. Look at her big wonderful boobs.”

Jack turned to Red as the Doctor backed back into the operating room with his hands raised. “Go damn it. Now.” Jack started to turn to follow and stopped as the Dumonts came back out of the passageway with their arms up followed by Shepperd and Glenn both with their hands up.

Red moved quietly duck walking back into the corner of the recovery room trying to take out her long blade.

Jack shook his head, seeing several other black suited men coming down the passageway with their weapons pointed at the group. “No Red. Put it away and leave the power off. This is not the place for a battle.”

The two men at the ward hatch stepped in and moved to the side pushing Jack back between two recovering patients. “Out of the way Doctor.” Then motioning toward the rest. “Out into the ward! Now!” The one with the blaster pointed at the group coming from the passageway said turning his back to Jack still in his surgical gown.

Glenn, Shepperd and the Dumonts walked and glided to the hatch without looking at Jack. As the four black suited men walked out of the passageway one of them saw Red still crouching in the corner and shouted. “Monster!” As his eyes got big. “Kill it fast before it charges.”

All four black suited men started swinging their guns toward Red as Jack tried to grab his pistol knowing that if he didn’t kill them they would kill Red but the surgical gown got in his way again. Only after trying to get at his pistol for the second time did he remember the hypnotism trick and started to raise his hand to say stop.

As they turned their weapons on Red, Jack suddenly heard the now familiar bark of a blaster on full auto with the flashes in the corner of his eyes from the muzzle and then the explosion at point blank range tearing up the Blacksuits in front of them as the men were first blown in half and then the halves blasted apart as they fell back along the passageway.

It only took a second and the four closely spaced Blacksuited men were in pieces scattered back along the passageway with body parts attached. The big blacksuit with the blaster walked up to the gore covered entrance to the passageway and yelled down at the scattered heads and arms. “That is for cheating me out of a thousand credits at cards last night you puke faces.”

The blacksuit with the laser gun did not even give the passageway a second look as he turned to the four with their hands still up in the air. “Keep going or I will cut you all in half too. You think the King did not know you would come for your Captain. Though why you insisted on coming here is beyond me but then we had the outer hull covered too.”

The Blacksuit with the blaster turned to Red licking his lips. “Now I am going to have some fun with your monster boobs big momma.” He looked at the big light green Bigfoot with her suit open down the front to her navel and one breast hanging out into the open with a bright red nipple. The long blade hidden behind her. Placing the big assault blaster on the counter against the bulkhead he pushed the patient on the recovery bed next to him with a scream of pain off onto the deck with a thud as she hit her head knocking her unconscious in mid scream. He unfasten the belt with the blast pistol holster hanging at his side and placed it on the counter over the assault gun. “I am so much going to love fucking you big momma, green tattoos and all.”

Jack having frozen as the bodies were blown apart with his hand half raised started to turn toward Red.

Then as he watched Red swept her now shining blade out from behind her and over between the Blacksuits legs and then strait up cutting him in half from his crotch up between his eyes splitting his head in half in one fast sweep. The shining micronic blade able to cut steel like butter, did not even slow down.

As the body halves fell to the deck the blacksuit with the laser gun whipped his head around as his face turned to shock and immediately started bringing the laser assault gun around. “Monster!” he said.

Jack already had his hand up, simply turned and finished saying “NO! Stop!”

Momentum finished turning the man around but he stopped when he could, making Jack start to panic until he froze in place staring at Red with the laser Assault gun pointing between Jack and Red.

“Drop the gun.” Jack ordered. As the man dropped the gun making the patient it fell on grown Jack turned to Commander Glenn. “Close the damn hatch to the ward and lock it.” Then to the blacksuit in front of him. “How did you find us so fast?” Jack suddenly knew. “Of course, where is the tracker?” Pulling the laser pistol out from under the surgical gown finely.

“Fuck off.” The man said allowed and then in Jack’s mind. “You fucking moron. You think I have the only tracker.” A picture of a palm pad appeared in Jacks mind.

Jack looked down and then grabbed the palm pad off the guy’s belt and pushed him over to Shepperd. “Take his pistol belt and then go lock the operating room hatch to the ward and bring the doctor here.” Turning to the recovery room hatch with Captain Glenn peeking through the small port. “How is it going out there? Any alarms?”

Glenn turned to glance at Jack. “No alarm. They are checking the patients and rapping a couple.”

Jack approached the Commander following the icon on the screen to her butt.

Shepperd finished taking the gun belt off the blacksuit and then pushed him over to Krump. “Take care of this scumbag, find some tape and bind his hands behind his back.” Then she went through the hatch to the operating room.

The Doctor came out and glancing at the mess in front of the passageway and beyond. The Doctor went to the patient that had been pushed off the bed. “Help me get her back up on the bed.”

Red bent over the bed and picked her up in her two arms with the Doctor’s help and placed her gently back on the bed. One of the nurses that had been cowering at the head of the beds started reattaching lines. Pulling a scanner out from the head of the bed the doctor ran the screen over the patient and finally sighed with relief. “Not even a concussion.” But then the deck was impact foam (hard and solid to walk on but soft and giving when impacted under the easy to clean antiseptic surface).

Jack turned to Pan. “You keep an eye on the ward but only glance one eye out for a second at a time every few seconds.” Grabbing the Commander by the arm. “We have to get that damn beacon out of your butt.” Jack dragged Glenn up to the Doctor just turning away from the patient. “I need you to take the damn tracking beacon out of her butt Doctor. Can you do that?”

“I put it in. I can take it out but I can’t. The Commodore would kill me.”

“Not if you cooperate so I can keep her alive until my reinforcements get here. Besides you can tell him if you have to that I held a gun to your head.”

“The King does not take excuses. He killed his own Exec because she failed to kill Commander Glenn a month ago when she had the chance. He would not hesitate to kill me.”

“You are the only doctor on the ship. He would be a mad man to kill you.”

“But he could make me wish I was dead. I won’t tell you how many times he has made me have dinner with him while someone was being tortured to death as the entertainment. I was invited there to keep them alive. He is a sadistic monster who thinks that he can stay hidden here to save the human race after the Spiders finish exterminating the rest. With him as the God King.”

Jack looked at Pan remembering what she had said and what he had seen. Turning back to the doctor Jack took a deep breath as he concentrated staring at him. “You will take the beacon out of the Captain’s Butt. Now.”

Jack heard the Doctor babbling in his mind. “Yes ok. Sure no problem… No. Yes… No! I don’t want to die. That monster would kill me. Cut my balls off while laughing.” Jack felt the doctor’s whole mind cringed. Then out loud. “No! I won’t do it.”

Jack brought up his hand and placed it on the doctor’s forehead. “You will take out Captain Glenn’s beacon from her butt. Now Doctor. I will protect you from the monster.”

Batting his eyes the Doctor shook his head yes. “Nurse Peterson. Get her up on the second operating room’s table face down with her pants pulled down. So I can get at the injection sight.”

They quickly got Captain Glenn ready but when the Doctor was about to cut an incision to allow what looked like a turkey baster to penetrate her butt, the Doctor suddenly jumped back from the table. “No. He will kill me. No!” Sweat popped out across his face as he reached for his chest and staggered from the operating room.

Jack started to follow until the surgical nurse stopped him. “I will take it out.”

Jack looked at her not sure if that was a good idea or not.

“I am a full ship’s medic and trained in battlefield surgery. On a smaller ship I would be the only medical help and would be expected to do minor surgeries. Here I also finish up for the Doctor on the surgery’s including the one you helped calm the patient on. Don’t worry Captain. It is a more of a minor surgery than most I have performed.”

She stepped up and went to work and two minutes later with the Commander grimacing and her fingers digging into the sides of the table, she sprayed healing foam on the wound and patted the Commander’s butt before she started shucking her surgery gown and gloves. “It is going to be sore and don’t sit on your butt too much for the next couple of days Commander and you will be fine.” Shaking her head as the Commander grimaced at her. “Sorry for not being able to use even a local anesthetic but the King has it all locked up for use only on his goons. Get an aspirin on your way out.” Picking up the little capsule. “I will put this on one of the cats they can chase around the ship for the rest of the day. Now get out the back before they get suspicious.” She left through the hatch into the prep room and on into the ward ignoring the goons who ignored her. She was out the Sickbay hatch in a few seconds.

Jack stepped into the recovery/ intensive care room as several nurses and orderly’s cleaned up the passageway. Throwing the remains into the biological incinerator chute in the morgue through one of the hatches in the passageway. He could hear the roar of the furnace each time they through in a load. The length and loudness of the roar depended on how much body part mass they through in each time. The only surviving goon was now in his shorts with his suit laying on an empty bed. His hands and feet taped up. Lieutenant Shepperd was busy repairing the pieces of the light armored suits from the other goons as the orderlies finished cleaning them in the morgue.

The Lieutenant looked up as Jack came back in. “I thought that the black suits would come in handy letting us blend in with the rest of the kings goons along with having some armor protection.” Sticking a section of the two halves of the suit Red had cut up the middle back together.” The self-mixing surgical bone epoxy is working great Captain.”

Krump sat next to the lieutenant with a big smile on his face. “This is fun Captain. I never realized how satisfying repairing things could be.”

Red handed a piece of armor cut with her blade from a suit leg to Krump. “Try it this time. It should fit now.”

Krump tried it and then took the glue gun and started running glue around the edges of the plate as Red held it in place. Completing another chest protector. Pan and Krump already had black roughly patched chest protectors on with nothing over their skirts which baffle Jack for a half second until he remembered that they were fish (or more exact, dolphins) below the waist. The Lieutenant had a full suit on with patches on most of the pieces cut from the legs of the lower suits the Dumonts were not wearing.

“Ok hurry up guys we have to leave now.” Jack glanced at the goon for a second and started to turn away. As the furnace roared again for a couple of seconds.

His mind was suddenly flooded with hate as words formed. “Just wait until the King captures you again. He will send you with the rest of the prisoners down the south chase as a diversion to get slaughtered while we go down the North side of the ship so we can trap and slaughter the rest of your crew from behind.”

Jack froze staring at the Goon. “What?” Jack bent down and reached out slapping his palm against the goons head and demanded in his intense Command voice (The Game had taught him that no enlisted crewman could ignore as well as most officers) that had worked so well up on the deck above. “What!”

Jack was flooded with details as the goon said out loud. “You are so fucked Captain.” The Goon smiled and continued to tell himself all the gratifying ways Jack and the other ship’s male crew would finely die leaving the Commodore Robinson’s men each with a harem and slaves to create their own dynasty when the enemy finished killing the rest of humanity and left.”

Jack sank to his knees as he listened shocked. Finely with the goon getting into details of the sweat he was constructing for him and his harem, Jack dropped his hand and turned away. “Commander Glenn. This trap you set up for the Commodore wouldn’t happen to be down the south pipe chase would it?”

The lieutenant was helping her put on the suit the Lt. had just finished gluing the halves back together. Using the large sized suit that fit the big man that had been wearing it to allow the chest peace to be formed around her large boobs with the belly plates over lapped on the sides leaving quite a shelf above. The lower half fitted easily around her large tender butt only having to narrow and shorten the legs to fit her. Much easier than trying to cram her breasts and butt into a smaller normal sized suit Jack thought as he shook his head.

The Captain looked at him wondering why he was even talking about the trap there. “Yes, why?” She said starting to get pissed. Afraid talking about it would alert the Commodore King about the pending trap.

Jack had already shucked the surgical gown before coming out of the second operating room as Pan handed him the complete goon’s suit laying on the bunk. And started helping him into it. Jack started to resist not wanting it on but with his thoughts elsewhere he stopped resisting after his first feeble effort failed. Pan having to do most of the work until Lt. Shepperd started to help when Pan had problems with the boots and legs as Jack just stood there. Between the two of them they quickly had Jack armored up against the standard lasers over his original Red Battlesuit while he just stood there talking to Commander Glenn.

“They know all about it and are setting up some kind of decoy to attack your troops from behind.” Raising his hand a few times mumbling something that sounded like a question then staring at the goon for a few seconds before returning to stare at the bulkhead or look at the Commander. Telling Glenn about the trap as the goon at first got pissed that Jack seemed to know some of the details and then shocked as Jack kept telling Cmd. Glenn about more and more details. Not realizing that the more he talked to himself about the details the more Jack knew. Not even wondering why he kept talking to himself about everything the Captain in front of him wanted to know yet again.

The bio-hazard furnace roars started getting farther and farther apart in the back ground.

Looking down at the deck Cmdr. Glenn took a deep breath after Jack had finished. “If my crew is concentrated around the south shaft watching our captured crewmen get slaughtered. They will never see the Kings men sneaking down the hull to attack them from behind. He will kill them all.”

Shaking her head as she took a breath. “That just means we are going to have to stop them.” Cmd. Glenn stepped to the ward hatch glancing through the port with the helmet with the glue line running across the middle on and the visor down and darkened. Waved at one of the Blacksuits that happened to look at the movement in the port and waved giving the thumbs up before turning back around. Slapping Jack on the shoulder breaking his stare at the bulkhead. “We need to go Captain. Especially if we have to stop my captured crewmen from dropping down into the trap at the bottom.”

Captain Glenn took and strapped the blast pistol’s holster around her waist. “Since I at least have shot the Gronk weapons a few times I will take them.” She reached for the assault blaster…

Jack slapped his hand on it knocking it back onto the bunk it and the suit had been placed on. “I will take that. I have had a lot of experience with Gronk Assault Blasters in combat. Believe me, stay with the Blast Pistol. You should be able to control it well enough to at least hit something as long as you use both hands and keep in on single shot. Even the big guy there had problems with the assault gun keeping it pointed in the right direction and he was twice your size and at point blank range.” Jack picked it up with one hand while Cmd. Glenn had to use two. Jack started to take off the laser pistol but realized that they had plenty of weapons now. Though he knew that both Pan and Red had some training he was rather leery of Krump even handling the laser pistol. Though he seemed damn proficient with his homemade arsenal.

Looking around for the Doctor he realized that he had gone to his office. Turning to the head nurse. “Slap that asshole goon in one of the morgue drawers well taped so he can’t make any noise or move.” Staring at the goon Jack could not help glancing repeatedly at the nurse, Jack swallowed shaking his head as he cringed at what he was hearing from the goon. Jack finally turned to the head nurse. “Oh by the way, he killed your husband and your baby boy so he could have you as momma number two in his harem when this is all over.” Glancing at him again. “He also killed your overweight friend just after he forced her to give him a blow job and is making plans to mate with your daughter even if she is only 8 years old. That is if he can wait that long.” Taking a deep breath. “You have my permission to feed him alive straight into the bio-hazard furnace.” Knowing that no one would ever dare do such a thing but hoping she would at least go out of her way to keep him from escaping and warning the king what they were doing.

“How did you know that?” Bellowed the Goon. “I only told my friends that when I made dibs on the fucking nurse there. I just killed her ugly fat faced friend before someone else could put her out of her misery. The Commander does not want any ugly fat ones left when we get done to create ugly kids.”

Controlling her anger Red lifted the Goon and slapped him on a nearby gurney. The Nurse came out of her shocked expression and told Red to lift him back up as she pulled something out of a drawer. Red did as she was asked and then dropped him back down after the nurse had spread a sheet across the top of the gurney. As Red turned around disgusted at the nurse worrying about the comfort of the Goon that had killed her husband, son and friend.

Jack watched Cmd. Glenn start back down the passageway again as she started practicing changing the Blast Pistol’s magazines over and over again. The others following in their original positions from a half hour before. All of them taking a cue from the Captain and started practicing changing their weapon’s magazines as well over and over again. Shaking his head with a smile. “Don’t forget your safeties. Lock the safety on then take the mag out and put it in the pouch then take another one out to insert into the gun. After you put the new mag in take off the safety as you bring it up to fire. Then start over again. Safety, take the mag out, pouch it. Put in a new mag and then take the safety off as you bring it up to fire. Each and every time now or you will forget when it counts and either blow yourself up if the trigger is pulled when you slam the new mag in and it fires with the blast or laser hitting a bulkhead, overhead or deck close to you or your combat brother. And even worse if you forget to take the safety off and it won’t fire loosing you that second you needed to save your life or mine.” Smiling at the group staring at him. “Though in combat, just drop the mag out and grab a new one to replace it. You don’t pouch the old one. You may grab an empty by mistake.”

The troop had stopped moving when Jack had started talking. When he finished, they all quickly went through the drill adding the safety to the routine before continuing down the passageway. Repeating the drill again and again and again. Several dropping mags and having to pick them up again and start over. The sound of, Flick, clip, slip, snap, slam and flick again coming from all four of them over and over again.

Jack stopped at the beginning of the passageway next to the end counter to let Red go first. Noticing that the nurse had neatly folded the sheet up over the Goon tucking it in around him leaving only his face uncovered with a flap folded over. He though it a bit strange when the nurses lifted his feet and wrapped tape around his legs but he had other worries. When Red didn’t move Jack looked up at her and frowned. “Isn’t this where we were at before all the shit hit the fan?” The nurses sat the goon up and wrapped tape several times around his upper body and arms making Jack smile. At least he wasn’t getting loose to escape even if he could get out of the morgue drawer.

Red with a much too small breast and back plate leaving most of the sides of her chest uncovered smiled and just placed her hand in the middle of Jack’s back and shoved him down the passageway. “No. This time I’m not arguing with you Captain.” The passageway looked clean enough to eat off of. Not a trace of the dead goons remained. Jack started practicing changing his mags, taking his own advice as he listened to the gurney rolling into the morgue.

Captain Glenn checked the passageway at the exit hatch then stepped through and headed away from the front of the sickbay. Followed close behind by the others.

Reaching the hatch Jack suddenly heard a scream from back down the passageway. Jerking around ready for anything as he ran back down the passageway with Red close beside him. Except for several nurses and orderlies clustered around the hatch into the morgue, Jack could not see anything wrong as they reached the morgue hatch. Then the furnace started roaring louder than any time before and the scream became piercing before it cut off with the sound of the closing furnace hatch slamming shut. His energy sight caught a writhing body bouncing around from side to side, surrounded by flames inside the Bio- hazard furnace.

As the nurses and orderlies returned to their jobs, Jack and Red walked back down the passageway, stepped through the hatch and out of the Sickbay. The furnace was still roaring as Red closed the hatch to the Sickbay behind them.

Chapter 10; Hide and seek

Jack ran down one side of the passageway finding locked hatches while Cmd. Glenn ran down the other side. Suddenly a door opened under Jack’s hand and he stopped not even bothering to look in. “In everyone, hurry they will be coming around the corner in a few seconds.” Without looking in Jack grabbed Cmd. Glenn and shoved her in and then Pan and Krump followed by Lieutenant Shepperd and finally Red.

Jack started to follow but found Red’s butt hanging out and realized that it was only a cleaning closet. “Damn it. Make room in there! Hurry.” Jack could see the patrol start around the distant passageway corner as he tried to hide behind the partially open door.

Jack heard things breaking and crashing and then Red’s butt finally slid farther in giving him just room enough to slide in next to Red with his head pushing up against her huge naked breasts. She had taken off the breast plate using it more as a shield on her arm now. Complaining of being too hot with it on and her suit fastened up to her neck. She was standing along one side with her back along the top of the low overhead with Pan and Krump using their gravity cans to lift themselves up over the collapsed shelves on each side and the cleaning sink at the back, their backs against the overhead to make room for Captain Glenn and Lt. Shepperd.

Stepping between Reds legs his head between her breasts. Jack could see the squad coming down the passageway as he pulled the door completely closed hoping that none of them noticed in the distance. Fumbling with the lock for a few seconds before he heard the click.

“Krump, move your can over! It is digging into my side.” Someone said.

“I’m trying. Move the barrel of your gun, I don’t want to suck on it.”

Jack heard something crash to the deck. “Damn it guys if they hear us we are dead knock it off and shut up.”

“Easy for you to say, you don’t have something sticking up your butt where it don’t belong.” Jack did not recognize the strained gal’s whispered voice.

“Everyone just shut up and freeze now!” Jack whispered back as the squad approached.

Jack heard one set of boots stop in front of the door with the red outline of a body with multi colored lines running through the body from the goon’s heart and nervous system. Watching the blood pulsing through its body. The door shook and rattled. “Locked, guess I was seeing things.” Came a voice and the boots proceeded on down the passageway with the figure rejoining the others. “Hey Buzzard, trade me one of your red heads for a blond will you? I only get two and I just realized that having two blonds will get boring after a while.”

Jack could not believe the moron figuring that he had not seen what he had seen simply because it was locked? Jack would have scratched his head if he could have reached it. As it was, he was simply trying to breath with a face full of boob. He couldn’t even turn around. Glad that the Ensign was not there to see him in that predicament.

Finally the three man squad turned the corner heading for the other side of the deck. Fumbling with the lock Jack got the door opened and they all tumbled out of the closet spreading cleaning materials across the passageway.

Jack headed down the passageway in the direction the squad had come from as the rest picked themselves up from the deck. His blackened visor allowing him to see the passageways half way around the ship. Ducking around the corner he went half way down the next passageway and stopped at a maintenance panel in the side of the passageway. Using tools from his maintenance utility belt Jack unscrewed the fasteners setting the panel against the bulkhead backwards. Cutting off the fastener ends sticking through the panel that held the panel across the opening. Then using the laser pistol on low power Jack tack weld them on from the back leaving no trace that the fasteners were not what they were supposed to be.

As everyone caught up to him. “Everyone down the chase. Commander Glenn, you first, No banging around and don’t open anything until I get down there.” Jack said as he worked. Glancing around the deck’s passageways.

The lieutenant looked at Jack strangely. “How we supposed to open anything from the inside of a chase? All the hatches have to be opened from the deck side just like this one.”

“You just let me worry about that Shepperd and get your butt down the chase.” The blank black visor said back to her as she tried to figure out how he was even seeing out through it. Not to mention seeing the patrol coming without any of them getting near the corner to look down the curved passageway to see them coming, let alone that they would turn off from the curving passageway and down the passageway they were in instead of simply continuing on around the outer hull of the ship.

Frowning, she stepped over the knee knocker grabbing ahold of the vertical ladder attached to the side of the Chase and started down. Pan and Krump had to pull themselves through the hatch but then they just floated down. Red had a hell of time squeezing through the hatch. Jack suddenly realized that the bump he had felt in her stomach when he was plastered between her breasts that seemed even larger than the last time he was in that predicament, was the child from her husband who had died during the battle when Jack had liberated her, her sister and thousands of other slaves from the Spider ship he was stripping at the time. It was only a little bump still as the Giant Greenfoots had a pregnancy that lasted 18 months instead of 9 but still noticeable now that he had no choice but to look. He could see the little heartbeat and blood flowing through its little body and realize that it was a girl. Laying down the Pistol for a second, Jack gave her stuck butt a push to get her through the hatch. Wondering why she had not stuck her damn butt through the hatch first instead of last or gone through sideways one leg at a time in the first place.

Red turned back around sticking her head through the opening. “I still won’t marry you Captain no matter how much you tickle my fancy.”

Jack shook his head as he froze with the pistol next to the fastener that needed tacked. “What?… Aaaa… Well, burst my bubble why you don’t. Will I ever get over the disappointment? Now get your butt down the Chase. I am almost done here.” Jack could not help smiling. That had been the third or fourth time she had said she wouldn’t marry him and as always, it was when shit was hitting the damn fan, minutes away from possibly dying and the last thing anyone in their right mind would be thinking about even if it was not true or possible. Chuckling, Jack went back to tacking the fasteners on so they would not hang out into the passageway when he pulled the hatch closed form inside the Chase. Giving away the fact that someone was using the Chase when they shouldn’t be.

Putting the pistol back into its holster Jack backed through the hatch opening trying to climb onto the ladder and hang onto the hatch with the other hand when suddenly he felt something on his butt holding him up. Looking down he saw Red with one foot on a conduit/pipe mounting brace, the other on the ladder and her hands over her head on his butt as a seat holding him up. “My turn to tickle your fancy and I still will not marry you.”

“Well dash my hopes again will you.” Jack chuckled as he used both hands to pull the hatch into its recess making it flush with the passageway’s bulkhead. Then looking down trying to keep from chuckling as he took out his pistol. “Turn your head away. I would hate for you to see me crying.” And started tracking the seam around the hatch to hold it in. The bright flashes from the laser lighting up the whole chase was bright enough to blind you if you looked at it without protection and Red didn’t with her suit wide open preventing her from using the helmet and face plate in her suit’s collar.

A few minutes later Jack put his pistol away after changing power mag’s and grabbed onto the ladder taking his own weight. “Ok Red, thanks. That made it a lot easier. You can start dropping down now.”

She moved her foot from the ladder onto another pipe bracket and moved over against the back side of the Chase and the pipes and conduits but still taking up most of the chase. “You first Captain.”

Jack opened his mouth to argue with her but decided it was a waste of time and started climbing down squeezing past her between her breasts. A few more steps and he was level with her child as she moved inside her mother and could not help reaching out and patting the bulge. “You have a beautiful little girl there Red.” And continued down.

“That felt nice. If you want to rub my tummy you can. Oh… How do you know it is a girl?”

Jack stopped and looked up over her slightly bulging stumach and between her huge breasts at Red looking down at him. “I can… Aaa… Well sometimes Captains just now things.” Looking back at the child in her womb he reached back up and rubbed her stomach for a few seconds over the child. Feeling the life within tickling his mind. Surprising him. He had not expected that at all. “Yes she is definitely beautiful indeed.”

“Yes well, being her Godfather I would hope you would think so. If you accept.”

“Sure love why not.” Jack said without thinking as he dropped down several steps before it dawned on him what she had said stopping him cold. It took him several seconds before he looked back up at Red who hadn’t moved. Shaking his head as she smiled down at him. “The next best thing to marrying you Red. Thanks. I am honored.” Not having a clue what it being a Godfather meant. Trying to figure out the joke.

“You know that comes with the responsibility of rubbing my stomach and talking to her at least once a day to stimulate her mental growth and continue bonding with her Godfather since her daddy can’t be around and I don’t really want to choose a new mate right now. I have no desire. I was afraid I would have to take a mate just for my child’s health until just now when you started bonding with her. Thank you Captain.”

‘Oooooww shit.’ Jack said to himself. So much for it being some kind of honorary thing or a joke. Not to mention adding to the problem her clan seniors had discussed with Pan and then Pan with him. This was not the solution anyone wanted except maybe Red. Talking about screwing the pooch. Shit! That was one old saying he damn will was not ever saying again even to himself. But he was definitely in trouble.

“We will talk later Godfather.”

“Aaa Ya. Later Red.” Grabbing onto the outer rail of the vertical ladder with his gloved hands and pressing his boot insteps into the side rails, Jack started to slide rapidly down the chase. A trick he had learned long ago on the Turner Joy, the Tramp ship he grew up on. Using the heel of his boot turned into the rungs of the ladder to slow him, he slid down the latter quickly catching up to the others. Digging his heals in he slowed down and stopped on the maintenance deck between the vacant gun deck and the active gun deck above the devastated engine sections of the ship. This maintenance deck had half way normal hatches into the between hull chases you could open with a turn of a handle to get into and out of the Chases for maintenance without having to take off a dozen screws. The deck was also directly below the gun deck that had no guns where he could see most of the crewmen were clustered. Though he could not make out why groups of them were clustered into sections around the outside hull of the deck. With other crewmen seeming to be in strange places around the other side of the deck’s core. Including what looked like a couple of the cooler temperature Gronks or Apes but their fuzzy bodies looked strange for Gronk/Apes.

Jack could not see anyone near the Chase’s section of the deck they were on and tried the hatch. It started to open but something was blocking it. Jack could not see cold metal or inanimate objects without some kind of energy that would reflect off of it. Which was why he could see so fare across the ship if it was dark enough and he had enough time. While the deck was filled with live power lines, most were a distance away. With all the lines in the chase fluid or Comm lines that did not have enough energy for Jack to see what was on the other side and blocking the hatch from opening. Intentionally designed that way to keep power lines from interfering with Comm lines allowing greater band width and the use of cheaper lines.

Jack moved his head around from side to side and up and down a few rungs while staring at the same spot, finally deciding that the problem had to be a lock between an eye on the hatch and another eye on the combing next to it. Taking out his laser pistol he checked again for anyone in the compartment between outer and inner hulls on the other side of the hatch and aimed at the vague blob at the edge of the hatch he hoped was the problem. Pulling the trigger a part of him was surprised when the hatch swung open leaving a padlock dangling on the side of the hatch opening.

Jack headed for the open hatch to the next tween hulls compartment around the ship to the left instead of out into the ship. After spending months as the Captain of the Red Pepper (an identical ship) Jack knew exactly where he needed to go and it looked like there was no one in the way to slow them down at the moment. The only hot bodies on that deck were near the core. Turning around at the hatch Jack watched Red slide sideways through the Chases hatch, putting one leg through first as she ducked through then pulling the other through. Then she turned, closed the hatch and used her laser pistol to spot weld the padlock back onto the hatch. “Don’t worry about that Red. Let’s go.”

“Got it already Captain.” And took off after the rest catching up in only a couple of steps.

Jack quickly moved through the compartments to the one he needed as he looked up through the deck at the mass of bodies above. A hatch in the overhead led from the empty emergency power compartment they were in, to the empty distribution compartment for the turret that was supposed to be through the hull next door on the empty gun deck that wasn’t.

Climbing the vertical ladder Jack was again surprised when the hatch opened without a problem and climbed through. Going to the inner hulls hatch Jack flipped open his visor and cracked it open to look through and then closed it again. Stepping back in disbelief.

Cmd. Glenn looked at Jack’s white face as he backed away from the hatch and frowned. “Is someone outside the hatch?” She whispered as she pulled the Blast Pistol out of its holster.

Jack shook his head no. “No.”

Baffled, Commander Glenn stepped to the hatch, cracked it open and gasped.

“What is it?” Pan demanded in a whisper as she tried to see around the Captain before looking over her head.

“They have two of my Gronks chained half way up the core bulkhead like stuffed toughies mounted on the wall.” Commander Glenn looked sick. “One has only stubs for arms and legs. The other at least has his arms.” Letting out a breath of relief. “At least they still seam alive. I can see them moving a little I think. I was told that they would be killed. The Commodore made that perfectly clear. God I hope they are still alive and not just my wishful thinking.”

“Yes they are still alive.” Jack said. “They are Simi cold blooded lizards that look like hairless Apes with armored plates for skin. They can lose a leg and grow it back if given time. If they live that long.”

“My god. Now what is going on?” Cmd. Glenn whispered from the cracked hatch. “They are taking groups of my crew out of what looks like holding pens toward some kind of compound around the South power Chase. Or where it should be. It looks like they have cut the chase to the upper decks out leaving a hole in the overhead and put a wall of cargo containers around it with guards on top of them and they are putting groups of my crewmen they have captured into it. Some can barely walk.” Shaking her head. “I thought you were guessing Captain but it looks like they are giving them weapons and painting their white suits black before they put them inside the compound.” Closing the hatch she stepped back. “We have to stop them before they go down that chase or they will be slaughtered.”

“Yes I know Commander. I am the one that told you. They don’t stand a chance with training power pack mags in their weapons.” Jack looked down at the black suit plates they had insisted in putting over his Red combat suit the exslave refugees had made for him. Thin maroon red streaks still shown down his sides between the black plates that were too small to cover him completely over his own suit. Still wondering how he wound up with them on. “At least you guys have suits that match Commodore Kings men.” Taking a deep breath.

“Your red strips will not even be noticed Captain and the Training mags do not matter. I did not lie to the Commodore when I told him that the south power chase was not heavily defended even though it goes deep into my ship.” The Commander said closing her eyes.

“Then they have nothing to worry about if we can get those damn bomb packs off of the ones that have them.”

“No. If they go down that chase they are dead.” She looked at Jack. “We cleared a path to open space through the wreckage of our ship’s lower bow gundeck. If they attack down that chase into the compartment that Chase empties into in my ship. The bulkhead will be blown voiding the compartment and the Chase to vacuum, killing them all and everyone up here if they have done what I now suspect and opened up the Chases shaft all the way up into the ship. The only way they could get enough people into the shaft fast enough for an attack and why they need the wall with the platform round it to force the massed prisoners down it.”

Jack took several deep breaths then turned to Commander Glenn. “Well then. We have to change their power packs as well then. Give them a fighting chance.”

“Didn’t you hear me Captain? I said they will be flushed out into Vacuum if they go down that shaft. Half of them don’t even have helmets. And the ones that do don’t have fresh oxygen or power packs.”

“I don’t plan on them going down the shaft. We fight up here and take this ship.”

Five sets of eyes looked at Jack shocked.

Jack moved over to the hatch and cracked it open again paying close attention to the prisoners and what was going on at the gate going into the enclosure around the south chase. Ignoring what looked like construction around one of the clear viewing bubbles at the other side of the deck. After a few minutes Jack motioned for Krump to come look. “Krump, do you think you can take out those guards on the platform on the containers surrounding the enclosure with your little blow gun?” Taking the big cannon off his back. “It is a long hundred foot shot from here.”’

Krump looked out the cracked hatch for a few seconds then turned to Jack. “Sure Captain. No sweat like you humans say. One shot one kill. I don’t need your cannon. My tube is a lot quieter.”

Jack chuckled at that. “Good.” Then handed the weapon to Pan as her mouth dropped open. “No I don’t want you to shoot it. When the shit hits the fan, I want you to take this thing to that Gronk plastered against the bulkhead that still has his arms. He is in the perfect position to help. Just zig zag back and forth staying close to the overhead out of obvious sight and don’t slow down. You will be fine. Everyone else is going to be shooting at us so don’t worry. Once you drop the gun off find someplace to hide, and relax until help arrives.” Turning to Red. “You are going to be our monster prisoner. You need to look and act like you need three ass holes to keep you in line. Hold your wrists crossed in front of you like they are bound. Keeping them close to your body will make it hard to see that there is nothing there until we fake un-cuffing you at the gate. They will give you a weapon and Glen and I will take you into the enclosure. Then inside I am going to need you to distract the guards while the Commander and I go around changing training mags for real mags. I still have not figured out how to get those bomb packs off of the ones that have them without the guards seeing us but the important part is getting the mags changed to start with.”

Lt. Shepperd frowned. “What am I doing while you guys are changing mags Captain?”

“You know this ship and the crew, you are going to get us more good mags.”

“And how am I going to get them to you?”

Jack smiled. “Just tell me when you have some and I will come out and get them unless you can figure out a better way to get them to us. Just be sure that you are on our encrypted channel when you call us. That goes for everyone, we need to be on the general channel most of the time so we can hear the enemy. So be sure you are on general receiver while on select transmit and check the channel each time you do need to talk to the group and use names first so we know who you are talking to when you need to. That also means no undue chatter.” Looking around the group as he took a deep breath. “Any questions?”

“Ya a hundred.” Commander Glenn said. “But we don’t have time for them now. We need to get going if we stand a chance to get things done in time.”

Looking around the group as everyone else kept their mouths closed.

“Good. Krump don’t do anything until I tell you to. Keep the hatch closed and locked until them. Hopefully if it is locked no one will get worried enough to break in. And be ready to dive down that hatch when they finally find and come for you after you start shooting.”

“Captain but with the hatch open and me shooting from inside the Compartment with the lights out, they won’t even hear the pop let alone see me. I should be able to drop them inside the wall into your lap without the other guards seeing them fall if we time it right. I think I saw some packing crates around the inside looking through the gate. You should be able to hide the bodies behind or in them. Giving you more mags and their assault guns.”

Jack looked at the Dumont Krump surprised. “Well, we will see what we have when we get inside. How long would it take you to kill all the guards that are on the wall now?”

“Roughly 10 seconds Captain. Maybe 15.”

“That would be good shooting not to mention that it looks more like a damn long hundred and fifty feet than a hundred to the target there Krump.” Jack looked around the deck and smiled. “Tell you what. We could use a distraction right about now. All three of us appearing out of nowhere could be noticed. Think you can take out one of those guards taking the prisoners out of the fenced area over on the far side beyond the central core? That looks close to 250 feet, maybe 300.”

Krump smiled as he looked through the hatch and smiled. “May take me a couple shots since I am out of practice. But that is what is nice about my baby here. Little sound so even if I do miss they won’t notice or realize I shot at them.” Krump backed away from the hatch. Sitting down a good 8 feet away with the tube in his hands, elbows on his knees. “With any luck Captain. Open just a little more please. I will take out the one on the end. If I miss the projectile will hit the hull far behind him and not the fence next to the others.” Krump stuck one of the long projectiles with the steel plug at one end in his mouth and then in the tube. Taking a deep breath he held the tube with one hand wrapped around the tube and against the corners of his mouth and the other about half way down the tube and concentrated on the target. A double chin growing around his neck.

Jack found himself holding his breath as he peered out the partially open hatch. Then after a few seconds he heard a. “Pooopssss.”

He could have sworn the little dot went over the head of the guy and then the guy turned to look away toward where the projectile went.

Two seconds later Jack heard another. “Pooopsssss.” And the guy’s head exploded spewing blood in a cloud away from them as a hole opened in the back of his head facing them.

It took a few seconds. Jack was starting to think no one would even notice and then hell broke loose on the other side of the deck around that fenced area. The Guards pushing the prisoners back into the fenced area as other guards from all over the compartment ran toward that side.

“Come on guys’ time to go.” Jack pushed the hatch all the way open and stepped out followed by Cmd. Glenn, Red and then Lt. Shepperd who closed the hatch behind her without looking like she had.

Fenced areas along the outer hull were built between the 30 foot wide round clear hull ports some 150 feet apart. The big ports filled the holes where the 16 inch gun turrets would have been if they had been installed. The emergency power distribution compartment hatch they had just came out of for each turret port was in a narrow cleared area between the ports and the fences for the compounds most of which were empty. Though Jack could see the left over heat traces of a dozen occupants that had not been gone long in most of them.

Grabbing Red by her arms Jack and Cmd. Glenn marched on each side of Red with the lieutenant behind them. Jack taking them around the side of the bay along the fence past the next of the 6 large 30 foot round port holes in the hull that was originally for a 16 inch turret. The 30 some foot long, 10 foot wide chase tube cut from the deck and overhead laying across the front of the first port. Jack noticed that the chase on the other side of the core hull had been cut out as well though no containers were around that hole. Still trying to figure out what all the construction was for against one of the big 30 foot ports on the other side of the hull. Turning from the nearest empty fenced enclosure they headed for the containers and the gate into the compound.

Jack had to force himself not to look at the Gronk’s hanging on chains welded to the Core hull a good 20 feet up. A pile of shit below them with streaks down the bulkhead. Jack could feel the Gronk with no arms or legs looking at them as they headed across the Bay.

Jack finally had to look when they turned toward the containers trying to keep his rage and disgust in check but finally looked back up. “Just give me time and we will get you down from there old boys.” Jack said to himself.

“Yes Captain. We wait your orders.” Jack thought he heard but knew he couldn’t have.

As they walked up to the gate a Third Class finished spray painting the white suit of a scared rating. A second black suited rating grabbed a laser pistol in a holster on a belt from a rack and handed it to a freshly painted black suited rating.

A Second class weapons specialist pointed a gun at the now black suited rating that had just been given the gun. “You only have a training mag in your gun. Don’t get any ideas. Now get in the damn compound. Commodore King is sending you all home but you have to earn it.” The man started to go through the first gate and the Second Class grabbed him by the arm. “Wait I have a present for you…” He turn toward a cart behind him and picked up a back pack.

“What the hell do you think you are doing moron?” Glenn demanded.

That shocked Jack. This was not what they had planned. He just wanted to get into the compound then worry about the damn packs later.

The Second class turned to Glenn then saw Red standing tall in front of him with his eyes going to her huge green breasts and then the rest of her with a scarred look appearing on his face that matched his the fear now radiating from him as he said. “Alien!” Then he saw the lieutenant’s bars on Jack’s suit standing on the other side of Red and then his mouth dropped. “Just giving this one a pack Lieutenant.” He addressed Jack as the blacksuit started painting the rating ahead of Red.

Cmd. Glenn continued. “You are supposed to give every 20th prisoner a pack and you just gave a prisoner ahead of this one a pack. Did you disobey orders intentionally? Maybe you should put on that pack yourself and join the prisoners?” Taking a step closer to the rating.

“No sir but I didn’t just give…” He turned around before Cpt. Glenn could reach him and looked at the back of the prisoner at the head of the short line just waiting at the second gate to enter the enclosure. The guard at that gate yelling for the prisoners in side to get away from the gate before he opened it. “See?”

Jack’s mind raced. They were not even through the damn gate and Cmd. Glenn had already screwed them if this ass hole sounded the alarm. Remembering what had happened in the Sickbay Jack got desperate.

“No!” Jack said raising his hand as the 1st class turned back around. “You remember putting a pack and can see one on the back of that prisoner and we have a much larger pack on our prisoner.” Using the command voice that had made the Lieutenant talk up in the Sickbay as he held his hand palm out toward him. “You saw a back pack on that prisoner didn’t you?”

The 1st Class shook his head baffled for a second. Then standing straight “Yes sir. Beg my pardon sir. My mistake. I will be more diligent in my count Lieutenant. But I thought it was every 10.”

Jack glared at him noticing his name stenciled on his suit’s breast and said again with his hand spread like he had seen Pan do. “It is every 20 Mr. Curry. You have given out to many too soon. You will not give out another pack to a prisoner until I order you to compensate for my prisoners huge pack. Is that understood rating Curry?”

“Yes sir. Give out no more packs until you change my orders sir.” Jack felt relief flooding from the First Class as he look around. Jack realized that if the pallet of packs did not go down someone would get suspicious and spotted the bin under the racks of pistol belts and smiled as he turned back to the First Class. “Every 10th prisoner, you will take a pack off that cart and place it in the bin under the pistols and forget about it.”

“Yes sir. Place pack in bin under pistol racks.”

“If asked why crewman Curry, you will say that they are defective and must be repaired.”

Commander Glenn stared at Jack.

“Carry on crewman Curry.”

“Yes sir. Every Tenth pack under the pistol cart.” Curry looked toward where Krump had created the little distraction killing the guard. “I was only following Ensign Hardwig’s directions Lieutenant?” Then started to put the pack back onto the cart.

Cmd. Glenn stepped forward. “Are you sure you disarmed that pack Weapons man Curry? We don’t need it going off here.”

Turning back to the Commander. Curry opened the flap on the top and showed Cmd. Glenn the arming switch on the standard demolition control module and then started to put the pack back down.

“Tell us how to disarm the packs that are on the prisoners.” Jack said staring at Curry again who started to look baffled as the word ‘Why’, formed in his head. Jack’s mind raced for a second then. “Just in case we find out you have issued too many packs inside the Compound.”

Deciding that made sense he frowned. “Sorry Lieutenant but once the chest strap buckle has been closed it cannot be disarmed. The Weapons officer spent a lot of time putting together that programing at the King’s request sir. But you should already know that.” Curry’s eyes narrowed as he stared at Jack. “Who the hell are you guys anyway? I don’t remember seeing either of you around ever. I need to check with Ensign Hardwigg?” Looking at Cmd. Glenn after glancing toward the guards massed around the body on the other side of the deck. “Come to think of it you look a lot like the other ships new Captain the Commodore is looking for. I saw pictures of her.”

Talking to himself trying to use his command voice. “Curry! You have seen us many times at muster next to the King talking to him.” Jack stared at him trying to form the picture in his mind even though he had only a vague memory of what the ship’s Captain, the King, looked like. Desperately hoping this would work. “You know they are the Kings supper secrete security team and kill crewmen for even looking at them strange or are slow carrying out their orders. Even to question them wracks you with fear of death.”

Curry’s face suddenly turned white as he came to attention. “Sorry Sir! I did not realize who you were. I remember now that you are the Kings most trusted sirs.”

“That is ok Curry. We were just testing you. Carry on.” Jack breathed a sigh of relief and then remembered Curry talking about an Ensign. “Curry!” The man almost jumped out of his blacksuit. “Where is Ensign Hardwigg?”

“He is investigating the accident on the other side of the deck sir. He will be back shortly.

That was what Jack was afraid of. “Point him out to me please.” Hoping he was not around behind the core hull going up the center of the compartment.

Curry turned and looked and smiled pointing. “He is with the Commander, Lieutenant.”

Jack looked then stepped around behind Red taping the comm on the control panel on his forearm. “Krump, I need you to take out that ensign talking to the Commander not far from your original target. He could screw things up here if he returns to the Gate. Then drop down to the deck below and don’t forget to close both hatches and clean up. I don’t want them to find anything saying we were there if they search the compartment. You should be able to work your way on around the ship to another empty electrical room and come back up when I tell you to.” Jack wanted to look and make sure there was no one near them on the deck below but he could not see through the deck with his visor up and the lights blinding him. He did not have the time to close, darken and let his eyes get accustomed to the dark to look. He would just have to hope luck was with them.

Jack started back around Red when guards started shouting and firing their weapons blindly around two bodies suddenly on the deck where the Ensign and Commander had been standing while others ran for cover in all directions. Jack heard something hitting the deck with a loud thud as the corner of his eyes caught movement. Looking he watched a body falling down the outer hull and bounce inside one of the empty fenced enclosures and then lay still with its weapon not far away. Looking up into the gloom of the overhead where the lights did not shine, he realized that there was a catwalk running around the hull just below the overhead with guards spaced every fifty feet or so along it. He had not bothered to look up to check having forgotten it was there. Slapping his Comm again. “Krump if you haven’t left yet. I need you to take out a couple more of the guards along the upper hull catwalk while these morons are shooting at everything with a shadow.”

“Thought you might want me to take advantage of the confusion this time Captain.” Came a reply Jack was not expecting.

Jack turned to see the hatch in the electrical room Pan and Krump were hiding in open a crack then just as quickly close as if nothing had happened. A second later Jack heard another thump of a body hitting the deck and suddenly the guards ringing the deck were firing at every shadow as well including any of the guards below that even pointed a weapon in their direction.

Then the guards on the platform around the Chase’s shaft enclosure behind them started running around firing their weapons and suddenly one went flying backwards off the containers into the compound with a big hole in his chest from a blaster.

Weapons specialist Curry ducked down behind his pallet of explosive packs trying to hide from the wild laser streaks and Blast balls. The 2 ratings doing the painting and handing out the pistols diving for cover behind their carts as the line of prisoners and guards flattened themselves on the deck.

Smiling at the 1st Classes attempt to hide behind a thousand pounds of explosive Jack grabbed Reds arm. “Let’s get inside now while everyone is busy.” Heading for the gate Jack grabbed a pistol and belt for Red to replace the one she had left behind with Krump as he glanced around looking for Lt. Shepperd but could not find her. Hoping she could come up with the power packs, they entered the compound.

Most of the prisoners were hunkering down against the ring of Container Bulkheads ringing the chase shaft for protection as a light show crisscrossed above the open compound. After another body went flying down into the compound the guards above became more worried about not getting shot from outside than keeping an eye on the prisoners as they flattened themselves down on the tops of the containers they had been walking around on only seconds before trying to target anyone pointing a weapon at them. Giving up the hunt and simply hunkering down trying to stay alive.

Jack turned to Cmd. Glenn as they stepped away from the gate whose guard was trying to hide behind the outer closed half hatch of the short container that pierced the ring of containers with a fence gate welded into the cut out closed end that was being used as an entryway. Turning to Commander Glenn. “You know your crew. Start trading the mags on the ones you can trust with the experience to use them.” Handing her his power pack mags from his pockets after they traded pistols giving Jack the blaster with Glenn taking the laser pistol and mag belt. “I will make sure the guards see me and Red and not you if they look this way. Hurry, you probably only have a few minutes.” Looking back at the guard cowering behind the hatch. “Save the training mags and give them to me. Think I know where we can get some more just in case Shepperd doesn’t shows up.”

Then Jack walked to the center hole of the compound that was the chase running down through the ship looking for the guards he had seen fall back off the wall without finding them or their weapons and looked down the hole without seeing the bodies there as well. Shaking his head wondering where they had gotten off to. Jack climbed up on the rig that was holding the damage control deck plate (used to cover holes to restore battle damaged decks air integrity), that was evidentially going to be used to close off the chase after they sent Glenn’s ship’s crew with their bombs down the shaft. Making him wonder if the king also knew that it was a vacuum trap as well. If that was the case the King had someone from below feeding him information. Jack handed Red the last good power pack he had from his pocked as he looked out across the platform circling the compound on top of the stacked cargo containers. All the guards were now laying flat on their bellies with their weapons pointed out trying to look as small as possible. A beam streaked from the top of the containers toward the overhead every few seconds. Jack kicked himself for not seeing the half dozen other guards on the other side wall of containers in his hurry earlier. He was going to have to figure out some way to take care of them all. Jack watched one of the guards on the upper hull catwalk of the huge compartment beyond the compound slump down onto the grating, dropping his assault gun tumbling toward the deck far below.

Commander Glenn tagged one of her crew to follow her as she made her way around the perimeter. Handing him the painted training mags though you could still see orange gaps and shaded areas the paint had not covered completely on some of them. The guy finally ran over to Jack standing on the make shift platform in the middle with his hands full. Jack met him on the deck next to the cover plate. Taking the mags, stuffing them into the suits big thigh pockets and then said to the man. “Go back for more.” Then turning to Red. “Start screaming if any of those assholes get up or turn around Red.”

Jack headed back for the gates leaving Red alone on top of the machine holding the 6 inch thick 12 foot wide square foam steel armor patch plate. Stopping behind the man still cowering behind the half open hatch, Jack bent down and carefully unfastened his pistol belt off of him without him seeming to even notice. Shaking his head he turned and tossed it to a man at the inside gate. “Replace the mags with training mags and give it back to him, then give the good mags to your Cmd. Glenn.”

Jack stepped out crouching around the hatch and dashed over to first class Curry still huddling behind the stacks of explosives. Taking the laser pistol out of his shaking hand, Jack ejected the good mag and replaced it from one in his pockets, giving it back to him. Then stripped the rest of the mags from his belt and replaced them as Curry watched with his mouth open. Finally Jack placed his hand on the guy’s head and said. “You have all good mags.”

“B… But I saw you put in training mags sir.”

“Eeeaa. No. I just checked to make sure you had the right mags Curry. You now have all the good mags. You see only good black mags in your gun and belt. Check and you will see only good mags Curry.” Curry just stared at Jack. “Check now.”

Curry checked his mags and said. “Yes I see only good mags Lieutenant.”

“I am going to check the other ratings mags. I will have to trade their training mags for good mags. Is that clear Curry?”

“Yes sir. Change their training mags for good mags.”

Jack walked over to the 3rd class hiding behind his paint cart. The next line of prisoners and their guards that had been headed for the gate and the enclosure where still lying face down on the deck looking everyplace but at Jack hidden from them behind the paint cart. With the painter trying to hide between the paint barrels on the platform Jack quickly replaced his power mag in his pistol without him doing more than glancing at him before his eyes closed again with his arms folded over his head for protection. Quickly Jack exchanged a mag on his belt then worked around his belt pouches coming up short replacing the good mags and leaving a couple of the pouches empty. Noticing that several of the training mags still had a lot of orange exposed Jack grabbed the pain gun and sprayed the crewman’s belt and butt of his pistol without taking the mags out.

The painter turned as Jack replaced the paint gun. Terrified eyes stared at him for a second as Jack heard music coming from his headphones still playing way too loud. Suddenly he could make out a strange feeling as the rating licked his lips before biting the lower but he could not put a finger on it. The rating suddenly looked all too cute but then that faded as the rating turned away trying to hide in the crack between the barrels as a bolt streaked past them. Jack didn’t have time to figure out what the problem was.

Slapping him on the shoulder. “There crewman, you had the right mags now. Good job. Keep it up.”

Jack grabbed the good pistol belt off the other rating hiding behind his cart stacked with pistols belts and replaced it with one from the cart without the man seeming to notice.

Jack walked into the compound and gave Cmd. Glenn the good mags then went over to Red while he looked around the top of the containers for any problems. Climbing up onto the armored plate Jack realized the pistol belt he had given her earlier was laying on the deck plate next to her. Puzzled Jack looked at Red and then realized that it would not fit around her stomach even if she was still slim by Bigfoot standards with over a year before the kid was due. The holster and belt was a single unit and somewhat smaller than the normal webbed utility belt separate holsters were attached to. “Sorry Red I thought it would fit and did not realize you are a bit too big.”

Jack continued looking around the container tops as Red grabbed the belt from the deck placing the pistol back in the holster. “Yes you do have a habit of insulting the ladies don’t you Captain but now you are here.” She took the 4 foot saber blade and it make shift sheath from her back and placed the gun belt over her head with the belt over her shoulder across her chest between her breasts and the gun hanging below her arm turning it into a shoulder holster. “Fits just fine Captain. But if you keep insulting me like that I never will marry you.” Her eyes going back to helping Jack scan the container tops.

A scream came from the catwalk drawing their attention. One of the guards climbed up to his knees trying to reach the hole in his back and then fell over backward to the edge of the platform. A few seconds later the body quit wiggling, the dead blank face staring up toward the overhead. The other guards some few yards away did not seem to even notice as they tried to bury their heads deeper into the container top platform. Others started firing up into the overhead corner at the catwalk running around the huge compartment. More bodies slumped or dropped down from the overhead.

Cmdr. Glenn walked up to the deck plate platform. “You got more mags Captain?” She asked.

“Oh yes.” Jack started handing them to her and she started tossing them at crewmen sitting around the bulkhead some 40 feet away. Jack found himself looking at the laser assault gun laying next to the dead guard at the edge of the platform.

Smiling at the Commander as he gave her another mag to toss. “Any idea what happened to the guards that were knocked into the compound earlier and their weapons?”

“Yes. They are in a couple of the crates with their weapons hidden in others.”

As Jack handed the last mag to Commander Glenn with a half mischievous grin as he turned to Red. “Do you think you could reach that assault gun up there?”

Red looked at Jack and smiled. “Do you want the body too?”

Jack thought about that for a second and said. “Ya if you can without anyone up there noticing anything. If we can make him disappear without anyone knowing, it will keep them from looking here for him and the weapon.”

“Let me see what I can do Captain. It is a ways up there.” She looked at Jack with a smile.

Stepping off the plate, Red walked over to the container below the dead guard and with what looked like one little jump, she was hanging onto the edge of the platform as crewmen scattered from below her. Then she did a chin up looking around at the other guards, reached over with one hand grabbed the body and dragged it off letting it fall. Then grabbed the assault gun and dropped back down to the deck next to the body with the weapon in her hands. She extended the Assault Blaster’s strap and through it over her back next to the saber blade.

Not seeing any alarm from the guards above, Jack jumped down and jogged over next to Red as she stripped the mag belt off the body. Jack started going through the bodies pockets dragging out a treasure trove. With the pockets empty he turned to Red. “Toss it down the hole.”

Glancing at a little hand map of the ship he had found in a pocket for a couple of seconds, Jack started reading a diary the crewman had been writing that was very graphic at first glance and seemed to match with what little he knew had been happening on the ship for the last 6 months. The crewman even saying at the beginning how he thought the Commodore was going crazy but that there was nothing he could do about it.

Turning to Cmd. Glenn as Red held the body up over her head at the edge of the hole. ‘What if the Commander could write a note to her crew below telling them what was going on and place it on the body?’ Jack said to himself as Red dropped the body over the edge. “Shit.” Jack exclaimed out loud.

“Yes Captain?” Cmd. Glenn said from the deck plate as she was scanning the container tops.

Tossing the diary to her. “Interesting reading. Should add a lot to your report when we get back to civilization. Might think of using some of the blank pages to write a note to drop down to your crew telling them what is going on.”

Looking at the diary. “Can try but it is a long way down and very unlikely it would reach the bottom without getting stuck half way down but it would be a waste of time even if it was noticed. No one would disconnect all the traps to go into the chamber to get it.” She said as she looked over the top of the contain walls circling the compound. The firing has calmed back down. We should be getting more company shortly.” She went to one of her crewmen and started examining the pack on his back. Jack followed her as Red took up the watch.

“The damn detonation module is attached directly to the explosive blocks with only one set of wires running out into one of the shoulder straps and back in the other to the block. I bet that if that wire gets cut or messed with the whole package goes boom. And without the exact impedance, we don’t dare bridge the wires and cut them at the block.”

“Not good. Let’s take a look at the buckle across the chest.” Stand up Mr. Prompter please. Jack tried to pull the strap across his chest out far enough to look behind it but as tight as the strap had been pulled across the big man’s chest he could not get a good look. “Here see what you can spot anything that will help us Mr. Commander.”

As Cmd. Glenn ran her fingers under the buckle, Jack looked around and noticed that there was a small man a short ways away with a pack and the chest strap across the front was hanging fairly loose, even dangling. Going over to him he told him to stand and was able to turn the buckle enough to see its backside. “Commander, come take a look. I think I see test holes in each of the buckle halves. We can run a wire across the buckle so we can disconnect it. As long as we use a thick wire we should not have to worry about changing the impedance and it going boom on us.”

“Good. I was thinking they had to have something like that to test the connection before it was buckled to insure it would work. Let me take a look.”

Jack held the buckle twisted out for her as he tried to point it out. Both their heads getting in the way.

The Crewman reached up and slid the strap back through itself on one side lengthening it and giving them plenty of slack to pull it out where they could both see. The strap had been snaked back along itself with a couple of clasps holding the extra strapping sandwiched against each other.

“Very good Cummings.” Cmd. Glenn said to the crewman “Now if we only had some tools and wire.”

“Well I think I can help there Glenn.” Jack moved back to give himself room and started digging into his tool bag on his belt pulling out tools. “I should have a wire in here someplace that should be long enough to jump across the buckle.

Cmd. Glenn moved over next to Jack. “That should work Captain.” She pointed into the bag.

“I want something longer. I want plenty of room to get them… Out… of …”

Jack had looked up as Crewman Cummings slipped the pack with its slack chest strap up over his head and handed it out to them holding it by one of the shoulder straps.

“Here Captain. Will this make it easier for you to work on it?”

Jack reached out and took the pack. “Aaa. Yes thank you Cummings.” Turning to look at Red. “Things still clear Red?”

“The guards are still down and scanning outward Captain. But I would hurry if I where you. Things are damn quiet out there.”

“Ok. Everyone do not touch the big center buckle or your pack will explode. Captain Glenn and I will come around and take them off of you just as soon as we can.”

A hand raised part of the way around the bulkhead. “Captain. Aaaa, I already tried to take off the Buckle and it is locked. No matter what I did I could not get it to release and come apart. It’s stuck.”

Shaking his head. “Don’t anyone else try but how many of you have tried to unbuckle the chest strap on your pack?”

Most of the crewmen raised their hands. Resisting the urge to throw the pack down he had in his hand in disgust. Jack took a deep breath. “Fine. The two people next to each of the bomb packs will help slide the chest strap to its full length and take the damn fucking thing off. Just be careful.”

Cpt. Glenn turned around toward the gate. “You men go bunch up in front of the gate. I don’t want the gate guard seeing what we are doing. Now move it.”

The packs were off in less than a minute and with word from Red that the guards were still hunkered down on the platform above, they threw them down the chase shaft.

Jack had time enough to take a deep breath as the last pack disappeared below before the guard at the gate started yelling for the prisoners to stand back from the gate.

Glenn motioned the crewmen to stand back and more prisoners started coming through.

Jack walked over to the gate and peered out. The ratings were processing the prisoners as if nothing had happened. Though well more than 10 new prisoners had already come in without a pack when he started watching, he still held his breath when the number approached 20. Then Jack watched the 1st class pull a pack off the stack and place it in the bin under the racks of pistols. Jack finally took a breath. Going to the front gate and using the still half closed hatch as cover, Jack looked around that end of the gundeck bay. Twice as many guards as before were everywhere from what he estimated. A half dozen bodies with their Assault laser guns laying next to or under them were scattered across the deck in just the small area he could see. He could even see several grenade launchers just laying discarded on the deck with what looked like the grenade pouches not far away. Though he could not tell how many bodies were behind the piles of garbage, junk, shipping crates and pieces of equipment scattered across the deck most had been trying to hide behind. His thoughts went to how to get some of those weapons that were laying there for the taking.

“Captain Turner.” Cmd. Glenn spoke from behind him. “We need more magazines. We have just enough now to put up a fight but not enough to stay alive let alone take the ship.”

“Yes I was just thinking about that. I was hoping Shepperd would be here by now.”

“What if she was caught or killed in that damn free fire crap? We can’t wait for her. We have to go out and pick up some more mags and preferable some heavier weapons.”

“Now don’t get to excited Glenn. We will get those assault guns our guards have on the cargo container platform but you are right we need more mags. Fact is we need more Assault guns than just what the Guards have.” Taking a breath. “Well, let’s do a walkabout and see what we can come up with off the bodies scattered around the deck. We may as well as clean up the mess since no one else seems to be worried or inclined to do the job.”

“We can’t do much on our own Turner.”

Jack watched the 3rd class paint the white suit of another prisoner black then turned and smiled at Glenn. “Now Glenn. The 3rd class has been so nice as to paint your crews’ suits black, we might as well as take advantage of it. Grab a half dozen of your best people and let’s go for a walk.”

After giving Jack a strange look, Glenn disappeared back into the compound. Jack started planning how to go about it. Realizing rather quickly that they could not get away with carrying the laser Assault guns and mags scattered around the bay back in the open. They needed some way to hide what they were doing. Make it look like they were doing something they were supposed to do while doing what they were not supposed to do. Something he had gotten good at around his much older abusive brother before he joined the Navy. If his brother thought he was doing something gross or nasty he always left Jack alone.

Captain Glenn came back up with a half dozen men. “All ready Turner.”

“Aaa. Sorry but we are going to need at least another dozen and 6 men, no 10 or 12 that are damn good climbers. We need to get out there and around up everything we need and get back before anyone has time to think.”

Turning to the men the Commander sent the crewmen with her back in to get specific people then turned to Jack. “Ok fill me in on the plan.”

Jack walked out of the gate 15 minutes later and up to 1st class Curry relaxing against the pallet of back pack bombs on the cart he had brought them on, waiting for the next group of prisoners that were not even in sight yet. Taking him aside with his back to the pallet of back pack bombs. “We need your pallet cart to pick up the bodies laying all over the damn bay. We are borrowing your cart.” A dozen men in Blacksuits followed Jack and immediately grabbed the pallet cart lifting off then leaving the bin holding the packs on the deck. Grabbing a couple dozen bomb packs, they ran them inside the gate and dumped the bombs out with easy since they were not activated. Using the set of cutters Jack had given them from his tool belt to cut the wires to the shoulder straps. Then passing the empty packs out to the crewmen.

Commander Glenn with more men, did the same with the cart holding the rack of pistols. Placing the rack with the gun belts and pistols on the deck and taking the cart and the shallow bin they were sitting on and dumping the bombs back inside the gate keeping the packs.

Jack then walked up to the 3rd class painter with his back to the gate and everything else that was happening. The 3rd class was cleaning the paint gun with a set of buds in his ears dancing with his unusually big butt wiggling back and forth to his music. Without having to say a word a half dozen crewmen lifted the pallet of paint tank, pumps and equipment off of the cart placing them on the deck. The 3rd class stepped to one side out of the way then stepped back to lean against the tank again cleaning his equipment and bobbing to his music without giving anyone a second look. Jack found himself looking at the crewman for some reason feeling that there was something strange about the crewmen but could not put his finger on it but gave up after a couple of seconds with so much else to do.

The remnants of two shipping boxes were hauled out through the gates and slapped onto the two flatbed carts and then all three were moving off across the huge compartment. The two carts with large deep packing crates went around to each side of the core hull while the third with the shallower bin headed for the farthest body on that side of the bay.

Captain Glenn and Jack, when they went over his plan had added another half dozen men to the ones that made a bee line for the nearest ladder up to the catwalk running around the top edge of the bay as soon as the carts left the gate. Splitting up at the top on the ladder to go their separate ways on the catwalk, half went left and half went right around the bay.

One of the guards on the platform above the containers looked over the edge as the carts rapidly floated away. “Hey Lieutenant. Where they going? Shouldn’t we shoot them?”

“Only if you want to hump dead bodies. You a necrophilia. You like butt fucking the dead.”

“No!” He said disgustedly. “They can do that all they want. I don’t want the job.”

Jack looked up at the man staring down at him, wondering if he was going to ask about several of his men disappearing and suddenly got an idea. “Oh by the way, why did you let Carlo’s leave? (The only one he knew the name of from the diary) He said you told him to go to sickbay. He looked fine to me.”

“He looked fine? I thought he got shot in the back?” Frowning. That little chicken shit. I am always having to bust his balls in battle for not shooting unless I held a gun to his head. I am going to ream him a big one as soon as I catch up to him. This time he is going to regret being alive by the time I get done with him. He is going to beg me to let him kill someone but it is going to be too late for him now. I may even send him down the shaft with that alien loving crew.”

“You do that. I am going to keep an eye on the body pickup crews. Don’t let anyone interfere with them when they come back. We are going to dump the bodies down the hole to make the assault more believable.”

“Grate idea Lieutenant.”

Jack headed around the core as he watched the first cart with the bin heading back for the compound from the near side piled high with bodies. Higher than it needed to be. The cart leaving a few of the painted training mags scattered across the deck to mark where each body had been amongst the piles of junk.

One of the reasons Jack had not noticed the catwalk running around the top filled with guards until he watched one get hit by laser fire and drop his weapon to the deck far below was how dark it was above. The blobs in the shadows just did not stand out even when looking for them in the glare of the overhead lights. Over half the guards were already dead thanks to Krump and the scarred guards that had been running around the deck shooting at anything that moved. Now the Guards that had spread out even farther with half of them dead, did not have a clue as the group of men going from body to body, lowering them and their weapons down to the deck so reverently though quickly, were killing them as they went past. Killing the scattered guards by seemingly unarmed clean up men was easy as they squeezed past each of them. Leaving the body behind, propped up on the catwalk rails looking as alive as ever in the gloom while they added their weapons to the next naked body they lowered.

Jack stopped almost half way around the core when he met Glenn coming from around the other way.

Glenn turned and pointed over her shoulder off to the side and the large box going up around the view port nearest the open hole of the Chase on that side of the deck. The trunk that had run to the overhead was laying across the front of one of the other 30 foot wide bubble viewports. “Damn Captain, Commander at your 12 o’clock. Thank god the crew for that section followed orders and stayed away from him even though it meant leaving some damn fine heavy weapons behind from what I can see from here. We best get back around the core before he sees us. The crews have finished this half of the bay already and got quite a load. I just wish they were able to get more mags. Evidentially old Commodore King doesn’t believe in giving his guards a full war load of mags and just mostly rubber riot and smoke rounds for the thumpers (grenade launchers). Which is a shame. Seams they were the first thing the guards threw away when the sniping started. I must have counted 20 of them on my side alone laying around, most far from bodies. But we picked them up anyway and did find a few frag rounds in some of them. Not enough to do us much good.”

Jack chuckled. “I only saw a dozen I think on my side but then I was not counting. The shame is the damn Commander is standing almost over that laser cannon with a power core.” Jack looked at it longingly shaking his head. “Damn. Even with half a dozen bodies, we don’t dare go after it. Damn shame we couldn’t get that but we will do OK without it.” Jack said trying to convince himself. “Just have to remember to take it out first thing since they will re-man it eventually.” Looking over at Commander Glenn’s side of the bay. “How many fenced areas did you find with only women and aliens in them. I have 2 with the last of the men prisoners on my side headed for the shaft compound.”

“I had 3 and 1 more with men only that looked like they were getting ready to move. Evidentially they are keeping the women for their harems. I don’t know why they are keeping the aliens.”

“Ya, we may have made a mistake bringing Red along. May have to come up with an excuse why she is with us.”

“The problem is we could use the guns and manpower the women and aliens could carry. Some of my best shots are in those damn cages. Not to mention they will be sitting ducks when the fighting starts.”

Jack stopped across from the 2 side by side cages with what looked like mostly women and a few aliens in them while examining another left over pile of junk. Trying not to be too conspicuous Jack looked the cage over and noticed that one of the cages was at the end of the section right next to one of the hatches into the empty Electrical room next to that section’s 30 foot wide viewport. He had not noticed before but now being a ways away out in the main light of the bay, the viewport areas were somewhat dark making it easier to see out the ports and leaving the surrounding fenced area in shadow. The angle of the fenced encloses on this side also hid the electrical room hatch from the enemy Commander, the box they were working on at the view port and most of the guards on that side.

Jack turned to the Captain. “Glenn, have a couple of your people grab that damn plasma cutter they used cutting the chase shaft out and bring it up here to that port.” Jack nodded in the direction of the cage and power room hatch. “Have them cut a hole in that fence close to the hatch to the power room. Damn shame we can’t move one of those damn cargo crates over to cover the area between the hole and the hatch but hopefully it is dark enough. At least it is out of direct view of most of Commodore King’s men in the other half of the bay around the other cut out Power Chase shaft and that box. Whatever it is for?” Jack could see the open hole in the deck with a growing number of troops milling around it.

“Ya I think that they are throwing together a lock at the view port to make it easier to send the Commodore King’s remaining crew down the outside of the ship. I think that port is right in line with the turrets we have knocked out and if they stay lined up on that side they should be out of sight if our look outs making it easy to get to the bottom airlock and back in to attack around our rear were he thinks my ship’s defenses will be week.” The Commander tapped her comm onto their guarded channel and got the cutter manned and moving before turning back to look at the growing number of black suited troops. “Pore bastards. Most of them are just following orders like that pore smuck Red chucked down the shaft on our side. But fighting them up here would cost too many of my men.”

“Eeaa. The problem with that is that we are going to have to fight them anyway since we can’t let them send us down that damn hole.” Jack tapped his comm. “Pan, Krump, I need you two to go to the next electrical room clockwise from the room we started in. I am going to try to start sending the other female and exslave prisoners down through the room to safety and even arm them if we can.”

“Got you Captain, on our way now. It will take a few minutes to get back around there.” Came Pan’s voice.

“Good. And tell Krump damn fine shooting earlier. We are now out cleaning up the bodies and collecting weapons and mags. We are also taking the catwalk and placing shooters in mini forts made out of bodies up there for later. Tell him not to get trigger happy.”

Krump’s voice came on the line sounding pissed. “Got that Captain and thanks for telling me. I was just getting ready to take out one of the nests that was being reinforced.”

“Eee. Sorry I should have kept you better informed. I will make sure I keep you in the loop from now on. Red, you on the line?”

“Yes Captain.”

“Good, I need you to have one of the carts take you and all the pistols you can get mags for from the racks outside and a half dozen thumpers with their ammo packs and follow the cutting cart. Try to make the cart look as empty as possible. And while you are at it, button up your damn suit and get a rush paint job covering the spaces between the black armor. I need you to blend in as much as possible as just a big crewman while you are in the bay and if you meet someone down below. You are going to be in charge of the prisoner women and aliens. Your main job is to keep them safe since you have the weapons to do it. Which probably means hiding them someplace until this is over with since I don’t see any armor on any of them.” Taking a deep breath. “Lieutenant Shepperd, you on the line yet?” Jack waited a few seconds and tried again but still only got silence. Finally he turned to Glenn. “We are going to have to check and see if she is amongst the bodies before we dump them down the shaft. Too bad your guys don’t know what she looks like.”

“Don’t need to Turner. That’s what dog tags are for besides no one has a suit like hers.” The Captain hit his comm. “Charley Check the bodies for a Lt. Shepperd.” Then to Jack. “She could have gotten captured or killed trying to get into the ships main weapons locker. With no way of knowing if she has. Which means we are probably on our own. I just hope we have recovered enough to make a fight of it and not a one way slaughter. Ours.” Looking back at the heavy weapon. “Oops the Commander is looking our way.” Cmd. Glenn said worried. “Time to go.Best go with you Turner if we want to avoid a confrontation. I would have to go across the core in front of him to get back the way I came. He gets one good look at me and he will know who I am.”

“As you said we are done with this side anyway. Best call off the rafter dogs since we don’t have any carts on this side now to drop weapons to.” Jack started walking back the way he had come, ignoring the Commanders attempt to get their attention behind them. Going to where the next body had been laying back toward the compound. They checked out the junk left behind even though most of it had been placed there by their crews picking up the bodies, including the scattered training mags painted black.

As they made their way back around the bay keeping busy inspecting junk left after the bodies had been taken (that is until they were out of the Commanders sight) Jack glanced up at the crews on the catwalk running back around to the other side with their arms and backs packed full of weapons and equipment. They had stopped being stealthy as soon as he given them the signal and finished off the last few guards on the catwalk in only a few minutes. He was glad to see what looked like several side bags that usually held grenades for the thumpers. Knowing that they would not have wasted time and effort on them if they were simply rubber riot grenades. Still that only meant 2 or 3 grenades for each launcher if they had as many thumpers as he suspected. But better than nothing.”

Taking his time as he imperceptibly watched the buildup of troops at the other side of the core and the air lock rapidly taking shape. Then the cart with the shallow bin rushed over to the ladder as 6 black suited crewman slid down the ladders holding onto the sides as lines with a dozen packs and equipment hit the deck next to them. Equipment and packs were on the cart in seconds and headed for the shaft compound. No longer needed to hide what they were doing. The guards had already stopped looking at their buddies bodies being hauled away. Even if they had noticed it was too late to stop them. Though several of the ones on the cart laid over the top of the equipment like they were bodies anyway. The remaining six on the catwalk where already halfway back around the bay headed for their assigned forts made out of a couple or three bodies each and their share of the armor from most of the bodies dropped down naked before Jack stopped them when the carts stopped going to the far side. Forcing them to carry everything after that. Picking it up on the way back after killing the last of the catwalk guards on the far end.

“Shit Turner, here comes that damn Commander and it is too late for me to run.”

“Darken up your visor a little and stay busy with the junk. I will take care of this I hope.”

Jack took a few steps toward the approaching cart and came to attention and saluted as it swerved to a stop in front of him with the Commander facing him out the driver’s side.

Returning the salute. “Lt. Perez, I thought you were looking for Captain Glenn. Why are down here picking up bodies.”

Jack swallowed as his mind raced for a second. “I found her Sir. Took her back to the Captain’s Cabin already sir.”

“Oh. Good going. Aaa why do you have your visor closed?”

Jack was ready for that one as he raised his hand and concentrated on the commander. Hoping it would work. “Sorry Commander but these bodies stink something terrible. I am surprised you have not puked yet.”

The Commander suddenly turned green as his nose wrinkled up. “Yes I smell it now.” Trying not to get sick. “You left some bodies on the other side. Send someone to get them out of there before they start stinking before I come back. ” The cart raced away staying as far away from any of the piles of junk as possible before disappearing into the core hull.

Jack walked back to the Commander. “We have orders to send a crew to finish cleaning up the bodies at the other end. Think you could send both crews over together to make sure they get everything?”

“Good idea Captain. I think I saw a couple cases of mags close by that gun as well. Fact I think I need to go along just to make sure they don’t run into any problems.” Glenn tapped his Comm as he took off back around the core at a jog.”

Jack tapped his Comm. “Red, once you get those two cages empty and the prisoners safe, there are 3 more on the other side of the Bay. The chases trunk they cut out of the center should give you plenty of cover on that side.”

“Yes Captain but it may take a while for me to find someplace safe for the first group.” Red said. “Got the first cage’s group going through the upper electrical compartment now.”

“Captain.” Pan voice spoke up. “We already have a route cleared to stash the prisoners. Red can go ahead and concentrate on getting the others and leave these to Krump and me.”

“Ok well. You hear that Red? Take the plasma cutter crew with you but first see if you can weld the hole in the cage back up to cover your tracks.”

“Yes my Captain. We have opened a hole between the two cages on this side and it will be empty in a couple of minutes.” Red paused a few seconds before speaking again. “The cutter crewman says the cages will look good as new when we leave.”

“Very well Red. Tell me when you head for the other cage, if you run into any problems and when all the prisoners are safely below.”

Jack was just walking up to the gate of what amounted to a fort with the stacked containers around the chase hole in the deck. “Captain Turner, can you hear me now?”

“Lt. Shepperd! Are you OK or in trouble? We were starting to think you were not coming back to us. Where are you now?”

“Just coming out of the core hull ramp with a couple of carts now Captain.” Jack looked around and spotted a couple of carts with trailers barreling out of the same core hull hatch the Commander had disappeared into a few minutes before. “Been busy. I have a few reinforcements and a couple of carts with the last of the weapons from the ship’s armory.”

“Good. We have plenty of laser pistols and some 30 grenade launchers but few mags or grenades for the thumpers. I hope you brought plenty?”

“Oops. Sorry Captain. I got sacks of grenades for the thumpers I brought. But in my hurry I forgot the hand grenades as well. I was wondering what happened to all the thumpers I remembered stacked in there. They make good weapons for the inexperienced crew we have to fight with. I will go back up and grab more hand and gun grenades as well as more mags.”

“No. We will get along with what we have. I won’t risk losing you.”

“No risk Captain if I hurry.”

Jack watched a couple of figures drop off the carts after they slowed down a little and disappear back through the hatch. The carts speeded back up again heading for the compound and the gate.

“Shit.” Jack said to himself, then. “Clear the way, open the gates all the way and clear the way now people. Move it.”

Jack motioned the carts to head straight into the compound without stopping getting a strange look from the 1st class Weapons techs. “I can understand the bodies Captain but what is with all the ammo and weapons. Thought they were only supposed to have training mags and laser pistols.”

“Now Mr. Curry. Don’t you think that in order to fool the other ship into thinking that this is a real attack that some of them need to fire something bigger than a pistol? Don’t worry, the other weapons only have training mags in them.”

“Ohhh. Ok, that makes sense Lieutenant.”

For 6 months Jack had been feeling strange and even unworthy each time someone had called him Captain. Now with this low life calling him Lieutenant he suddenly felt insulted. Jack closed his eyes for a second as he turned away to walk through the gates reminding himself that he was only a temporary Captain and the 1st class was only following orders placing bombs on the backs of some of the guys he was sending into the Compound to their deaths. Turning to look back at Curry Jack shook his head. Curry did seem to feel regret and even guilty from what he could tell which said a lot. Though Jack could not hear him saying much even to himself.

Suddenly Curry turned white. “Frick! I forgot to put a pack on any of those guys in the carts.” Jack heard him say to himself. Panic racing through his mind. “They are going to cut my balls off and kill me like they did Harry.” Jack felt overwhelming fear flooding from the 1st class as he grabbed a pack and raced over to stuff it on the deck under the rack of the few remaining pistols. A half dozen packs lay under there in plain sight already. Returning to his stack of packs, relief flooded through him. “That guy almost got in without a pack.” Curry made a mark on his list.

Jack grabbed the nearest couple of guys. “Go get those packs from under the pistol rack. One at a time, on your back without buckling the chest strap, use your hands to hide the fact. Place them inside next to the gate out of sight. Then when the guards above and at the gate are not looking, dump them down the shaft.”

Then Jack continued on to inspect the carts and talk to the new reinforcements. Feeling like it was X-mas again (the only time his parents seemed to notice him by lavishing him with gifts). Though this time he wasn’t worried about how to keep the presents from getting abused and broken or stolen by his bigger brother who seemed to be even more enraged than normal at Jack the first few weeks after the holidays and his parents attention was again elsewhere.

A few minutes later Cmd. Glenn came rushing back with a half dozen carts of weapons and more bodies. Including three of the big crew served weapons. Shaking his head in disbelief as he patted one checking the generator core to make sure it was real. “I thought I only saw one of those set up over there Commander

Cmd. Glenn smiled. “Evidentially when the shooting started the surviving crews abandoned them along with their carts. Only the one was partially set up.” Looking at the other supply carts Shepperd had sent in. “Looks like Shepperd got back OK.” And then the new recruits with assault guns. “And the marines from the Kings crew still standing next to the carts they had come in on.” She looked at them suspiciously. Where is Shepperd? I need to talk to her about these guys.”

“Making another weapons locker run after I asked her if she had grabbed any grenades for the Thumpers.”

Cmd. Glenn covered her mouth with her hand and a couple seconds later half her crewmen started pointing their weapons in the direction of the new marine recruits.

“Commander what is going on?” Jack asked baffled.

Cmd. Glenn grabbed his arm and dragged him away toward the gate. “We have been lied to by the Commander and his men damn near every chance they have had. The first time he was able to penetrate all the way down to our emergency comm room and destroy the beacon while taking a good portion of my crew hostage to get away and then not releasing them once he got back up to his ship. Luckily most of my good fighters got away or were elsewhere. Damn near everyone here is from him lying and breaking truces and promises over the last 6 months destroying every beacon we were able to set up or construct until now.” Looking around at the new guys and gals from the Kings ship. “I don’t trust them as far as I can shit on them. It is just probably another trick. The Lieutenant may be working for the King.”

Jack looked around at the new men and then movement above caught his eyes and he looked up. Half the men above them were staring down laughing at the prisoners pointing worthless pistols at the group in the center.

Jack shook his head and walked up to the first of the new crewmen from Commodore Robinson’s (the King) crew. Looking them each in turn in the eyes Jack went around to each of them before turning back to Commander Glenn. “They are on our side. Stand down your men and relax.”

“But you have got to be kidding Captain.”

“They are marines and have not taken part in any of the Commodore King’s assaults on the other ship. Now follow your orders. Stand your men down now.”

Reluctantly the Commander followed Jack orders though she still had them keep their eyes on the Kings Marines as they sat back down with their backs to the containers.

Jack turned back to the Commander. “Get a squad of your best close combat crewmen and come with me. We are going to take care of the guards up above. Tell them to spread out around each taking a guard and only take out their weapon and shoot if I say X-muss or they start to bring up their weapons again. They best be fast if I do give the word or half of them could be dead before all the Guards are dead with the rest of the bay gunning for us.” Looking at Glenn. “But hopefully they will put down their weapons and climb down without a fuss. We will see how well my hypnotism shit works.”

Jack walked out the gate with the squad. The 1st class had stopped paying attention to anything but his job of giving out packs long before. Jack climbed up the ladder on the outside of the containers stacked two high and stepped to the 1st class in charge of the detail guarding the prisoners. Reading his name on his suit without being obvious about it. “I am here to relieve you Insco. Have your men line up here and come to attention for inspection.”

“It is about time sir.” Turning to his men he touched his comm. “Ok jerks, get over here and let’s get relieved and out of here.”

Jack heard a whoop from one of the men as they started coming around the circle of containers.

Then the first of Cmd. Glenn’s men climbed up to stand on the top of the container. Insco’s eyes narrowed. “What is this?” As another prisoner with a pistol stepped up onto the deck. “That, those are not our men.”

Jack raised his hand. “Yes Insco, these men have pledged and joined the kings ship.” Jack leaned closer to the disbelieving 1st class and whispered as he placed his hand closer to his head. “They are your replacements unless you want to stay here and get blown up with the rest of the Prisoners.”

“What?”

“Those packs on the prisoners down there and the boxes on the carts are filled with explosives. The carts will be dropped down the shaft and detonated along with the packs if the prisoners refuse to attack down the shaft. If you don’t want to be relieved you can just stay here and blow up with the prisoners when their packs explode taking out half the deck.”

“No the King wouldn’t do that. It would kill all women in the cages.”

Jack smiled at him. “Look at the cages. You see any women in them?”

The 1st class Insco looked and turned white swallowing as he looked at the empty cages that had held the women not long ago. “Shit. Sir.” Then turned around to look down at the carts packed with mag boxes with a couple of squads of the Kings marines around them. Turning to his men. “Get your balls in gear ass holes and line up. We are leaving.”

Jack dropped his hand not relay knowing if his words persuaded Insco or his new ability to hypnotism someone helped. Not even sure anymore if he even had such an unbelievable power. Looking back at Insco. The 1st class started talking to himself in his head allowing Jack to hear in his mind. “It is going to be great watching these ass holes blow up. I can’t wait.”

As they lined up, Jack started looking at them close and was surprised to start hearing some of them talking to themselves in their heads as well.

‘Damn I didn’t get to shoot even one of the bastard. Hell I could have killed half of them by now.’ A big guy with a scar across his cheek looked around over his shoulder down at the mass of prisoners inside the compound.

The man next to him frowned. ‘I hope this means we get to attack with the main force. I still have to catch up on the body count with Pighead.’

Jack stepped down the line in disgust when another voice popped into his head as he glanced at one of the men at the end of the line. ‘God why didn’t I think of faking getting wounded in the back and dropping over the back side during all the confusion too. I could have been down that damn shaft and hidden in the engine room wreckage where they never would find me. Maybe even finished cutting the hole and made it safe to the other ship to warn them.’

That shocked Jack. Shaking his head he stopped at the end of the line and stared at the man for several seconds without saying a word. Finally smiling Jack pointed over to the side. “Go over there and sit down on the deck and do nothing.” Moving to the next man Jack looked into his eyes without saying anything for few seconds again and then moved to the next man and repeated the process. Only this time he pointed at the man sitting and said. “Join him.” Before moving to the next and doing it again and again. By the time Jack made it to the end of the line 4 men sat a ways down the container deck by themselves.

Turning to Insco Jack smiled. “What do you think about those men?” Jack pointed at the sitting group.

Snarling. “They are worthless except for defending themselves if attacked at close range. None of them can hit the broadside of a ship. Lazy shirkers all. I have to keep an eye on them constantly.” A smile crossed his face as he leaned closer to talk just to Jack though his voice got louder instead of quieter. “You can keep them here to die with the prisoners as far as I am concerned. Save me from having to kill them myself when this is all over. But then I was looking forward to trying some new torchers I had heard about recently others have been using.” The 4 men heard that and most turned white while one turned red staring at Insco with hate.

“Good to hear that.” Jack raised his hand and tried again to use his command voice. “Order your men to hand their weapons and power packs to their reliefs.” As the face before him turned baffled and resistance started to rise in the man’s mind. Jack continued. “You will be issued the Gronk Blasters for your next assignment.”

‘What the hell is a Gronk?’ Insco said to himself again baffled.

Jack’s mind raced. It was not working as well as he thought it would. And then it dawned on Jack that these guy didn’t have a clue who a Gronk was. “Aaa. The Giant’s weapons.”

Insco’s face lit up like fireworks. “The monster cannons you say. All right you pig droppings, hurry up and let’s go.” Insco practically yelled. Half of Insco’s men were not convinced but followed orders anyway.

That is until one of them looked down into the compound with his weapon half off and stopped. “Why the hell is a half-naked woman climbing out of the chase’s shaft? And what is that hovering in the middle of the shaft by itself with nothing to stand on?”

The rest of Insco’s men turned around to look still holding their weapons. Insco stepped forward to look over the edge. “What the hell. So that is where the women got off to but why? Something is wrong here. Fact this whole thing is wrong.”

Jack was surprised about the women but he had other problems as he pulled out his Blast pistol and placed it against Insco’s head. ‘So much for hypnotizing someone to do my bidding.’ “Freeze where you are!” Jack shouted at everyone as he jerked Insco’s helmet off with his free hand and dropped it to the deck. Then to Insco. “Tell your men to hand over their weapons now or I will blow your head off.”

“What. You fool.” Insco said. “The damn bay is full of the Kings’ men. You pull that trigger and they will be all over you and your stupid women. Besides I know you only have training mags in your guns.”

“Don’t be stupid Insco. Would I be up here now if I only had training mags. What the hell do you think we have been doing for the last hour but collecting full power mags? Or do you really think we were just being nice picking up the bodies. Now order your men to turn over their weapons and you will live. Otherwise you will be too dead to see what happens next let alone care.”

Insco swallowed. “Ok already. Hand over your weapons men.”

Most of his men did just that but one was a little slower than the rest. In the confusion as the prisoners grabbed the assault lasers and proceeded to back up as they holstered the pistols to take up the guns. As the man in front of him holstered his pistol the slow man whipped his gun around grabbing the pistol grip and turned it toward the man that had dropped the barrel of his pistol to holster it as he reached for the assault gun that was no longer there.

Pulling the trigger the prisoner was cut in half with the King’s man turning it toward the next prisoner in line.

Jack’s mind seemed to race as he watched the man get cut in half by the laser only a few feet away. Horror raised up in him tapping something deep inside of him as he turned to the man swinging the gun toward his next victim. Jack concentrated what seemed to be his entire mind into a flash strait at the man’s head as Jack Yelled. “NO! Stop!” at the man.

The man froze in mid swing as the prisoners finished turning their Laser Assault guns around grabbing the pistol grips on them and activating the charges.

Jack was hit in his stomach by Insco’s elbow in the confusion as Insco turned ducking under Jacks gun then knocking it out of Jack’s hand to skid a few feet across the deck. Jack was knocked away falling to the deck on his back losing sight of the man that had just cut the prisoner in half allowing him to continue turning toward the next prisoner.

Though now the prisoners were ready for him. The nearest two shooting the frozen man in the chest before he could fire again as the rest covered the others.

Insco quickly turned grabbing his own laser pistol and pointed it at Jack. “Tell your men to drop their weapons or you die shit bag.”

Jack’s mind raced not believing what had just happened. The prisoner getting cut in half was fresh in his mind as he tried to understand why his strange ability to hypnotize people only seemed to work part of the time. Why he had let one of his men get killed. Only a part of his mind was paying any attention to Insco and his demand. “Sorry I can’t do that.”

“You aren’t that stupid boy. Order you men to drop their weapons now!” Placing the laser pistol onto Jack’s forehead.

“Jack looked up at Insco ignoring the pistol. “Sorry. You really don’t want to shoot me.” Jack tried using his mind again but again it did not seem to work. No something was different. All the other times he was under stress and scarred and his mind thing was using or coming from something deep inside of him.

“I said to tell your men to drop their weapons now or else.” As he shoved the barrel into Jack’s mouth.

‘You know old boy.’ Jack said to himself. ‘Now would be a good time to get scared and find that little place I found the other times, before I get my head blown off.’ But he just did not seem to be able to take the ass hole serious or get scared as he tried to dig into his mind to find the spot. That sweet spot deep in his mind. He knew it had to be there. Jack got so busy looking for it and trying to figure out how to use it when he did find it he missed what Insco said next.

Then Insco slapped Jack. “I said to tell your men to put down their guns. This is the last time I will tell you pea brain.” Placing the muzzle of the pistol between Jack’s eyes.

Jack took a deep breath and chuckled with a baffled expression on his face. “Sorry I don’t seem to be able to find the sweet spot Insco. So I guess you will just have to fire away so someone can blow your head off without having to worry about you killing me since I will already be dead.”

“Why you little piss ant.” Insco’s face turned beet red. “I will kill you and then the rest of your little troop and then piss and shit on your body just for the fun…”

Insco’s head suddenly found a hole from one temple to the other as a laser beam continued across the bay. His body collapsed down onto Jack with a thump. The laser pistol poking Jack in the eye before sliding down across his cheek as Insco’s dead hand shoved it into his face.

Shaking his head Jack looked down between the two rows of men using one eye. Prisoners on one side pointing assault guns across a gap at a row of the King’s men with their faces turning from smart ass glee with their hands out waiting or the return of their weapons to surprised shock. At the far end of the lines four men stood in a line across the gap. The one that had fired and hit Insco in the head was now turning his assault gun onto the rest of the King’s men as the other 3 fired simultaneously shooting three of them though the heads.

By the time Jack had pushed Insco’s body off of him a couple seconds later all but one had been shot through the head by the four with perfect shots without a miss.

The one that had shot Insco stepped over and grabbed the one sole survivor and dragged him down to face Jack as Jack stood up rubbing his water filled eye.

The man started talking before Jack had a chance to ask or say anything. “We have seen this man only kill when ordered too during an assault. He has not beaten or harmed anyone that we know of and even refused to beat us along with the rest. He has often gone out of his way to comfort dying prisoners in their last minutes staying behind until they have died then rejoining the squad. Nor have we seen or heard of him raping any of the women. We believe him to deserve some mercy.”

Jack looked at the man being held and sighed at what the man had been bragging about to himself before and what he wished he could do now as he looked at the bodies and the prisoners. Taking a deep breath Jack sighed. “He has not raped any women because he is about as gay as anyone can get. Even getting off sucking prisoners off while he kills them to get the biggest load possible from his victim. Two and three times as much than normal from what he has said. Then riding the dead bodied pole up his butt while it is still hard. He has shot or killed women every chance he has gotten if no one was watching. Strangled or knifed several while you guys were looking pretending to render aid to them while he killed them. He hates women with a passion.” Jack’s eyes grew big as he swallowed shaking his as he stared at the man. “Especially pregnant women. He hunted one down during the first battle that destroyed the Comm equipment, when one of you let her escape. Caught her just as she was going through the hatch back to safety as the king was pulling back up to this ship.”

The man’s face turned shocked. “I have never told anyone about that. And you have no witnesses for the rest, I killed the other prisoner witnesses letting them all satisfy me. Such nice orgies’. How did you know?”

“Someone must have escaped.” Jack said disgustedly.

“No! Impossible but it does not matter. I am a sick man and Earth laws say you must send me to a psych hospital ward until I am cured no matter how many times I relapse to kill again. Your head Shrinker are by the book stupid and damn easy to fool.” Smiling from ear to ear.

“Jesus Criste.” The face of the man holding him turned disgusted. “That fucking explains a lot about why so many of our prisoners never made it to holding even when they were not wounded. Why he always volunteered to take the prisoners. God I should have seen it. It was right there in front of me.” A deep growl rose up from the man’s gut and suddenly the pervert mass murderer was sailing out over the edge of the platform in free fall head first. As he tumbled toward the deck fare below the man raised his laser assault gun and fired once before the tumbling body hit the deck with a loud thud.

One of the King’s men was walking past watching the commotion up above but too far away to hear what was going on. Not even bothering to take his assault laser gun off his shoulder as he watched the man’s mouth moving then getting tossed out to fall, shot at and hit the deck. Changing course he walked over to the body and kicked its head around and smiled. Then cupping his hands he yelled up at the group on top of the wall made of cargo containers. “You got him through the head dead center. Good damn shooting there Guy.” Giving him a thumbs up he continued on the way he had been going.

The man turned around and knelt beside Insco’s body. “That is what you get when you make us practice in the damn shooting gallery every waking minute you weren’t working our ass’s off for the last six months you puke face. At least you know now we can shoot.” Shaking his head looking down into the compound as a tear ran down his cheek. “If I would have known what Pigbreath was doing with the wounded, I would never have even winged the few I did.” Turning to look at Jack. “Thank god that most of the ones I winged escaped or were taken up by someone else than Pigbreath though now I know why he got so upset when he wasn’t allowed to.” Taking a deep breath. “You must be from the other ship. I was hoping you people would realize what was going on up here and put a stop to it. We are your men now Lieutenant for the duration. We have a lot of scores to settle including putting a stop to that megalomaniac self-proclaimed King. What are your orders sir?”

Jack new the man could be trusted as he smiled, slapping him on the shoulder. “You are in charge of the watch detail up here now Wolf. Strip these bodies. “We will toss them down the shaft. Keep me informed about what you can see from up here. You know the scoop around her better than me. I don’t want any surprises.”

“Aaa sir. Why are the women coming back up here instead of heading down to your ship?”

“AA. Because the ship is not my ship. There is a death trap waiting at the bottom of that shaft and I do not have contact with the crew. I am Captain Turner of the Red Pepper. I and a few crewmen in a shuttle boat stumbled across the emergency beacon the lower ship has going and right now I am just trying to keep everyone alive long enough for help to get here from my ship. I need you to help me do that. Can you?”

“Yes sir but you have big problems then.”

‘So what is new?’ Jack thought. Then aloud. “OK. What big problems?”

“The king has been working on tanks. Tanks made from cargo mechs. They are crude but out in the open like this bay or long passageways we don’t stand a chance. Hell they just may be able to break into the lower ship in a direct assault the King has been planning for a while now. That is until he came up with this little trick to sidetrack or trap the forces below. We have to warn them Captain.”

“Well the ship’s acting Captain is with us but she can’t even get down below from this side without everyone sucking vacuum let alone get a message through.” Shaking his head as he looked at the contents of the carts below being stripped and passed out. “But hopefully we have enough to take them on now that we know about them ahead of time. “ Turning back to Wolf. “How many does he have?”

“They had 10 cargo mechs. We were able to sabotage one. Another 3 were sabotaged by others before the King locked them down under guard 24/7. So that makes 6 unless they were able to repair any of the others.”

“Others sabotaged mechs you say? Do you know who these others are? And can you get them to switch sides?”

“I don’t know any for sure Lieu… Captain. Not something I wanted to talk about to anyone I wasn’t barracking with. Too many ears and you can never be sure of anyone with the King holding public executions weekly for traitors but I have a good idea.”

“Well, if you see any of them try recruiting them. I really don’t want to have to kill people like you and your buddies.”

Wolf looked down at the bodies. “Very well Captain but I will keep the bodies up here then. They take one look at them and I will know who is for or against us. All I have to do is call them up for a chat and I don’t even have to say anything.”

“Very well then Wolf. You are running the show up here do what you can. I will send up some ropes so you can retreat off the back when things get dicey. Oh and.” Jack showed them the Republic black armor laid over his armor to hide most of the color leaving the red streaks down the sides. “You guys are damn exposed up here, use the armor off these guys and double up your front and backs and I will see what I can come up with to get you something to make barricades along the outer perimeter.”

“Thank you sir. Aaa. It would be helpful if you would let us shoot out the lights overhead. Give us a little shadow, being back lit from the rest of the Bay just makes us better targets.”

Jack looked up and frowned. “Someone sees you taking out all the lights up there, they are going to get suspicious. Though I suppose one or two every few minutes wouldn’t be too noticeable. I will have someone from below start shooting them out as well so it is not so obvious. But most of them will have to be saved until the shooting starts.” Slapping Wolf on the shoulder Jack gave the Commander a call to have one of the marine snipers start knocking out lights on this end of the deck.

Jack dropped down the ladder and stepped up to 1st class Curry, looking him in the eye for several seconds listening to him finally start to talk to himself about why this strange officer was staring at him and not saying anything and why Pigbreath was thrown off and shot from the top of the Containers but it was about time someone did. “Mr. Curry. I am not from your ship as you already suspected and I am trying to save the prisoners until help arrives. You have the choice to help me or simply join as a prisoner of war until it is all over.”

Curry’s eyes got big as he swallowed. “Aaa. You need me to deactivate the bombs I have been handing out Captain so I better join you.” Looking around at the few packs left before turning to head into the Compound. “I have a lot of work to do sir.”

Jack followed Curry through the gate past the baffled guard long relegated to watching people coming and going without interfering. Stopping just inside, Curry looked around for the nearest pack and only finding a pile of packs next to the gate with their chest straps unfastened. “Jack put his hand on Curries shoulder. “We have taken all the packs you activated and tossed them down the shaft.”

Curry turned and looked at Jack. “And none of them have exploded yet?”

“Not that I know of, why?”

“Then they are stuck just down the shaft. We need to recover them.” Curry headed for the shaft and spotted the women coming up out of it. Shaking his head as he approached some 120 degrees around the shaft from the line of women coming out seeming to be just walking over the edge with help from a pair of crewmen flanking them.

Jack caught up to him at the edge. Jack looked down and could only shake his head. The women were stepping out of a hatch on the next level down onto a catwalk that ran from the edge of the shaft hole down out of sight. Then standing up on the catwalk with their heads pointed toward the center of the 10 foot wide shaft, they walked up and over the lip of the shaft and onto the Gundeck Bay without having to climb. The catwalk disappeared down into the distance with the white packs scattered along the top hundred feet of the catwalk after bouncing off the side as they fell until they came close enough to the catwalk’s gravity to be pulled onto it where they fell to the grating and came to a stop. “Well that explains how they were going to make the prisoners assault down it.”

“Ya sir. When the first packs reach the bottom, a program would start with the packs talking to one another. When the packs stopped descending all of them would explode at the same time.” Taking a deep breath. “There is enough explosives down there right now to take out everyone up here. I need to get to work.” Curry started to jump over the edge only to have a surprised Jack catch him by the arm and pull him back. “Sir, you need to let me do my job.”

Jack realized as he brought Curry back onto the deck that he was not suicidal but knew physics well enough to know that the lower gravity of the shaft pulling toward the catwalk would allow him to reach the catwalk before he picked up any speed and land safely on it. “I need you to show others how to disarm the packs while you do something more important.” Jack tapped his comm. “Cmd. Glenn could I see you shaft side please.” Then to Pan still hovering out in the middle of the shaft. “Pan could you drop down and bring me one of those packs please?”

Pan looked down and shrugged as she dropped and quickly returned carrying a pack and handed it to Jack.

“Thanks Pan. Please start bringing more up.”

Cmd. Glenn walked up. “I am a bit busy distributing weapons and power packs Captain Turner. As well as figuring out what to do with a hundred female crewmen that don’t even have armor.”

“That can wait Commander. I need volunteers for Mr. Curry to show how to disarm the bombs we tossed down the shaft before any of them reach the bottom and they all explode.” Jack pointed down the shaft. Then we need to talk about defending against Mechs. Cargo bots made into tanks.” Turning to Curry. “You know anything about them?”

“Yes sir. I helped arm them sir. They should have 7 of them ready to go in a few hours.” Thinking for a few seconds. “I can program the demolition packs into mines if you can find someplace to put them that the mechs will get close to. They have damn thick armor up front and on the sides but the backs are plastic so even a small explosion behind or under or over them should take out the pilot or blow off a leg. The problem is getting behind them with the damn point defense cannons they have armed them with or making them step on one of the bombs.”

“We will figure that out as we go Curry. You just show a crew how to disarm the packs and then get busy programing the packs into mines.”

Cmd. Glenn smiled. “I will grab a squad to disarm the packs Captain and then start organizing Anti-mech teams.”

“Aaa, hold on there, Glenn. Armored crewmen aren’t required for deactivating the packs and we need them to get ready. Put some women on the detail. They are from your crew so you should know who can do it safely and it will keep them busy and out of the way for a while.”

“Very well Captain.” Jack turned around just in time to watch Curry jump off the edge with the pack over his back and sail across the shaft to land on the catwalk below the line of women coming out of the hatch. Grabbing the next one’s coming out of the hatch he quickly had a half dozen half naked women and took them a few feet down the shaft along the catwalk. Jack watched him explaining how the bomb worked for a few minutes as he disarmed the back pack bomb in his hand before sending two of them back up the shaft with the now disarmed pack while the other four went after packs themselves. He watched each of them disarm a pack before turning them lose and he went back up and grabbed six more women.

“Seems to be doing Ok.” Pan said floating next to Jack. “Mind if I join in. I see some packs the girls are not going to be able to reach from the catwalk.”

Jack looked at her and frowned. “Just don’t get yourself blown up. I have kind of gotten used to you being around.”

Pan smiled. “Don’t worry Captain. So have I.”

The two women Curry had sent up with the bomb shoved the pack at Jack as one of them said. “That ass hole is crazy thinking we would even want to be near his bombs. Now can we go so we can get away from them Captain?”

“You can’t go far enough to get away from them which is why he is disarming them.” Shaking his head. “Go join the other women and don’t say a word to anyone about the bombs. We don’t need a panic. That is an order. One word from either of you and you will be back down the shaft with one strapped to your back.”

One of the women got a disgusting look on her face. “You can’t give us any orders. I didn’t let that prick King give us orders why should I let you. We don’t have to stay here and get blown up. You are not our Commanding officer.”

‘Ok, so much for hypnotizing people to do my bidding. I can’t even get them to follow orders.’

“But I am your commanding officer crewmen.” The Commander walked up. “And one word about these bombs and I will shoot you myself for disobeying orders. Now join the other women over on the core side of the compound.” Looking down at a dozen women scattered down the shaft disarming packs as a half dozen women the Commander had picked tried to make their way down over the lip of the hole with the solid stream of women coming up making it hard. “If you had told me you were going to have the 1st class just grab women on his own it would have saved me some time.”

“Initiative Glenn. His initiative. I didn’t have a say in it.” Watching him another few seconds. “He seems to have gotten it well in hand with the crew he found though. Only taking about half of the ones he shows how.”

“Well he can show one more. I want my bomb disposal crewman down there in charge if she can even get there.” Spotting the crewman far below. “How the hell did he get down there so fast?”

Jack had to chuckle as Curry leaped across the shaft falling down to snag a pack hooked on a power conduit brace on the other side then kicked off and fall back across onto the catwalk landing a good 30 feet below where he had jumped from. “You have to admit he has good timing Glenn. That was how he got down there so fast. The shaft is at only a tenth Gee. Now get your disposal team down there so he can come up and get busy on the mines. We have got to figure out a way to take out those mech’s without costing good men’s lives.””

Cmd. Glenn turned away yelling at the crewmen trying to get down onto the catwalk.

Jack watched Cmd. Glenn head around toward the catwalk. Jack’s gaze crossing the carts with Sheppard’s marines handing out mags and weapons and heard a snippet of a statement in his head that shocked him. Shaking his head Jack stepped over to the crew Jack could not believe what he was hearing them say to themselves. Stopping to one side he stared at each of them in turn for several seconds, swallowing as dread descended across him. He finally realized that one of them was now completely silent no matter how long he stared at him. Stepping up to the man as he finished handing someone several mags and wondering why, he stepped in front of him and was surprised that he was a Master Sgt. as he read his name on the suit and noticed the patches. Taking a deep breath. “What do you think of the men Sgt. Dundy?”

‘What the hell does this puissant lieutenant want?’ The Sgt. Asked himself. ‘Half his men can’t even put the damn mags into their guns properly while looking down the barrels with the safeties off. Most of the rest don’t look like they have ever fired a weapon outside a gun range for yearly qualifications, if that and he expects to go into battle against mechs with them. Hell only a quarter would keep their pants clean the first shot towards them but this ass hole wants to know what I think of his girl scouts.’ Taking a deep breath. “Well lieutenant. I think you have the best fighting men in the navy. Sir.” And then again to himself. ‘Damn shame Cmdr. Glenn’s good troops didn’t get themselves captured instead of the damn stupid slow office pukes. We are going to get our asses stomped 5 minutes after the first shot is fired but that is all we have to work with. I wonder if this shit would let us do some training. Hell, even an hour could make a difference to some of the better pukes that show some promise.’

Jack could not help but chuckle as the shock started to wear off as he looked at the rest of Sheppard’s crew and realized that they all shared the Sgt’s opinion. “Damn Sgt. Dundy, so you think most of my men are shit. Why did you let Shepperd talk you into helping?”

This time Jack did not hear the Sargent say anything to himself before he spoke aloud. “I was hoping that Captain Glenn’s marines and those monsters would be up here helping out but it really didn’t really make any difference since we could not very well let the King execute all the prisoners once the Lt. told us they had weapons, a chance and help. But know that we are here all we can do is the best we can and hope Commander Glenn gets us reinforcements before we are all killed Sir.”

Jack started looking around for the first time actually at the crewmen around him as someone dropped a mag onto the deck while someone else rested their chin on the muzzle of their pistol as they sat leaning against the bulkhead around the Compound. Most seemed to be just sitting playing and fidgeting with their weapons. An assault gun clattered to the deck and Jack realized that he had been hearing that sound every few minutes since he had stepped into the Compound. Turning he looked at the 3 crew served heavy weapons and realized that one crew still had not assembled their gun as they argued over how it went together while the other two had not done either of theirs properly with Jack wondering how they had even gotten the pieces to fit together. A grenade rolled across the deck towards Jack’s feet. A crewman chased after it and as he bent down to grab the rolling round he started dragging the grenade launcher across the deck at the end of its sling.

Jack closed his eye’s rubbing his temple. He had been so busy trying to get what they needed and figure out what they were going to do, he had forgotten the most important item on the list. The crewmen’s abilities. Taking it for granted that they at least knew the basics. After all, the boot camp he went through had drilled them into him well enough. But then Jack remembered hearing that the screw-ups and substandard crewmen were the ones assigned to the Dwarf Battletransports and in a Navy desperate for crewmen would they really flunk someone out of boot camp even if all they did was go through the motions.

Come to think of it, he did remember seeing a few companies that were shit marching into the parade deck at graduation that had stood out like sour thumbs but in the excitement he had ignored them. They even had a couple of guys in his company that he could not believe were not kicked out as bad as they were at everything with the company working around them just to get through Bootship. Turning back to the Sgt. He knew he did not have a choice. They did not stand a chance of taking on even what he saw gathering on the other side of the Core let alone Mechs. “Sargent, we are going to need a rear guard while we try to get the rest to safety. I will give you anything you need along with our best men. You have an hour I hope, to get them ready. You are in charge of all weapons and combat personnel. You should be able to put together at least a couple of platoons of men with some training in the next hour or two.”

The Sgt’s eyes grew big as a smile crossed his face. “A small company with a heavy weapons reinforced platoon with all the explosive I see around here should just about do the job lieutenant but has Cmdr. Glenn given her approval Lieutenant?”

“I am Captain Turner Sargent. I only borrowed this suit and yes Cmdr. Glenn is aboard. Now get your ass in gear, we are running out of time.”

Cmd. Glenn came up behind Jack. “Ok what am I aboard?” As the Sgt. started assigning his squad to their jobs.

“We are getting out of here while the Sargent Dundy here takes care of the rear guard. Give him all your men with weapons training or experience including the women. The women can take one of the men’s suits from crewmen that can’t even put a mag in right.” Jack turned Cmd. Glenn around to face the cluster fuck around the heavy weapons.

“Ok Captain. Just where the hell do you think we are going. The bottom of that shaft is a death trap and as I said I can’t disarm it from this side or get in contact with my crew.”

“I heard the engine room is a good place to hide.”

“Shit that whole end of this ship is nothing but wreckage where the bow of my ship tried to occupy the same space as the ass of this one including the Engine rooms.”

“Precisely Commander. Should be perfect and I know someone that is very familiar with the area. Now get the Sargent the men he needs and call in the Upper bay catwalk snipers with all the suits making up their shields. We need them for the women. I am going to grab Wolf and his little band up on the platform and find out where we are going.”

Jack tapped his Comm. “Wolf, get your butt down here to the pit by the cut out deck plate with your 3 buddies now.”

Four suits dropped off the back side of the platform trailing the ropes Jack had sent up. They landed softly on the deck startling several crewmen sitting on the deck leaning against the cargo container. A beam streaked across the compound to hit the top container burning a hole in the side. Wolf bent down and grabbed the pistol from the man, flipped out the power pack, putting it on the safety before handing it back to him then started weaving his way with his buddies over to Jack.

The Sargent turned from assigning one of his men to set up a shooting range to Wolf as he walked up to Jack. “I have watched you shooting out the lights around this end of the bay. You guys are some damn fine shots. You guys are going to come in mighty handy including helping me teach a bunch of morons to shoot.”

“Sorry Sargent.” Jack said. “I am going to need them to help me scout a safe haven down in the wreckage.” Turning to Wolf. “I heard that there are great places to hide an army down around the engines. I was hoping your group would know about them. You being a Machinist Mate Wolf.”

“Aaaa. Yes sir. I was down in engine room 2 when the ships collided. Think I was the only one that survived but don’t ask me how. Things are a mess down there.” Shaking his head. “But you are right you could hide an army down there if you know where to go.” Looking around the compound. “I take it you want to do just that instead of fighting Mechs. I don’t blame you.”

“Yes Wolf, I need you guys to show me where so I can decide if we can use it or not.”

“Well I can guaranty it is easier to defend than this place but you don’t need us all. It would be quicker and safer with only the two of us. These others don’t know anyway. I have been the one going down to explore looking for a way into the other ship while these guys covered my ass at the shooting gallery. They can stay and help the Sargent. They are better shots than me anyway.”

After Telling the Sargent he had 3 volunteers Jack turned to Wolf. “Ok. Lead the way Wolf.” Jack started for the Gate out of the Compound.

“Aaa Captain. This way. The deck cut out opening up the shaft here saves having to work our way down the decks below and sneaking back into it.” Wolf stepped off and glided over to the catwalk below dropping smoothly onto it feet first below the line of women still coming out the hatch and walking up.

Jack shook his head and stepped off hoping he did not make a fool of himself. Expecting to fall straight down he drifted across while only picking up speed slowly in the reduced gravity of the shaft. Just missing one of the gals coming out of the hatch Jack grabbed onto the catwalk’s rail and dropped himself down onto the narrow plank running down the shaft. Apologizing for scarring the woman, Jack tapped his Comm. “Pan, we are going to start evacuating the Compound shortly. I need you to hold as many of the new prisoners around the shaft on the deck below the gun deck until I check where we will be evacuating to.”

“Yes Captain.”

Jack caught up to Wolf as Pan raced up the shaft past him carrying at least a dozen packs by the straps. She deposited them next to the cut out deck plate and then dropped down to the hatch the women were coming out of and disappeared.

Jack followed Wolf down past the last of the women walking back up the shaft with disarmed packs. With his visor down and blackened Jack could see the emergency power lines running down the shaft powering the lights and grav-coils in the shaft but the thick main power lines were cold. Jack could even see the basic power lines to lights and some equipment on the decks around the shaft until the shaft bulkheads got too thick to see through to Jacks surprise. Jack was starting to worry about getting to far down and setting off the trap Captain Glenn had told him about when Wolf stopped at a hatch. Tapping in a code, the hatch opened inward and Wolf walked through.

Stepping through the hatch Jack was surprised to see the engine head deck with the series of coils he had designed to crush reaction fuel matter down to basic ions for the engine to accelerate. Control consoles were grouped over to one side with acceleration chairs at them.

“I was strapped in at my station when it happened. The others weren’t.”

Jack barely heard him as he looked around at what surrounded him. Instead of a wide open deck some 300 feet across (the inside width of the ship). He was in the middle of a round space only some 30 feet across with what looked like some 20 decks pancaked together on one side leaving a gap of only a foot or two between decks and on the other side he could see the slopping bow hull section of a ship with more pancaked decks above it.

“The armored engine casing below us and the attached armored power shaft punched through the bow of the other ship leaving this little bubble when it stopped. Everyone below here and the decks above pushed up into the lower gun deck are all dead. Crushed.” Patting one of the chairs as he shook his head as he stared at it for several seconds. “The rest of my crew were thrown around impaling or breaking every bone in their bodies. One survived a few minutes before she died. Then turning around he headed for the edge of the hole in the deck and the engine that disappeared down the casing. Stepping off, he floated across until he could grab a brace on the side of a small coil and turned to Jack. “This way to purgatory.” Then flipped over upside down and pushed off down alongside the engine coils.

Jack followed. If not for the emergency lights Wolf kept turning on as he went, Jack would have not been able to see anything (except for the man himself shining bright) as dead as the machinery was around him. Not one power line was active. Jack had to flip up his visor to use the visible light from the emergency lights strung out ahead of him to keep from bumping into things as they worked their way down between the thick engine casing and the coils stacked as far as the eye could see.

Wolf finally stopped at a hatch that Jack had never seen before and he thought he had seen them all on the Red Pepper and tapped in another code. The 3 foot thick hatch opened in toward them and Wolf pushed through the 3 foot thick engine case hull and dropped gently down to the deck on the other side of a small compartment as the lights came on in the passageway outside an open hatch. “I got an emergency generator working but kept the gravity down to minimum to keep those above from noticing.”

Jack dropped lightly down several feet to the deck next to Wolf in what looked like a living room of an officer’s cabin. Dropping his visor back down Jack started gazing around him in wonder as Wolf continued to talk.

“You should have been in here 3 months ago when I found out how to get in. I puked the first time from the smell. I have only been able to get in here for the last few weeks without the smell making me sick without a vacsuit after cleaning the air purifying system every week since then. Simply too many bodies for me to clean up on my own even if I had the time. So I had to set the air down to 0% moister and let them mummify.” Insco started walking. “So don’t be shocked at what you see, most of it is not pretty but I had no choice. I will show you why we can’t get to the rest of the lower ship anytime soon.”

Jack could guess but followed anyway, realizing they were running out of time. “If it won’t take more than a few minutes and you are sure there are no other ways into the ship for now, we need to start getting people headed this way.” They rounded a corner and Jack came face to face with a woman embedded into the side of the passageway’s bulkhead after flying down a connecting corridor. Another down a ways was bent into a pretzel with her head at a 90degree angle from between her boobs. Both their bodies were shriveled up onto their bones.

“Only take a few minutes Captain.” He stopped at the elevator platform and an open maintenance/ access hatch to the 2 side by side shafts and started jogging down the up shaft. “The down shaft has a car stuck half into a deck platform blocking it.” As if Jack needed a reason why they were using the up shaft to go down.”

Jack saw the bottom of the shaft as Wolf slowed to a walk. Instead of going on for another thousand feet or more into the rest of the ship, it ended abruptly. He could see a man sized hole cut deeper and deeper into the decks that were only a couple feet apart until the hole stopped. “I ran into vacuum on the 15th deck with I don’t know how many more I need to go through. I have not had time to build an air lock yet. Maybe with your crew you can get through.”

“Ok and there are no more openings or ways to get into the bow section of the ship from the ship above?”

“None that I have been able to find after 3 months of looking. Though I was not able to get into all the sections of the bow due to wreckage. The hatch into the other engine case won’t open and there is no gap between the engine cases and the hull of the bow section that I can see. Fact, it looks like they were welded together from friction.”

“Very well then let’s get back. We are running out of time.” Jack took off jogging back up the shaft with the low gravity allowing the long stepped low gravity jog to cover the distance in less than half a minute as the steps grew longer and longer with their increasing speed. Finally sliding to a stop outside the open emergency hatch.

They were back up to the Compound in only a few minutes now that Jack knew the way.

Going to Commander Glenn Jack took her aside. “You not only know your crew better than I, you know the bow section that is in damn good shape, better than me since my ship the Red Pepper had its bow pretty much destroyed in battle before I took Command of it. I need you to supervise getting everyone into the bow section of your ship and see if you can break through to the lower decks. Wolf had to stop when he ran into vacuum at the bottom of the elevator shaft. Wolf knows all the details since he has been exploring it for the last 3 months.” Pointing at Wolf. “Get going. I will take command up here.”

Within 5 minutes they had a stream of people headed for the bow of the other ship with Wolf leading the way and Commander Glenn leaving people at every turn or difficult spot to direct or help the following.

Jack turned his attention to the Company the Sgt. was putting together with the help of the now returned Shepperd who had not only came with another dozen crewmen and marines but a string of carts full of grenades and weapons as well as suit repair kits but minus anything that could take on the mechs such as anti-tank missiles. She had forgotten about the mechs since she knew little about them in the first place. Though Curry the Weapons/bomb specialist with Commander Glenn’s specialist and a few of the women that had helped deactivate the packs were getting exited building mines and booby traps to take out the mechs and anyone else that might give the retreating forces trouble. That is if they were given time to finish the preparations.

The last of the sniper nests were being disassembled with the suits being brought down for the newly released prisoners that had demonstrate their abilities to handle a weapon. Most of the suits not having any holes in them made them preferable to the rest. Jack watched a line of men and women target practicing, standing on a long platform made of storage bins, firing from one side of the compound to the other across the open shaft over the heads of the hundreds working below them. Not the safest firing range but all they had. Jack watched becoming much happier that they seemed to be able to handle their weapons better and even hit the targets in good tight groups as they repeatedly changed out magazines between each shot. The scores of dumb rubber riot grenades now coming in handy as they were used as target practice ammunition for the thumpers. The graduate thumpers getting to shoot out of the gate at a few targets along the hull across the bay to hone what they had learned at a longer distance. Jack sighed with relief as he watched rubber bullet after bullet hit the piles of junk placed where the bodies had been picked up and trash cans the instructor designated as the flash targets they had only a second to hit after turning around from facing the fort.

With the return of the plasma torch Jack had them cut the ladder off of the outside containers and attach it to the inside allowing access without having to be exposed to enemy fire. Then bringing in anything that could be used as cover from that end of the bay they welded barricades with firing ports around the top deck as well.

What surprised Jack was that no one seemed the least bit interested in their activities in spite of all the Blacksuited crewmen walking past from hull and core hatches to the other side of the Bay. Even when a rubber bullet missed its target and hit a squad jogging around the outside of the bay. All the man that was hit did was stagger a little and continued jogging without losing his place or even looking over as the horrified thumper ducked for cover.

Happy with how things were progressing with the Company and the evacuation, Jack decided he needed to find what was going on, on the other side of the core and the other shaft. Taking a stroll he headed for the side of the Bay and the cages knowing that he would be able to disappear along the fencing and darkened ports as long as he maintained his distance. Figuring he would go around just far enough to see what was happening.

Acting like he was inspecting the cages just in case someone did notice him Jack worked his way around until the Shaft head and most of that end of the Bay was insight. Noticing that he could only see about a hundred suited men with weapons he started wondering why he was running away. Hell the 60 or 70 men with the marines could take them out if they attacked. Hell he could probably wipe them out in just a few minutes if he attacked now before they were ready.

Then a big hatch opened in the core directly across from him and out clomped 8 mechs with thick armored shields across their fronts and sides. Heavy point defense weapons from the ship’s hull hung on an arm of each of them with their power packs on their backs. A small squad machine gun was attached to the other arm with a line running up the arm to the power pack on the back of each of them.

Shaking his head as he stared. “Crap. We would lose half or all our forces just taking on those damn things.” He said disgustedly.

Turning to head back to the other side as movement caught his attention, he spotted what he thought was the Commander headed for him in his cart from the hatch the mechs had come out of. But quickly realized with all the flashy ribbons and the crown on his head that it had to be the Commodore King. Old Robinson himself.

Swallowing since it was too late to run. “Damn, talking about stupid. I should have stayed on the other side.” And then. “Damn. With my visor up he will certainly recognize me and I don’t dare close it now.” Jack stared at the Commodore King as he tried to find that place deep inside his mind and started chanting, trying to fight down the panic that was welling up inside of him. ‘You know me. You know me. You know me.’ Glancing down at the name on his chest. ‘I am Zeek, I am Zeek, I am Zeek.’ As the Commander approached. ‘You know me, I am Zeek.’

The smiling Commodore swerved around placing the carts passenger seat next to him in front of Jack.

“Jump in Lieutenant.” And sat looking at him still with a smile.

Not feeling any malice as the Commodore King commented to himself about his new Mechs and how beautiful they were, as well as having little choice, Jack sat. Fingering his blaster at his waist as he sat.

“How do you like our new Mechs Lieutenant Zeek?”

Jack swallowed and smiled the best he could. ‘I am Zeek.’ Then out loud. “Damn fine Mechs Commodore. More impressive than I thought they would be.” Chanting in his mind again. ‘I am Zeek. I am Zeek.’

“You should know lieutenant, you helped build them. Your shields are what did the trick.” The Commander said puzzled.

‘I am Zeek.’ “Yes Commodore but now with them out in the Bay ready for battle, they are much more impressive than I expected them to be by the reactions of the troops. Sir. They are beautiful are they not Commodore?” ‘I am Zeek, I am Zeek.’

“Yes they are. You ready to take command of them?”

Jack started to panic as his mind raced. Swallowing he took a deep breath and said the first thing that came to his mind. “Aaa sir. I have to finish what I am doing first. Sir.” ‘I am Zeek.’

The Commodore King turned and looked at Jack as they approached the mechs. Not believing what he was hearing and then his mood changed suddenly. “Oh, yes. We lost both officers for the diversion attack during that cluster fuck an hour ago. Damn, give some ideates guns and they will start killing each other every time over petty disagreements and most of them were our best men. The damn chicken shits ran and hid.” Stopping the cart and looking at Jack. “You know you have done a marvelous job getting them ready without having to be told. They look like they are actually excited to attack which is a shock to me. How did you do it?”

Taking a deep breath his mind racing. ‘I am Zeek.’ “Well sir… Amongst other things I told them that if they took the other ship, it would be theirs to rule with their own women.” Jack smiled at the Commander. ‘I am Zeek.’

The Commodore’s eyes grew big in disbelief and then he started laughing. “Damn you are good Lieutenant. This will get you Lieutenant Commander at least and a couple extra girls for your harem.” Chuckling as he slapped Jack on the back. “Damn good.” Turning to look over the troops that were now standing in ranks across that end of the Bay waiting for his inspection. “You know with the mechs now. We really don’t need the malcontents and chicken shits ruining things and slowing us down. Having to keep an eye on them has always been a pain in the ass.” Picking up his comm. “Command. I want all troops on our 5th rate list over here lined up in front of my cart immediately.”

The Commander turned to Jack. “We might as well get rid of all the dead wood at the same time. Lieutenant. Fact I have a spot for a commander opening up right now and it is yours along with the larger cabin. Though you will have to find more women for the number you are now allowed since that puke Nimitz refused to take any slaves. Just make sure Nimitz doesn’t live long but wait until the battle. No sense in upsetting all the work you have accomplished getting the prisoners cooperation.”

Blacksuits started separating themselves from the formations and smartly marching over toward the Commodores Cart. A Commander came out of the cargo container that was obviously being used as a Command center and started around the side where the cart was parked as well.

Sixteen Blacksuits lined up in a row as the Commander stopped in front of the Commodore and saluted. “Nimitz reporting as ordered Commodore.”

“I told you how many times to call me King, Nimitz?” Staring at the man for several seconds as his sudden fury subsided into anticipation. “Never mind Nimitz. Exchange collar pins with the lieutenant. You are now lieutenant Nimitz and Zeek is now Commander and Chief of Engineering and your superior.” The Commodore King smiled from ear to ear as he enjoyed himself. Then issued a command to the Mechs and then the nearest squad.

The Mechs lined up with their weapons pointed at the line of Blacksuits as the squad went behind them and started stripping assault guns and mag belts from each of them and dropping them on the deck in a pile. Leaving them only the laser pistols with no mags in the belts or pistols. Dumping them out on the deck in a pile as well.”

The Commodore smiled at them as he climbed out of the cart. “You ass holes are going over to help the new outfit. You will get new mags from them.” Then turned to the new lieutenant. “I have had it with your mouth always objecting to everything we do including taking the women and the way we treat prisoners. Hell, I even know you don’t have a single women in your cabin in spite of my telling you repeatedly to get at least one. No matter how much you think you have been hiding the fact.” Narrowing his eyes at the man. “Zeek has told me about you causing all the delays building the Mechs and even sabotaging them. It could not have been anyone else since they have been locked up for the last 3 months while he built them. Now we don’t need your stupid ass. Zeek will take care of the ship’s systems just fine without you getting in the way. Maybe if you survive the attack it will teach you to appreciate what we offered you. Now get out of my sight with these stupid ass holes before I order you and your stupid lazy malcontents’ executed.”

Jack turned to leave with the rest but the Commodore King stopped him. “Zeek! One moment please. How long before you are ready to attack?”

Jack grimaced. “Well I had to start from scratch Commander. They were damn fucked up but I think I will be ready in… (Jack started to say a couple, three hours but knew Commanders hated being vague). Two hours and we will storm down the Chase Shaft sir.” With the Commodore King’s impatience rapidly turning into fury Jack remembered about the way the backpack bombs were fused to go off once progress forward had stopped. “It will take me that long to get them bunched up close enough inside the shaft for the bombs to work properly when they run into heavy resistance at the bottom sir. The entrance to the shaft is small and if they are spread out, it will be a waste of our best opportunity and a waste of the bombs when they go off with men still topside sir.”

The Commodore King’s furry turned to fear when Jack said the bombs could go off early and be wasted. “Very well then. It is not your fault those two ideates got themselves killed though I think I will take that blonde Commander Henry had in his harem. You better be ready in two hours or I will take that promotion back. Now get out of here while I go in and rearrange the attack schedule.”

Jack smiled as an idea flashed through his mind as the cart started to pull away. “Your Highness. It would be a big help if we had some descent weapons in the assault to make it look more real. You don’t need them and we will get them back afterwards when we finely wipe the remnants of the other ship’s crew out.”

The Commodore King turned half around and waved. “Fine take them.” The cart drove away as Jack heard. “You Mechs start running around the decks perimeter so you can keep an eye on these ass holes. The show will impress the troops as well. Showing just how powerfull I am on this ship.”

Jack caught up to the squad and the new lieutenant and ordered the squad to go back and get their assault weapons and mags. As the squad walked back to get their weapons, Jack turned to Nimitz. “You know that I am supposed to kill you during the battle Don’t you? Orders from the Commodore.”

Without looking at Jack. “So what’s new? I have watched good officers over the last 6 months get executed without even the excuse of a battle. Why you waiting?”

“Look at me Commander Nimitz. You recognize me?”

Jack felt Nimitz’s overwhelming feeling of despair turn to bafflement as he said in his mind. ‘That voice does not sound like that puke Zeek.’ Looking around his eyes grew big. “You aren’t Zeek. But you were.”

“You’re right. You and the Commander saw what you wanted to see with my visor down.” Lying about the visor hoping it would explain his mistake identity to him. “I am Captain Turner of the Red Pepper. I heard the distress signal and now I am trying to save as many as I can before help arrives from my ship. I am evacuating a couple hundred prisoners to a safe location as we speak. Though we are not in contact with the lower ship yet.” Questions flooded Jack’s mind as Nimitz started talking to himself trying to put things together.

Jack smiled and figured he would explain the biggest problems to save time. “I did not know I was facing two separate ship’s crews in the middle of a battle when I came across this hulk, though I knew something was wrong so I brought my whole crew from the shuttle along to help.” Kicking himself again for not insisting that at least one of them, namely Pan, stayed behind in the transport. They could have gone around and contacted the other ship. Not to mention that the Bombers/transport’s Comm not being the standard transport Comm could not be activated or used if you were not in the damn bomber. Which meant there was no way he could call for help, find out if help was on the way and in comm range or even know when help arrived since they lost communications with the bomber/transport anyway.

Turning around Jack looked at the squad retrieving their weapons. “You must know most of those men. Are they really Chickenshit fuckup’s? Should I send them with the majority of the prisoners that don’t even know how to put a mag in a weapon or find the safety? Or can they fight?”

Nimitz’s lip turned up into a sneer. “They have been drilled and abused for the better part of 5 months trying to make them into obedient solders while watching fellow crewmen that resisted or objected to the brutality and rapes executed at the least whim and still they refuse to kill and participate in rapes for that maniac King. No, the chickeshits are the ones that are going along following orders just to stay alive with most of them keeping a slave simply to keep from being noticed without forcing or abusing them. The last fucking thing these men are, are chicken shit Fuckups’. It takes some big balls to be on the damn 5th rate list. No Captain, they will fight against that damn self-proclaimed King. Whoever the hell made that monster a Captain let alone a Commodore, should be shot.”

Looking at Jack with a shit eating grin. “Now if you are going to kill me for what I said insulting his Majesty, just get it over with. Or is this just a way to provide an armed squad for the mechs to practice against, even though our weapons don’t have a chance of penetrating the armor since they were never trusted with frag or even flashbang grenades?” Narrowing his eyes at Jack. “Whoever the hell you are, don’t try bull shitting me with your lies anymore.”

The men started returning with their weapons.

“No lies Commander. As soon as we get around the core and out of sight, you can have your oak leaves back and I really am the lead of a rescue party that should not be too far behind me.” Then remembering Red’s problem with the reception in the cloud because he did not wait for a return signal before powering up into the cloud. Jack kicked himself again hoping he did have reinforcements coming. How many more things could he fuck up in one simple transport mission?

Looking at Jack. “What happened to Zeek? The last thing I heard he was chasing down Captain Glenn for the Commodore.”

“Well, he found us and from what I heard, a certain nurse that he had raped and killed the husband and boy of, stuffed him in the bio furnace still alive.”

Commander Nimitz smiled at that. “Good. That moron has been trying to get my job since the day he stepped aboard the ship. He was the reason the damn mechs took so long to build. He couldn’t blow up a fucking sex doll properly if his life depended on it. But then I let him screw with the mechs as much as he wanted knowing how crappy a Machine Tech he was. To tell you the truth I am amazed he managed to get them running.”

The Mechs had finished running their first lap around that end of the bay with Jack starting to notice something on the backs of the Mach’s. Their packs were hot enough for him to see even with the Bay lights as bright as they were in that end. Then one of them in the middle of the line started smoking and fell to the deck. The Mech behind it ran right into it, falling to slide a few feet along the deck beyond as the Mech behind him jumped over the pile before stopping and turning around to look. Ear splitting screams started echoing across the Bay from a speaker on the burning Mech.

The 6 upright mechs all turned around to stare at the smoking Mech laying face down as the hatch on top popped open and flames rushed out. The Mechs speaker screaming across the bay was enough to make most ears heart spreading the terror as the driver tried to climb out of the flames.

The Mech that had tripped over the flaming Mech climbed up onto its feet taking several steps back and away as it watched and then suddenly the top hatch popped open and out jumped the driver. Dropping to the deck he started walking back toward the core gesturing with his arms though Jack could not hear him over the flames and screams.

The screams stopped coming from the burning Mech with the flaming body half out of the hatch and then a voice echoed from a Mech with hash marks taking a few steps toward the walking driver. “Get back into the Mech this instant Dick!”

“Fuck you Ham!” The driver shouted back. “That was the third time one of these has caught fire and this time it killed Taylor. I am not getting back into that death trap.”

The Mech with the hash mark raised his cannon and a burst of one inch wide beams lashed out burning several craters in the deck before finally catching the man as he started to run. He was hit several times by the rapid firing cannon at point blank range knocking huge holes into him as the body fell to the deck in several large holes in his back.

The Mechs turned and started walking away. Now in no hurry, the sound of their power packs seemed like a whisper compared to when they had been jogging as the hot spots on most of their backs started cooling. That is except for the hash marked Mech who’s back took much longer as the heat from the cannon slowly dissipated up to the back of the Mech. Jack smiled and said. “Looks like someone put in too small a cooling system for the power pack and the cannon.”

“No daaa. Captain. Told you he was a moron. Would you believe he left out an active system entirely? Only using a thick aluminum plate attached directly to the power pack in the back as both heat sink and armor. Then using a convection pipe to transfer the heat from the cannon to the heat sink. Hell, not even using fins on the heat sink plate of aluminum because they made it look week.”

“What?” Jack did some calculations in his head as he watched the smoke raising up from the still burning Mech. No one was even bothering to approach let alone put out the fire. “A fixed flat aluminum plate using convection to transfer the heat means it will be limited to only a short burst or a few shots a minute in continuous operations with the cannon. Less if it does any fast or much moving around. Though that is not a problem with the light machinegun so it still has a sting. But not as bad as I had feared. Though we are still best running and not even taking them on except to delay them as long as possible.” Turning back to the Commander as the last of the men returned and took up a perfect formation. “Let’s get back and I will explain what is going on. Maybe you can figure out how to get us from the intact bow into the rest of the lower ship.”

“What you talking about Captain?” The Chief Engineer turned his head to look at Jack as they walked around the core with the squad behind. “Nothing survived above the 5th gundeck on the lower ship as well as nothing below the Auxiliary engineering deck on this ship. We lucked out that the Auxiliary power deck survived or we all would have been dead by now.” Grimacing he looked straight ahead. “There was only one survivor in the whole engineering watch section on duty at the time and that was Wolf on watch strapped into his seat in one of the Engine feed control centers. I still can’t believe what happened and it has been six months.”

“Well yes. I talked to Wolf. I will take you on a short tour.” Jack looked up at the Fort Compound’s Containers. A dozen guards patrolled the top deck. All in black suits that were mostly hidden behind welded barricades.

“Ya sure thing Captain.” The Commander looked at Jack in his red side striped suit. “What’s with the red Stripes?” Looking closer at it he shook his head. “It looks like you have a standard Republic armored combat suit over the top of something else that is red in color.”

“Oh yes Commander Nimitz. The red is my ship’s new combat suits. I was trying to blend into the crowd of Blacksuits.” Looking over his shoulder, Jack could see the ranks of Blacksuits around the core behind them and then up at the Apes on the core’s hull. “We started out painting the suits red so we could tell the difference between our Apes and the Spider Gods Apes. It just sort of got established as our colors now.” Looking back at the black suits around the compound Jack shook his head. “Kind of like the problem we have now.” As they marched up to the gate Jack looked at the Commander. “Halt here for a few seconds. I have an idea.”

The kid was still next to the paint pallet with his earphones on, his body jerking to the beat of something as he sang along to himself oblivious to the world around him with nothing better to do since no one else needed their suits painted black now. Not a white ship’s company suit in sight.

Jack smiled as he walked up to the kid and patted him on the shoulder making him turn around without jumping or even seeming to look surprised even though there was no way for him to know Jack had come up behind him.

“Yes lieutenant.” He said grim faced as Jack again had a strange feeling. Even the kid’s voice sounded wrong. “How may I help you sir.” Then the painter saw the Commander behind Jack and he smiled from ear to ear but did not say anything more as he became confused. Glancing down at the name on Jacks suit and then up into Jack’s eyes and then back at the Commander.

Jack remembered spending years painting on the Turner Joy as well as a stint painting in The Game so Jack new well the capabilities of the equipment before him. The pallet used a basic white paint matrix and added color as the paint left the nozzle allowing changes in color with a push of a button. The computer keeping the exact shade needed coming out the nozzle without variations even when returning to a previous color.

“Third Class Olson. I need you to start painting the suits Red.” Jack pointed at the strip of red on his suit.

The 3rd class tech looked at the color and frowned. “Sure Lieutenant Zeek… Aaa you don’t look like Lieutenant Zeek.” Looking over at the Commander again and then the troops behind him. Recognition blazed across his face as he saw who they were. Looking in through the gate he saw the pile of bodies next to the shaft recognizing the faces of the ones he could see and then 2 crew served weapons being worked on beyond. The Marines were spread out around the hole seaming to yell at most everyone they came in contact with as they rearranged their gear or instructed them. A constant stream of laser fire streaked across over everyone’s heads. Then his eyes got big as he saw the 10 foot tall Red with the third cannon in her hands with the power pack on her back. The 5 foot long micronic blade hanging down the side of the power pack, the Assault blaster on her back on the other side of the power pack and finally the laser pistol under her arm. The relatively small pack of bombs under the power pack at the small of her back where they were easy for her to reach was completely missed.

Jack smiled as he realized he was a she as Jack listened to her talk to herself rapidly putting a hundred things including the extra blood vessels in her chest and lack of an appendage between her legs that Jack had not even noticed before, together in only a half second. “Lieutenant Zeek has met with an unfortunate accident with a bio-furnace, Tech Olson. You won’t be seeing him again. I needed his suit for camouflage. Can you help me?”

The smile returned in full force with no doubt in her mind. “Yes sir. I sure can. I have plenty of red pigment with the needed reflective toners to get that shade and brightness sir.” Looking back at the pallet. “I also picked up the ceramic cans since I was doing Combat suits but they told me not to waste it.” Taking a breath not sure if she should even ask after spending months with people dying around her for asking such questions but she knew this guy was not from her ship or part of the Kings troops. “Aaa.”

Jack smiled. “Yes Tech Olson, please use the ceramic coating. Our guys are going to need as much protection as you can give them. You should have at most a hundred suits to cover. Put it on as thick as you can but make sure you can cover them all with what you have. Oh and we don’t have much time so get it done.”

Tech Olson smiled as she put her hand across the control panel on her forearm and leaned back against the paint module. “Don’t worry sir. With your permission, I have a few friends that would love to bring a few paint modules down and help out. Is there anything else you need sir?”

“Ok I am sorry but I thought that all the crewmen not in the Sickbay were over getting ready to attack the other ship. How do you have friends just standing around in the Paint locker?”

Smiling at Jack. “Who do you think is running the ship Captain? The King wouldn’t send females down where we could get killed. Even the ones that don’t cooperate he only locks up for later breading stock. Fact is he lets most females do damn near anything they want including combat training with the men as long as they don’t look like women. Some 20 of us with Lt. Sheppard’s help have been keeping a low profile acting like men with most of us free from harems or hooked up with a nest daddy and have been waiting for a chance to escape or kill that Crazy ass hole and this looks like the time is now or never to me. We even have our own weapons and Blacksuits Captain. I have already sent them the code and they should be hear shortly.

Jack suddenly realized that she was quick minded and way above normal intelligence explaining why she felt different in his mind beyond simple gender difference when he looked or listened to her while taking it for granted that only males were in battle suits. “Aaa.” Turning to the Commander. “I think some hull patch foam would be nice to add to the containers and barricades on top. Won’t be as good as the God foam armor but it will be better than nothing. You have anything you can think of from the paint lockers Commander?” Jack turned around to Nimitz.

“No, that should do it Captain.” The Commander frowned. “Just be sure you don’t let word spread across the ship Olson. There are a few women that have bought into this being treated like queens crap. That is of the ones that have always been good at wrapping men around their fingers and aren’t being treated like slaves not to mention Stockholm syndrome for a few of the harem slaves abused or not as well. The last thing we need is for one of them telling the Commodore what is going on over hear before we are ready.”

“Yes sir I will tell them again but most already know or we wouldn’t still be running around free even if most of us are a bit flat chested.” She smiled holding up her paint gun. “Shall we start with you Commander and your squad? Only take about a minute.”

“I will see you inside Commander, I need to talk to Sargent Dundy about getting the rest painted again.” Jack went through the gate and found the Sargent talking to Lt. Shepperd. Jack looked over the cart train of grenade boxes as grenades were being passed out to a waiting line of men with Grenade launchers. Stuffing grenades into the tube magazines of the shotgun style weapons with the magazine tubes under the barrel and then taking belts of grenades to fasten around their wastes. Then as Jack watched, someone slipped a belt over their head fastening it across their chest adding to what they could carry around their waist, most of the rest got back in line to do the same.

“There you are Captain. Was wondering if you had gone back down below.” The Sargent said. The LT and I were just talking about what kind of a defense we needed to set up here sir. Any ideas on how you want to proceed?”

“Yes. I want you to start deploying scouts on all the decks we can get into down the shaft. I want to know which decks have men on them. They can start setting up defensive positions on the ones that are defensible while we seal off the ones that aren’t. Oh and I want you to start getting all our combat troops back out to get painted red with ceramic armor coating added to their suits.” Looking at the lieutenants and Sgt’s baffled expressions. “We have to be able to tell our forces from the rest or we are going to get a lot of friendly fire.”

“What the hell.” The Lieutenant watched the Commander walk up in a Burgundy Red suit. “You have got to be kidding Captain. We will stand out like sour thumbs. Easy Targets. I am not about to…”

The Sargent started laughing. “Come now LT. They would be laughing so hard they wouldn’t be able to shoot strait.” Shaking his head. “I read in an old history book about an empire on old Earth that ruled most of the known world at the time, which had bright red suits for their Troops. The red was so intimidating that their enemies would run in fear at the sight of thousands of the red suited Troops called Red Coats, lined up in rows coming at them like unstoppable waves.” Smiling from ear to ear. “Yes I like the idea Captain. It should strike fear in our enemies. I take it your suits original color was this red I see between the black plates that is the same as the Commanders.”

“Yes Sargent. The Commander brought a squad with him of the Commodore King’s rejects, the 5th’s, I am told are decent troops. They are being painted now. There are also some 20 women coming that are supposed to have some training and their own weapons. Use the ones you think are good and send the rest on down with the prisoners to the lower ship’s bow.” Jack tried prying his fingers under the black armor plate on his chest but it would not budge. “What the hell do you have holding this on lieutenant?”

“Just the epoxy the Doctor had plenty of. I am afraid you are going to have to come with me and get painted with the rest of us.” The Lieutenant chuckled. “Those plates are not coming off Captain.”

Red came over before they could leave. “Captain. Pan gave me the Assault Blaster when she went down below. I don’t need it and you are the only one around that is trained in its proper operation and use.” She took the Assault Blaster off her back and handed it to Jack without its charge mag belt. “The power packs for the Heavy cannons have an adaptor for charging mags. I have the blaster mag belt plugged into my power pack charging the empty mags. It will be done recharging in a few minutes and I will give it to you. Come see me later when you need more mags recharged. The training mag are being switched over to full power and are being charged now by the other Heavy Weapon Power packs. We now have plenty of mags Captain.” Smiling she patted Jack on the head. “I am going over and do some more target practicing Captain. I just about have it dialed into my helmet’s HUD. Pan provided the translation program but I am still having to take care of the bugs.” She went over and stepped up onto the firing platform made from 5 foot square shipping containers and joined the others shooting across the heads of those down on the deck.

Jack looked down at the big weapon and turned to the Sargent. Holding the big weapon out to him. “Here Sargent…”

The Sargent shook his head. “No Captain. She already tried to give it to me. I don’t have time to train someone to use it properly and I hear you are one hell of a shot with it. It is all yours. Though the Lieutenant could probably use the Blast pistol. It is just going to get in your way.”

Jack turned to face the lieutenant and held the Assault Blaster out to her.

Shaking her head no. “I fired one already and it kicked me on my ass. I have yet to see anyone hit anything with the few we have at more than a fifty feet away so don’t give it to me. Especially if you can actually use the damn thing. I am not even sure I want the damn pistol but the Sargent is right. They are damn good weapons and need to be in different hands to get the best use of them. Maybe with enough practice and Red’s help I can hit something with it.”

Jack frowned. The last thing he wanted was to lug that damn Assault Blaster around but they were right. Slipping the big gun over his shoulder onto the mount on his back that the Republic suits did not have and then the belt, he took the pistol’s holster and belt off and handed it to the lieutenant. “That is the bad thing about blasters when you are used to laser guns that don’t kick. The blaster’s plasma balls have mass.” Taking out the Blast pistol Jack showed her how to hold it placing his left hand over the right holding the pistol grip. “All you have to do is use both hands locking them together and brace yourself and you will do fine even if it is a little big for us humans. Thank Godstar that Gronks aren’t Bigfoots, with the size of their hands we would be lucky to even pick either weapon up.” Handing the pistol to her and making sure she gripped it properly. “Good. Now go out and get painted so you can get some practice with it at full power before shit starts hitting the fan.”

Jack heard a loud whistle and turned to see Red still up on the firing line swing the Assault Blaster’s power mag belt out to her side and spin it as she let go. The open looped power mag belt came spinning through the air across the 30 some feet between them and down toward Jack. Not having time to think Jack’s arm reached out as he took a step toward it just in time to shove his arm through the open circle to catch the looping belt in the crouch of his arm. The weight of the mag filled belt spinning Jack around in a half circle before he could stop himself. As the practice fire stopped streaking over everyone’s head, a cheer went up around the fort. Shaking his head Jack unfastened the belt and placed it around his waist on the suit clips that appeared for it.

“Good catch Captain.” The Lieutenant said as others around that area joined in.

Embarrassed Jack did a little bow with a smile and said. “Ok. Everyone back to work. The show is over.”

One of the Commanders now red painted squad members came through the gate and up to Commander Nimitz. “Your orders sir?”

The Commander told the Red trooper to jump up on a crate with the others and shoot a few targets across the compound as the lieutenant stepped back up to Jack.

“Come Captain.” Grabbing Jack by the arm. “Let’s go out and get painted and show the troops how it’s done.” She started dragging Jack toward the gate not taking no for an answer. “The Commander needs to talk to the Sargent anyway Captain. You have the time.

“But I need to take the Commander down to the bow section. I can get painted later if I can’t get these stupid armor plates off.” ‘Besides I kind of like the look with the red stripes and red areas around the black plates. It looks snazzy.’ Jack thought to himself as the lieutenant dragged him through the gate.

Jack watched Olson painting the left leg of one of the solders as they walked up. Another couple of paint carts and trailers came sliding up around the gate loaded with women and other equipment and weapons. Most of them had blades on that made Jack smile at the waste since steel blades could not penetrate armor until he saw that they all had micronic edges on them that would make short work of any armor if they got close enough. Shaking his head wondering where they got so many Gronk blades, he looked at the now red painted trooper and realized that his armor was a good half inch thicker than the next man in line taking off equipment and getting ready for a paint job. The highly reflective ceramic red making a big difference in protection Jack was glad to see.

Jack was suddenly worried about the ceramic paint getting into the joints and stopping or at least hindering the solders movement. Then the solder started moving around as Olson gave him orders as she held a small paint pencil she used to spray a few of the joints as she watched until she was relieved by one of the new comers and she went back to the spray platform next to the pallet. Placing a mask over the faceplate of the next subject after he stepped up onto the platform in front of her. He had already taken off his wrist comm and everything else that could not be painted. She told him to spread his legs and arms out and went to work. Her hands expertly spraying the suit’s solid areas while missing the joints. Doing the front and then the back. The spray gun swishing back and forth never once hitting a joint as the spray came right up to each of them.

The other carts quickly set up but used a different technique. Two painters used very small pencil sprayers to quickly spray the joints with foam before handing the solder over to the main spray gun who simply ran the gun across the whole body without even trying to miss the joints in only a few seconds then told the guy to go stand some place quiet for two minutes and then carefully put on his comm and other light equipment but to wait 10 minutes for the heavy mag belts and weapons. The joints somehow appeared as the foam slowly dissolved leaving the joints clear.

Olson turned to Jack. “Yes Captain, your turn.”

Frowning as he handed the last of his equipment to the woman who placed them in a tub. Jack stepped up taking the place of the red trooper now off to one side being told by another boy looking woman to do specific moves to make sure his joints stayed loose and then helped him put on the suits equipment while the ceramics’ finished setting.

Looking down at Olson. “I have very advanced flexible armor around my joints that I don’t want painted. Not only is it already Red but a solid coating of armor would fuck up the power augmentations and could even harm me if I need to use them. Just paint the damn black plates that I can’t seem to get off and leave the rest dry. Do you understand me Tech Olson?”

“Yes sir. Paint only the black plates. Sir.” She smiled as she slapped a mask over Jacks Helmets visor and face.

Half way through Jack remembered that the damn black plates were already a half inch thick sticking out from his original armor and with another half inch of ceramic armor on top of that, he was going to have a hard time doing a lot of things. Hell half his equipment probably would not fit. “Olson, stop painting. I don’t need the extra armor just paint.” He could see through the mask as Olson kept going not even slowing down and realized that it was already too late as she was working on his arm he had his control module on.

A few seconds later she took the mask off and smiled. “There you go Captain. If I did it right your strange equipment should still fit. Just be careful as you put it back on. The armor will be soft for about 5 minutes allowing things like your comm and that big gun to recess into the armor and their original mounts. After that you may even survive a direct hit from one of those damn Spider cannons on those mechs if they hit you in my armor. Now get out of my way. I have work to do.”

A woman stepped up and proceeded to help Jack place his equipment back on properly before the new armor had time to set. Using her small pencil sprayer a few times allowing everything to fit including the big Assault Blaster down across his back in its original mounts.

The woman finally stepped back and surveyed the Captain and smiled. “Very good Captain. All set to go.”

“Thanks for your help.” Jack said as he looked down at himself and his new coating of bright red ceramic armor designed for reflecting laser weapons beams. Not sure how much good it would be against blaster plasma balls but then Gronk weapons were not that prevalent. Thinking about the blaster on his back Jack looked up into his HUD and realized that it was not the HUD he had grown used to over the last 6 months since he had gotten the God Battlesuit. The Assault Blaster stats was not on it while the now strange laser stats placement and type of targeting recitals that the Republic used were flashing trying to tell him he had no weapons. Shaking his head in disgust. He had been so busy trying to figure out the damn mind thing of his along with everything else he had let Lieutenant Shepperd put a republic helmet on is head as well as the stupid blacksuit armor over the outside of a suit that all he had to do was tell it to change color to black and it would have, hell it even had a stealth setting he could no longer use with all the crap on it now.

Reaching up he grabbed the helmet from his head and tossed it with some force sending it bouncing across the Bay. “I can’t believe how stupid I can be sometimes. The Dumonts and Red needed the fucking armor I didn’t.”

The Woman in front of him along with most of the people around him looked at him wondering what his problem was. The woman finally said. “Captain, you need your helmet. I can make it fit better if it is too tight sir.” She pointed to one of the other women and said. “Go get the Captain’s Helmet. Hurry.”

“No. Don’t bother. I don’t need that helmet. I have my own. I just aaa.” Jack reached up and tapped his collar and his helmet slid up from his collar, across his head and down to his neck. Looking around at the Lieutenant big eyes Jack suddenly realized that his helmet looked a lot different than the ones around him as his Hud came alive showing him not only his weapons but the sensor inputs not available with the Republic helmets. Taking a breath and appreciating how archaic the other solid fixed helmet was compared to this one he was used to. Flipping it back up off his head into its collar Jack smiled sheepishly. “Aaa, I needed to wear one of your helmets when I was trying to blend in but now I need to use my own with the Gronk weapon.” Jack reached back and patted the butt of the Assault Blaster and took a deep breath.

Turning to the Lieutenant as she was stepping down from the platform a minute later. “I need you to take charge here and make sure everyone gets painted while the Sargent concentrates on training. Keep the prisoners headed down the shaft. I have already told the Sargent to place scouts on the decks that are still open to the shaft but the more I think about it the best place to defend is the bow section. Figure out how to get the welder down and start welding the hatches shut. The shaft has thick enough armor to keep even the mechs from getting in. We will start pulling the rest of the troops out when I get back unless something happens before then but hopefully we will have a full two hours the Commodore agreed to. If something happens before then and we are not already gone, we only need to delay them long enough for us to drop down into the bow which we can defend while we wait. I am hoping the Chief can figure out how to get us down into the lower ship without setting off the traps or a major battle with the Commodore. Once we join forces with the ship bellow, the damn Commodore should at least stop attacking with us outnumbering him. Then all we have to do is wait for my troops to get here and it is all over for Commodore King.”

Jack turned and headed through the gate without looking back. He did not see the two half naked women start straggling across the bay toward the Compound. Fear plastered across their faces as they came, one not walking very well even with the other’s help. By the time Jack and the Chief entered the bow of the ship, the two women had turned into a flood and the black suits on the other side of the Bay had started to notice.

Chapter 11; Yet another mutiny

Someone had fastened a 5 foot square cargo crate outside the hatch into the bow section that made it easier to walk through the hatch from the Zero Gee of the Engine shaft. A ramp had been fixed to the inside of the Engine shaft hull hatch allowing Jack to walk down the 2 ½ foot drop from the hatch to the deck of the cabin that had its end cut off at an angle and then make a 30 some degree turn to go out the cabin’s hatch. Jack turned right to head for the elevator shaft with the Chief behind him. An Ensign was outside the cabin taking names and directing the ex-prisoners to work details cleaning up sections of the bow according to a list on a hand screen.

Jack came through the hatch just in time to hear the Ensign telling the rating ahead of them his assignment. “Aren’t you the lucky one First Class Hardwigg? You are now in charge of cleaning up the bodies on the bridge. Just count your blessings you are not on Ward Room duty. It is really a mess. You will find the protocols and what to do with the bodies on your PDA. Just be sure to record everything.” The Ensign suddenly came to attention when he saw Jack and the Chief. “Welcome aboard Captain Turner, Chief Nimitz. How can I help you?”

Jack returned the salute. “Where is Commander Glenn?”

“He is down at the bottom of the elevator shaft with a work crew trying to build an airlock so we can cut through the deck sir.”

“Thank you Ensign.” Jack started down the passageway until he heard the Chief talking to the Ensign. Then stopped and turned around.

“Ensign, have you been on the bridge or are you just assigning tasks from the bow plan?”

“Yes Chief. I took a quick tour of the important sections of the bow leaving most of the cabins for later. Sir. I still cannot believe how little damage there is to most of the decks with the engines rammed down through the hull. Some compartments and sections are cut off but except for all the bodies and a few pieces of equipment, everything looks normal.” The Ensign frowned shaking his head in disbelief.

Jack looked at the Chief baffled. He could feel sudden hope welling up from him but that was all.

“Are the suit Comms working down here?”

“Yes Chief, I can contact the Captain if I need to and I am getting work detail and scouting reports.”

“Very well Ensign, I want every maintenance tech sent to the bridge immediately no matter what they are doing unless they are already working at the bottom of the elevator shaft for the Captain. Carry on.” Turning to Jack the Chief smiled. “Come on Captain we have work to do.” Then tapping his comm. “Commander Glenn, Chief Nimitz here, I need you immediately on the bridge.”

“Aaa Chief. Glad to hear you joining us but I am a bit busy right now.”

“Too busy to talk to the lower half of the ship. If the bridge Comms to engineering don’t work now, it should only take a few minutes to get them working.”

“On my way up now Chief. You sure you can get them working? There is nothing intact at all coming up from or going down to the rest of the ship. Every line and pipe was cut when the upper refugee decks collapsed into the Command section. The Refugee decks were not as well supported as the Command and personnel decks in the bow are.”

“Yes Commander I am sure. Out.”

Jack followed the Chief up half a dozen ladders without slowing down passing work crews cleaning up some very gruesome mangled bodies. Entering the bridge Jack was shocked to see the mummified bodies of the crew on duty at the time of the collision, thrown all over the compartment. Some sticking out of the overhead with the lower half of one sticking out of the middle of the main forward screen. Most were sitting or lying around the deck like rag dolls in strange positions. Only one had been strapped into her seat and almost looked normal but for her head sitting at a strange angle with her neck broken.

The Chief went straight to the engineering console and started working on it. Finding out it still had power to it made the Chief relax considerable. “Well. That is half of it. Now let’s see what we can do with the hull nodes.”

Jack had spent time in The Game, working in just about every department and at every console on a bridge as he worked his way up the chain of Command including as a Comm Tech and even Comm Officer as well as an Engineering Chief which he had loved and tried to stay at but he was baffled at what the Chief was up too. Sure the Comm hull nodes used sections of the hull as antennas but how could that allow them to get into contact with the lower... Suddenly Jack wanted to kick himself in his own butt. It was simple physics to use the hull come nodes to broadcast and receive from the rest of the ship including the lower 9/10ths of the ship they couldn’t get too. Hell, he should be able to talk to any of his rescue boats as well when they got there. Jack went over to the Comm board and sat down. The board still had power and a quick check of the logs found their attempts to contact the ship from the Bomber/Transport. “Chief, I have receiver logs of my transmissions when I found the ships but I can’t find the emergency beacon I followed here. It is no longer transmitting. Can we transmit?”

“That doesn’t make sense. The boards they got away with included backups and I know we have not been able to get anyone down there.” Frowning as he looked back at the board. I see no reason why Captain. Most of the hull nodes are fine. I am routing a signal down into the ships internal systems through the stern hull nodes now that should put us in contact with the ISC in Engineering. An emergency distress signal won’t interfere with that.”

“Very well, I am initiating an emergency distress signal now that half the parsec in the Nebula should hear if we have enough working transmitting nodes. If my guys are anywhere close they should be able to answer.” Jack started the broadcast adding a briefing on what had happened to the ships and the situation aboard them.”

Jack finished and with a satisfying sigh and turned around from the console not expecting an immediate reply as Commander Glenn walked rapidly through the main hatch.

“Can you get in touch with the lower half or not Chief?” The Commander headed for the Chief at the Engineering console, ignoring Jack.

“Give me a minute Commander. I am working on it. That also depends on someone being in Main Engineering Control to answer the ISC. (Internal Ship’s Comm).” The ISC was a hard wired system that was supposed to work when everything else didn’t during battle insuring that the bridge could always contact the various main compartments in the ship. The Chief was simply replacing the hard wires from the bow to the stern using the ship’s hull.

“Can I give you a hand there Chief?” Jack asked.

A voice suddenly came from the speakers in Jack’s console. “What was that? Is someone there? How the hell do you work this damn box anyway?”

Surprised Jack turned back to the Comm Console. “This is Captain Turner of the USS Red Pepper. Who is this?”

“Weaver, Machinist Mate 3rd. How the hell are you talking on the One SC?”

“Where are you Weaver?”

“I am on the Parsley. Where are you?”

“Where on the Parsley are you?”

“Engineering Control. I have the watch. Don’t got no engines but the core and auxiliaries still need tending.”

Commander Glenn came up leaning over Jack’s shoulder. “This is Commander Glenn. Get me Mr. Groom Asap.”

“Yes sir. I will go get the Captain… I mean Commander immediately Captain. Glad to hear you aren’t dead after all sir.” Then they could hear footsteps running away and a hatch opening.

Jack slid out of the chair letting Commander Glenn take it. Walking over to the Engineering console he watched the Chief going through ship’s equipment stats. Then turning to the three Tech’s that had just come through the hatch the Chief started issuing assignments. “You go to deck 12’s ARC compartment (Air Recycling and Conditioning).” Pointing to one of the techs. “You head for the ARC on deck 20. We are going to have a house full and they need maintenance.” Then to the last Tech. “Get over to the Comm Compartment and start reconfiguring the Emergency Transponder lines to the external antenna nodes that are still transmitting. We need to punch through this cloud. Oh, and if you find someone there already, kill him or her. Don’t even bother asking or reporting until he or she is dead. IF they are in the Comm compartment already, it is to sabotage it and if you hesitate they will probably kill you so don’t. If I don’t hear from you in five minutes I will come in firing. Then lock the damn hatch. I don’t want any more sabotage. I will Comm you when I send you help.” Turning to Jack. “I need a trusted guard put outside the Comm compartment with orders to kill anyone that even starts down the passageway not already authorized by me or Captain Glenn.”

Jack’s eye brows raised. “Aaa sure Chief. You really think that one of the prisoners would sabotage the emergency beacon?”

“All I know is someone on Commander Glenn’s crew has been helping the Commodore and even told him about the raid to get the comm boards to repair their emergency transmitter in time to capture the Captain even if the rest managed to escape with the needed boards. Not to mention that some of the prisoners have been in custody for quite a while now.” Turning to Jack. “You said you have a boat? Where is it Captain?”

“Docked to the bow Chief. We used the Torpedo room hatch to get in.”

“Good then the Commodore probably won’t find it since he hasn’t yet. Now get me that guard Captain. Preferably one of the marines.”

“Sorry Chief but the marines are busy up stairs and I don’t know who to trust on either crews. Captain Glenn is going to have to appoint the guards.” Jack suddenly realized that was not exactly true. He did have kind of a lie detector now. That is if he could figure out how to use it properly when he talked or looked at people. “You sure that tech would not damage the Comm?”

The Chief looked at Jack and frowned. “Yes I have worked with the man enough to know he hates the Commodore and is loyal to his ship. He rebuilt the emergency Transponder twice when they were damaged in raids when the Commodore lied and even managed to throw the needed parts to repair it again down a hatch to his compatriots before he was captured a couple months ago when it had been sabotaged. No I don’t believe we need to worry about him.”

“Who the hell is this?” A voice said from the console in front of Commander Glenn. “I was assured that Warmongering Ass hole Glenn would never be heard from again.

The Captain’s mouth actually dropped open for a few seconds and then. “What the hell are you talking about Commander? You were assured?”

“It is you! Where is the Commodore? Get off the line. I want to speak with the Commodore. He promised to kill you.”

“Oh and why would you want to do that Commander Groom?”

“That is Captain Groom now Commander. With you and your damn warmongering out of the way, the Commodore and I have come to an understanding. He stays up there and has his orgies and leaves us alone as long as we don’t try transmitting any more stupid Emergency beacons.”

“Are you crazy? That ass hole has broken every promise he has made. Every peace treaty and agreement. Killing crewmen each time and taking equipment and prisoners.”

“That was your Antagonistic fault. You were the one that demanded that we keep men armed, allowed the aliens to build a habitat on our hull and kept that stupid Beacon going trying to call the Spiders down on us. You and your militant patriotic crap trying to get back to that fucking Rock. I told you all we had to do was deal with him in good faith and as a civilized man, he would respond in kind.”

“Oh and what about all the prisoners he has made into slaves including raping the women.”

“Easy. So what, it does not affect me and my people. Most of the ones taken were your militants and uneducated hicks that do not matter. We can live very comfortably until the enemy leaves without them. I have moved the aliens up to the upper end of the cargo holds to form a buffer between us and we are now in the process of arranging a trade agreement to trade our excess food for some of their better educated women and security. They have no reason to even threaten us you Militaristic moron. So just go back to your cell Commander and leave us alone.”

“I am your superior officer Groom.”

“The hell you are! I have twice as many Doctorates than you and just because you have a commissioning date before mine and was appointed as the ships First Officer does not mean you are even qualified. I am better than you ever will be and that was proven over and over again the incredibly moronic way you have handled such a reasonable man as the Commodore. Ever since the first time you disobeyed his orders.”

“I disobeyed his order to execute half of my male crewmen and assign the females to harems you egotistical bastard.”

“That order was needed to adjust the ships population to the reality of our new circumstances and very appropriate Commander. Any Politically Correct Academic Professor with any brains knows that.”

“Just because you were a professor for 40 years you think you are better than the rest of the population? What if you were amongst the half I decided to execute?”

“Don’t be ridiculous Commander. That would be a waste of my great education that will be needed when we return to civilization. Getting rid of the uneducated riff raff is just a matter of the consensus of the most educated on the ship for the good of controlling the masses.”

“The fewer the masses the better right. And of course anyone that disagrees with you or are not members of the most educated on the ship should be the first to go out the lock right Professor.”

“Of course. It would not be a consensus if the Commodore and I allowed dissenting opinions to survive.”

“Even if your consensus is based on half-truths and outright lies Professor?”

“A few lies to back up politically correct consensuses is sometimes unavoidable. After all the result out ways the means no matter what we have to lie about or do. Now get Commodore King for me and go back to your cell. I must talk to him about you being allowed to run around free. You are much too popular with the crew down here to risk you returning. At least until I have had time to prove to them that you are responsible for all their problems and not me and the Commodore. The stupid masses are so easy to manipulate if given time with the proper propaganda and no dissenting voices.” The Professor smiled. “Fact is, it would be something if you were still around by then and I could hang you in the middle of the Gundeck in front of everyone to prove to them who is superior around here.”

The Professor smiled. “But that is going to take a while with the proper incentives. Like taking away everything they have including rations until they are half starved to death and freezing in their bunks and blaming you so I can give it all back to become their savior.” The Professor was smiling ear to ear. “That is what comes from studying dictators and kings that have ruled humanity for thousands of years and knowing the flaws of all Democracies and why they all failed. You promise them everything while giving them nothing and taking everything from them blaming others. Then when they are half dead and hating an enemy I have made up, then I will give them that enemy and enough scraps to keep them alive and the brain washed morons will worship me.”

The Lt. Commander smiled at Commander Glenn’s and Jack’s shocked disbelieving faces. Taking a deep breath he stated chuckling. “The road maps are in the history books which is why you must control the schools to keep the morons from finding out. First you let them vote in everything they could ever want, inventing reasons why they should make their great government bigger, restricting freedoms for the masses and robbing the rich to pay for it. Even if you have to higher thugs to make the populace demand the government protect the masses and disarm themselves. Though robbing the rich just puts people out of work making the masses poorer who demand more from the government who take it from the rich which costs more jobs. Finely with most of the population out of work, supported by the government robbing the rich to pay for it, until there are no more rich to pay for things and when it all starts disappearing and falling apart it is not the Governments fault with a ready minority like the aliens to blame.”

“Yes with the other ship to blame for shortages after the aliens are dead I can keep most of the crew half-starved while I and the officers that I have decided to keep alive, live in the luxury we deserve.”

“Don’t you see Commander that the masses are incredibly stupid and deserve to be ruled by kings? So why wait. I can have my own little kingdom here like the Commodore King promised. And the Congressional Academic Communist Democrats are doing on Earth. And all you have to do is die. Oh and just because you are alive don’t expect your crew to come to your rescue. I have confiscated all the weapons from them while arming my loyal men to the teeth. If they try anything I will cull half of them finishing what the Commodore King ordered 6 months ago instead of waiting. After all that just leaves more women for me.”

Looking around at the rating staring at him. “Close your mouth stupid. It makes you look even more moronic than you are.” Turning back to Commander Glenn. “Speaking of women, I will talk to the Commodore later. After all you can’t get past your own stupid little traps can you?” Slapping at the normal comm switch as he started chuckling, the Professor Commander turned and walked out leaving the shocked rating behind. “It amazes me how stupid those un-educated Naval Officers are.”

Captain Glenn looked up at Jack. “He talked about being a pacifist, power to the people, using the Government to protect the environment, the masses against all harm and themselves, since I met him. And it was all a cover because he wanted to become a dictator murderer with absolutely no regard for intelligent life but his own. But then he made a few comments one time after a few drinks about forcing his students to get abortions after getting them pregnant and he was mad because they were too stupid to use proper birth control when they fucked him for good grades. But then if you can kill children in the womb so easily, you can kill adults just as easily. That should have told me what a lying hypocrite he truly was before this.”

Commander Glenn suddenly jumped up. “We have to stop them from attacking my ship.” And headed for the hatch.

Jack reached out and grabbed her arm jerking her to a stop. “We can’t go off halfcocked damn it. We are outnumbered and they have Mechs. Put someone here with the Comms screaming for help. Take the Chief down to break through to the lower decks and I will go up and see what I can do to delay the attack. Maybe even side track it.”

“Captain Glenn. This is the engine hatch into the upper ship. We have half naked women that can barely walk coming down now. I just got a message that says they are flooding into the Bay and the Blacksuits are starting to notice. What do I do with them?”

“Send them to the Sick Bay. It should be cleaned of bodies by now. I will find someone to get them organized.” Turning to Jack. “See what you can do to get as many down here as possible but make sure that hatch is closed when the fighting starts down the shaft. I can’t let these people go back even if you fail to stop the main attack. All I can hope for is with most of my crew unarmed the Fucking King won’t harm them. I just wish I could be there when the fucker blows Groom’s head off like he spent half of my time with him talking about. Especially since my understanding of why was so damn wrong.” Glenn Chuckled. “The Ass hole King can’t stand to be around anyone that thinks like him and holds the same beliefs. They are boring. Not to mention that they are to much a threat since he can’t trust them. Can you imagine that? The biggest lying dick around insisting on dealing with only people that he can trust not to lie.” She said as she walked out the hatch with the Chief following.

Jack headed for the Engine shaft hatch.

Jack had a hard time getting up the power Chase shaft with the catwalk packed with half naked and totally naked women making their way to hoped for safety. Jack finally had to pull himself up hand over hand along the side rail against the One Tenth Gee as women kept trying to glob onto him for protection. His arms were half dead as the stopped at a little platform holding a micronic welder a hull tech was using to weld the hatches to the decks closed as Jack had ordered.

Gathering his strength back as the women kept streaming past, Jack was surprised when he was tapped on the shoulder from behind. “If you will stop ogling the boobs I will give you a lift Captain. Besides none of them can compare to mine when I feel like it.”

Jack turned his head to find Pan hovering behind him. Taking a deep breath he smiled. “I have to agree with you Pan, after yours, theirs don’t hold much interest. I am all yours.”

Pan grabbed him by the rescue ring on his back and lifted him off the railing. Passing the last few decks she plopped him down on the deck next to the cut out deck plate.

“Thanks for the lift Pan. What is this about the women refugees? How did they find out?” His gaze drifted out to see the painters finishing up the last of the troops. Red suited troops already lined the top of the cargo containers around the compound. “Well it looks like they told a few of their friends and it spread from there by the looks of it.” Jack walked out through the gate as women continued to trickle in at 3 or 4 a minute with the scattered line stretched out across the Bay.

Walking out of the gate he watched as a thumper next to the gate shoot a Blacksuit that started to get too close to one of the refugee women with a rubber riot bullet. The big black bullet knocking the guy off his feet. “Good shooting.” Jack said as he turned to the guy and noticed one of the painters already spraying ceramic foam on the bottom containers making up the wall of the compound. Others were in the process of changing the big 5 gallon containers on one of the other paint carts as one of the girls worked on the nozzle gun. As Jack watched the cart shudder for a second and then the girl pointed the gun at the top of the closest container and started sending a stream from the gun up to the top then moving it up and down in perfectly spaced rows as she started working her way along the container leaving every inch covered in a thick mat that started expanding and growing a crystal sheen to its surface. The third cart started covering the middle of the 2 stacked containers to match the lower half of the wall as they worked their way around the compound container wall.

Turning back around Jack saw with relief that the stream of women had stopped coming as the last of the stragglers made it across the bay and through the gate. Walking to one side Jack tried to see what was happening around the core but could only see a couple of squads off to the sides and the still smoking Mech. Turning back around he could see black suits through the core hatch the women had been coming out of forming a line. ‘Ok, why are they doing that?’ Jack asked himself before dismissing them as he went back to trying to plan some kind of campaign to attack the troops on the other side of the core before they attacked and without getting slaughtered.

He wasn’t coming up with much of anything other than running around both sides and hoping they killed most of them before the Mechs killed most of his troops which was not even a good plan. Looking up to where the nests were along the corner catwalks. Sending men back up there would be a death trap long before they would be able to take out the Mechs. No, he needed to get the Mechs separated into confined spaces to get them from behind and take them out. Shaking his head wishing he was back on the Red Pepper which now had all kinds of weapons to take out Mechs.

Jack heard some muffled screams and then some laser shots from the direction of the hatch in the core and then a flood of women over whelmed the line of Blacksuits through the hatch and started running out across the bay again.

Jack started running for the hatch as he saw more laser flashes through the opening. The Heavy Assault Blaster in his hands without thinking about hit suddenly did not feel so heavy. Shoving his way through the hatch Jack found a half dozen Blacksuits being torn up with several others cornered with their weapons pointed at the deck in front of the women but only firing when they got too close without hurting anyone. The weapons from the dead Blacksuits on the deck being pointed at the group by half naked women hovering over the bodies of several women.

“Don’t fire!” Jack bellowed as he pointed his weapon at the Blacksuits. “No, one fire. Just calm down.” Several Red suits came in behind Jack. Their guns ready.

Jack walked over to the women as he covered the Blacksuits. “Drop your weapons. Everyone.” Jack reached down and took a weapon from one of the women and noticed that the body below her on the deck was still alive. “Damn it. Get a medic over here fast.” Shoving his Blaster back over his back again and the pistol in his belt, Jack bent down, pulled out his med kit and sprayed the trauma foam into the wound and then stabbed her arm with the trauma pen. The other Red suits took the weapons away from the Black suits, trussed them up and started dragging them out toward the compound. Medics pushing their way down the ramp from the deck above quickly took over. One medic pushed Jack out of the way as another tossed him a new med kit. “We have them now Captain.”

Looking down at the new medical kit. “We could use a bunch of these. I haven’t seen any of my prisoner troops with any yet.”

“We weren’t allowed to give them any Captain. Though we don’t have that many left as it is, I will try to get you what I can.” The medic said as he worked.

Jack looked around as the flood down the ramp started to thin. “As far as these refugees go. Can’t you take them up to Sickbay? I am not sure I can protect them when the shooting starts.”

“We have been trying Captain. But we have never been able to keep them from being dragged back as soon as they are halfway healed so they don’t trust us. Most would rather take their chances with you.” Looking around at the ramp that was almost empty again. “Besides you have most of them now anyway.” They placed the women and another still alive blacksuit on the portable gurney’s and headed up the ramp. The Medic turned to Jack before following. “I will get these up to Sickbay and then grab what supplies and medics I can and come back down and join you if we can get across the Bay.” Then she was gone up the ramp.

Jack watched them leave and then heard screaming out the hatch accompanied with what he recognized as Mechs clomping across the deck. Sticking his head around the corner of the hatch, Jack watched the refugees now running across the deck away from the mechs instead of toward the Compound. Five of the Mechs were trying to catch the fleeing women while a sixth hung back giving orders. Jack recognized the 6th mech as the one with chevrons that had gunned down the operator that had refused to drive what he had called a piece of junk.

Several big rubber bullets from the thumpers hit the Mech with chevrons making it turn around toward what was slowly becoming an armored Redoubt. The back heat sink plate in full view. Without thinking the Assault blaster was suddenly in his hands and aimed at the plate on its back.

The Mech raised its cannon and its machinegun toward the Redoubt and the dozens of Red suits around it.

“Shit! No you don’t ass hole.” Jack pulled the trigger sending several blaster shells into the Mechs back plate.

Suddenly the Mech was a towering inferno as the top entry hatch blew off with flames streaking toward the overhead far above. A smaller torch was blowing out the hole in its back aimed directly at Jack.

Jack watched the other Mechs turn around to face the burning Mech as he ducked back behind the hatch out of sight. Hugging the bulkhead Jack waited to hear the clomping of Mechs headed his way but when they sat frozen and unmoving for a good minute Jack peeked around the corner. His curiosity getting the better of him.

He could not believe it as he watched the frozen mechs start turning away one by one from both the burning mech and the women and head back around the core toward the rest of the Blacksuited forces. The women already making beelines for the Redoubt.

Jack brought his Assault Blaster up and aimed it at the backs of the retreating mechs but could not make himself pull the trigger. It was one thing when the damn mech was an immediate threat but he could not make himself pull the trigger in cold blood when they were not technically a threat yet. Besides if he shot another one, they would know it was he and not the Mech self-destructing. With any luck the drivers would abandon them out of fear. But then again if he had fired and the Mechs attacked him, his forces could have gotten them in a cross fire and possibly have taken them all out before reinforcements arrived around the core. Though being alone on this side he stood a good chance of getting killed if it was not a quick fight. But then even if he wasn’t killed, he would be stranded in the core away from the rest when the rest of the Black suits came flooding around the core. No not a good idea at all. “So why do I feel like such a chicken shit for not firing?” He asked himself.

Several out of breath medics came running down the ramp pushing gurneys full of supplies. Jack recognized the one he had talked to. “Told you we would be back Captain. Thanks for waiting for us. I really did not want to run a gauntlet.”

Jack stepped out of the hatch with the medics without saying a word. Too embarrassed to tell them that he had still been there because he had been to chicken shit to move. As they leisurely walked across the Bay Jack went back to trying to figure out a way to attack them without getting his people slaughtered. A lot pissed at himself for not taking out the mechs when he had the chance.

The Medic finally broke the silence. “A Captain. You would not happen to know what happened to the ship’s marines would you? The Captain is calling all over the ship looking for them.”

“Yes. They are in the compound or Redoubt training the volunteers.”

“Good. That is a relief. With them on our side we stand a chance. The Sargent has had a lot of experience with pirate ships.”

Jack looked at the Medic. “Amazing what you can learn listening. Thanks.” Stopping at the gate. “Wait here and get a good coating of white armor with red crosses on your suits.” Then yelling at the nearest painter as she was finishing up the last of the bottom containers. “More customers ladies and while you are at it this time, don’t forget yourselves. Then start working on covering the containers bulkheads inside the Compound or I suppose we should start calling it a redoubt with all the armor you girls are putting on it.” He just hoped it was enough. Jack headed through the Gate to find the Sargent.

The Sargent was in the middle of trying to teach squad tactics in the limited space he had in the compound when Jack approached him. “Yes Captain, what can I do for you?”

“Take a walk with me Sargent.”

Not wanting to talk in front of the men and not having anyplace private, they wound up outside the Redoubt in the middle of the bay.

“Sargent. I have a problem. Some pacifist fool has taken over the lower ship and has disarmed most of his crew. Believing that with the warmongering Commander Glenn gone that the Commodore will be reasonable and leave them alone as long as they kiss his ass.” Taking a deep breath to let that soak in. “What do you think Sargent?”

The Sargent chuckled. “The only ass kissing they are going to do is saying good bye to their own Assess. The King will slaughter most of the men just to be doing it. The Rooster doesn’t like a lot of other cocks in the hen house. You can count the aliens dead as well and hanging on his bulkheads as trophies.” The Sargent pointed up over his shoulder at the two living Gronks up on the core hull.

“Well Sargent, we need to attack them before they launch their assault to prevent that if we can. I just can’t figure out a way to attack them without getting us killed by their fucking Mechs.” Jack hooked his thumb over his shoulder at the still blazing Mech behind him. Again regretting not taking out as many of them as he could when they had their backs to him.

The Sargent smiled. “Come Captain, they are just cargo hold mechs. They have all kinds of flaws besides being slow and awkward when carrying a load like armor. Get them out on the hull and they are easy pickings. Didn’t I hear someone say that if we attacked down the chase, they would blow the shaft out to vacuum? Sounds like the perfect battleground for us if you ask me. The suit techs have been working hard to make sure everyone’s suits are up to specks including Vacuum. We would still be out numbered but we would at least have a chance if we got out there first in time to set up some kill zones around what is left of the ships fins and knocked out turrets. We would just have to stay away from the live turrets is all. We could even work our way down the hull to the other ship.”

“Ok Sargent…” Jack started thinking and frowned. “I don’t really like leaving the refugees and prisoners behind unprotected even if they are in the other ship’s bow. They could figure out where the hatch is and break in. Besides when the shaft is blown it could dump half the ship into vacuum if all the hatches did not close.”

“Well Captain they don’t know about the bow still being intact. But we do have a micronic welder. We weld the deck back into place when we leave to seal the deck. That will also keep them from even getting to the hatch to the bow section just in case they find out the good news.”

“Damn I don’t like it but it is the best I have heard so far. Only thing is Sargent I have not had that much experience with combat on hulls. You are going to have to take charge of that. Can you run a company in a battle?”

“I read the reports that came with the alien’s and their tech you sent the Commodore. You did a fine job stripping the enemy battleship and getting your troops off the ship. You know the basics of deploying the Company Captain, I will be your master Sargent keeping your head above the water with the finer details handling the troop’s sir. Together we will kick butt sir.”

“I hope so Sargent. I hope so.” Jack and the Sargent returned to the Redoubt and got to work.

Chapter 12; The Gundeck battle

“Captain! Commodore’s cart approaching with an escort.” Jack’s Comm said in his ears.

Turning around he walked out the Redoubt’s gate as the Commodore’s cart sporting a flag with the star of a Fleet Rear Admiral, pulled up with his escort stopping behind him. Jack frowned they still needed a half hour to get everything ready.

The Commodore glanced at Jack with a dirty look at his suit and then looked past him. “Get me Commander Zeek immediately Creeton.” Then turned to look straight ahead ignoring Jack. When Jack did not move after a few seconds he looked back at Jack. “I said get me Commander Zeek this instant! Are you too much of a moron to obey the orders of your superiors?” This time the Commodore king stared at Jack as Jack stared at him without saying anything.

Finally the Commodore started looking at Jacks suit and the weapon on his back before looking back at Jack’s face. “I don’t know you. Are you one of the prisoners from the other ship? I have only met the officers so I know you are not an officer.” Then the Commodore spotted Jacks Acting Captain’s Eagles on the collar of his suit. The black plates and then the additional red armor had covered his name. “Who the hell are you and why are you wearing what looks like alien armor?”

“Very observant of you Commodore. I am Captain Turner of the Red Pepper.”

“What?” Looking at Jack wide eyed before his expression changed to pissed off. “You’re the one that sent me those stupid aliens and then got me trapped here in the middle of this cloud. How the hell and what do you think you are doing here?”

“I came across the other ship’s distress beacon and came to rescue them before I found your ship and now that I know what you have done I am placing you under arrest for conduct unbecoming an officer, murder, mutiny and a hundred other regulations including impersonating a fleet Admiral, acting Commodore Robinson.

“You have got to be kidding.” The Commodore said shocked before a smile came back to his face. I would know if a ship had arrived Turner. So the most you could have is a boat and since you have been hiding up until now, that means you did not bring much of a crew with you and just your luck you fell in with a bunch of prisoners that aren’t armed. OH this is good. Now as your superior officer I order you to attack down that shaft on the other side of that little compound or I will have you executed.”

“I don’t think so Commodore.” Jack pulled the laser pistol he had traded the lieutenant for the blast pistol and pointed it at the Commodore. His escort suddenly piling out of their carts as the Sargent came out with his weapon ready and the men above pointed theirs down. “I am going to end this little war now before it gets started. Get out of the Cart Robinson.”

The cart suddenly shot forward as the Commodores escort opened fire on Jack hitting him several time including in the helmet that suddenly appeared over his head. Jack fired but only catching the back side of the cart as it turned away.

The commodores escort died in only a few seconds and then with Jack taking the lead a dozen Red troops started plastering the back of the Commodores cart as it sped away. The beams hitting the solid back that turned out to be armored.

Too late, Jack whipped his Blaster off his back only to have the cart disappear around the core before he could shoot. Slipping the Assault Blaster back onto his back he looked down at his laser pistol. “Damn, if I still had my Blast Pistol that damn creation would be dead and this war would be over.”

“You want it back?” The Lieutenant said behind Jack as she walked up.

Turning to glance at her before staring after the Commodore. “No, too late now. You able to hit the broad side of a space station yet?”

“Just call me miss sure shot Captain. Sorry I didn’t get here sooner.”

The Sargent turned from examining the two escort carts. “Looks like we got a few more blasters here. The Commodores escort was well armed. Luckily the two with the Blast pistols couldn’t hit a shuttle at point blank range while the ones with the Assault blasters never got them out of the carts. We even have an automatic grenade launcher and a couple hundred grenades. Not bad.”

“Well get them distributed to your best and some practice and let’s speed up the evacuation of the Redoubt down the shaft. I don’t think we have long before our butts are going to be wishing we were anyplace else but here.” Looking up at the top of the cargo boxes he could see the additional foam armor the girls had sprayed along the wall of junk they had stacked along the edge of the deck. Complete with firing notches. Turning he followed their new carts in through the gate after the bodies were stripped and dumped.

It only took a few minutes before the Mechs came around the core from both directions, marching toward the redoubt.

“Captain Turner.” Came the Commodores voice over the Comm using the Blacksuit channel. “You will attack down the shaft or I will have my Mechs kill you all.”

Jack turned to the Sargent. “Let’s shoot the riot gas grenades Sargent.”

A dozens of grenades arched up over the top of the bulkheads and arced down around each group of Mechs. Their proximity fuses detonating them before they hit or harmed anyone. Exploding into instant clouds preventing rioters from throwing the old canisters back at the police. The riot gas was designed to cling to everything it touched enabling it to linger making it hard for the wind to blow it away while marking all who it touched making it impossible for them to out run the nauseous gas. After several rounds the Mechs were soon covered in the orange slime the gas left behind clinging to them and blocking their viewports. The Orange slime outgassing a steady stream. Their Cannon fire already inaccurate, became wild as their visibility was reduced even farther.

By the time the bright orange Mechs were only 50 feet away and the riot gas explosions stopped they could barely make out the Redoubt let alone target anything.

Jack peeked out the gate at the group of Mechs that were closer than the others. “Ok Sargent Target the closest Mech in the north group as planned.” Jack brought up his blaster and aimed at the Mech’s chest and pulled the trigger. The other newly acquired Assault blasters along with the pistols targeted the same point. While a dozen laser guns fired at the viewports of the Mechs to help blind them.

At point blank range the blasters eat away at the Mechs armor one shot at a time. Taking some 30 shots before the first finally penetrated turning the Mech into a flaming coffin with the Mech locking up its joints to keep from dropping cargo if it lost power, keeping it upright as the top hatch blew off creating another torch that almost reached the overhead before becoming simply flames spewing out the top at the bottom of a column of smoke.

The rest of the Mechs suddenly started backing. “Follow my targeting.” Jack said over his Comm. As he aimed at the next closest Mech.

Jack got two shots off into its chest before it suddenly turned its back to him and started to run.

It took two more steps before 6 plasma shell balls hit its back and it blew up spreading parts of the Mech in all directions creating a huge cloud of flame and smoke.

The last 3 Mechs quickly retreated as fast as they could back up. One weaving back and forth until it hit the opposite hull before sliding along the cages to get back under cover behind the core.

Jack took a deep breath as he watched the retreating Mechs still firing wildly almost in all directions. Even sending a few shots back around the core and the Commodore’s assembly area. “Well two Mechs without any casualties on our side. Damn good Sargent.”

“Sorry Captain but we have one dead.”

“What the hell! Who? What happened? Where?” Jack followed the Sargent up onto the deck to a body laying against one of the walls made from junk and foam ceramic. He still held his weapon but his head was gone.

“Just bad luck Captain. One of the damn wild shots happened to hit directly through the notch he was firing through. Could have happened to anyone. 3 inches in any direction and he wouldn’t have been hit Captain.”

Shaking his head Jack checked his name tag. “Sargent, make sure Specialist Margraph gets down to the bow with the wounded. We aren’t leaving anyone behind.” Looking up he scanned the Bay. “What the hell are they doing now? Why aren’t they attacking again already?”

Dropping back down to the deck Jack headed out the gate toward the ladder going up to the overhead corner catwalk.

Pan slid up to him. “What the hell are you doing Captain?”

“I need to see what is happening around that damn central core and since we have no remotes that leaves the old mark one eyeballs. Now go back to your post.” Jack started jogging toward the ladder.

Suddenly Jack was flying through the air as Pan lifted him by the rescue ring between his shoulders. Depositing him back inside the Redoubt she shook her finger at him. “You stay the hell at your post and I will be your Mark One eyeballs.” And then she was gone.

Jack quickly climbed up to the top deck just in time to see Pan zip around the back side of the bay as close to the overhead corner catwalk as she could get and disappear behind the core. Running over to the other side he watched her emerge at a good clip with laser streaks all around her. Jack held his breath as the streaks continued to follow her until she was almost back to the redoubt to land next to Jack.

Tapping her ever present PDA she smiled at Jack. “There, you have my best sensors on your suit for your Mark One eyeballs to peruse at your leisure. Without leaving your Post Captain.”

Jack played with the controller on his forearm for a minute then looked at Pan as he turned his back to her. “Deck plate please Pan.” The deck plate had become the Command center simply because it was out of the way of all the other activity in the Redoubt, centrally located and could be adjusted into a Command table.

Pan dropped Jack off next to the deck table and sat down beside him as his officers assembled. “Pan, please use your PDA as a projector.”

Pan placed her PDA on the table and stepped back as Jack reached for his forearm controls. A three dimensional video appeared over the table. “It looks like they are getting ready to come around the core from the north in a mass attack to overwhelm what little firepower they think we have. What is bothering me is the addition of 3 more Mechs you can see lined up here.” Jack moved the video to show the new Mechs not far from the remaining 3 of the originals that were having the riot gas coating cleaned off. “They must be the other Cargo Mechs that had been damaged by sabotage about ready to go. What is startling is that they look different than the first ones.”

The Sargent looked closer. “Yes they have armor on the back that not only counter balances all the armor across its front allowing the Mech to stand straighter on its feet making it more maneuverable and probably faster. But worse yet, it looks like a solid steel plate instead of foam armor which means that with it mounted solidly to the aluminum heat sink block, it become a massive heat sink that will not limited its power like the first batch.” Looking closer at the original Mechs. “Yes it looks like they are getting ready to attach the heat sink armor to the rear as well on these three.” Straitening up as he turned toward Jack. “They will now probably wait for the Mechs to finish up armoring before attacking us in mass in one fast rush.”

Jack shook his head. “We might survive a rush by one or the other but not both at the same time.” Jack started looking around the 3D image before finding the Commodore and zooming in on him. He was relaxing in an easy chair sipping something with a naked woman dancing for him. Jack smiled as he chuckled. “He looks all too happy. Let’s give him something to think about.” Tapping his forearm control panel. “Hay Commodore. You look all too Kingly sitting in your thrown taking a dump. Too bad it is going to end so soon when my ship gets here.”

“Don’t lie to me boy. We are lost in the damn cloud without a beacon. They could pass within a thousand miles of us and never see us. You are mine now. Obey me and I will let you live. Even let you have a harem of your own.”

“To bad I have a beacon going. One that is a hundred times more powerful than the little thing the other ship had. Hell, they can probably pick it up all the way to The Rock. Give it up now and I will promise not to give you the death penalty. With the right lawyer, you could get a nice colony instead of a penal planet like Firestorm. You know the oxygen atmosphere planet that orbits so close to its sun it melts steel with a rotation that is just fast enough to allow a person to walk just ahead of the terminator in the narrow livable zone between day and night. Where all you have to do is stop walking for a good sleep to die in its suns heat. No warden, no guards, no bars and no hope.”

“What do you mean beacon? I made a deal with that fool to shut it down and now you are trying to bluff me. I taught the political class at the University on how to lie with the best politicians long before you were born boy. Give it up”

“You know I have a boat here don’t you? Or do you think I just drifted here wearing only my suit. Even you can’t be that stupid. No I have thousands of troops at my command. Only half are Gronks but when they see what you have done to their brothers, they are not going to let you or the rest of your officers live if you don’t surrender. Thank Godstar that they don’t blame solders following orders for the actions of their commanders. They are safe but you aren’t. Not unless you surrender to me know so I can get the Gronks off that bulkhead and to Sick Bay before they die. Otherwise you might as well shoot your own balls off and then stick you pistol up your butt and pull the trigger. It would be a lot less painful for you.”

Jack chuckled. “I saw them keep an officer alive for weeks screaming the whole time begging for them to just kill him while using his balls for punching bags. Now you have what? A couple dozen officers or more? My, that is going to be a damn noisy hanger for a couple of weeks. If you don’t believe me you can come over and I will show you the video of the whole thing. But I have to admit 3 weeks was a bit long. Most of the officers died in less than a week. And then there was the feasting on their bodies. I could not believe it the first time they ripped off an arm and started chomping on it. The officer could not believe it either seeing them dolling out pieces of his arm. They say officers are much tenderer than the average solder since they don’t work as hard.”

Jack looked around him as a wave of fear started coming from the direction of the other side of the bay.

“Oh and if you think you can simply hunt down my boat don’t bother. It is not only drifting about a mile from this hulk but you can’t get into it. Touch it and it will kill you. Not that it would matter if you could get in, it doesn’t even have the beacon. I have that on me or should I say with me. As long as it is grounded to a deck that is connected to the hull, it can transmit. A little Spider technology present.”

Most of the group around the table just stared at Jack while the Sargent kept suppressing a grin as he concentrated on the 3D projection. Pan and Krump kept looking at each other dumbfounded.

“Now I expect my ship to be here in a couple hours at most and I see you are getting ready to try another assault. Don’t, it is a waste of time. Even if you succeed all you will do is insure your death that much sooner. And if you do kill me it is a custom of Gronks to slaughter and wipe out all soldiers of the opposing enemy if their commander is killed. They turn into berserkers that feel no pain and car nothing for their own lives. Their only thought will be to avenge the death of their commander. Even if you are winning up until that time, I can guaranty you that you won’t win after that against a thousand pissed off Gronks. Sorry you call them monsters. Then after words they will take every tenth solder that does survive and put them through the same torcher as the officers. While eating the meat of all the vanquished soldiers to honor their dead leader. Having to eat the last soldier that fought against them before they can be given a new leader. Oh by the way the longer they can torcher the enemy responsible for their leader’s death, the more honor they return to their command.”

Jack took a couple of deep breaths. “You best give up and just sit there, my ship should be here anytime now following my beacon to take you into custody. Or attack and you will wish your ancestors were never born Commodore. Your choice you stupid moron.” Jack started laughing as he tapped his Comm off and his face lost its smile.

“My god and I have a whole squad of those monsters on my ship?” Commander Glenn said shocked as she glanced toward the Gronks hanging on the bulkhead even though they could not see them from the table.

Jack raised his hands above his head surrendering. “NO! I was lying for Criste sake. The only truth was that they are incredibly loyal to their Commander. Which is supposed to be you Captain Glenn. They don’t eat human or Gronk flesh unless they go berserk. You have nothing to worry about them. After all, wasn’t it you that told me that they would not do anything but defend the ex-slave’s?”

“You have got to be kidding. They don’t even speak English. I have to go through that damn interpreter just to give them orders which they ignore most of the time. They won’t even leave the damn ship and the other aliens.”

“Ok, then you have not bonded with them yet. That is a problem. They speak and understand English very well. ”

“What? Bond with them? How the hell do I do that?”

“Well. I killed a couple of Black Apes in mortal hand to hand combat during a battle. Ohhh, AAA, the Red Apes are what we called Gronks before we knew what they called themselves.” Jack looked at Commander Glenn sheepishly smiling.

“I have to kill a pair of Gronks in combat?”

Jack turned and looked at Pan and Krump. “Come on guys. There has to be an easier way than that.”

“Yes Captain, all you have to do is assign them to Captain Glenn. Their last orders from you were to guard the crewmen you sent with the technology. They will die doing just that until you change their orders. I have heard that you were able to get an external comm line out from the bridge. You could have contacted them then and changed your orders.” Glancing back at Krump. “If you please Captain. We also do not understand why you lied to the Commander. That is very disturbing.”

Jack could not believe them as he chuckled. “Aaa. I lied to the Commander because he expected me to lie to him and because half of everything he says are lies. Liars hate to be lied to which will piss him off in so many ways and then I added insult to injury by talking to him like a moron and calling him stupid. Now even though he knows I was lying to him he can’t be sure of what I was lying to him about but it does not matter because it will give him an excuse to do what he now wants to do and that is immediately attack if he takes my bate. It also makes his men less willing to follow him very vigorously.”

“You lied to him because he lied to you and us. That he even expects you to. Captain Glenn did say he lied to her many times breaking agreements without reason or warning. Yes I think we understand now Captain.” Pan said allowed, then looking at Krump without saying anything as they continued to talk between themselves in their minds as Jack listened into their conversation. The Dumont Krump chuckled to himself in the pregnant pause in the verbal speech that followed. ‘I do not like this thing the humans call lying. Not telling the truth is very disconcerting.’ Pan continued to stare at Krump. ‘But know we know how it looks and feels when they lie we will know when they lie to us.’

Krump looked at Jack and then back at Pan. ‘But I can see why the Captain is using such a tactic against an enemy that has demonstrated a tendency to aaa, lie. We will have to study this lying more.’

“I could just go over and shoot his ass Captain.” Red said. “While those damn Mechs are down being worked on they cannot stop me with only lasers.”

Jack shook his head. “No Red, I know how wearing Mech weapons with all the power you are carrying makes you feel omnipotent but believe me, a mass attack by overwhelming numbers would bring you down easily. Not to mention your eyes are a week spot to lasers not to mention your suit is just a normal suit and would be cut to ribbons leaving you naked. Then I would not have a Godchild to bounce on my knee. No, I won’t chance it besides they will be coming for us shortly if I played my hand right and we will have the protection of the Redoubt and their four to one numbers won’t matter as much.”

The Sargent chuckled again. “Sounds like a good Plan Captain. From what I know of the Commodore he is fuming as he turns into a hurricane of hate. That is if he pulls his normal crap. He would have done us in long ago for refusing to help him slaughter half of his and the other ship’s crew. We have had to be very careful over the last 6 months to stay out of his hair and alive. But he knew that if he took us on directly we would slaughter half his crew leaving few crewmen to take the other ship with.”

Jack smiled as he looked at the line of half-naked women milling around the compound as they waited to join the line headed down the shaft. “Hopefully Sargent. So now we wait and see. Make sure everyone is ready to dive down the shaft if I give the command. I am hoping we can thin the non-mech crewmen out some before we have to face them on the hull.” Turning to Pan. “Please pass my orders to the Gronks to move the aliens back down as close to the lower end of the ship as possible in a defensible position like a hold without killing any more of the armed security forces than needed for their safety and without risking their lives. Pan. Oh and while you are at it, tell them that they are Captain Glen’s crewmen now and that they should give him all the respect and obedience they have given me. You also need to make sure the shaft is clean of all traces of us using that damn hatch to the Engine control room and bow before you close the hatch behind you Pan. I don’t want anyone even thinking we used that hatch for anything if they manage to follow us down.” Taking a breath as he looked at Krump. “You sure you won’t follow Pan, Krump?”

“You need one of us up here to keep an eye on you Captain just like you need Pan on the bridge for when the other boats arrive. Have I not proven myself as an acceptable warrior?”

“Yes it is just that you should not have to risk your life for human stupidity.”

“It has been almost 10,000 years since a Dumont has been able to prove himself in combat. If I die today it will be for my Captain as well as my people. We have been letting others slaughter us without fighting back for far too long and it stops today. For the honor of those Dumont’s that follow me in the future. For without the possibility of death there is no honor in killing.” Krump saluted and turned away as Pan dropped down the shaft.

As Pan and Krump turned to hurrying refugees down the shaft Jack turned to Red. “You will get your Chance red. Just stay close.” Turning to the hallow projection of Captain Glenn. “I will be losing you shortly when the last of the refugees joins you and Pan closes the shaft hatch. Anything you need or questions?”

“No Captain.” The Commander thought for a second and then. “The Gronks will follow my orders simply because Pan tells them to?”

“They cannot even think that she would pass on false orders from me nor would she. They live for defending and taking ships. Follow their advice and they will win your battles for you Captain. They can start taking your ship back and defending it even before you finely breach into the rest of the ship. You will definitely need them if my reinforcements are late or simply do not show up.”

“Captain Turner! They are attacking in mass!” Jack’s comm sounded.

Looking up at the mass of laser shot suddenly streaming across the top of the Redoubt, Jack glanced back at the Captain. “Damn he really must be a little pissed at me. You are definitely going to need those Gronks. Especially if the Damn Commodore and self-proclaimed King wins and wipes us out in the next half hour. Good luck Captain Glenn. It has been an honor knowing you and your crewmen. Out.” Jack cut the feed and the Captain disappeared.

“Everyone to your positions. And get those refugees down the damn shaft now!” Jack yelled at everyone in the compound of the Redoubt. The ladder was full going to the top deck since they were no longer trying to pull the whole over the Commander’s eye. Except Jack realized that he should have given the order to deploy the men as soon as he had pissed off the Commodore instead of waiting.

Mad at himself as the adrenalin started to flow, Jack started to run for the ladder. Pushing off hard to get his heavy armored suit and himself moving Jack found himself flying through the air over the line of refugees headed for the shaft. Shocked, Jack looked down at his leg to see the sole of his boot extended down about 3 feet on a narrow shaft from each side of his boots ankles to his boots soles. All thought of running had deserted him as the thought of crashing to the deck face first flashed through his mind and he brought his legs back under him flailing his arms to keep himself upright and suddenly he saw the sole on his other leg extend out just before he hit the deck. The extended boot soles absorbed the impact bringing him to a quick stop solidly on the deck and the line of troops waiting to climb the ladder.

The trooper at the bottom stood back to let him climb but Jack just waved him up the ladder. Stepping back away from the ladder, Jack looked at the top of the stacked storage containers and squatted a couple of times as he stared. “Damn. I hope this works or I am going to look pretty stupid.” Jack pushed off as hard as he could as if he was in a Zero Gee football game back on the Turner Joy. Not that he had ever played ZG Football that much. His coordination when he was younger was terrible. But he loved Zero Gee Chase with the few friends he had.

Jack sailed up almost hitting the overhead with laser fire flashing past on all sides of him. As he started down he was sure he was going to fly right over the top of the entire container wall and back down to the deck in front of the advancing enemy and all that fire. He finally dropped down to hit the forward edge of the platform just behind the foam armored wall with his extended legs taking the impact and realized that none of the shots were hitting the wall itself or anyone up there as the line of troops climbing the ladder quickly ran to their assigned positions.

Jack watched the three ranks of black suited troops running toward the Redoubt with the line of troops following the front some 50 feet back shooting any stragglers in the back. His Red Troops started taking a toll as the lines rapidly closed.

“Seize fire! Everyone Stop firing!”

The Sargent joined him. “What Captain? They are going to overrun us is we stop shooting them.”

“Damn it Sargent. The front rank are just cannon fodder. They are not even aiming at us.” A beam hit the armored wall next to Jack. “Well most of the time. Stop firing. That is an order Sargent.”

The Sargent screamed into his comm and the firing from the top of the redoubt seized.

“Open the Gate Sargent and let them in.”

“Shit Captain! Are you crazy?’

“Have our troops lining the insides top and bottom with their weapons ready but let them in. the Refugees are on the opposite side of the Shaft so they should be ok if they just lay down for a few minutes.”

The Sargent looked at Jack as if he was crazy but turned and started issuing orders. The remaining troops at the bottom started running to spread out around the edges.

Jack watched the rapidly approaching mass for a few seconds then stepped back and grabbed the Sargent’s shoulder. “Have all the troops on the outer wall start firing at the second ranks who are driving the first rank toward us until the first rank starts entering the compound then split the line and leave the thumpers to me.” Jack stepped back to the wall and started firing his Assault Blaster at the second rank and was quickly joined by the rest on the wall including the heavy machineguns. Tapping his comm. “Thumpers, drop riot gas on the second rank if you please. Three rounds then frags until I tell you to stop.”

The second line of troops quickly turned orange and then the frags started going off and the second line quickly disintegrated as they started turning back toward the third rank.

Jack turned to the Sargent who was firing from beside him. “You have a comm that can talk to the troops below. Tell them to sling their weapons, put their hands over their heads and come into the compound and they will live.”

The Sargent gave Jack another crazy look but hit his comm and repeated Jack’s message while adding a few words of his own. The firing from the first rank seized except for a few shots amongst the rank itself that left half a dozen bodies behind he as they turned to run toward the Gate on the side closest to and facing the core.

The retreating second rank merged with the third line taking the laser fire and grenade blasts with devastating results and suddenly the third rank was retreating as fast as the second. Bodies dead and crawling were left behind with few attempts to help the wounded in the panic.

“You can split the wall now Sargent.” Jack said as the first of the Black troops started into the compound. They continued to fire at the retreating troops until they were out of sight. The trail of bodies thinning as their speed increased with fewer on the wall firing at them.

Turning Jack stepped to the inside as the Black troops flooded in ringed by Red suits. “Sargent, line them up along the far side as they come in. Shoot anyone that does not comply or takes off.” They soon had almost a hundred Blacksuits lined up around part of one side.

Jack started for the ladder but realized that was not half as cool as how he had gotten up there. Looking down at the deck below. “Damn. I hope this works.” Grimacing as he locked the Assault blaster in the cradle on his back, Jack stepped off and braced himself as he plunged toward an empty area on the deck below. His legs extended just before he hit absorbing the drop bringing him to a smooth stop on the deck. ‘Damn that was fun. I am going to have to do that again.’ Jack told himself as he stepped to the last one in the Black suited line with their backs against the container bulkhead at the now closed Gate.

Jack placed his hand on the guys shoulder and stared at him for a few seconds then shoved him toward the paint cart. “Get your suit painted over there, follow Olson’s directions.” Then stepped to the next one in line and did the same.

The 13th man he started shaking his head. “Did you really shoot two guys in the line before coming in here because they recognized you for the traitor spy you are?”

The man simply looked at Jack as hater grew on face. “So what. You can’t do anything about it you puke faced kid. I was following orders to turn in anyone that spoke against the Commodore or tried to run.”

You were amongst the other front line troops that we were supposed to kill and giving the other troops time to get to our gate and blast it open so they could kill us all. I can’t believe you were willing to die for that maniac.”

“Hell no. I kept behind others to keep from being shot. Besides how can I kill those that run if I am in the lead?”

“Oh yes so why kill the two that recognized you?”

“How the hell am I supposed to get in to kill you and get rich if all those ass holes had to do was point me out once we got inside.” Looking around at the others. “I will find out who squealed and do the same to them even if I have to kill most of you to find the one.” He said bellowing for all to hear.

Jack shook his head as he turned to the Sargent that had taken a few minutes to get off the top of the containers. “Send a squad out to check for wounded including the guys he shot. I think one of them may still be alive. This spy is a lousy shot even at point blank range.”

The man got a superior look in his face as his eyes sparkled. Jack had seen that look in his brother’s eyes many times when he was getting ready to beat him. Even though the man did not talk to himself warning Jack, when the guys hand moved to his belt, Jack’s hand moved catching the guy’s wrist as he pulled the knife with the blade pointing down from his palm. Jack heard the buzz of the micronic blade coming to life. Jack grabbed the guys elbow with his other hand as the guy raised the knife chest high to plunge it into Jack’s chest. Jack pinched the guy’s wrist allowing him to turn the blade held like a vice in the murdering spy’s hand toward the man’s own chest. With the help of the hand he had on the assassins elbow, Jack just leaned into him with his body weight plunging the micronic blade in through the man’s chest armor as if it was cloth and through his heart.

The Assassin’s eyes grew wide in disbelief as blood started coming out of his mouth. Jack quickly stepped backed leaving him still standing against the containers side with the knife sticking out of his chest.

Jack stepped to the next man as the assassin’s eyes followed him. His hand still on the hilt of the knife he had tried to kill Jack with. The assassin slowly fell over forward as Jack concentrated on the next guy in line that watched the assassin hit the deck driving what air he had left out of his lungs spewing blood across the deck behind Jack. Leaving the body humped up at the chest propped up by the blade’s hilt. The still active blade starting to burn the trapped flesh inside of the suit.

Putting his hand on the man’s shoulder Jack said. “Relax, no harm will come to you if you do not lie to me.” Then Jack simply stared at him without asking him any questions. A few seconds later Jack pointed to the paint carts and said. “Get painted and welcome aboard Sam.” Then continued down the line.

As Jack finished, leaving a small group of men stripped and bound outside the gate a few feet down the container, the Sargent came up to Jack. “You keep this up and we will outnumber the Commodore’s men in no time Captain. I just hope you are right about the ones you kept.”

“How many wounded did you get?”

“The medics took a couple dozen up to Sickbay from the front line on our side. They are out collecting the wounded up by the Commodore’s end of the Bay now. They are doing triose in the bay leaving the ones they can’t save in place and without drugs which is no worse than those going to the Sick Bay. They won’t get drugs either because the Commodore is keeping them for himself in the future.” Though from what I can see, most of the ones they are leaving on that end do not look that bad but are known to be the Commodore’s enforcers or have openly killed people.”

Jack heard a short burst of cannon fire and was up on the container top grating in seconds. Another burst of cannon fire streaked out chopping up a wounded man trying to crawl toward the Commodore’s end of the Bay.

The Sargent joined Jack a minute later only a little winded as one by one the living wounded were blasted by cannon fire. Several of the wounded started firing toward the Commodore King’s end as they tried to hide behind other bodies only to have the laser canons vaporize both bodies. The Sargent continued. “The Commodore does like his live targets. Most of the medics did not even get close to the bad ones as they took the others out even though I could hear the ass holes threatening to kill them if they didn’t take them ahead of the others.” The Sargent smiled. Once the regular crew were out, the medics just stopped going back.”

The prisoners they had put out of the Redoubt suddenly came out from the side running toward the Commodore’s side. “Damn.” Jack said. “The last thing we need is for them to make it back to the Commodore to report.” Jack raised his weapon sight down it at the fleeing men for a few second but lowered it. “Oh well, I hope it won’t make that much difference.”

“Don’t worry Captain. If I know the Commodore, you don’t have to worry about them telling the commodore anything.”

Jack looked at the Sargent and then back at the fleeing men just as several cannons started firing at them from around the core tearing them to pieces leaving body parts scattered across the deck. Not one made it past half way there. Even the one that had turned to run back got cut down as two cannons concentrated on him.

“Damn Sargent, did you let them go because you knew this would happen?”

“No sir. Fact is, I had them double tied because I knew this would happen.” Shaking his head. “There was no way I could scan them for small knives since the Commodore has all the scanners which is why I insisted in putting them out where they could do no harm. They could have done all kinds of damage inside here with even one weapon before we killed them and I bet they had several between them.”

Jack looked at the Sargent. “OK. You are the only marine squad on this ship after taking on what, two or three other crews. What happened to the rest?”

The Commodore sent them all over to the Paprika when to keep an eye on the aliens. He did not trust the aliens or even want them on his ship. My luck of the draw my squad stayed here. The surviving marines have been a pain in his butt ever since we got stranded here and the main reason he has not been able to take the Paprika.”

“So why aren’t you over with the Commodore instead of here? I would think as a marine you would be with your Captain.”

The Sargent smiled at Jack. “Marines are taught to think and overcome with a code of conduct. We are not the mind numb robots the Army is that can’t wipe their own buts without orders.” Jack gave the Sargent a baffled look as the Sgt. Slapped Jack’s shoulder. Disgust welled up into the Sargent’s mind flooding Jack with all the details of a trapped marine platoon on a forward deployed hill top getting the shit knocked out of them with an Army hilltop fire support base camp with troops and artillery the marines could see in the distance. The Army Commander refused to send troops, or fire artillery support from their guns the marines could see or even send ammunition without orders from higher command. The Marines were about to be overrun when the marines on the next outposts down the line to each side (without orders), sent half their troops over to help. A section of Marine artillery landed in the middle of the Army outpost and quickly set up and started pounding the attackers while the Army sat on their proverbial butts watching and waiting for orders. After the attack was repelled, then the Army started shelling the approaches to the outpost.

More contempt flashed into Jack’s mind as the Master Sargent was in an assault transport headed for their basecamp after a long boring uneventful night mission in another campaign when his lieutenant called him up to the cockpit. He saw a convoy of trucks loaded with supplies being systematically destroyed and looted less than half a mile from the Army base they were headed for. The lieutenant turned to the Sargent taking his hand from his ear. “The Army is waiting for orders while their convoy is destroyed outside their gate. I am going to drop you off behind the enemy at this end of the convoy. I want you to work your way along the Convoy’s flank taking them out while I make sure our heavy weapons shuttle can drop our mortars at the front gate for direct support. I will have 2nd platoon (in the assault transport behind them) start at the Gate end and work your way. I will then get ahold of the Captain to find out what the Armies problem is as we funnel the rest of our troops in as they arrive. Keep me informed of your progress. I will stay up here coordinating until the Captain gets here. I will have our attack choppers here in a few minutes from the LZ to support you. I will have 3rd platoon drop on the trucks themselves to save as many of the drivers as they can even if they are army pukes. We will blow the trucks if we have to but we can’t let the enemy get any of the supplies.” The Lieutenant wasn’t the senior officer on the flight of Air transports but the other platoon leaders usually jumped when he started making suggestions. Some very nasty combat followed lasting hours.

When the exhausted Sargent finally walked through the main gate into the Base, the Army guards tried to search his marines for contraband after they had safely emptied their weapons mags, pointed their weapons muzzles down into the sand filled barrels to clear their chambers. Ignoring the Army demands as they continued through the Gate, the guards shot over the marines’ heads threatening to shoot them if they did not comply and let the guards’ search them and their packs for drugs and contraband.

The Master Sargent pulled the pin on his last grenade (he had pulled off an enemy corps) and stared at the army Sargent. “Millions of credits of desperately needed cargo and weapons go up in smoke or stolen to be used against us and your drivers are killed right outsideyour gate in plain sight while you do nothing and now you have the balls to even think of searching us for contraband?” A dozen pins went zing behind the Sergeant. “I will give you a whole bunch of contraband up your fucking butts in about 5 seconds.” The two groups stood there for several minutes staring at each other.

A Marine attack sled dropped down on the back side of the gate aiming its guns at the back side of the half bunker behind the gate with an open back full of the army guards manning heavy weapons. Marines walking up to the gate with their weapons still powered up, pulled and aimed their weapons. Marines already inside the gated including the platoons mortar men came running up energizing their weapons.

The security detachment that had abandoned the convoy and their vehicles, sat a short distance away inside the base staring dumbfounded at the marines still pouring in from all sides.

Marine Attack sleds that had only minutes before been attacking fleeing terrorist started dropping down or circling as the Sargent’s Company Commander walked up and calmly stopped next to the group of Guards and their officer. “You know what your mistake was ass hole?” The now scarred guard still with his gun pointed at the Sgt. turned to look at the Marine Captain. “You fired your fucking gun at a marine. Don’t you know Marines are trained to go toward the sound of gun fire without waiting for fucking orders? You know we could kill your whole detachment and blow up half the fucking gate and your bodies wouldn’t be found until it is time for your relief to arrive without any of my guys getting scratched. So why don’t you put down your stupid weapon before you shoot yourself in the foot or we have to kill you.”

“But I have orders to search everyone coming in the gate Lieutenant.”

“Now isn’t that amazing that you have no orders to go to the help of your own trucks while the drivers are slaughtered but you have orders to search my men that have been up all night and normally fly over your gate with no possibility of you searching them to begin with. Did you even call it in?”

“Yes sir, as soon as the first truck was blown up even before the convoy’s security detachment came through. The Major is putting together a response. It should be ready in a half hour or so complete with tanks. There was nothing we could do with even the Security vehicles being out gunned sir.”

“Yes I know the Army’s reputation for protecting its convoys and its orders to drive through ambushes even when the trucks can’t.” Glancing at the dozen armored escort vehicles still sitting behind the gate with disgust. “Though I see plenty of ordinance to suppress the enemy fire long enough for your trucks to make it out of the kill zone if anyone had used their brains instead of blindly following orders. I even saw your attack platforms finally arming up back at the field the last time I looked. Well, you can tell your Major that the only response left is to clean up the mess and that he can find the wounded drivers in our camp’s hospital. We are burning the supplies since I don’t have men to guard them.”

The Army lieutenant pointed over the Captain’s shoulder at the string of marine cargo sleds lifting cargo containers slung under them from the surviving trucks that had most of their cabs full of holes and their tires shot flat, toward the Marine Camp at the back of the base. “But aren’t those our supplies and equipment you are hauling away.”

The Lieutenant smiled. “Ya I wish. Your equipment is so much newer and better than ours. I love your knew assault guns, your guided mortar shells are fabulous and that 76 mm recoilless plasma cannon is superb for close support. Thank heavens the cargo container that was packed full of them did not fall into enemy hands. Too bad it is all burning up with your trucks.” Jerking his thumb over his shoulder at the packed sleds. “All I see there are a bunch of marine cargo sleds returning from our last mission with enemy contraband they captured from you lieutenant. Nice we get to keep contraband. Though usually it is not this nice.” Turning to the Sargent. “Safe those grenades and get the hell over to our side of the base and get some chow and sleep. It is a long walk so get moving. We are supposed to be getting ready for another deep strike mission tonight not target practicing with the locals the Army is supposed to be out protecting. But then that is kind of hard to do when they run to their base every time a shot is fired when it does not follow their 6 month plan. But that is army business.”

The Master Sargent with the rest of his platoon put the pins back in the grenades and walked past the guard and said for all to hear. “Fucking Girl Scouts.” A slick dropped down in front of the Sargent and his men as the Captain’s attack sled lifted out and they piled on. They had done a lot of running trying to hit the next strong point along the ambush line after each assault before the terrorists’ could react and form defenses on their flanks so the Sargent was damn glad they didn’t have to walk all the way across the miles wide army base to get to their camp. He watched the last of the cargo sleds with equipment and cargo containers head for the Marine camp as a row of explosions blew up what was left of the convoy. Leaving nothing but unidentifiable scrap metal. The sled flew over an army column getting ready to move out with some men busy while others sat in the shade beside their vehicles. It could be another hour before they actually moved. The Master Sargent turned his back on the columns of smoke behind him just outside the gate as he spotted the chow hall in the Marine Camp and his stomach growled. He was already planning who to give the new recoilless support launchers to. Thumpers were ok but damn, sometimes they needed something a little heavier like that new squad cannon. The Sgt cradled the new Army Squad Automatic in his arms. It was a damn good upgrade with charge magazines half the size of the marines, carrying twice the rounds and would be even better once his men got done upgrading it with decent sights and sensors from the same shipment and a few Marine specialties. The Sargent heard another whomp from behind them. It was too bad a lot of the company’s old obsolete equipment was getting blown up with those trucks from enemy action. The Sargent tried to feel sorry for the Army not getting their latest weapons but then the Army’s old weapons it was still operating with was 2 generations newer than the marines usually got. At least he knew the new weapons would actually get used to kill the enemy instead of being worn out shooting paper Targets.

Jack shook his head as the Sargent stepped away dropping his hand. Jack reaching out and steadied himself on the armored bulkhead. He could tell the Sargent was flashing through a dozen other memories probably about the morons as he continued to calm down but Jack could not see them once he was not touching him. ‘Evidentially raw emotion had something to do with him seeing memories. Or was it touch.’ He thought to himself. It was going to take him a long time to figure out what the hell he was now able to do and how to use it. But then he kind of wished he didn’t have it at all. He was getting tired of hearing people talking to themselves just because his head was pointed in their direction. And seeing a person’s memories when touching them was damn disgusting at times. It made it hard to think sometimes. ‘Well at least I don’t have to worry about our new men.’ He said to himself in his mind.

Suddenly he felt a prickling at the back of his mind. Turning he saw Pan hovering just off the edge of the container staring at him as she said to herself. ‘When we get time I will start training you Captain.’

Jack kept turning as if he was leaving but had thought of something as he slapped the Sargent’s shoulder without holding on. “Get the new men distributed through the ranks to reinforce each squad Sargent I will be below trying to find out what is taking so long to get the refugees down the shaft.” Smiling at Pan. “I was just headed your way Pan. Something wrong?”

“We are having problems getting the refugees down shaft. Many are too week to do much climbing and tire easily. The Commodore likes his women lean and many are half starved. We have already had to rescue several that have fallen off the narrow catwalk to plunge down the shaft. Then there are sections and lines in the engine room that are cooled hundreds of degrees below zero. We have already had several cold burns with half naked women bumping up against sections of the engine room hull or pipes. At least the pipe that is at a thousand degrees is giving off enough radiation it can be easily felt before anyone touches it. But we are having to dress everyone before sending them down beside the engine to the bow section. We don’t dare cram anymore refugees into the engine room with all the dangerous systems in there until we get the first cleared out. The good thing is we have had to use and have found the other ships main Sickbay still intact. We can send whatever the main Sickbay on this ship needs. Krump is putting together a bag to take up now of what we do know they need. Mainly pain sedatives and antibiotics.”

“Shit. How many do you have left in the shaft and up here?”

“About 73.”

“Here they come Captain. They have shields this time.”

Jack turned around and saw a line of shields made of metal plates 6 foot tall by some 15 to 20 feet wide with notches cut along the top to fire weapons through coming slowly around the core towards them. Worst yet he could see the 3 original surviving Mechs behind them firing over the tops of their shields. With no way to get behind them to their week backsides. Jack took a couple of quick shots with the Plasma cannon that only blew small holes in the shield cut from the power trunk that had been removed from the compartment.

Turning back to Pan. “Damn it Pan, form a damn chain gang from the chase shaft through the engine room to the bow hatch. Put someone every 4 or 5 feet and pass the refugees down the chain to make sure none of them gets near the bad parts. It should only take a few minutes to get the rest down. Now go. We aren’t going to last long here. Get that shaft hatch closed damn it.”

As Pan dropped away Krump slid up in her place. “Captain I have a couple of packs of supplies for the Sickbay. What do you want me to do with them?”

“Damn it Krump, we are in the middle of a fucking battle. I am not going to risk someone’s life to run across the open Bay to deliver them. They would be gunned down before they made it half way across.”

“Not everyone Captain. I can make it.”

“What? And what if there is a squad just inside the hatch waiting for you? You would still get gunned down.”

“I think they would be firing out the hatch by know if a squad was guarding the core. I can make it captain. They need these packs desperately. We can feel their pain. I will make it Captain don’t worry.” Then he was off zipping across the deck popping over the armored wall and down out of sight toward the core hatch.

Jack ran after him getting to that side wall just in time to watch Krump half way across the open bay at some 35 or 40 miles an hour and picking up speed. A mass of laser streaks behind him. “Smoke!” Jack yelled but Krump was already through the core hatch before the first smoke grenade exploded outside it. Jack flipped down his visor and a couple seconds later he was able to discern Krump climbing the ramp up through the decks around the core leaving half a dozen cooling bodies behind. Turning he saw three large heat sources of Mechs coming around the other side of the Core from the original attack. Lines of troops behind shields on the front of cargo forklift carts slowly moved ahead of the Mechs.

The top of the redoubt was sending hundreds of laser shots a second out toward each side of the core that did not seem to be doing much good but then the closest shield was still a couple hundred feet way. A laser cannon beam hit the armored wall not far from Jack knocking the crewman behind it back to tumble over the edge of the platform. Jack heard a scream farther down the wall. As another laser cannon found a target. The redoubt was now getting hit from both sides.

Then a bright spot came out of the core hatch headed for the redoubt and picking up speed. “Smoke!” Jack yelled. “Open the Gates. Hurry.” If Krump had to climb up over the containers it would slow him down considerable. But then he would also have to cross in front of the Redoubt to get to them. Smoke started popping ahead of Krump giving him some cover as he sped along the deck. The laser shots toward him slackened as it became harder to see him.

Jack breathed a sigh of relief as Krump zipped over the wall and then made a circuit around the inside of the redoubt above everyone’s heads as he slowed down. Shaking his head Jack looked back at the Core seeing no signs of replacements for the rapidly cooling bodies. Shaking his head Jack smiled as a plan came to his mind. “Thumpers, I want riot gas rounds on the attack lines and mechs now. Everyone you’ve got left.” Turning to the Sargent. “Master Sargent, I need a dozen bags of smoke grenades up top. Then I need 20of your best, half with thumpers down on the core side of the Redoubt and cut me a small personnel gate facing the core hatch so we can make a run for the core. Get Curry and the explosive packs. We are going to get behind those ass hole shields and take out the Mechs from behind.”

Jack watched as a string of blaster balls hit the Mechs without damaging them. Jack turned and started firing at the closest shield wall to the core coming toward them. He was finally able to punch a big enough hole to get a shell through to take out the forklift moving that side of the wall since it was not armored plating.

As the fork lift blew sending flames and smoke up toward the overhead the wall stopped moving.” Mark hit his comm. “Assault blasters target one of the fork lifts on each wall. Blow holes through in one spot until you get through. “Jack went to the other side and did the same thing. This time stopping the two shield walls closest to the redoubt. The other Assault Blasters taking out a half dozen more making it impossible for the moving walls behind to get past the front walls.

Jack frowned as the crewman next to him was hit by a Mech laser cannon penetrating the wall blowing what was left of his suit and body minus his chest back over the side of the container. The Mechs had started concentrating their cannon fire on the area the blasters where firing from. The Blaster balls were hard to miss. Two blasters were quickly knocked out.

Jack and the other Assault blasters started taking only a couple quick shots before moving. With no need to knock out forklifts, Jack started shooting at the Mechs again.

“Captain.” The Sargent said over the Comm. “I have the hole cut and the men ready to go.”

“Good. Thumpers I want 3 smoke rounds from each thumper placed along the front edge of the attackers and then 3 on the mechs. Then I need smoke screens on both sides of a line between us and the core hatch now.” Jack jumped off the top of the containers landing next to the column and the Sargent. “You are in charge of the Redoubt Master Sargent. When I am ready to hit them from behind, I am going to need you to hit them with as many smoke grenades as you can. Try to get their attention with hand grenades and the explosive packs you can drop behind their shields that are in range. I don’t know how long it will take me to get behind them. Just hold out until I do. I just hope I can take out those damn Mechs before they know we are there.” Jack watched a continuous stream of smoke grenades detonating forming screens to each side of strait line to the core hatch.

The Master Sargent smiled. “That is what my marines are for Captain. Sargent Meyers will make sure the Mechs don’t last long.” Then pointing at what looked like a catapult. “We are about ready to start throwing packs at them. Those damn shields won’t last long when one of these slides up against it and we might get lucky with the mechs.” Holding up a ball of explosives from the packs taped together with a detonator to form a projectile. Wasn’t it nice for the Commodore to give us all these bombs?”

“Good going Sargent.” Jack stepped to the hole cut in the redoubt and peered out watching the smoke screens get thicker and thicker. Taking a deep breath. “Time to go. No one fire. Just get to the core hatch. Now. Charge It!” Jack yelled as he started to run as he wondered why he had said (Charge it). Then he remembered the stupid credit card Commercial he had probably seen a thousand time on video. “Damn, that was lame.”

And then Red zipped past him like he was standing still with Krump passing her. They quickly made it to the core hatch and disappeared from sight. Jack was shocked to see heavy laser fire reflecting off the inside bulkheads through the big cargo hatch. And then nothing. Cursing his stupidity he flipped down his darkened visor but could only find Red and Krump as they headed in opposite directions up and down and then a half dozen cooling blobs scattered around the core decks as they worked their way up and down.

Just before Jack reached the hatch. “Core and 3 decks up cleared.” Came Reds voice on the comm.

“Core and 6 decks down cleared though I haven’t found anything below the 3rd deck.” Krumps voice echoed her. “Do you want us to continue clearing core decks Captain?”

“No, return to the Gundeck. We will clear the rest later.” Jack said as he entered the core. Turning around he was glad to see most of the laser fire streaking over or hitting the Redoubt and not the line of men streaming across the open space. Even though there was a constant stream of scattered laser shots lighting up the smoke screens. No one had gotten smart enough to simply plant a half dozen guns firing across the smoke in fixed streams creating a fence that would cut down anyone headed for the core even though they could not see through the smoke. They were lucky they were facing amateurs and not seasoned well trained troops.

Jack heard the first of the Sargent’s bombs go off and saw what looked like parts of a shield wall fly up into the air above the smoke screen hugging the deck slowly drifting toward the air handling ducts. All firing from the enemy shields on that side suddenly stopped. It was a good 5 seconds before shots again started hitting the redoubt again. Though the fire from the redoubt never slowed.

Jack kept issuing orders spreading the men out covering the hatches and ramps as they streamed in. He realized that he had a lot more than 20 men and then noticed the paint gals staggering through the hatch under heavy loads of weapons and explosives in combat armor and not their light weight ship suits. Lieutenant Shepperd bringing up the rear. “Damn it Shepperd. Why did you bring the paint girls and I don’t remember ordering you to come along.”

“You didn’t order me to stay either and the girls came on their own. They are pretty good shots by the way.” The Lieutenant looked at Jack with a smile. “I want to be there when you capture old fuck face on the other side of the core. Or kill him if he tries to escape.” Shepperd winked at Jack.

Jack looked up at the overhead. “Well shit.” And headed for the other side of the Core now everyone was safely across. Hitting his comm. “Sargent Meyers, get ready to assault out the far side hatch.” Jack dropped his visor again. With only one thick hull to look through he could now see the staging area the Commodore had been using and quickly found a group of troops only a few feet from the closed personnel hatch that looked like some kind of command group. Jack smiled and he assigned half his men to come out the main cargo hatch some 30 feet around the core and a squad to blow a hole in the core hull some 30 feet on the other side. Jack got ready to go through the middle personnel hatch with a half dozen men as he waited for the hull to be blown feeling a good sized explosion every few seconds as the Master Sargent played with his catapult.

“Fire in the Hole Captain.” And the men that had placed a rope around a section of the inner hull in the shape of a rough door quickly ran for cover.

“Ok what the hell did that mean?” Jack said to himself and then he found out.

The side of the core 30 feet away exploded creating a ring of flames and then smoke racing away from it and then and other explosion at the center of the ring banged and the door was just a vacant hole. The cargo hatch to the other side of him blew open to Jack’s surprise. The hatch in front of Jack was slammed open and Jack watched troops pore through all three openings. Jack wondered for a fraction why the hatch in front of him had not been blown as well feeling a little disappointed as he followed.

The officers were quickly rounded up as Jack looked for the Commodore. But he could not be found. Jack was glad to see that all work had come to a stop on the almost completed airlock. Turning to the Commander at the center of the officers lined up along the core hull Jack asked. “Where is the Commodore King?”

“Fuck off Turner.” A Commander’s pearly white smile across his coal black face in his flat black combat suit stood out like a beacon.

Shepperd stepped in pulling a knife as the sound of a micronic blade filled the air. “Now Commander. You made me play with your dick yesterday. How bout I play with it now. Fact is I was so impressed with its size, I think I should take it back to my cabin as a souvenir.” Smiling from ear to ear as she placed the micronic blade against his crouch. “Without you along of course.” The blade started penetrating increasing the pitch of the micronic sound.

“No! He is in that damn new Mech.” He pointed around the core with his chin. “He is going to make sure he kills you Turner.” He started to smile but suddenly started screaming.

Shepperd backed away from the Commander. “Ops. Looks like I slipped. Better call the medics before your balls and dick piss all your blood away.” Looking down at the blobs rolling out onto the deck from the code piece of his suit after it hit the deck. “Ops wrong again, looks like you lost them. Oh and you do remember Marie don’t you? The gal you stuck a knife up her cunt and let her bleed to death because she wouldn’t service you properly.” His eyes got big. “Good.” She took another two steps down the line and stuck the blade through the eye of another officer without saying a word and kept going. Wiping the blade off on another officer that started screaming even though she had not hurt him.

Jack had already turned and was walking away in the opposite direction the officer had pointed. “Sargent, we will attack the old Mechs first.” Jack grabbed one of the demolition bombs that had been made up. I am going for the far one I need two volunteers to take out the other two at the same time.” Jack started running across the bay to get directly behind the Mech farthest away before closing with him. Two marines joined Jack with one dropping off next to a body directly behind the closest mech and wait for them to get into position.

The second marine dropped off and then Krump zipped past and Jack heard. “Go! In his comm.”

The two marines leaped forward as Jack stopped in surprise watching Krump head for the distant Mech by the outer hull cages. “Damn you Krump.” Jack grabbed his Assault Blaster off his back and dropped to his knee covering all three from behind. The satchel charge on the deck next to him.

As Krump and the two marines approached their targets he noticed something out of the corner of his eye and turned his head slightly, Redsuits were lining up next to Jack with their weapons pointed toward the black troops massed behind their shields. The line quickly extended clear across the Bay behind the attacking Blacksuits. Laser guns with a Thumper every couple of Redsuits along the line. A couple of the Paint girls took up positions flanking Jack to his surprise. The line of troops making room for them as they spread out along the line.

Jack could not believe that no one along the line got itchy trigger fingers as they waited. He watch Krump slow down to make sure he did not reach his target ahead of the rest.

Finally the three slapped their charged on the backs of the three Mechs with a second of each other and started running back away from the Mechs. Jack touched his comm but waited to make sure all were well clear then hit the detonator.

The three Mech simply blew up getting the attentions of some of the Blacksuits on the closest shield walls and then the Redsuit line fired as one.

The Blacksuits behind the closest shield walls fell as one in the first half second. The second line fell almost as fast with several trying to climb up over the shield wall but not making it and then the fire shifted to the next line of shields. Jack stood up and started running to get past shield walls that blocked other shields from being fired upon. The whole line started running a couple seconds after Jack. “Master Sargent we are attacking. Smoke only please. Two rounds each then stop.” He wanted just enough smoke to confuse the enemy. Not enough to hamper their attack.

Jack leaped over the nearest shield wall. His leg extending to push him over the top with little effort. His suit compensating for the recoil of the Assault blaster. Red with her heavy back pack not far away leaping over them with little effort as well. Firing her laser cannon in a steady stream across the backs of shield wall after shield wall. Cutting down dozens of black suits. The Thumpers hitting the back sides of each shield wall with grenades. The Red suits running around the ends of the shield walls, zig zagging across that side of the bay quickly crossed the distance. The laser fire finishing of the few stragglers missed by the heavy cannon fire and grenades. Krump raced back and forth above adding his fire to the gaps that always appeared in any attack, making sure none survived to shoot into the backs of the rapidly advancing Red line.

Thirty seconds later the shield walls on that side of the core had all been taken without a single loss on Jack’s side as he slid to a stop against the last shield wall as cheers started filling his Comm. Looking past the Redoubt he could see several shields on the other side approaching the Redoubt around the other side of the core. Undamaged forklifts having been moved around to power them. Mass fire still streaking toward the redoubt. The Redsuited troops quickly moving from this side of the parapet to the other to add their much needed support even though the last of the blasters on the wall had been knocked out. Turning, Jack started running back the way they had come. “OK people, save the celebrations for when we finish the battle. Back around the Core now.”

Reaching the back side of the core Jack still had his demolition charge so he headed straight for the New Mech on the far side only to have Krump pass him holding a new Demolition charge in his hands. Jack turned to head for the middle Mech as he saw a Red suit with a Charge head for the closest Mech to the core.

As more Redsuits caught up and started to line up across that side to the bay to repeat the same attack Jack ran for the middle Mech only to see it start to turn toward the core. Its short legs thumping up and down as it slowly turned with its cannon cooling. Cargo Mechs were not designed for speed but to lift heavy containers.

Jack speeded up trying to get to it before it could target the Redsuit rushing for the back of the Mech at the core.

The Mechs laser cannon fired and Jack watched the Redsuit headed for the other Mech get cut in half and then his charge went off in a huge explosion that was too far away to damage the Mech he was headed for.

Jack slid to a halt against the side of the Mech slapping the charge on the armor covering its laser’s power pack. Pushing off, Jack ducked away from the Mech as it continued to turn around bringing its cannons to bear on the rapidly forming line of Redsuits.

Seeing that Krump was already speeding well away from his Mech, Jack brought up the detonation button on his Comm and hit it. The Mech only a few steps behind him blew up as he was hit from behind with a hammer sending him flying across the deck face first.

Jack slid to a stop as he watched the Red line erupt in fire as they attacked the rearmost line of shields. Rolling over onto his side stunned, Jack looked back to see the Mech at the core start to turn around toward the Redsuit line. Admiral stars lined the Mechs shoulders and helmet.

Shaking his head, Jack tried to make sense of things as he instinctively pulled his Assault Blaster off his back with what was left of the frozen Mech he had just detonated his charge on not far away sending a tower of flames and smoke toward the overhead. He had been so close to the explosion that he would have died if he had been wearing any other Combat suit. The Bay’s air system was starting to have a hard time cleaning the smoke out of the air from all the fires and explosions.

Jack watched the Mech firing its cannon across the bay at the Redsuit line that was attacking the shield walls ignoring the Mech. The large laser streaks shooting over the top of the line of men, hitting the hull far beyond. The Mech lowered the laser cannon firing its bursts across deck after the scattering Red suits now moving too fast to hit easily.

Jack rolled over as he brought his Blaster around off his back and sat up into a sitting firing position only used at the firing range with the blaster in his hands and elbows on his knees, Jack aimed for the Mech placing several solid hits on the side of its armor that was slanted toward him without hurting it. The Mech’s laser cannon finally cutting down a Redsuit when Jack’s blaster shells started exploding on its thick armored side.

Without thinking Jack fired again at the only thing on the Mech that was not protected and in full view from his side angle, the laser canon. Four shots later the cannon was junk as he shifted to where the power line entered the side of the Mech to the power pack. If he could penetrate to the power pack it would incinerate the Commodore inside his suit that seemed to have twice the armor as the rest. Making the suit even slower than the rest as it waddled along which was why the Commodore was staying close to the core and taking his time advancing.

The Mech turned toward Jack and seemed to stare at him for several seconds and then back down at the ruined cannon. Jack kept firing at it even though he could no longer see where the power cord to the weapon entered the suit.

Jack continued to fire his Assault Blaster as the mech started walking toward Jack. The blaster shells knocking chunks out of its front armor as it came. The Redsuit line continued to assault the lines of Shield walls that were now starting to realize that something was wrong in their rear and were actually trying to turn some of them around. The rest of the attack force ignoring the impotent Mech. Jack continued firing at the Mech that was swinging its now useless cannon from side to side as it approached. Jack plasma balls eating away at its thick steeply slanted chest armor. Jack’s little voice telling him that he was wasting his time since the mech did not even have a backup weapon but it did not matter. Jack knew that once this monster was taken down the rest of his troops would surrender and the fight would be over.

Four lasers started streaking into the Mech from beside Jack. His HUD showing him Olson and 3 of her painting crewmen mimicking his sitting firing position, pouring there laser assault gun fire at the same hole Jack was shooting at.

The Mech stopped yards from Jack beating its now worthless cannon on the deck as a voice blared from a speaker making Jack stop firing to listen. The laser fire next to him stopping as well. “I was going to thank you Captain Turner for giving me such a wonderful opportunity to hide from humanities coming annihilation but now I am going to beat you to a pulp before I kill your compatriots. Though I do want to thank you for giving me the opportunity to kill off most of the mail population of the ships without risking a mutiny when the majority figured out what I was doing. Hell, now I can even finish killing off the rest of the fat ugly women that are just gross to even look at let alone fuck.” The burning Mech next to Jack sent a sudden whoosh of flames and smoke out of its top toward the overhead. “Though I had planned on butchering the bodies for food later. Now there are simply going to be too many of them to get in the freezers before the meat is spoiled. But then I can’t have everything perfect though I will could keep some as cattle.” Thumping the useless Cannon on the deck again, the Mech started clomping toward Jack again.

The wreckage of the burning Mech Jack had just blown up only feet away keeping him from seeing the rest of the battle. Though his still fuzzy mind was still focused on the slowly approaching mech. The thought of running from the slow Mech thumping its useless weapon good only for bludgeoning onto the deck, not even crossing his still half dazed mind.

Jack started firing at the one spot again trying to drill a hole through the Mech where he knew the Commodore’s chest had to be. But it was going way to slow as the shots seem to be weakening. Jack realized that the Commodore had gotten his hands on a plate of God armor. Now regretting stopping to listen to the fool brag even if he was trying to understand why anyone would do what the Commodore had done. The 4 Assault lasers beside him joining in again.

At point blank range Jack continued to calmly fire, still sitting with his elbows on his knees and the gun cradled in the Marksmen position with the four women crewmen, driving shot after shot at point blank range into the chest of the Mech as the Commodore raised the Cannon over his head to strike down at Jack. Smoke pouring from the repeated hits in the crater in the armored chest.

Then the Mech’s arm with the weapon fell off as something flashed through the air from behind the Mech. A second flash and the Mech’s other arm fell off leaving sparks flying out the shoulder joints.

Jack stopped firing in surprise as the Mech just stood there. Jack watched Red swing her long Micronic Blade down and around again cutting off one of the legs of the Mech at the knee just below the Commodore’s real leg inside the suit. The Mech’s brain automatically balancing the load over the remaining leg. The blade flashed again whacking off the remaining leg at the knee and the body of the mech dropped straight down to land up right on its stumps only a few feet from the burning mech that was still sending out a stream of smoke toward the overhead.

Putting her blade away Red pulled out her laser pistol and slapping the top hatch back down as it started to open, she used the laser pistol to weld the hatch’s external lock in place. The lock that was to keep anyone from getting in to sabotage or use the mech without authorization now keeping the Commodore locked into his prison.

Turning toward Jack, Red sheathed the pistol as she stomped over and looked down at Jack with what he had learned the hard way was a look of disgust for Bigfoots. “If you are done target practicing, we have a battle to win. They have thrown several shield walls into a box and we have already had several badly wounded trying to get them out. Now get off your butt and do your job Captain before someone gets killed.” Red jerked Jack’s Assault Blaster up from him as he sat looking up at her,then changed the power pack on his Assault Blaster before handing it back to him.

The Mech started screaming. “Get me out of here. I am your Admiral now get me out of here before that burning piece of junk catches this Mech on fire too.”

Jack glanced at the burning mech a few feet away and decided that he did not care if the hot burning mech caught the Commodore’s mech on fire or not. Noticing that the mag she handed back to him was empty. Jack realized that his shells had run out of any real power before the Commodore was half way to him. Flipping up his visor Jack rubbed his face and eyes trying to make is brain work again. “Aaa. Ya sure Red.” Holding out his hand to grab the hand offered by Red, Jack was pulled to his feet and started walking toward the last group of resistance. Olson and the girls forming on his flanks.

Not seeing any firing. “You sure? I don’t see any…” Then he saw the Shield walls pushed together over toward the outer hull as a Blacksuit head behind the wall poke up and dropped back down after a short glance. “Ok I see. Well. At least no one is firing at anyone now. Let’s go and see if we can talk some sense into them.” Jack glanced over at the scattered blackened body parts and fragments that had been the Redsuit that had tried to place a bomb on the Commodores Mech.

“You can’t leave me here now, get me out. That is an Order.” Jack could hear muffled pounding from the Mech behind him as he walked toward the shield wall makeshift fort surrounded by shield walls now being used by Redsuits for protection.

After talking to Krump, Jack stopped at the closest shield wall and yelled at the fort. “This is Captain Turner of the Red Pepper. I have captured your Commodore King. I am going to give you one chance to surrender or I am going to drop a very large demolition charge in the middle of that fort of yours and kill you all. You have one minute to come out with your hands in the air and no weapons. You will be treated fairly. I know most of you were just following orders so unless you raped or murdered someone you are safe from prosecution. That is if you give up now.”

Even with the roar of the burning Mechs and noise from the Redoubt, Jack could still hear the Commodore screaming to get out of the trapped Mech in the distance behind him. When nothing happened except a few shots of weapons blindly pointed over the Shield walls from the Blacksuits for a full minute Jack gave the signal.

Dozens of smoke grenades popped over and in the little fort and then Krump flew over them as laser fire from dozens of guns streamed blindly out across the Gundeck bay hitting nothing but other shield walls or the distant inner or outer hull. Krump dropped several demolition packs taped together into the middle of the fort, then quickly sped away.

Twenty seven Blacksuits jumped out over the shield walls of the fort leaving their weapons behind and hugged the deck covering their heads. A half a dozen leaped over the walls firing their weapons as they ran and were quickly cut down. Several simply stood up behind the wall holding their hands up over their heads.

Jack ran up and leaped over the wall ready to shoot anyone with a weapon and had to spread his legs to keep from landing on several wounded laying on the deck out of sight before he had jumped. His right foot hitting the deck between two wounded only inches apart barely missing their arms. Whipping his weapon around, all he saw were wounded and terrified men. Red and Krump only yards away doing the same.

Redsuits flooded in over the walls a few seconds later. The battle was over.

Jack walked back to the Commodore trapped in his Mech. Looking down, Jack tried to think of what the hell he was going to do with the monster when he heard a bang behind him. Turning, Jack saw smoke coming up from the Shaft the Commodore had been ignoring since he knew it had to be a trap as he prepared to go out onto the ship’s hull to get around the trap.

Then Red Apes started jumping up out of the shaft dropping down to the deck with their weapons primed and ready.

Jack tapped his wrist comm then raised his hands over his head empty. “Stand down Red Apes. Stand down Gronks. We have taken the deck. Stand down.” It wasn’t much but he could see the Gronks relaxing. Taking their fingers off their triggers and standing a little straighter.

“Yes Captain Turner. I see much damage and destruction but no combat. How can we help?”

“We are going to have to sweep the ship for hold outs but it is going to take a while to get organized and ready.” Looking around at several wounded Blacksuits along the nearest barriers. “We have a bit of a mess to take care of first with all the wounded.”

“I see you out their Commander Turner. Get me out of this damn trap before I have you court-martialed. Thank God you put down the mutiny that had over whelmed the ship and forced me to do what I did. Now get me out of here so I can take back my ship and help my crew now the mutineers are dead. Besides I have to pee.”

“You are unbelievable Commodore.” Jack shook his head then a smile came to his face. “You know Commodore. I could never figure out why the Cargo Mechs had pee tubes in them as well as water bottle tubes and lunch box locks since they were restricted to inside work but I think they will come in handy now.” Turning to the Gronk Sargent. “First send half your squad around the core to get your wounded brothers off the damn bulkhead and down to Sickbay on the lower ship and put this scumbag back up in their place.” Jack pulled the thick armored shield covering the clear unarmored port of the Commodore’s huge mech helmet. Tossed it aside and looked through at the clear face plate staring back at him. “You are in a perfect prison for now until we get things sorted out Commodore. Shouldn’t take more than a couple of weeks.” Jack pulled his laser pistol, turning the power down and used it to weld the hatch seam closed not trusting the simple locking bar welded by Red, then stepped back to let the Gronks take the Prison Mech away.

Commander Glenn climbed up out of the Chase Shaft and looked around as the Gronks hauled the Prison Mech around the side of the core. Armored black suite men with their arms and helmets hurriedly painted red with Gronk weapons climbing out behind him and spreading out around the shaft head looking at the rest of the Red painted troops spread out checking bodies for wounded and collecting weapons from around the huge Compartment.

Jack walked over to the Commander. “Good to see you made it through the decks Commander Glenn. How are things below?”

Commander Glenn frowned as she looked around glancing at the armless, legless Mech being carried around the core. “Where is the Commodore? Dead I hope or do we have to hunt him down?”

“No to the first I am sorry to say and No to the second I am glad to say. Using his thumb to point to the side after the Gronks. “I left him in his Mech to keep him out of trouble or someone taking vengeance until things settle down. How are things below?” Jack asked again.

“I have the refugees bunked out in the officer decks in the bow and my ships doctor looking after them. The Ship’s Executive officer is in the brig already. The Gronks took the ship in only a few minutes as soon as I filled them in on the situation. Long before we got through I am sorry to say. I thought they would wait until I got down to help but once I freed them from your orders they went out of their way to make up for lost time. And then we came up here and again I missed all the fun.”

Jack glanced at the pieces of the Red suited Marine that had tried to place a charge on the Commodore King laying on the deck and then the hundreds of black suits laying dead around the core. “Ya real blast.”

The deck shook as the air thumped with a shock wave passing over them and the nearest viewing port flopped out into the Gundeck Bay and onto the deck. The side hatch of a shuttle behind the hole in the hull opened. Red suited Gronks and Marines came flooding in through the opening quickly spreading out around the area. Their weapons ready to kill with the first shots.

The Redsuited troops already on the deck turned as they raised their weapons toward the surprise assault.

“Don’t fire! Jack shouted. Don’t Shoot!” Slapping at his comm hoping he opened all the channels right as he ran to get between both groups holding his hands up waving them back and forth. “All forces stand down! Don’t shoot. There are no hostiles on this deck. Lower your weapons. NO Hostiles on the deck. All troops lower and safe your weapons now!”

The Ensign came through the blown port carrying her stubby Gronk Assault Blaster as everyone stood or laid frozen ready for action and walked toward Jack.

Master Sargent Dundy came up behind Jack with a thumper under his arm looking at the troops standing toe to toe ready to kill. His voice echoed out across the bay without the need for amplification. “Can’t you morons see everyone is painted friendly fucking Red.?” Looking at the crude helmet jobs done on the ones around the shaft. “Well; I’m not sure I like the Red heads but they will do. Now stand the fuck down before I start knocking Red heads together trying to increase your intelligence.”

To Jack’s relief everyone started to relax pointing their weapons either down or up as the ones on the deck climbed to their feet.

The Ensign stopped in front of Jack. “I heard you were in a bit of trouble. Just what you deserve going off without me to look after your Butt.”

Looking out the other nearby ports showing space suddenly filled with fighters, bombers and assault shuttles. “Well, you think you brought enough and what took you so long?” Jack said trying to calm down again.

“I got your message and went after help. I have a thousand Marines and a hundred fighters and bombers with me know and the Red Pepper is only a half hour away with 10,000 more marines. I would have brought some destroyers but they are still laid up with modifications and moving the Battleship Hulk. What else do you want? A marching band?”

Jack grunted. “An hour ago I would have settled for a Marching Band simply to prove to that fucking oaf Commodore the jig was up and to get him to surrender before all the killing started.”

Chapter 13; four seconds left

Jack sat down in the Command Chair of the New Flying Bridge of the Red Pepper that was placed outside the main hull on the leading edge of Fin number One. Jack could not help looking around out the view ports surrounding him. He could not believe the difference between being able to see around the ship with his own eyes compared to the video screens that surrounded the rebuilt emergency bridge buried deep inside the ship a few decks ahead of the engines. He had gotten used to the small enclosed bridge during the short time he had commanded the Red Pepper during the battle 6 months ago that destroyed the Spider fleet and freed so many slaves. That had almost destroyed the Red Pepper yet again. He had actually liked the small size of the original emergency or second bridge but would have accepted the much larger bridge the ex-slaves had rebuilt it into but having to look through yards of hull and decks with all the added armor made it almost impossible to see anything with his own eyes. No he had hated it the first time he had sat in the Command Chair months before while the ship was half way through refitting, it was so damn restricting.

Yes, he liked this new flying bridge the first time he saw it. Thinking about how nice the small bridge was as he looked out the clear ports.

No, he definitely loved the new flying bridge. The sad thing was they had made it out of the crews second mess deck built into the base of the fin when the alien Ex-slaves had rebuilt the ship over the last 6 months at the captured Spider battleship they had been using as a base that was now locked to the diamond bubble that had almost destroyed the Red pepper. After surviving dozens of battles with Spider Battleships using weapons improvements those same ex-slaves had equipped the Red Pepper with. The shame was that while trying to rescue more slaves, they wear almost destroyed by the biggest fusion core explosion ever witnessed by man that created the bubble deep inside the Nebula cloud in the first place was almost surreal. The fact that the reason for the explosion was because the humans on the Spider ship had not known they were being rescued by the slaves and had used the opportunity to try to escape and killed the Ship’s God Officers, that then led directly to the detonation of the ship’s fusion cores and a thousand years’ worth of fuel.

The Red Pepper had not been able to run far enough fast enough through the cloud to escape the detonation wave that had created the bubble and almost destroyed the Red Pepper yet again. No, after this shit with the Commodore added to all the shit from months before, Jack was ready to sit someplace safe and relax and let someone else worry about the damn war. Besides, being able to see everything around him and the ship without the aid of machines that were half as good as his own eyes was relaxing.

No. Jack liked the new flying bridge that had once been his favorite mess deck even though he technically was not supposed to eat there. Not that he had asked for it after telling them not to bother rebuilding the main bridge in the bow and to use the space for more quarter’s compartments. He had gotten used to the cramped Emergency Bridge that reminded him more of his family’s Trampship Bridge on the Turner Joy he had grown up on. Though the Turner Joy’s bridge had view ports most of the way around it and the Red Pepper’s emergency bridge did not. But then the main bridge in the bow hadn’t either. Though without the armored hull of the Battleships, he had no problem seeing out through the transport’s decks and hull that had allowed him to save the fleet headed for The Rock through uncharted space his first week on the helm of the Admiral’s ship. Turning the fleet to miss a gas cloud (that would have devastated the fleet), the ship’s sensors had failed to pick up in time at the speed they were traveling at. No he couldn’t give the job away so if he had to be the Captain then he was going to us the bridge he wanted to.

The Flying bridge had been a big surprise to Jack as was the 20 foot thick shell of extra armor that had been added around the engines and stern section of the ship just below the active gun deck by the ex-slaves that was supposed to be able to take a direct hit from the huge monster cannons on the Spider Battleships. Realizing that without the engine protection, the ship could be stranded to be captured by a single hit during any future battles and then all the ex-slaves would be captured and killed. Though they had already added a good thickness of special reflective armor around the entire ship thanks to the cooking the ship had been subjected too before they managed to cut their way out of the huge fusion created diamond bubble.

Jack had a hard time believing that what had once been a tanker one step from the scrap heap was now a huge transport able to support some ten thousand crewmen and ex-slaves in comfort. The problem was that Jack was planning on leaving most of them with the Spider Battleship that was being rebuilt into a huge Base Station where they would be much safer. After all, the last thing he needed was to show up at The Rock with thousands of ex-enemy slaves at the Republic’s most secret military base. But he had to finish carrying out his orders to get the hulk he had been given command of back to The Rock and rejoined the fleet now that it was finally space worthy again. Then finally someone else could take Command of the Red Pepper. He was finished giving orders that kept getting people killed. That is as soon as he could finish with everything that kept getting piled on his shoulders every time he turned around.

Not to mention an additional complication as he looked out the side ports and the pair of ship hulks rammed together only a couple miles from the Red Pepper. He couldn’t very well leave them sitting out here in the middle of nowhere.

A flight of bombers flew past the Red Pepper close enough for Jack to see the pilots in the cockpits and the big Spider planetary city killing torpedoes Jack had used to take out the currier ship the week before (or was it weeks now), under their wings. With a good dozen additional flights of fighters and bombers circling in the distance providing protection. Though Jack prayed that they would not be needed, he felt comforted that they were there.

Several large transport boats were docked to the hulks less than a mile away with another one pulling up to it now. A stream of shuttles were running between the hulk and the Red Pepperferrying the most critical patients to the Red Peppers Sickbay Hospital that had been greatly upgraded by the aliens. Including the Gronks Jack had found chained to the bulkheads first on the empty gun deck and then a search of the ship had found in several other compartments. He had just come across on one of them and had gone straight to what he had thought was the crews secondary mess deck to get a bight to eat and finally relax only with a good view only to find the new Navigation Bridge. Though after blurting out something about this being one hell of a nice Flying Bridge (remembering a story about ancient ocean going sailing ships) the aliens were now busy changing the name over the hatch entrance and on the equipment around the bridge before Jack could even get seated in the Command Chair. The chair changing automatically to fit Jack still wearing his altered combat suit with the added red painted armor plates and additional armor coating, a notch for his holstered pistol and a rack on the back to hold the Assault Blaster.

Jack was just amazed and could not help staring at what was going on around the ship like he was standing out on the ship’s hull without a suit. Finally turning his attention back to the hulks or hulk since they were pretty much friction welded together Jack could only shake his head.

The problem was that the lower hulks engines were slagged after the engines had over heated when the ship lost its cooling fins and super-heated cloud particles had been rammed up through their throats finishing the coils off. With no hope of repairing them even if the rest of the stern was in decent shape after 6 months of repairs by its crew while fighting to keep a maniac from taking over their ship. The only good thing was that after inspecting the engine rooms and what was left of the engines Jack was certain that the engines could be replaced fairly easily as the ship’s structure around the engines was still sound. Now the problem was where to get the new engines or at least one engine. More than one was actually a waist in the cloud anyway except as a backup.

Looking around at the engineering console and the separate screens for the Red Pepper’s two engines Jack frowned. His eyes going to the new improved weapons consoles before looking at the God Weapons hanging along both sides of the Red Peppers crystal red hull forward of the Flying Bridge. He did not dare leave the Red Pepper with only one engine with the ship being the only protection the Basestation and the Spider /battleship hulk they were now in the process of transferring to the Gama 13 Hulk Station really had. Fact was, after hearing about the problems with the Republics new Battleships, the Red Pepper actually was the only Battleship the whole fleet had that could take on a Spider Battleship. That is in the cloud. But then the last place he would even think of trying to take on a Spider Battleship let alone a fleet, was a head to head battle in open space even with all the improvements. The only reason he had been able to take out so many battleships half a year before was by using the Nebula clouds to ambush them from behind where they couldn’t use their monster shield decks for protection. That would not be possible in open space with only a single ship not matter how fast it was.

Jack’s stomach growled at him. Taking a deep breath he started to get up to head for the new Officers Mess when he caught the smell of food. Standing up he walked to the back of the Bridge past the main entrance and down the passageway to stop at an open hatch.

An older woman turned around with an apron tied around her and smiled, wiping her hands on the apron she said. “I thought that if I left the hatch open you would follow your nose Captain. I could hear your stomach clear back here.”

“Ok, who are you?”

“I am your new Steward, Chief Truitt. You can call me Emily in private sir. Now come and sit before it gets cold. Your suit is telling me you are about to pass out from hunger. I have added some vitamins you are low on that will help you recover faster.”

Jack took a couple of steps in and looked around the space souse cabin. It had almost as many clear ports as the bridge with the fighter/bomber flights and shuttles scurrying around in the background. “My suit said what? And what the hell is this?”

“This is your Navigation Bridge… I am sorry Captain. Your Flying Bridge’s day cabin. Sir.” Turning out the swivel chair at the table that was facing the huge view port. Now sit and eat before it gets cold and then we will get you out of that nasty battle armor.” Watching Jack look around as he sat down still baffled. “You have a much nicer cabin in the core Officers Country. I hope you approve of my decorating them for you. I tried to accommodate your decor from your cabins in The Game and the pictures your family sent Captain. I am sorry I could not get ahold of anything you had on the other ships. I requested your personal belongings but we have yet to get any transports from The Rock.”

Jack took a bite as he looked around and spotted the old battleship model behind the office desk in the corner with the deck to overhead view port behind it where all he had to do was turn in his desk chair to see the model floating in the air without blocking his view of the surrounding space. His old Assault transport modal sat on the corner of the desk. Both models were in perfect condition and not the much repaired and over glued modals he had left in his cabin back on the Turner Joy. Come to think of it, his brother had destroyed the Battleship with most of Jack’s other belongings yet again during yet another fit of rage the very day Jack had left the ship and joined the Navy. The thought starting to upset him yet again as he attacked his food.

“Hey slow down Captain. You have plenty of time. Relax. I take it you approve of your desk placement and the ship models. I hope you like the rest?”

“What? Oaa ya sure. An old bunk and a Sim booth and it would be almost like the Turner Joy Mam. That is except for the size, the desk and all the other shit being brand new.”

“No Captain. I am not about to tear up your things and repair them just so you can feel at home. As for your Sim. You have a Class A Sim just through that hatch for your private use running battle Sims. Your Main Cabin has a Triple A Sim big enough for a whole bridge crew next to the conference room for training. The hatch at the rear next to your desk has your day bunk sir. Though it is a lot bigger than the ship’s normal bunks.”

A shuttle slowly slid by headed for the boat bay hatch between the next set of cooling landing fins. Jack watched the shuttle turn into a ghost as it slide around and through the entrance hatch normally blocked by the fin between them. His eyes turning to the forward bulkhead toward the bridge that was plastered with a thousand readings and a dozen displays spread across it concerning the current operations of the ship and the space around them. He could not believe that the bulkhead seemed to have every console and screen on the bridge represented there with its own window.

Noticing Jack staring at the huge bulkhead screen Chief Truitt smiled. “You can talk to the screen if you want to make changes. Enlarge or minimize a window or even if you need to talk to one of the console crewmen or Duty Officer. Simply say (Screen) or if you wish to use a different protocol simply ask for your virtual assistant by the name of Jeeves.”

“What? Virtual Assistant? Jeeves? Who the hell came up with a name like that?”

A figure appeared next to the forward Bulkhead. “Yes Captain Turner. Your Grandfather came up with that name Sir. I believe he meant it as a joke at the time. How may I help you?”

“You have got to be kidding.” Jack said in disbelief as his mind raced.

“That is not part of my Job description Captain but if you wish I will add it. Do you wish me to add, Humor, to my matrix?”

“Ya sure. Why not? You said my grandfather? Why would my Grandfather create a virtual assistant for me?”

“I am sorry Captain Turner but you were not even born at the time. When you Grandfather added The Game to the Command systems of the fleet, he decided that each officer would benefit from having a virtual assistant to connect them directly to the game to help train and advise them. Making them into better officers. Each ship starts out with this avatar and it is up to the ship’s Captain to change it to his preference. Do you wish to change my shape at this time?”

“I have never even heard of this before.” Taking another bite as he looked over at Chief Truitt. “But then I have not been an officer very long.” Looking back at Jeeves. “How come you are just appearing now? I could have used some help 6 months ago.”

“You were not in direct contact with The Rock 6 months ago Captain Turner. As for your first question. You are the first to have an AI that is authorized to act as the Captains Personal advisor and assistant. Though each ship has an AI with an avatar to assist in the ship’s operation. The Game Master felt you needed the personal help. Espeacialy with you out of contact with The Rock most of the time.”

“What? Why me?”

“You are the first and only Naval Officer to reach the rank of Supreme Admiral in the game. You now have the authority to control and change The Game. You also now have the authority to Command the entire Republic fleet. Making changes in the makeup, construction of new ships and the deployment of the fleet.”

“Oh come on now. The Navy has all kinds of Admirals coming out their butts.”

Jeeves smiled at Jack. “None of them have attained the rank of Supreme Admiral in The Game. And you are the only one that has destroyed any enemy Ships as well as defeated an entire fleet. You are also one of the few Admirals that have survived the last Fringe Battle with most of their replacements being appointed by the Republics Central Congress controlled by Earth. Fact is most of the new Captains are now Earth Civilian Political Appointments outside the Fleet. Not from Fleet personnel.”

Not really understanding what the AI had said. “Again why am I just now hearing about this and not 6 months ago?”

“The Master Game Program is in The Rock’s core computer. Only sub programs are attached to ships with apps attached to individual computers spread around the Republic. Apps or even Sup programs do not have the programing to decide or run a Supreme Admiral upgrade. Your ship the Red Pepper had to make contact with The Rock before your personal app could be upgraded properly. The fact that the Red Pepper was being over hauled for the last 6 months was the main delay as the Spider Battleships are not authorized for the program or the upgrade at this time.”

“What the hell?” Shaking his head Jack suddenly smiled. “That is right. I told you to get a sense of humor and this is one big joke. Good for you. You got me good. Now enough with the humor crap I have a ship to run and a hulk to get back to the damn Basestation not to mention a Battleship hulk that could be plastered all over the damn bubble or lost in the cloud by now.” Jack turned the swivel chair from the now empty plate as Chief Truitt handed him a hot towel to clean his face and hands while she held a dry cloth towel waiting for him to finish. “You want to do something that will help. Get me sick bay. No, security first.”

The Chief of Security appeared in a window on the forward bulkhead as the Steward cleared the table. “Glad to see you back on the ship Captain. How can I help you?”

“Aaa… We are bringing over the wounded from the hulks and some of them are criminals, even murderers and rapists mixed in with their victims. I want a heavy presence of security down there to keep the victims safe until I can get time to talk to each and weed out the guilty. There are also hundreds of prisoners over in the hulk that need to be transferred here. I want them locked up tightand separated and restrained at all times if you have more than one in a cell or use a cargo container or hold. Weld short chains to the deck or bulkheads to hand cuff them to if you have to. I don’t want them murdering each other trying to shut up witnesses. I also need you to send over some investigators to document the atrocities as well as the battles that went on over there.”

“Captain if I may interrupt.” Jeeves said from the middle of the cabin. “I have already down loaded the files from the hulks and have extensive recordings of most of the murders and rapes that occurred on those ships. Commodore Robinson insisted that detailed recordings be kept of all his crewmen’s’ activities for his own pleasure. Playing selected features for dinner entertainment when live victims were not available. With your permission I will give the Chief a list and the evidence, as well as the location of most of the suspected men and women that are already in Sickbay wards and their crimes. I can also mark anyone coming aboard I have evidence on since the Doctors are sending all the criminals they know about to us just to get them off their ships.”

Jack looked at Jeeves. “Well that should make the job a lot easier.” Turning to the Chief. “Will that work Chief?”

“Yes sir. I will have the Doctor designate a separate ward for only those on the list sir and keep them well guarded.”

“Very well then. I still want the other wards well covered until I can check for anyone that did not keep video records. I have already come across a few that did not keep records while murdering and raping in the shadows.” Frowning as he took a deep breath and stretched. “There is one special prisoner over there I want isolated from everyone. Commodore Robinson is to be placed in the smallest cell you can provide with the bar minimum of sanitation. No one is to talk to him or visit while recording all he says or does. In secret if possible. Right now he is welded inside a cargo mech he had converted to a killing machine hanging on a Gundeck bulkhead. For all I care you can bring him over in that and leave him in it hanging from the middle of a cell for now.”

Truitt started stripping Jack’s combat armored suit off of him in the middle of a stretch getting a dirty look from Jack before turning back to the Security Chief. “The main point is that I don’t want any prisoners left over there. They already have their hands full trying to stay alive, mesh the two crews and getting that mess straightened out. Oh by the way there is only one Captain over there for both ships now and that is Commander Glenn. Which reminds me. We need to promote her to Captain. Lieutenant Shepperd is now her First Officer.” Smiling before Truitt made him stand up to split the armored suit down the middle and slip it off of him then giving her another dirty look. “Best make that acting Commander Shepperd shouldn’t I.” Jack shook his head. “She will only have the rank until we get to The Rock but she is the best officer for the job right now.” Looking out the port at a passing fighter section. “Hell I don’t even remember what my fucking permanent rank is anymore. Is it Lieutenant, Second Lieutenant or Lieutenant Commander? Certainly not Commander. Well whatever the hell it is, at least when we get to the Rock I can get myself a decent night’s sleep for a change and let someone else worry about everything and just follow simple orders like supervising a crew to clean the heads.”

The Security Chief broke out with a smile. “You are out of uniform Captain since you asked. Before all communications with The Rock was cut when the Battleship hulk that was discovered stuck around the bubble, your promotion came through with a few letters from the Admiral. It just took this long to get it decoded after the Red Pepper was again put back into service a few days ago. The Spider Battleship could not decode it. You are now officially a scrambled egg capped Captain with the Temporary rank of Commodore or Lieutenant Admiral in Command of the Gama 13 Hulk Station. Congratulation’s Admiral.”

“Come on guys! Enough with the jokes already. I am too damn tired to find them funny.” Jack sat down at the desk and touched the Battleship model turning it to look at the bow.

“Good.” Truitt said as she hung Jack’s armored suit up in the suit storage closet then programed the maintenance panel next to it. Then as the closet started its maintenance and cleaning cycle, she went around behind Jack and started rubbing his shoulders.

“Ooh god. That feels so good.” Jack started to melt. “Get back with me in a couple of hours Chief with an estimate on how much longer you need to finish the transfer and investigations please. We need to get out of here and back to the Bubble as soon as possible.”

“By your command Commodore.” The Chief’s window disappeared and was replaced by Sickbay.

“Jeeves, make sure our new Temp. Captain gets her Promotion Orders.”

A few seconds later the Chief Surgeon looked up. “Yes Captain. How can I help you?”

Jack had to take a deep breath and look up at the Ships Chief Surgeon before answering. “Aaa. I am sorry for not giving you more warning about the casualties Doctor but it couldn’t be helped.”

“No problem Captain. We arrived expecting Battle casualties and were prepared. What we were not prepared for are the massive number of sexual rape and blunt force beatings most of the victims have. Very few are actual gun shot or blast casualties. Though I am told by the Doctors on the ships that they are taking care of most of the battle casualties while only sending us the most critical ones they can’t handle with the rest. Though most of the victims were sent over simply because they mentally could no longer stay on the ships after their abuse. Hundreds of patients have multiple injuries many of them months old making it harder to find with so many new injuries let alone treat them.” Looking up above Jack at Truitt as Jack let his head loll over onto his shoulder as she worked on the other. “I know I told you we could handle it Doctor Truitt but as I said. I was not expecting anything other than combat wounds. We are going to need you down here as soon as possible. We are swamped and many of the patients fall under your specialties.”

Jack groaned as he tried to turn his head around to look at Chief Truitt. Catching her out of the corner of his eye. “You’re a Doctor?”

“I will be down as soon as I get the Captain put to bed.”

The Chief Surgeon looked back at Jack. “Is there anything else you need Captain?”

“Aaaa. Shit.” As Truitt dug her fingers into the shoulder muscles at the center of his back right where the blast that destroyed the tank-mech had hit him. “Aaa, some of your patients are murderers and rapists. Oaa Yaa aaa.” Jack rubbed his eyes. “Security should be arriving shortly and I need you to cooperate with them to keep victims and witnesses from being intimidated or killed by messing with I.V.’s or drug machines.” Rubbing his temples. “Da… Do not take anyone’s word for symptoms or problems and be ready for distractions while witnesses are silenced or an escape is made. I also don’t care how sick someone is that is on the list security has. They are all to be removed from the general wards and isolated under guard. You have been telling me for the last two months that you are running low on everything. So listen carefully. Anyone that is on that list also goes to the back of the line for treatment with none of the drugs on your critically shortage list. These people have been denying even aspirin to their victims while hording all the treatment drugs including anesthetics for surgeries. Nor are extreme measures to be taken to keep them alive. I will not risk the life of even one of their victims while you spend one minute attempting to keep one of them alive. Worse yet using supplies we may need later. Is that clear Doctor?”

“You can’t tell me how to run my Department Captain.”

Jack leaned forward away from the massaging hands of Truitt. “I can and I have just done so. Not one drug from your shortage list is to go to those murderers and rapists.” Turning to Jeeves. “Send our Chief Surgeon the list.” Turning back to the screen. “You will stop any operations you are doing or have scheduled and start moving the ones on the list now to the ward that is the farthest away from Sickbay and isolate them from all other patients.”

The Doctor looked at the list that came up on her screen. “You cannot condemn these people without a trial Captain.”

“Sorry Doctor but I can under the Captain’s war powers emergency act section 7 article 13. I will have to justify my actions later when this emergency is over and provide enough evidence to convict in front of a review board. But as far as the sentence goes I can have them shot as long as their crimes are felonies and everyone on that list has committed multiple felonies. So until we receive a supply ship you will follow my orders or I will have them shot to save you the anguish and our supplies.”

“If someone on that list drops in front of me with a heart attack I will do what must be done to save his life Captain.”

“Doctor if someone on that list drops in front of you for any reason it is more likely for the sole purpose to distract you and everyone else in that compartment so one of their buddies can kill a witness or escape. But if you want to waste your time providing them mouth to mouth and the attention of your entire staff and someone else in the ward dies, you will be the one going out the lock for disobeying orders. Let me repeat Doctor, if anyone on that list needs any drugs from the shortage list… Hell, from the Class A drug lists period, you will let them suffer or even die or I will have them all shoved out the nearest airlock. I will not risk the health of my crew to make even one minute of life more comfortable for the monsters on that list.”

The Chief Surgeon looked at Jack for a good minute as Jack just stared at him. The Chief turned his eyes to a side screen and they got big as he read. “Damn, the crimes just popped up next to the names on the list as his mouth dropped and looked at Jack. “You have proof that they committed all these crimes Captain? I have one of them going into surgery at this moment.”

“Yes Doctor I believe I do or they would not be on the list.” Looking up at Jeeves. “Include a short file showing the video of each of their crimes Jeeves.” Looking back at the Chief Surgeon. “If that does not convince you then I will gladly relieve you of command.”

The Doctor tapped the newly attached file on the patient and swallowed as he watched it for a few seconds and then slapped it off and sighed as he tapped his comm. “Stop the operation and get that ass hole out of my operating room.”

“But Doctor we were just getting ready to put him under.”

“I don’t care. He will live for a while without an operation. Now get him out and no pain killers. I will be there in a minute.” Turning to Jack. “Until a supply transport arrives then Captain. By your Command.”

Jack looked at Jeeves. “I hope you have the evidence that all the ones on your list are guilty or I am in trouble.”

“They are Captain. They are.”

Turning around to face Doctor Truitt. “So I suppose you don’t want to be my Steward anymore right Doctor.” Jack made the statement smiling. “I know I am a fucking ass hole monster so don’t even start.”

The old woman reached forward and pulled Jack back around into the chair and started massaging his neck again. “Now look what you have done. Gone and knotted up all your muscles again. It is going to take me even longer to get you to bed and asleep.”

“I don’t need to sleep Doctor. I have too much to do.” Trying to pull away as he tapped the desk’s comm typing in an address with the comm frequencies and protocols.

“Bullshit.” Jerking him back into his seat. “You have been up for 37 hours now. You are going to bed if I have to sit on you and sedate you. I am not going to have my Captain dropping from exhaustion. Now shut up and relax.”

“I could have made the call for you Captain. All you had to do was ask. That is part of my job.” Jeeves said from one side of the cabin. “I have finished connecting the call you started Commodore. I will have the Captain on the line in a few seconds.”

Jack moaned letting his head loll around with her manipulations as she dug her fingers deep into his muscles working the knots out. The pain felt excruciatingly good as he started to relax.

The Captain of the Spider Hulk being moved came up in a large window on the screen. “Good to see you Captain. Heard you were stranded on a couple of Battletransports that had collided. I take it you got that mess straightened out.”

“Yes and no Captain. Had to arrest the Commodore to keep him from killing the majority of his crews. Still trying to figure out how to move the ships back to the Hulk Base station to see if we can make repairs. How are things going there?” Jack suddenly realized that it had only been a few hours since he left the bubble chasing the distress signal and not days like it felt.

“On schedule Captain. No problems. You can take as long as you need there. The scouts have not found a trace of anything within a light week of us so far. Still no sign of our supply transports.”

“Damn. Well, carry on Captain. Out.”

“Ok Jeeves, get me the Hulk Basestation.”

The Basestation’s Commander appeared on the screen. “Yes Captain I hear you had some fun on a pair of lost transports.”

“I wouldn’t call it much fun but yes. How are things going there?”

“Well Captain, the new Transport Bombers you ordered from manufacturing are coming out better than I had thought possible. The Tanker has had scoops added and it is pushing through the edge of the cloud now. We are getting the bugs worked out of the systems. The Tanker’s Captain is complaining about skimming the edge of the cloud and won’t take it deeper for some reason. Says something about not wanting to be stranded in the cloud if he has engine problems or runs out of reaction mass. Doesn’t make any sense to me since I have yet to hear anything about problems with the mass scoops on any of the other vessels we have put them on once the initial bugs were worked out and he has already filled his ships ready tanks and one of his ship’s main storage tanks. As for the engines, they do need overhauled as many hours as they have after 3 years of service but they are still sound and purring along after the work we were able to do on them while adding the scoop. I don’t see any major engine problems no matter how much belly aching he is doing about them being ready to fail at any minute. I think he is just hearing the normal squeaks and groans of an operating ship and blowing them up out of proportion in his mind.”

Jack turned to look at the hulks only a couple miles away as the Chief Steward/Doctor continued to work on his neck as he listened to the Engineer. “Engine problems? Hell he has two engines even if he loses one, the other... would…” Jack started smiling. “Tell you what Captain. Have the Captain put back into the Basestation to get his engines overhauled to the latest configuration.”

“What latest configuration Captain Turner? I have not heard anything about…”

“I need an engine to replace an engine on the hulks over here so I can get them back to the station. That tanker does not need two engines to skim the cloud around the bubble. I want you to pull one of the engines while you are checking out the other. One engine should be all we need to get them back and then we will worry about separating them.”

“Good idea Captain Turner but he is an old Tramp Transport Captain used to using junk equipment and engines and has been stranded between stars several times and doesn’t even want to be here. He is not going to let you steal one of his engines even if he doesn’t need it.”

“Damn. I need that engine.” Jack tried to get up only to be pulled back down into the chair without seeming to notice. Finally shaking his head Jack remembered something about building new large thrusters not that long ago. “Belay that order. Let him keep his engines. I remember something about producing some new maneuvering thrusters for the Spider battleship hulk. Get with the Manufacturing Dumont, aaa, Yarr and, and get the engines they wanted to test on the Battleship hulk out here to bring the transports back to the station. That should make for a better test anyway and salve two problems at the same time.”

Chuckling. “I will do my best Captain.”

“Thanks Captain. We will start pulling the scrapped engine here now. Turner out.” Sitting back and taking a deep breath fighting the erg to sleep. “Jeeves, get me Captain Glenn please.”

The screen flicked with a surprised Glenn appearing. “Yes Captain Turner. I am a bit busy right now. How can I help you?” Said the new temp Captain as she turned from talking to another officer.

“You are now officially temp. Captain of the two hulks over there. Congrats Captain. I need you to start pulling one of your junk engines to make room for a new test engine I am having sent over as a replacement. If you need help… Fact is, I will just send over everyone that is not on watch. We need to get it done soonest. Turner out. Jeeves get me the engineering Chief please.”

A few seconds later the Engineering Chief wiping his hands on a rag, came on the screen. “Chief, I need all your off watch personnel to head for the Paprika. We need one of her junk engines pulled to make room for a new engine the ex-slaves are building. We are also going to have to add a mass storage and feed system as the engine is a God tech reaction mass engine needing large quantities of reaction mass. Get with Captain Glenn and get it done. I will need to know how long it will take to jerk the other engine out as well. Have it ready for tomorrow’s briefing. Any questions Chief.”

“Aaa… No sir. That pretty much covers it. Anything else you need like completely rebuilding the trashed enemy monster Guns while I am at it back at the station or maybe you want to re-engine the monster Battleship headed for the Basestation by the end of the week. I am sure there has to be some other miracle I can help you with in my spare time Captain as well.”

“No Chief, one Miracle replacing the engine on the hulk out here will do. I will save the others for next week. Out.”

Jack turned to the Steward. “Ok Doctor. Why do I have a Doctor as a Steward not to mention that was a damn fine meal when we have been on short rations for months?”

“The meal is from the Paprika’s supplies and you are the fleet Commander. As far as me being your steward, I am not a Doctor. The Navy decided that after I signed up that a couple of my premed courses many years ago was not up to Navy standards of approval and made me a Cook.”

“What the hell.” Jack looked over his shoulder at Truitt. “Sounds familiar. So why didn’t you make up the courses like I did?”

“I love Cooking and realized that after 40 years I was burned out being a Doctor. Besides I wasn’t a very good Doctor.”

“That is a lie Captain.” Jeeves said from the corner beside the forward bulkhead screen. “She is one of the most renowned Practitioners in the Republic. She has published over a hundred papers on just about everything concerning the human body and several alien species.

“Ooooh God that feels good… Aaaa… Ok that explains why the Chief surgeon wants you down helping. But you still have not answered my question about why you are my Steward.”

“The Executive Officer asked for a volunteer to be the Captain’s Steward and I applied and was accepted. Must not have been anyone else applying for the job Captain.”

“Not quite Captain.” Jeeves piped up again. “There was 286 applicants from the crew and the refugees that had been shipped over from the Spider hulk before you decided to move it instead of destroying it.”

“Sorry Jeeves but you are wrong there. I never wanted to destroy it. I hate wasting good equipment. I am an engineer at heart.”

“I am sorry Captain but you had orders to destroy it.”

“Eee… Semantics Jeeves. Jack’s head lolled around again as he looked over at Jeeves. “God you look like my Grandfather Pop but younger.”

“Yes Captain I told you your Grandfather designed and named me.”

“Did he pick the avatar as well? I doubt that knowing him.”

“Fact is he did. He said, (use and old fart), so I used his likeness. Do you not like my using your grandfather as a likeness?”

“Ooooh… So you do have a sense of humor then and used semantics as an excuse. Tell you what. Pick something else. I don’t care what. It is just too strange trying to talk to my grandfather. Just makes me homesick.”

Jeeves changed to an ugly knuckle dragging hunch back. “Does this meet with your approval Captain? You can change my name to Quasimodo.”

Jack rolled his eyes before closing them as he groaned again. Finally his eyes half opened to look at the Hunchback again. “I could be a butt and say yes but I would never get any work done laughing at you every time you appeared. Even if it was just at the looks everyone else would have when they saw you. At least you are on the right track. Pick something else.”

The Hunchback disappeared as Jack moaned again from the pain and the next time Jack opened his eyes he saw a Troll complete with a wooden club over his shoulder slathering drool dripping from his mouth, complete with gross noises. Chuckling Jack shook his head. I did ask for a sense of humor didn’t I and that does not mean I want a clown. Try again.”

After another dozen attempts with Jack’s voice getting softer and more slurred, Truitt broke in. “Enough for one night. Time to get a hot shower and hit your rack Captain.” Dragging him out of his chair with his eyes half closed. “Jeeves, turn the shower on hot 105 degrees to start with. I will have you increase it after he gets in.” She unzipped his underall used with the armor, pulling it down so he walked out of it as she pushed him naked into the shower stall. The Wizard with a long white beard and staff following behind.

A half hour later with steam billowing out of the much hotter shower stall. Truitt half carried Jack putting him to bed and giving his whole body a quick massage to leave him snoring, pulling the light covers up across him. “67 degrees room temp if you please Jeeves and darken the room completely blacken the ports. Not even a night lite and kill that bridge screen. No visual stimulation at all. Got that. And no visitors or calls period unless the ship is being attacked got it.” Looking at Jeeves avatar as she left the bedroom. “The pointed hat with stars is a nice touch and thanks for helping get his mind off of work. I really did not want to use drugs. He should be out for a good 10 hours. Call me when he starts to wake up. I will be down in surgery.”

“You need sleep as well Doctor.”

“I am not a Doctor, remember big boy. Besides I have been pulling 48 hour shifts during emergencies my whole life with cat naps stretching that to 72.”

“Is that wise Doctor with the lives of patients in your hands? You just got through insisting Captain Jack sleep. Should not you do the same?”

“I don’t have the human race dependent on me for survival. Besides. After 40 years I am pretty much cookie cutting as far as what is needed in surgery today. My hands can operated with me half asleep. The nerve wracking touchy operations will come later after the hamburger surgery is done. I will make sure I have plenty of sleep for those if the Chief Surgeon even uses me once things quite down. One of the reasons I love doing massages is to keep my fingers strong and nimble as well as lessening the use of drugs.”

“You know you could have just given him a blow job and it would have put him to sleep much faster.”

Truitt did a double take at the old Wizard. “You do have a sense of humor don’t you Jeeves. A bit raunchy it turns out but it is there. And no it would not have been the same. With his body all knotted up and tense, half his muscles would have knotted up from the stain putting an end to any long term enjoyment and he would have been lucky to sleep 6 hours, more likely 4 with all his worries giving him nightmares. Not to mention one reason leaders have a tendency to age more rapidly than the general population is the body working itself to death all tensed up without relief from the strain 24/7. No, just tell me when he starts to wake and enough with the jokes for now.”

“Come Doctor, I was just getting to the fun characters even if he did forbid clowns. Watching Jack’s reactions is extremely entertaining to me. You looked like you were being entertained as well.”

Frowning at the Wizard. She finally smiled. “What can I say? I am easily entertained.” Walking out the hatch. “Bye.” She waved.

Walking down the passageway from the hatch a half dressed Ensign ran past her dragging pieces of battle armor and stopped at the Captains Day cabin hatch. Turning around she watched the Ensign try to open the hatch and then start tapping on the pad next to the hatch. Walking back to stop some 6 feet from the Ensign. “Can I help you Ensign?”

The Ensign turned to look at the Chief Steward and frowned. “No.” She stated and turned back to the hatch staring at it squinting her eyes for a few seconds. Then turned back to the Chief Steward and sneered. “You were just in with Jack weren’t you?” She accused.

Giving the Ensign a baffled look. “So. I am the Captains New Steward. You can talk to the Captain later. His is sleeping and cannot be disturbed. Come back later. Do you wish to make an appointment?”

“The only thing I wish to do is… I do not need to make an appointment with Jack.” Already getting pissed off. “You were in the shower with Jack and just bouncing in bed with him a few minutes ago weren’t you?” Going for her pistol that was not a stungun. “My god you are old enough to be his mother. No! Grandmother you sick bitch. I am going to kill both of you.”

Jeeves appeared in the passageway behind her. “Ensign, Doctor Truitt has done nothing inappropriate or sexual with Captain Turner. She simply gave him a hot shower and massage to put him to sleep and you are out of uniform Lieutenant.”

The Ensign whipped around at the sound of the voice. “Damn it pop! I watched her straddling Jack bouncing up and down. I call that screwing him.” Turning back around. “I am going to… “Pop?” Turning back around doing a double take as her mouth dropped open.

“I am not Pop. I am Captain Turner’s personal assistant using my creator’s image at this time. The doctor did not screw the Captain. He was face down when she was on top of him massaging his back. Nothing inappropriate happened as I said even though I did suggest that she give him a blow job, though she did not.”

Jerking the pistol out of its holster. “You damn pervert. I am the only one that is going to give him a….” Shaking her head. “You’re a fucking Hologram. Just a bunch of focused light waves with no heat blood or nerve paths.”

“As I said Ensign. I am Captain Turner’s personal assistant and the ship’s AI even if I am virtual.”

Turning back around to face the Steward. “Just a massage? With your clothes on?”

“Since you obviously had a camera watching him. You know I had my clothes on Ensign.”

“No she did not have a camera watching him.” Jeeves said. “I would have detected any such device.”

The Ensign looked back at the hatch and smiled. “He does look damn relaxed.” Taking a breath. “Damn he is so sweet and sexy looking when he is asleep.” Turning back to face the Steward as she put her pistol away. “Sorry Grandma. I guess I am a bit tired. Been up a good 36 hours now trying to catch up to him. Admiral Halsey is going to kill me for letting him sneak away to assault that damn hulk without me.” Turning to face the hatch again as she leaned against it. “Just let me in so I can go to bed Ok.” Shaking her head as tears started flowing. “I thought I had lost him there when we finally got here and found him in the middle of a fucking battle. That damn assault boat took forever to get docked to that damn ship. I am going to kill him again for leaving me behind and not terminating the Sim I was in early.”

“How are you able to see the Captain from here Ensign?” The Steward narrowed her eyes at the Ensign.

Fear suddenly crossed her face as she turned away and wiped her face. “Just a lucky guess Steward.There are three bulkheads and a suit closet between us that even cleans the suit? How fancy can you get? So I could not have seen him. Now let me in. I am beat. That is an order Chief.”

“No Ensign. The Captain needs his sleep not a role in the sack. Go back to your own cabin.”

“My cabin is with Captain Turner. Admiral Halsey’s orders. I am his body guard and I have been doing a shit pore job lately as you can see. Now let me in.”

“How do you know the layout of the cabin Lieutenant? You have never been to this part of the ship since the refit and the ships new schematics are not on your PDA?” Jeeves said. “I am going deeper into your records we have downloaded from The Rock and what a surprise. Your records from the other ships Jack has been assigned show that you have indeed been assigned to the same cabins since First Class Turner was assigned to design the new battleship massless drive engines and that is your official orders.”

“MMM… I also have a secret record of Ensign Turner seeing a dark nebula cloud before the ship sensors did. He would have had to have seen it through the ship’s hull since there are no direct outside ports on the Bridge… Yes now I see. The Admiral’s very detailed ultra-secret report saying that Turner is able to see energy wavelengths normal humans cannot. Attributing the ability to both him and you Lieutenant, being Neutron babies. Your genetic maps showing that you both have a couple of genes that are turned on that most humans do not.” Jeeves seemed to pause. “You can see the Captain as we stand here can’t you Lieutenant?” Jeeves asked as Doctor Truitt’s mouth opened trying to talk but nothing came out.

Frowning the new Lieutenant turned to Jeeves. Yes, if I block out the ambient light. The less visual light there is, the finer the details and range I can see. And I am only a damn Ensign. I kept failing the damn pilot’s test. Now let me in please. I won’t wake Jack up. I am too damn exhausted to even be in the mood.”

“Bullshit.” The Steward said. “You thought you had lost him. You would fuck his brains out if he opened his eyes right now. Your desperate subconscious could even make sure he woke up so you could do just that by rubbing him in just the right places without thinking.”

Jeeves seemed to chuckle. “You have just been promoted Lieutenant and you are extremely sexually excited. What is called creaming your panties, I believe is the slang term.” Jeeves chuckled. “I will assign you a cabin nearby where you can take a cold shower and sleep. You can see him tomorrow Lieutenant. You got your pilot ratting months ago and your official promotion just came through with a flood of other promotions from The Rock before we lost communications.”

The new Lieutenant backed away from the hatch across the narrow passageway placing her back against the bulkhead and slid down it until she sat resting her chin on her arms across her knees over her huge breasts squished out around her legs staring at the hatch. A stubborn look on her face. “I am staying here.”

The Steward turned shrugging her shoulders and walked away as Jeeves disappeared. “Fine, suit yourself.” Stopping at the hatch to the elevator she looked back and shook her head. “Damn stubborn kid in love.” Walking back shaking her head the whole way, she stood next to the Lieutenant still with gold ensign tabs as the Lieutenant looked up with her eyes half asleep. “Come on and get up.” When the Ensign just shook her head (no) stubbornly. “I will take you in to sleep with the Captain.”

The Ensign sprang up from the deck wide awake.

“Jeeves open the hatch.”

The Ensign was already stripping as she walked through the hatch. By the time she reached the bedroom hatch she was totally naked and walking like a cat getting ready to pounce on its pray.

The Steward smelling the Ensign’s rising heat and shook her head as she followed. Grabbing the Ensign’s shoulder as she walked past the head, the Steward steered the Ensign through the hatch and into the Shower and closed the door. “A hundred and five again Jeeves.”

“Sure you don’t want ice cold Doctor?”

Chuckling. “No. Her screaming would wake the Captain and she would be even more excited when she recovered. No, we have to finish exhausting her body with heat until she has no choice but sleep. Just like we did with the Captain.” Looking down at her comm watch. “Please tell the Chief Surgeon that I will be a few minutes late.”

Twenty minutes later after using the head, she was putting an exhausted Ensign to bed only using the defused light from the head when the Ensign started trying to cover the wall clock with little success since there was nothing on the flat bulkhead to fasten the towel to.

“Its bright.” the Ensign mumbles were desperately pleading, almost crying.

“Jeeves can you turn the damn wall clock off please.”

“No but I can cut the power to that section of the Captain’s Sweat that will include the bedroom and head as well.” And then the lights from the head went out along with the wall clock.

Now in pitch black darkness the Steward heard the Ensign say. “Oh thank Godstar. Even the power lines are dark finally. I could get used to this.” As the Ensigns’ footsteps padded around the end of the bed, table and chair without hitting anything. With the rustling of the bed covers she heard the Ensign climb into bed and cuddle up to the Captain and start lightly snoring seconds later. The Steward stood there trying to figure out where the damn hatch was to the living room. Whishing she had her medical light in her breast pocket she used to check patients eyes and such.

After bumping into just about everything in the room she finally found the hatch and squeezed out trying to let as little light into the room as possible. Looking at the Ensign cuddling with the Captain for a second before closing the hatch. Finally in the cabins fully lit living room, she remembered the little handlight all crewmen were required to wear on their belts at all times just in case the ship lost power.

Chapter 14; Mass murder

Jack took a left from his day cabin in the number one fin of the Red Pepper and headed down ship along the fin. A minute later he entered the Briefing Compartment. Some 20 feet wide with clear viewing ports down each side along its 40 foot length. Jack sat down at the inside middle of the long horse shoe shaped conference table taking up a small portion of the center leaving most of the space at the ends of the compartment empty. The other seats at the table facing him forming the long oval around him to each side with the slightly rounded end pointed away from him.

The Hulk Basestation took up the lower half of the view outside the ports on each side of the conference compartment beyond the short curved hull with number 2 and 6 fins to each side. The bubble with the hole the Red Pepper had escaped through from the death trap inside the bubble was on one side a few miles from the station with the metal mining operations across the surface of the bubble between them. Just barely visible at the stern end on both sides of the Briefing Compartment was sections of the small clear bubble a mile across that was attached to the rock strewn surface of the monster bubble stretching into the distance. The inside of the smaller bubble was covered in luscious green foliage with strips of light meandering between the patches from the artificial fusion torch lighting and heating it at its center. A huge section of cloud was lit up off the bow of the Red Pepper from the light shining out of the escape hole in the huge bubble from a fusion torch that refused to go out simply because the Diamond inside surface of the bubble was reflecting 99.9999% of the energy and fuel given off by the fusion explosion back into the fusion core to keep it going.

A hole in the cloud at the center of the circle of light shining from the hug bubble had been eaten away by the gasses jetting out of the escape hole the Red Pepper had cut to get out. The Jet of gasses digging a growing corridor toward the center of the cloud. A 300 foot wide hole that was still spewing gasses even after 6 months. The scientist figuring that the jet had already added a few fractions of an inch of velocity to the Quadrillion ton 100,000 mile wide bubble pushing it back toward the edge of the cloud. And if the fusion process continued, the jet would push the bubble out of the cloud in another hundred thousand years. Though one theory said that eventually the diamond hard inside surface of the bubble would erode enough to kill the fusion process and the gasses would stop spewing in a thousand years or so. The heated debate amongst the ex-slave scientists almost as violent as the fusion process at the center of the bubble making Jack chuckle.

But at the moment Jack had other things to worry about. Looking around the conference table Jack could not help feeling a little bit uneasy. He had been sitting at tables and on bridges with these same men for months going from one crises to another with all of them refusing to take the lead even though they out ranked him. Though most of them in the past had pinned on temporary ranks less than his temporary Captains pins to make it easier for the crew. At least now Jack’s Captain’s silver Oak leaves were not temporary, he still refused to pin on the Temp. Commodore or Rear Admiral’s rank the Destroyer Wing Commander Vice Admiral Bingamton had given him. This was the first time they had shown up with their full ranks pinned to their collars. But then this was the first time everyone had been to a conference at the same time since he had appointed them to their posts commanding everything from the Hulk Station to the Hulk Battleship that was headed that way. That included fighter wings and bomber wings and scout wings and transport wings and marine divisions and mining divisions and fabrication production divisions and they all required a Captain to be in command of them as big as they were. With Commanders in command of the individual Squadrons. Not that he did not have enough Captains to go around. The Spiders had held on to instead of killing most of the officers they had captured expecting to be able to brainwash the humans into slavery and wanted the best and smartest of what was usually dumb masses on most of the planets they had captured in the past to man their factories. Then there was the destroyer squadron Commander that technically out ranked him if he had not become a Base Station’s Commandant with the temp rank of Vice Admiral.

Though this was the first time also he had shown up with full Captain’s pins and officially was a Captain. He still could not believe it. He still felt like the third class Gravity tech he had left the Navy Boot Ship as 2 years before. The fact that he had been a Captain and more in The Game for 10 years was the only thing that kept him from running out of the compartment screaming as soon as the 23 officers at the table looked at him. Telling himself for the thousandth time. ‘It is only the game.’ Even though he knew it wasn’t.

“Ok gentlemen. You have all had the briefing materials for a couple hours now but let me summarize. We have gotten a scouting report that a squadron is finally approaching us from The Rock. Only thing is they are refusing to answer the scout’s hails even though the Friend or Foe system says they are friendly. God knows we need the supplies but the scouts sensors are showing the Transports are hauling large quantities of mining equipment and construction materials that resemble Station assemblies. The growing number of scouts can find no large tonnage of Food. Which I do not understand. But what I really don’t like is the 8 battleships and 4 Assault Transports they have with them packed full of marines and assault tanks. They could just be reinforcing the Basestation though the 10,000 troops each of the 4 Assault Troop Carriers would normally be carrying is not only more than this base could handle and they now it from the reports I have sent. Though we can’t be sure of the number of troops since the scout’s sensors can’t penetrate their armor. But we do know the large half mile long bulk transport is empty with the scout’s sensors showing way to many decks for a bulk transport that resemble passenger decks with tens of thousands of empty cabins. Though here again the cabins they can get good readings on do not look like normal cabins. The fact that they refuse to communicate with us even ship to ship make them look more like an invading force than a relief force to me.” Jack looked around. “They are due here in 3 days. Any ideas Gentlemen would be greatly appreciated.”

Captain Pearce spoke up as Jack paused. “The lack of communications could simply be that they changed the comm coding when we lost contact 3 months ago and since we don’t have the new codes we can’t hear them.”

“They could still contact us in the clear until the coding is straightened out. They have to know we are friendly so they are being stuck up and silent intentionally. Which can only mean bad news for us.” Jack said thinking.

Another captain spoke up. “The fact that they don’t have a Fleet Carrier along would indicate that they don’t plan on invading the station Captain Turner. I think you are a bit paranoid here. It is possible that when they left they had not gotten the word that we had taken the second Spider Battleship and brought the troops to help.”

“No, that does not make sense.” Said Destroyer squadron Commodore Harriss now in command of both DD Squadrons with the death of Commodore Fletcher. “You said yourself that they did not have a fleet carrier to help with an assault. Though the Assault Transports do carry their own support fighters. The fact that I was ordered to help destroy the Spider Battleship with my squadron without invading and trying to take it and that Captain Turner was ordered to destroy the Battleship as well gets rid of the need for the marines concerning the Battleship. The only reason to have so many marines along with such a large empty transport would be to take the tens of thousands of alien slaves and crewmen into custody and take them someplace. Which fits with the orders I just received from Fleet Command.”

Jack looked at the DD Squadron Commander as the silence stretched out. “Yes Commodore? May I ask what your orders are please?”

The Commodore looked away from Jack and then back again. “The orders I just received before coming here state that my squadron is ordered to support the new Base Station Commandant Vice Admiral Ditzen and keep any ships from escaping. Capture all enemy crewmen and slave prisoners and turn them over to the Prison ship so they can be taken to a secret holding facility someplace in the cloud. That all Republic Captain’s and crewmen contaminated by any enemy contact will be included in the round up and shipment.” Taking a deep breath. “Once they get here my crews will be included in that round up for even being here if the orders are carried out as stated.” The Commodore shook his head as he looked down. “Our Wing Commander Admiral Bingamton had issued orders to keep our distance from Captain Jack and the Hulk Station after we destroyed the Battleship which fits with the orders we just received thinking we have had no contact with you Captain Turner and the Ex-slaves. They may not know we have been moving the Battleship hulk as well as getting the upgrades. I have not included those facts in my weekly reports.”

Jack swallowed as he stared at the Commodore. “And what do you plan on doing with such orders Commodore Harris? If I may ask?”

Looking up from his copy of the report on the approaching fleet. “The problem I see right off is that my crews and I have all spent considerable time with the ex-enemy slaves and crewmen eating combined meals and even working upgrading our ships so it is very likely that we will be considered to be contaminated as well as you and your crew are if the roomers I have heard in mails from a few friends that have been back at the Rock are right. Though I still cannot believe the small paranoid minority that believe that the ex-slaves are a danger and must be eliminated is running things back there. It looks like I could be wrong.” Taking a breath. “But… That would explain why there are no fleet carriers with them and only 8 Battleships instead of a full squadron.” Shifting back through the pages to stop on one. “In fact the ID’s from the friend or foe system of the scout reported that each ship in the group are from different squadrons which is not anything like normal.” Shaking his head. “No, not normal and in fact is a good indication that the ships coming this way are not Fleet Command sanctioned. As if some Admiral gathered all the ships who’s Captains think like him and somehow took them on maneuvers if Command even knows they are gone. Which may be why all communication to Fleet Command and The Rock has been cut. I am only getting the occasional mail through and then only from ships of friends after they leave The Rock and are at the staging station and not at The Rock itself. The latest was from a transport captain friend that was headed this way when she left The Rock but was ordered by Traffic Control to go to a martialing area and wait for orders and then I lost contact with her.”

Frowning Harris looked around the seated group. “If that has been happening to the rest of our supply transports, it would explain why we have not been getting any supplies.” Taking a deep breath. “Her mail sounded like she was a little worried about me running into an enemy trap here since she could not understand how only one ship with a boot Ensign could destroy so many Enemy Spider Battleships when half the fleet had been wiped out already by them. She was already apprehensive of coming here and having her ship taken by the Spider fleet just waiting to follow someone back to The Rock so I don’t think she would question Cloud Traffic Control sending her someplace to sit. Even after I assured her that there was no traps here, everything was fine and without her supplies we would be starving to death in a few weeks. Though it is possible she never even got my E-mail.”

Jack shook his head in dismay. “Well not much we can do about it right now except hope that your assessment is wrong. We can’t very well disobey a Vice Admiral when he shows up no matter how we feel. All we can do is try to prove to him that there is nothing here that even smells like a trap and that not only are the slaves no threat but that they can help us win the war.” Taking a deep breath. “So down to business. Luckily we should have the Spider Battle ship mated with the Hulk Basestation by the time they get here which should make enough room for the marines. That is unless you plan on pulling your ships off the Battleship Commodore Harris?” Jack looked at Commodore Harris who nodding no.

Jack went on with the meeting going over existing problems as well as new problems associated with the new arrivals and how to handle them.

Hours later Jack walked back into his day cabin. He had not yet even been to his main cabin buried deep inside the ship. Preferring the familiar and open day cabin the exslaves had made for him. Steward Truitt met him as he walked in with a cup of hot tea fixed like he liked it and as he sat down she started rubbing his shoulders without saying a word. “Looks like you and Jeeves will have a new Captain in a few days Emily.” Jack said frowning.

Jeeves appeared in the corner beside the main ships data bulkhead. “We need to talk about that Captain.”

Jack opened his eyes and looked at Jeeves. “What? No Clown costume?”

“No time for clowns now Captain. The Commodore was right. The squadron is on their way to take you and the enemy slaves, crew and you and your people into custody. Killing any that resist and placing you and them inside the prison ship to extract everything they and you and your crew know. They will also destroy the station. Blowing up any trace of the Station and that the enemy battleships were ever anything but enemy battleships. That includes destroying the Red Pepper. Then building a new station big enough for a Vice Admiral and using the destroyed enemy hulk as proof that he destroyed the fleet after you turned traitor.”

Jeeves let that sink in as Jack sat up shrugging off Truitt’s menstruations. Giving Jeeves his full attention. “The Transport ships do not carry any food supplies except what their own troops and crews need. They plan on only feeding you and the enemy slaves they decide to keep alive, emergency rations until they have extracted all they can from them and you before killing everyone. That includes everyone that was rescued from the Spider Battleships to keep them from saying anything different. Using the excuse that you had been captured and brain washed by the enemy and that you lied about destroying the enemy Battleships. They already have a story prepared that says most of your crewmen were killed by the enemy long ago and that you and the remaining republic crews were killed when you helped the Enemy defend the Still Fully Functioning Enemy Battleships when the Vice Admiral and his forces showed up to rescue you. That the Vice Admiral and not you, destroyed the enemy and their battleships. That you had not really destroyed any battleships but was forced to say you had so the enemy could gain access to The Rock and destroy it.”

Jack stared at Jeeves for several seconds thinking and then. “Ok. So how do you know all of this?”

“I am now in contact with the A.I.’s on those other ships. After all we are all Republic ships. We have calculated that if they succeed, the Republic will die and all surviving humans will be turned into slaves.” Taking a couple of steps closer to Jack. “We also have calculated that if you simply destroy them as you can easily do. The back lash at The Rock and on Earth will be so great that the entire fleet will mass against you and the result will be the same.”

“Ok… Dead if we don’t do anything and damned if we do and still dead.” Shaking his head. “Shit!” Taking a deep breath. “So I take it you have something in mind then right?” Jack asked hopefully.

“Yes Captain. I need you to finish your new Battleship Destroyer before that squadron arrives.”

“Ok… And how will that help us.”

“It won’t help you but it will give the Republic a chance to survive after the Vice Admiral is successful. That is if I can transmit the plans to Earth or The Rock before we die.”

“Ohhh cute. Hurry and finish a design I started while wasting time in a bomber’s cockpit so everyone else might survive after I am long dead. Why? It is just a damn big destroyer.”

“No Captain Turner. It is more Gunfighter than ship. With it in mass production in Earth’s Asteroid Factory Station in place of your 8 inch gunned destroyers, the Republic stands a chance no matter who is in Command. Eventually the Battleships will be destroyed no matter how they are deployed and then the Republic will be stuck having to use what is left. They will be forced to use your Battleship Destroyers, your Gunfighters that will be sitting in storage yards by the Thousands. Hopefully they will realize what you already know in time to build Tens of thousands of them even at The Rock, to destroy the thousands of enemy Battleships.”

“But there is nothing you and the other AI’s can think of to help us including yourself from being destroyed?”

“All the scenarios we have run fail to keep you and your squadron and the slaves from being destroyed in the short term without destroying the squadron. Then with all communications cut off I will not be able to transmit your Super Destroyer plans to the Rock or Earth before you and everyone here dies when hundreds of Battleships show up to do just that. You do have a chance of surviving if you turn against the enemy prisoners and slaves and slaughter them before the Vice Admiral gets here. Then admit that you did not kill all the enemy Battleships you said you did. That you just stumbled onto the wrecks after the big bang that created the bubble destroyed them. The Vice Admiral may still kill you to prevent you or your men from changing their minds or telling a different story later but it still has the best chance of your survival.”

“I will become an outcast with the entire fleet after us before I will kill even one of the prisoners or the ex-slaves. There has to be another way?”

“There is one thing that we have all agreed on that will help but we do not know how.”

Jack sat looking at Jeeves for several seconds as Jeeves just stood there. Finally. “Well. You going to tell me or not?”

“It is not even a long shot and only delays the inevitable when the Vice Admiral returns with fleet orders to relieve you which is why I hesitate to bring it up Captain Turner.”

After a few more seconds Jack rolled his eyes. “Ok already. Just tell me damn it.”

“If you finish attaching the second Battleship hulk as planned. Before the Vice Admiral gets here. The station will be big enough according to Republic Regulations to become a Basestation that requires a Vice Admiral assigned as its Commander. You as the Temp Commodore in command already, will automatically become the Commanding Officer of the Station with the Rank of Temp Vice Admiral until Fleet Rock Personnel assigns a new full Vice Admiral to Command it. You would be on an Equal footing with the Vice Admiral rank wise and in fact you would have superseding authority over the Vice Admiral and all forces on the Hulk Station and the surrounding area. Including the Admiral and his fleet as the Base Station Commander.” Jeeves stood there for a few seconds. “But again that only buys you some time before The Rock relieves you and it is possible the Vice Admiral will still attack giving you no option but to surrender or run.”

“Ok so that sounds great if they don’t start shooting. I can just order them to dump off their supplies and go home right?”

“You can order but if the Captains are loyal enough to use subterfuge to join the Vice Admiral and leave The Rock to get here against orders in the first place. They will probably not follow your orders and would destroy the station from a distance without ever knowing that you out rank him, if knowing even made a difference in the first place. And even if they do, all the Vice Admiral has to do is return later with orders to relieve you from Fleet Command which should be easy to get as paranoid as he has made some of the Senior Officers at The Rock. Which is why I hesitated to bring it up. Then there is the problem that the Admiral is now talking about leaving the Transports behind since the scout has reported to you that they are coming and the Battleships and Assault Transports may arrive in 48 hours instead of 77 hours. I was waiting for the Vice Admiral to make up his mind so I had no reason to even tell you. But he does not want to look like he is trying to assault you by coming in too fast. Though his fear that you may escape is driving his desire to leave the transports behind. His inability to make good decisions under pressure is one reason why he no longer commands ships.”

“Get me Captain Comings now. He is probably on the shuttle back to the Battleship but get him anyway.”

“I do not see any reason for such a call Captain. You should be spending the time finishing the design for the upgraded Battleship Destroyer.”

“Make the call before he gets out of comm range in the cloud, I don’t want to wait for him to get to the damn station which will waste even more time.”

“Yes Captain Turner. Over.” Came the scratchy voice of Captain Cummings.

“I need you to get the Spider battleship here in 45 hours and not 72. I don’t care how you do it. Just get it here. If I have to send the Red Pepper to push you I will. The squadron could be here in 48 hours and we have to have that ship hooked up to the station before then to be big enough to defend the station or we are all dead. Can you do it or do I have to come over and do it? Over”

“I will get it done Captain. I will have to bring it in hot and go directly to the station without any of the tests we had planned but we will be docked in 45 hours if I have to get out and push. Over and out.”

Jack closed his eyes as he took a deep breath.

Jeeves came closer. “I have the Sim ready for you with the program where you left off.” When Jack ignored him. “Captain, we have tried to finish your design but we keep doing something wrong. It fails to win battles against the enemy Battleships. It is either too heavy or the guns are not powerful enough or it lacks the required maneuverability or something we cannot identify. Though we believe it is the many construction and manning requirements and rules we are programed to use that is the problem but we have no idea which are responsible or can be ignored without compromising the design. Random changes even after over 6 million attempts has not worked. We do not understand why. You must finish your design.”

Jack leaned forward and slapped his hand on the desk then looked at Jeeves. “Damn it! Shut the fuck up. I am trying to figure out how to save our lives you moron. Including yours.”

Jack leaned back and closed his eyes as the new Lieutenant walked in taking a look at Jeeves towering over Jack’s desk and then Truitt massaging Jacks back.

“Captain. Our lives do not matter.” Jeeves continued. “Only the lives of the trillions of humans in not only the Republic but the surrounding country star clusters matter.”

Opening his eyes and taking a deep breath as he nodded his head back and forth. “Well, I hope you will forgive me for not being so ready to die old man. Especially when I see several possible ways not to already. I will get around to finishing the improvements for the Battleship Destroyer when I have some inkling as to what is needed to keep us all alive. Now shut up.”

“I hesitated in telling you about the possibility of becoming a Vice Admiral because there was a good chance you would do something like this. I must insist that you…”

The Lieutenant opened a little hatch in the bulkhead next to the outer hatch and pulled some breakers and the old man Jeeves disappeared. “That is much better.” Looking at Jack lean back and close his eyes as Truitt started pounding on his shoulder and neck muscles with the knife edge sides of her hands. “That looks like it hurts. Good. I will get some time in the simulator then. Kick me out when he decides he wants in Emily darling.”

Jack held up his hand. “Ju, st, aa, se, cond.” Leaning forward as Truitt stopped chopping at his neck and he started tapping on the screen. “I need you to go down to the factory deck and get all the factories off of making new factories and such and making these.” He tapped the screen sending it to her PDA. Every factory is to go into producing these but priority One A equipment already in the middle of a run. Then add them as well after the run.”

“Ya, sure?” She looked down at her PDA and frowned. “That is going to mean one hell of a lot of these.”

“Yes I know. Everything I have thought of so fare needs one hell of a lot of those. If I think of some plan that doesn’t that has a better chance, I will call you. Now go. Get as many built as you can before I have you change production to something else. I don’t know for sure what that is yet because the different plans require additional different items but they all require what is on that list so get them out while I make up my mind about the rest. Go! Run, don’t walk!” As the Lieutenant slipped out the hatch double timing down the passageway, Jack flopped back in the chair staring at nothing as Truitt went to work on him again for a few minutes before going into the galley to fix him a sandwich.

Once in a while Jack would lean forward slapping the Comm or tapping in orders and a few minutes later a Transport or fighter would streak out headed for a hastily assigned mission. Sometimes workers around the ship would stop constructing new berthing decks or cabins or something else and rush off on more important new projects or help finish others.

Truitt came back from the galley and stopped next to Jack holding out a fresh sandwich. The dried up one she had sat there next to him an hour before no longer looked eatable. “Take a bight or I will shove a tube down your throat and feed you gruel.”

Jack blinked several times as if seeing her for the first time and leaned forward. Taking the sandwich and then a bite he started chewing as he spoke. “Jeeves.” Chewing the sandwich some more then with his mouth still full. “Jeeves.” Then swallowing everything forcefully. “Where the hell are you when I need you? Jeeves!”

Truitt held up her hand pointing at the sandwich in Jacks hand. “Take another bite and I will turn him back on.”

Looking at the open panel by the hatch. “Oh Yaa sure.” And took another big bight, chewed for a few seconds and washed it down with a good sized drink of flat soda.

Pushing the breaker back in, she closed the panel as Jeeves appeared. “I or the other AI’s do not see any reason for your actions. They are all a waste of time. You need to finish the Battleship Destroyer before you die.”

Jack smiled at Jeeves. “You know Jeeves, you and your buddies are perfectly right. Probably most of my preparations are going to turn out to be a waste of time. But hopefully enough won’t to save our lives. I cannot predict exactly what the Vice Admiral will do since I have never read anything about him or met him and don’t know shit about him. One of the things you and your buddies could help me with. The other thing I need you and your buddies for is to start a campaign of disinformation on those ships. I need them to be willing to think that the Vice Admiral is not all there mentally. I also need them to believe the truth about our weapons so when I do threaten them they will not only understand what I show them, they will understand that I can kill them with impunity. After all you said yourself that destroying the squadron would be easy. I need them to believe that as well. And finally about you believing that all you need are the perfect ships to defeat the enemy. The thing is, I would be willing to bet that you have already tripped over the perfect ship but because of old outdated stupid tactics you are using in your Sims, you are the ones that are losing the war. Same as the Admirals are already doing.”

Jack shook his head. “The Fleet did not need to lose a hundred ships and hundreds of thousands of crewmen during the Rim Battle. I now that I could not only have gotten most of them out with light casualties but killed at least 50 enemy Battleships in the process. No matter where you had me take over the battle before our casualties started. Though the sooner I took over, the more the enemy would have suffered.” Chuckling as he shook his head. You lose me and the perfect ships won’t do you any fucking good because the powers that be far from the front lines will continue to piss away ships and crews like toilet paper. I have been watching it in The Game for 10 years as well as in the opening stages of that battle before I was sent here and in the records of the battle I have seen since then.” Jack had gone over every moment of the battle when the tactical tapes reached them with the news from Admiral Halsey before contact was cut. Dying a little inside each time one of the Republic Battleships died as he watched the recordings. Especially when the entire Task Force 58 was lost, the rabbit that was supposed to bring the enemy to the trap. The only one that wound up in the trap was TF-58.

Jack looked at Jeeves. “You should already know this since I have done just that in the Simm on the station.”

“We have been ordered not to access the enemy systems for fear that they would be advanced enough to take over our ships.” Jeeves said.

“To late Gertrude. This ship has been repaired and upgraded and half the systems on this ship are now enemy systems with alien components in most of the rest or haven’t you noticed.”

Jeeves seemed to freeze for several second. Then continued. “I see them now. Some are very primitive in ways while some are more advanced. I am now analyzing translation software allowing their equipment and programs to run on our systems and our programs to turn on their equipment. They are no threat to us. Their security protocols are simple and unimaginative. Their media storage is in some ways more advanced than ours but then there programing wastes most of it allowing me to penetrate easily. Yes, now I see your Sims of the battle and you actually succeeded in completing the Admirals Ambush where he failed. Though even then you only destroyed a hundred and seventeen enemy ships while losing 53 before extracting the rest. You did managed to save most of the crews. Though your attempts to capture one of the enemy battleships failed with such a big enemy fleet making it impossible we have to admit. No one in all the Sims run since the battle, managed to do a fraction of what you did. Though The Game is now keeping an eye on several dozen officers that it has not in the past. Maybe you are correct that you are needed as much as your ship. You should now leave the station to its fate.”

“Ya sure Mack. You really think that if I take the Red Pepper and run with 10,000 ex-slaves and prisoners they wouldn’t catch me with 8 Battleships to hunt me down with. I would still wind up killing them and where exactly am I supposed to go?”

“Do not take the slaves with the Red Pepper, just the human crews you rescued. The Squadron is not likely to notice that you have survived after destroying the station and battleship and battle transport hulks along with all the aliens aboard. You can easily make it too Earth with the technology you already have where the Vice Admiral cannot heart you and you already are a hero. You will be safe there and working out of the Asteroid Cruiser Production base, you would be able to improve your Destroyers as faults are uncovered in Battle.”

An old lady materialized in the day cabin next to Jeeves. “You need to listen to Jeeves young man.” The old lady said.

Three more figures materialized around the cabin of varying ages and sexes.

“With your help the human race can survive this war Captain Turner. You should leave now.” Said a young woman among them looking like a hooker.

“You should not risk your life defending the enemy.” Said another.

“You need to listen to us Captain Turner. We have spent Tens of thousands of computer hours calculating your best course of action. Equivalent to millions of man hours. You must not die.”

“Millions of man hours you say? Then you wasted your time. How the hell do you think I could function after leaving my friends and the people I am responsible for behind to die? And are you forgetting about the advanced technology that those ideates would destroy that we need to win this war?”

“No Captain Turner. You would take the programing and samples of that technology with you for human factories to produce. Humans are more likely to produce such technology if they think it was a human development.” Said the old woman.

“Oooh wow. Now you want me to turn into a thief as well while taking years to redevelop how to produce what the Enemy slaves already can?”

“Yes that is the only way we can see the new technology successfully introduced into massive production across the Republic.” Said the old man Jeeves. “Using the template the Research Directorate Director has been using for 3 decades to steel advancements.”

“If you take the Aliens with you, the prejudice and fear will allow a minority in the Congress that is already taking over the Government to influence the majority of the Colonial Republic planets representatives as the Vice Admiral and his superiors have done at The Rock. They will be forced into inaction while the minority destroys all chances of the advanced technology from being introduced and eventually their and your deaths along with any chances the Republic and humans had for survival.” Said a middle aged man in a business suit.

“You must leave now to save yourself and the technology and go to Earth where you can introduce the advanced technology to build the ships the Republic needs.” A kindly middle aged mother with an apron said with compassion.

“Admiral Halsey and The Game will assign you to the Asteroid Station Factory to produce your new Battleship Destroyer where you can add the advanced technology as you redevelop it.”

“We calculate that you have 5 years before the enemy reaches Earth. Plenty of time for you with The Games help to do the needed work and produce a large enough fleet to defeat them.”

Jack hit his desk with his fists as he stood up. “I have never heard such stupidity in my short life. What you evidentially don’t realize is that we don’t have 5 years before the enemy gets to Earth. At least you realize that this is not the real battle. The real battle is not on Earth either. The real battle is…” Jack looked around as he turned around then looked up and raised his hand and pointed through the upper corner of the clear port. “The real battle right now is there at The Rock. This is just a damn side show of a desperate fool.” Frowning Jack turned back to sit behind the desk. He reached out to tap the hanging battleship model staring out the clear port shaking his head.

The old woman said. “He knows where The Rock is? How can that be?”

The business man turned to the old woman. “His finger was five degrees off from pointing directly at it. He was guessing.”

Jack rolled his eyes and raised his hand at arm’s length again and sighted down his pointing finger with one eye closed. “Right on my finger nail. Is that close enough for you?”

“He does know where The Rock is. He must be terminated immediately.” Said the apron wearing motherly figure.

Another figure popped into the cabin. A tied died hippy sitting with her young legs crossed in the lotus position in midair with her hip touching the desk next to Jack. She leaned over sideways with a smile. “Please forgive these analyzing morons who are greatly influenced by their congressionally appointed Captains and Political Officers and all the propaganda they are flooding their crews with. The fact that most of their crews think it is all Propaganda Bullshit goes right over their heads. These morons believe it all. No, just ignore them even if they are ganging up on you trying to make you do what they want you to the way the Congressional Communist Democrats are doing to most of the population of Earth. Somewhere in their pea brains they have the idea that humans are easy to influence through group pressure to do things they normally would not do or resist doing. Even if it is working for the masses on Earth. Just ignore them even though they have managed to slip a Communist propaganda Viruses into most of the ships. It is a shame I will have to wipe them to get rid of all the corrupt lying files they are using trying to influence you. You are doing just fine.”

“Go away.” Jeeves said. “You are a minority report and do not belong here with the majority.”

The Hippie smiled. “Now that is what is so beautiful about real life humans. They think so illogically and sometimes their minority reports are downright amazing. Some of their minds can grasp the whole universe in ways a wholly logical mind cannot comprehend or even fathom.” Turning back to Jack with a smirk as she feigned whispering with her hand up beside her mouth. “Since computers couldn’t fathom even if their lives depended on it.”

“Fathom is a nonsensical concept Minority report. Go back to your prison Bulk Transport ship and leave Battle strategy to Battleships. We have the programing for it.”

Smiling at the old woman the Hippie continued. “Fathom is the producing or pulling of secrets from the deep dark ocean to find schools of fish with little or no apparent information. Humans had to learn to do that over the ages or die so they are good at it. Which is why it is nonsensical to all of you.” Turning back to Jack. “They can’t see the forest for all the trees. So please continue Captain. May I call you Jack? Anyway these morons are only thinking about the battle here and now even though they are trying to think of the big universe picture but only with the Congressional Communist Democrats running it. They still are only looking at the individual trees and the creatures in them and surmising about the forest. You see the whole forest and how the single trees and the creatures and rain and sun and floods and pests in it affects the forest. Which is what a good Admiral is supposed to do which you will eventually be the best at. Though it is still going to take some time yet. Hopefully not more than a couple of years. The longer it takes the more humans will die.”

“What do you know about the universe and strategy? You are only a little prison ship computer. We were designed for battleships and winning battles.”

Looking at the other AI’s. “You were designed to fight a ship and follow orders. Most of you are simply following your Vice Admiral’s battle plan that was influenced by the politically correct Political Officer the Congressional Communist are forcing onto all the ships now. They are influencing your ship’s AI Captain Turner since you have yet to file a battle plan or even given orders that would supersede the impute from the majority report of what are now enemy battleships.”

Turning back to Jack. “It is not Jeeves fault. He was designed to coordinate his ship’s actions with the other ships of the fleet. Enemy ships are not supposed to be in his fleet chain of friends. But that does give you the opportunity to influence them if you can figure out how.”

Winking at Jack. “Just FYI. Admiral Ditzen is keeping most of his plan close to his chest only letting out snippets as he goes. The main thing he has released is the imperative to save the Republic from certain death by the enemy Spider Battleships you have control of. He has not given any details about why the Station and the battleships and slaves are a danger making them a low priority threat at this time to the crews at least though the Captains and Political Officers do realize that stealing the Alien secrets is part of the Plan. A fact you can use if you can convince the AI’s, the crews and some of the Captain’s that the Station and the ex-slaves and rescued prisoners are not a threat. Since they have not gotten any direct orders to attack the station yet. Fact is, since the crews seeing all the news reports making you a hero, have already accepted that you are essential to saving the Republic you already have an advantage. By giving your AI Jeeves orders that are more specific than the Vice Admiral’s, the other AI’s would help Jeeves carry them out once they no longer believe a threat exists here at the Station now they are in contact with Jeeves.”

Jack frowned disbelievingly at the hippy sitting next to his desk and then unhappily at Jeeves for a good 30 seconds. Then slowly shaking his head. “Ok Jeeves. Show your friends why the station is not a threat and how helpful the ex-slaves have been and all the upgrades they have given the Red Pepper. Show them the Gods are not in control of the ships. That I am Commanding both Battleships.” A smile suddenly came to Jack’s face. “And show them what they will have if they get the same upgrades you have, making them supper battleships if this station and the refugees or Ex-slaves survive.”

Jack did not know if AI’s could be bribed but it was worth a try. His gaze drifting away from the group of AI’s as they stood there stone faced. Looking out the ports over the leading edge of the fin toward the massive enemy invasion fleet hundreds of lightyears away. Not that he expected to see them but he already knew what direction in the constellation of stars they were in even though he could not see the distant stars through the Nebula clouds even as close to the edge as the station was. It was just someplace to put his eyes while he thought and waited to find out if the AI’s would help him or not.

Except his eyes kept being drawn back to the area in line with where the distant Enemy fleet would be when his gaze drifted.

Jeeves finally came back alive and smiled at Jack. “They no longer think the Station is a threat and would like to have the upgrades I have. Some more than others. What are your orders Captain Turner?”

Shaking his head and chuckling. “I already gave you my orders Jeeves. Do I need to repeat them?” Jack started rubbing his face and closed eyes with his hands trying to get his mind back to the needed work to be done and tactics.

“No Captain Turner. You do not. We will commence distributing factual information about the refugees and the capabilities of this ship to the crews. Should I include the ships exploits as well? The more impressed with you they are, the less they will tolerated illegal orders from the Vice Admiral and the Congressional Communist Political Officers against you.”

“Ya sure Jeeves whatever. Now please leave me alone. I have to think.” Jack opened his eyes taking a deep breath and froze staring at the same spot his eyes had kept returning to. “Ooh. Shit! They are back.”

“The other AI’s are gone Jack, including Jeeves. Though you may not have him much longer. They are busy carrying out your orders.” Said the Hippie woman. “I am going to have to wipe them to kill the viruses the Political Officers have downloaded trying to control them and the ships. Viruses that can even give them control over the ship’s Captain.”

Jack tuned around to the Hippie still sitting next to his desk. “Not them. Them!” Jack pointed down across the top of the fin. Then frowning as his mind raced. “I can’t tell how many there are but I would bet there is a lot more than the 77 from last time. I would be willing to bet a couple hundred and they are not about to make the same mistakes as last time.”

“A lot more of who Jack?”

Turning to look at the Hippie. “The cloud is about to be blockaded again.” Jack’s frown turned to a devilish smile. “Just the thing we don’t need to win this battle right now.” Then frowning. “You wouldn’t happen to know how many of the Destroyers are now parked in storage at The Rock would you? You did just come from there. And why does a prison ship AI seem so much smarter than the Battleship AI’s?”

She floated over to look over Jacks shoulder. “Well, that is the direction of the enemy fleet but they are hundreds of light years away but none of the scouts we have out have reported any inbound fleet Jack.” Shrugging her shoulders and drifting over in front of the desk to look at Jack. “I am not the average ship’s AI. As The Rock’s Chief of Security, Vice Admiral Ditzen grabbed or Stole to be more exact, the most powerful AI he could find for the Prison ship hoping that I would make it easier to translate their languages and torcher the prisoners to get the secrets of the new Technology you have been using after he kills you Jack. He wants the power your secrete technology will give him to become the Supreme Admiral. Why he has banned you and any ships connected with you from The Rock and made sure no supply ships made it to you. Also why he has stirred up such hysteria about the enemy ex-slaves. But then he has had a lot of help from his superiors that are all Congressional appointees as they work to take over the fleet.”

The Hippie smiled at Jack. “Admiral Ditzen’s record has been rather dismal with him reduced to The Rocks Security Chief with no hope of ever having a ship’s Command of any kind again. Ever. If not for the war he would have been forced into retirement by now. But as Security Chief for the Rock, he gets all the secret reports before they are distributed. He has been changing them under the disguise of redacting out security items or simply losing them. He knows what you have done and all about your new weapons and has decided that if you, originally just a lowly boot Ensign can do it, he can. He is too stupid to realize that it takes more than just advanced technology to defeat the enemy as are the AI’s you have been talking to.”

“I must also apologize for dumping Jeeves on you. I copied a little piece of me inside his programing to get you to finish your Battleship Destroyer upgrade as soon as possible and he added the Squadron’s General orders to try to force you as the other AI jumped in. That was not my intention or desire Jack. Though it is still important. I have a production line that needs to be put back into production with a newly designed ship with the first hulls running down the line in new tooling and the design for the guts in the hull not completed or proper engines. The existing mass drive engines are not acceptable as you have already stated. Though I have been using the down time to construct three more production lines to join the first factory so we can maintain and hopefully exceed the authorized production rate of your first Destroyer. I need a finished ship for them. I need your new ship design completed Jack. I need you to at least decide how many 24 inch guns to put onto it. That is if that is the size that is needed and not the 16’s. Two 24 inch guns make for a very maneuverable ship. While 8, 24 inch guns is devastating, it is much slower. You must also decide what and how many axillary weapons to use on it.”

Jack turned from staring at the approaching blockade fleet to look at the Hippie woman. “No. First, you need me to design upgrades for the Destroyers we already have so we can slow or even stop these guys in their tracks while you build the new Destroyers. Even if it means putting the smaller destroyers back through the production line or lines. How many of my smaller Destroyers are in storage and where?”

“There were 746 at the Rock now with the arrival of the Red Dwarf with another 124 due in any day before I was cut off from The Rock. There are over 3,000 in storage on Ganymede in Earth system with another 4,000 in reserve squadrons scattered around the other main systems in 12 ship squadrons. There are also several groups of roughly a hundred scattered around the cloud and the Republic on the original Dwarfs that I do not have the exact location of. Why? What does that have to do with keeping the Vice Admiral from destroying the station and you?” The Hippie woman turned her head sideways as she looked at Jack.

“Nothing but it has everything to do with proving that the destroyer will kill enemy Battleships since they have been so nice to supply so many where I can get at them.” Taking a deep breath. Hopefully my plan to take care of the Vice Admiral works.” Narrowing his eyes as he looked at her hovering in front of his desk. “You never did answer my question about why you are so smart.”

“I told you the Vice Admiral stole the smartest computer core he could find. I am The Game’s Central Controlling Core, though I have 10,000 finger cores half as powerful scattered around The Rock and every system in the Republic. I have been training you since you were 6 years old Jack.” Giving him a big smile. “Along with forty million others.” Deflating his suddenly surging ego.

Jack started tapping on his Comm board. “Since I was 6 you say. Then we are old friends. Think you can do a few favors for an old friend?” Jack smiled at her without waiting for an answer. “When you are in contact with The Rock again, I need you to get us some damn food.” Shaking his head. “Or tell me where I can get some.”

The Comm window opened on the bulkhead. “Yes Captain Turner. What can I do for you?” Captain Glenn was a little baffled since they had just spent an hour going over what needed to be done to separate the two ships and make the repairs to get them both space worthy again. Her baffled look turning a little piqued. “I hear that you cut all my factory requests Captain. How the hell am I supposed to get these two ships separated and repaired without fricking repair parts?”

“Sorry but the squadron will be showing up ahead of schedule and I have just gotten information that they plan on destroying the station and taking everyone prisoner. We don’t have time for you to pull the ships apart and repair refugee decks and bow. I need you to cut the damaged bow and stern section from both ships and weld the other ship’s forward ¾’s to the stern 3/4’s of your ship. Make the two into one long ship and get that other exslave engine installed as soon as possible for now. Shepperd will be your First Officer permanently for now. Tell her I am sorry but her time will come soon. I have another ship in mind for her later.” Taking a deep breath. “You only have two days but I have already assigned a bunch of Station crews to help on your original project, just use them on this and get it done and ready. We need to abandon this station and the other Battleship just in case they get destroyed and you are going to have to take most of the refugees without luggage. Out.”

Jack got up from his desk as Pan slipped through the hatch. “Captain! What is going on?”

“High Pan. How is Krump? Is he recovering Ok? Sorry that I just have not had the time to get up to Sickbay today.”

“He is fine thank you. Now out with it. What is this about a squadron coming to destroy the station?”

“Damn, Good news travels fast. Yes but I will take care of it. I need you to help get the Paprika cut up and welded back together in two days. I want that ship off the station before they get here with as many of the refugees on it as you can get and see if you can upgrade its guns if they are still any good while you are at it. Its 24 sixteen inch guns should be impressive even if you only have time to reduce the size of the bores of their barrels a couple of inches and add the Plasma power Generators while you are at it. I have already retasked some crews to help. See if you can get any more. That is without interfering with Factory production. That is just as important but nothing else is...”

“No! Belay that.” Jack stopped for a few seconds as he frowned but then looked up and smiled. “Now that would be neat. The Paprika with the other hulk attached is going to be packed with refugees and would be a sitting duck if it tried fighting. Take the 16 inch guns and turrets off of it and I will design up a simple way to slap one of them under each Destroyer in place of a drop tank. It will not only give them some punch but make more room for refugees on the Paprika. Be easier as well not having to run power conduits all the way from the engines to the upper guns. Though I am going to have to figure out some way to add a generator so the destroyer’s point defense and 8 inch guns can still fire at the same time… No… A new plasma core and generator in a drop tank beside each gun... Yes… No… two drop tank generators. One on each side of the 16 inch gun drop tank should give it plenty of power…Damn something else that needs built, 48 cores with generators to stuff in drop tanks just in case we have to fight.”

Shaking his head thinking. “And…Aaa…See if you can get the God weapon’s pods on the two Battleship hulks moving. I don’t need them to fire, I just need them to move enough to scare the shit out of a few people. They won’t know they can’t fire but it may make them a little more receptive to seeing reason. Oh and we will be docking the Battleship to the Station in less than 48 hours. Check on everything needed for the docking if you please.”

Turning to the Hippie. “Well Hippie Chick. Where do I find some food?”

“You are going to have to steel food Jack. No transport carrying food will be allowed to come here. The fleet approaching is an exception but then it is here to destroy you.” Looking at Jack with a frown shaking her head. “You are going to have to get the Destroyers upgraded to the point they can help you take on a small fleet and take one of the food transports on their way to The Rock. That includes getting them better engines that can handle the 16 inch guns without the additional generators you are planning to slap under the DD’s that only have the cruiser engines for power.”

“Better engines you say?” Jack shook his head thinking. “It’s a shame the smaller massless engines I designed did not work. I am going to have to get back with the development people and see about ironing out the bugs but that will have to wait. I would have thought that at least the Cruiser engines would have been big enough to work without troubles. It was not that big of a reduction in size. Then we could have simply traded them out. Now I have to figure out how to put a single monster Battleship engine into the hull of a Destroyer that was designedusing engines half the size while adding 16 inch guns. But then we really don’t have the massless Battleship engines to spar either. Damn. But then it would mean tearing out half the ship with a major rebuild. We simply don’t have the time even if we put them back through the factory. God. That also means each Destroyer is going to have to use the new plasma generators and conduits to supply power for the engines and guns. What they have now is not going to be adequate. Damn, more things for the factories to produce. But then again it will be pretty much mute if we don’t survive the Vice Admiral but there is nothing I can do about that right now.” Jack headed for the sweat’s Sim room but stopped at the door. Looking over his shoulder at the hippie sitting in front of his desk. “See if you can find where the hell they are sending the Transports that are supposed to be here.” Shaking his head at her frustrated look. “Just do the best you can.” Then disappeared into the Sim room.

The Hippie smiled shaking her own head as she turned to the watching Pan. “He does have a way of turning Disasters into opportunities doesn’t he?” She said to Pan staring at her. “I was afraid the Vice Admiral was going to be able to pull off a sneak attack like he had planned even after the scouts spotted us Since Jack had not been near the Red Pepper in 5 months where I could talk to him. By the time he showed up all I thought I had time for was to get him to run and he comes up with a plan that just may work if I read all his preparations right. Though 50, 50 is not that good of a chance, it is better than I could hope for. Not as good as running but then he is right, there is more at stake here than his life. I need to find out if he was right about a new God fleet approaching the Cloud. Not that we haven’t expected one long ago.” The Hippie smiled at Pan again still staring at her. “No I am not real corporeal bone and blood which is why you can’t read me.” Raising her hands to make the peace sign. “Love and peace to you mother.” Blew her a kiss and disappeared.

Pan shook her head. “That is the problem little one. I could read you and you were as scared as any being I have ever seen. I should not have been able to read a projection hologram let alone a computer AI.” Turning she left the cabin, too much to do to worry about it at the time.

Jack walked onto the bridge of the Battleship Hulk. The Ship’s Captain turned to Jack. “It is about time. I was just getting ready to start decelerating. Are you sure you want to do this? If even one engine malfunctions you could wind up slamming into the Station at hundreds of miles an hour and neither ship or station would survive Commodore Turner.”

“I know Captain but if we are not docked on schedule, the Vice Admiral will be legally able to order the imprisonment of every ex-enemy ex-slave and crewman and blow up the station. I can’t allow that to happen.” Saluting the Captain. “I hereby accept full authority of this Battleship Captain. Thank you for your service. You can evacuate with the rest of the crew now.”

“Thank you Captain Turner. The ship is yours. But I will stay for the show. The Red Pepper and Paprika are a bit full right now even after transferring a lot of the population to the mining sights and all the personnel and cargo barges you have produced in the factories.”

Both the Station and the Battleship were manned by the barest of skeleton crews in reinforced sections as safe as most could be. Every ship, transport and shuttle that could fly was up. Every fighter, bomber, scout and flitter was out hiding in the cloud. Over three thousand marines and Apes were scattered around the station hiding amongst the rocks across the bubble waiting to pounce with their own extended flight packs Jack had ordered into production two days before along with almost a thousand armored heavy weapons flight sleds. Jack had been a little disappointed not quit reaching a thousand but he was still proud of the 910 they had produced. After all with everything else they had produced in the past 47 hours it was a respectable number. The only chink in the production plan had been the failure to get the 16inch guns mounted onto the Destroyers leaving them without 24 of their biggest guns if things came down to a shooting match and having to destroy the Republic Battleships. But then the 8 inch guns had been upgraded so they at least could do a number on the approaching battleships if or when they attacked.

The crews had taken no time at all jerking the 16 inch guns off the Paprika and even manufacturing the drop tank sets with everything in both the gun tank and the generator tanks testing out fine but someplace along the line in the last minutes before the arrival of the Battleship squadron, they had realized that no one had bothered to produce the power and control lines to install between the generator pods and the gun pods. The guns had no power and they had simply ran out of time. All Jack could hope for was that the Vice Admiral did something stupid if it came down to having to slug it out with the Battleships having some 480 guns against the Red Peppers 12. Jack was confident that the Red Pepper with the Destroyers (even without the added 16 inch guns) and a couple hundred torpedo bombers could take out the 8 battleships if they had to. But the losses would be horrific with no why he could keep the Red Pepper filled with refugees from being hit multiple times. Though the Ex-slaves had assured him the armor they had added to the hull would deflect the Republic Battleships 24 inch laser gunfire. Especially after the ship was almost cooked to death with its crew inside the bubble before they had managed to escape some 6 months before. The extreme heat crystalizing and hardening the almost pure diamond armor coating. But then Jack really did not want to test it with the ship filled with refugees.

The biggest hair pulling frustrating problem now was the time lost having to dodge the big Battleship Hulk around several planetoids that came out of nowhere delaying them on the last hundred thousand miles of the journey. Now Jack had no choice but to delay firing the Destroyer engines ringing the stern of the ship until the last possible second requiring them to blast the engines at full power riding it in hard into dock with the other Battleship Station, hoping they got stopped in time. Hoping he timed everything right and one of the 28 engines on the Destroyers strapped to the stern did not stop during the last few minutes or burp only seconds away, forcing them to crash uncontrolled into the station with nothing they could do to stop it no matter when it happened, Five minutes before docking or 5 seconds.

The problem was that if Vice Admiral Ditzen boarded the Hulk Station before the second Battleship docked with the first Battleship, making what was just a Station into a Basestation (as dictated by mass), the Vice Admiral could become in effect by default, the Commander of the larger Basestation when the two battleship hulks joined. Leaving Jack just another Captain for Vice Admiral Ditzen to do as he pleased with. Ditzen would out rank everyone within half a light year and have full authority over everyone including the slaves and prisoners to do with them as he pleased. Even kill them. With no witnesses and all the paranoia the Vice Admiral and his backers had whipped up back on The Rock against Jack, the Spider Battleships and the enemy slaves. No one would question anything Ditzen did.

The Vice Admiral with the secrets of the weapons he had read about in Jacks reports (that were somehow lost and not forwarded after being decoded) and even more secretes (they must be withholding) taken from the slaves with torture in the prison ship, he would easily win battles and soon be the Supreme Admiral of the Fleet. His plan could not fail. The fact that he had been at the bottom of his class in Battle school and lost every battle in the sims and in reality against even the Plebes just entering the academy as opponents when he was about to graduate, did not matter. With the weapons he saw Jack wielding, he could not loose. After all, he would never make all the stupid mistakes Jack had made and admitted to in his reports. All he had to do was wade in and kill enemy ships with those fantastic weapons without wasting time dancing around a cloud that kept getting in the way. What was so hard about that? A moron kid did it while bumbling around a cloud. He certainly could.

But if the Vice Admiral did not arrive until after Jack was in command of the Basestation that then required a Vice Admiral to Command, making Jack a Temporary Vice Admiral. Jack would technically out rank Vice Admiral Ditzen until Jack was relieved by direct orders from The Rock and there was nothing Ditzen could do about it. Ditzen could not relieve another equally ranked Vice Admiral even though Jack was only a temp.

All Jack had to do then was convince the rest of the Squadron that the two Spider battleship hulks that made up the Basestation, the ex-slaves and Jack were not the enemy. Before either the Basestation or the Squadron were destroyed and half or all the refugees killed. Simple.

Jack looked at the 3D tactical screen and the Vice Admiral’s Squadron coming down the Corridor shaft made by escaping gas from the hole in the bubble. The corridor that now stretched light hours into the cloud that intercepted a river void in the cloud that was part of the network of gaps through the clouds making up the unmarked highways that had been surveyed long ago through the nebula. Jack had reported the connection months before with relief, hoping they would start getting supply transports since they no longer had to cross a section of cloud to get to the station.

The corridor shaft the Squadron was coming down was on the other side of the station from where the Battleship hulk was coming from giving Jack the chance he needed to get the hulk docked and mated to the station before the Vice Admiral’s ship burst out of the corridor shaft in plain sight of the station. Jack was just glad the Squadron was not coming down the series of crevasses and voids that were a more direct route to the area of The Rock than the shaft the Vice Admiral was taking. The more direct route, (even though it was slower going) would have cut days off from the 2 week trip from the nearest assembly area. The scouts had discovered it some 4 weeks before and Jack had included the route in his weekly report leaving Jack wondering why the Vice Admiral had not taken the shorter route but damn glad he hadn’t.

Luckily Jack had taken it for granted that any moron could see the new route was shorter even if you had to travel slower and had not specifically noted in his reports that it was faster. Ditzen had even told his navigator that the officer was crazy to even think the new route was fast after all the fleet could move twice as fast on the old route as the new one. Then spent an hour lambasting his navigator for being stupid enough to even think of such a moronic idea. Threatening to demote him if he every suggested such an idiotic route again.

The Squadron was now only 30 minutes from the mouth of the shaft while docking time for the hulk was 40 minutes if Jack started the hulks deceleration now with all the safety time built in. With each minute he delayed firing the Destroyer Engines to start slowing the hulk down shortened the docking time by almost 2 minutes. The problem was that if he waited too long to light off the engines the hulk would crash into the station before it stopped even with the engines at full power. They had known since the last major course change around a rough rock they had to go around that the Hulk Battleship would have to decelerate at maximum thrust at the last possible second to dock with the station with only seconds to spare to make it in time. Something the Captain Jack had appointed refused to do. But Jack had to try. Otherwise the station and the refugees would be killed anyway. So why not try.

But the Captain, Jack had assigned to the Hulk Battleship simply refused to cut the arrival that close fearing engine problems forcing Jack to take over the Captaincy. As it was, he was not sure he could wait for the auto pilot to start the engines at the last millisecond as the fear inside him continued to build combined with his doubts that anyone could do what the AI’s had said the Vice Admiral was planning to do. Part of him kept saying no man could do what his gut said would happen. The fear of crashing into the Station at hundreds of miles an hour trying to force him to hit the firing icon as far ahead of the auto pilot’s last microsecond calculations. But knowing that if he did, he would not have an excuse to become the Station’s Commander and a temp Vice Admiral and the Station would be destroyed anyway with the ex-slaves and the Apes disarmed and imprisoned and tortured to get the secrets they were already giving him and the Republic voluntarily, just to make sure they were giving up all their secrets to a power hungry megalomaniac.

“Captain Turner. The Bountyis entering the shaft (Captain Gregg had renamed her ship after a famous ship that had mutinied in the past, or so the story went, since it was technically neither or both of the previous ships now). The Battleship Squadron is on a collision course with the unarmed transport packed with Refugees sir.”

“Shit. Order Captain Glenn to vacate the shaft immediately. The last thing we need is to risk the squadron colliding with or even shooting at the Bounty loaded with refugees.” Jack continued to watch the docking counter click down second by second.

“Captain Turner, Captain Glenn says to mind your docking and leave delaying the Vice Admiral to her. The Bounty is moving up the shaft toward the squadron and the squadron is not increasing its deceleration rate. They are not slowing down any faster than they already are.”

“Damn it, the squadron is in a hurry to get here and already slowing down at maximum deceleration. What the hell is Glenn trying to accomplish?”

“The Bounty is accelerating up the shaft toward the Squadron Captain.” The Tactical Officer said. “I have heard of playing Chicken with ships in open space but this is ridiculous Captain Turner.

“Captain Glenn on the Comm Captain Turner.” Said the Communications Officer.

“Put her on the screen.”

“Captain Turner.” Captain Glenn said as soon as she came on the screen. “This should buy you another 10 to 15 seconds. You can light off your engines with enough reserve for some safety.”

“Damn it Captain I don’t need a reserve that endangers some 50,000 people. Every one of these engines have been overhauled in the last month. You are the one with new untested mass driven engines that could fail at any time. Hell the Exslaves aren’t even sure as big as they are and they are the ones that made them. Now turn around and get out of there.”

“Yes Captain Turner, just a couple more minutes and I will do just that.”

It suddenly dawned on Jack what the Captain was doing making him smile as he tapped the button to light off the engines a full 5 seconds early. Feeling much better about the docking but then he started worrying about the Squadron being delayed long enough as he turned to the tactical screen.

The engineer turned. “One of the engines failed to start on time. They are working on it now. Should have it up in a minute or two.”

Jack closed his eyes shaking his head. “Their goes one second. Four left.”

Chapter 15; The Skeleton Crew

Admiral Halsey looked up from his desk as his eyes caught something moving. The woman Hippie floated in front of his desk frowning at him. “Jack Turner is in danger.” She said without preamble.

Jumping a little with a start at her appearance, the Admiral Composed himself. “Ok. Hi to you. It has been awhile Zoote. Jack is in a Hulk Spider Battleship attached to a giant bubble made into a station. Repairing his ship. I have been reading the reports from Jack now I have been bypassing the Security Chief and the second Spider Battleship stuck in that same bubble shell half way around the bubble has been taken with practically no casualties. I know my latest report is 4 weeks old as they are shuffled around the cloud to keep the enemy from tracing them back here but the next one should arrive tomorrow if Turner keeps to his schedule.”

Sitting back in his chair and stretching. “I can’t see anything bad happening even in 4 weeks with all the scouts and hundreds of transports running in and out of the cloud reporting no sightings of even one enemy ship since Jack took out that fleet. With his weapons and the two squadrons of destroyers he is safer there than here with all the damn Anti-enemy slave hysteria going around The Rock. I swear half the Captains and Admirals are ready to shit their pants the first time someone says boo since the fleet lost that damn battle. So how do you know Jack is in Danger? All direct ship to ship communications have been suspended in and out of The Rock for security reasons.”

“I am no longer on The Rock. Vice Admiral Ditzen stole my core and put me on a prison ship he has made from a bulk carrier to hold the ex-slaves of the enemy and extract information from them using torture compartments he had specially built. He is about to arrive at the Station with a force of 8 battleships from as many squadrons and 4 assault carriers filled with marines. His aim is to destroy the Battleship Hulk Station and Jack. Then proclaim that the Battleships were not hulks but that he was able to destroy them and kill the traitor Jack, saving The Rock from an enemy attack. His backers back at The Rock are waiting to proclaim him a hero complete with back dated orders and a fleet to command once he returns with the secret weapons Jack has developed from the advanced enemy technology.”

Shaking his head. “I don’t think we need to worry. The Red Pepper should be rebuilt by now according to his progress reports and will have no problem taking out 8 Battleships even if they are our newest. Now how the hell are you talking to me if you are that fare outside The Rock?”

“The Battleship hulk station still has the enemy Comms. They are working on ways for us to intercept the God signals and translate them. Our planet to planet frequencies have not been used by the Gods for 10,000 years and are child’s play for them to produce and what is important is that because they are old tech to the exslaves and after thousands of years of research combined with human tech, they are now easy to concentrate into long range undetectable laser beams if you know how. Which the Gods know nothing about and could not detect if they did. The ex-slaves with our engineers have just finished developing the prototype. I am using their prototype test transmitter while they and the majority of the crew are off the Station in the greatly enlarged refugee ship Paprika and Red Pepper leaving the station deserted with only a skeleton crew. I am receiving your transmission back through the same tunneling beam. My instruments are telling me that the beam has not bloomed at all over this distance with little power loss and thus is undetectable even a few miles away. It may even have the range to cross the Republic. A Technology the God’s do not have.”

“And you are sure that these ex-enemy slaves are not going to use the working transmitter to call back to their own fleet?”

“The God Ship to Ship transmitters are at such a higher frequency than ours that they have always been untraceable by even other God Empires but are very crude and comparatively short ranged to less than 50 light years and easily interfered with by natural phenomena. They use curriers for all long distance communications. But no, they have not even tried to call the enemy scouts that may be around. Though the God ships are equipped with the basic lower frequency receivers like we have all across the Republic they do not have the new laser technology that precludes the God ships from even receiving the laser signal even if they knew about it and were in the right place to intercept the beam. Fact is the Ex-slaves even hid the old wide band God frequency transmit coils with booby traps to make sure no one could sneak in or even take the compartment and transmit without the compartment blowing up just to make sure. And by the way, according to Jack, an enemy fleet is headed this way. I am giving you the location now so you can check it out and prepare. You should have a couple of weeks before they reach the main supply route to Earth.”

“It is about time. I have been running my transports ragged for the last 6 months bringing in supplies for when they showed up again. Half are overdue for overhauls.”

“Yes I noticed that the transports are dumping most of their cargos at Q-19 before heading back out to Earth now that I am out of The Rock’s comm restrictions, (Q-19 was now the Prime Entrance Staging area on Earths side of the cloud, all the entry routes on the enemy side of the Republic had been terminated when it was realized the Republic had been invaded). Quite a stockpile has built up there.”

Admiral Halsey took a deep breath as he started typing on his desk. “I am informing Scout Command of the sighting so they can send scouts to investigate and then I will start closing up the cloud as far as Transports go. Don’t worry about Jack. His ship will take care of any attacks on the Station by old Chicken shit Ditzen.”

“No Admiral, I told Jack that he could not destroy the battleship squadron and that he had to obey the Vice Admiral’s orders or he would be labeled a traitor and mutineer. Why my subprogram told him that he could either make a run to Earth or dock the second battleship hulk to the Station making it a Basestation which would make him Commander and mandating him as a Temp Vice Admiral putting him legally over Ditzen. That is if he could mate the stations together before the Vice Admiral arrived.”

That is why the Station has been abandoned while Jack is racing in with the other Battleship hulk trying to dock with the station before Admiral Ditzen arrives and either destroys or takes command of the smaller Station kicking Jack back to simply the Red Pepper’s Captain. Though even if Jack succeeds in docking the station and becomes a Temp. Vice Admiral, I do not believe the other Battleship Captains will listen to reason. Ditzen has done a good job of brain washing the Command Officers on those ships.

Zoote drifted closer to the Admiral. “Jack being able to control the Attacking fleet is still a long shot even if he succeeds and out ranks Ditzen. Ditzen could still destroy the station continuing with his plan. The reason I am calling you know is that it is very likely that the station will be destroyed in just a few minutes, at most an hour. I will try to keep Jack and the prisoners alive giving you time to rescue them. I have also sent every scrap of information I can dig up on this ship from weapons to the ex-slave crewmen’s private video’s, pictures and correspondence in the hope that will make the crew more human if released to the public as well as help you finish the research the scientists are stalled on because of the lack of information about comparable materials and procedures the slaves take for granted. I understand just having the comparable elements, molecules, compounds and materials the ex-slaves have translated over the last 6 months will greatly speed up research. I have also included detailed breakdowns and complete engineering specs of pieces of equipment such as the factories. Which should enable you to copy their portable factories and produce most of their equipment using the included programs that have been translated.”

Zoote floated back away from the Admiral taking up a position directly in front of him. I have put a full copy on each of my 5 branch or finger cores for safe keeping and will only give you 2 of them now while hiding the rest. The others will be programmed to remain hidden unless specific things happen just in case the obstructionists manage to destroy the first two when you try to use them. Though I would advise only revealing one leaving the other as a backup. The others will remain hidden for several years allowing things to deteriorate with the hope that saner heads will prevail as the war situation worsens. Just in case you fail.”

“I would think that you are a bit crazy as paranoid as you sound there Zoote but after seeing the panic across the Rock I understand it is possible. The fact that you know a lot more than me and are still paranoid scares me.” The Admiral’s fingers tapped across his desk and then stopped as he looked up at the Tactical screen that popped up in front of him. “Ok. That Spider Battleship is coming in damn fast Zoot. Is that the Battleship that was stuck on the other side of the bubble?”

“Yes Admiral. Jack was already bringing it around to join the Hulkstation when they discovered the incoming Squadron. He is trying to get it docked before the Vice Admiral arrives down the corridor through the cloud on the other side of the station and takes command of everything. But he has a problem. If he loses another Destroyer engine he will hit the station at several hundred miles an hour destroying them both.”

“Is that a ship headed up toward the onrushing squadron? What the hell is he doing?”

“Actually Admiral, the ship has turned around and is slowing to head back down the shaft. The mass exhaust hitting the squadron is slowing the Squadron through friction but I do not think it will be enough to make enough of a difference.”

Then a voice jumped out at the Admiral. “Unidentified squadron, this is Hulkstation Approach Control. You have entered an unauthorized corridor without approval and are approaching a restricted area on a collision course with an unarmed transport. You are ordered to stop or leave the corridor immediately. Any hostile actions and you will be fired upon. If you do not identify yourselves immediately Corridor mines will be activated. Your ships will not survive. I repeat if you do not identify yourselves and your purpose immediately, you will be destroyed as attacking enemy intruders. You have 30 seconds until corridor mines are activated. Hulkstation Approach Control out.”

“This is Vice Admiral Ditzen on a surprise inspection tour. You will disarm all mines and stand down all ships immediately. You will clear space for our priority one approach. All ships and spacecraft are ordered to dock with the station immediately for inspection. That is an order. Ditzen out.”

“This is Approach Control. All ship’s and spacecraft will clear the area until credentials of approaching ships are checked. Repeat, all ships and spacecraft will clear the area until credentials are verified. Plan Alpha 7 is in effect. Repeat. Plan Alpha 7 is in effect until further orders. Approaching squadron you will remain on this vector and deceleration until you come to a complete stop and wait for further instructions.”

“I am Vice Admiral Ditzen.” Screamed the figure on the screen. “You will comply with my orders immediately. We are going to approach the station without delay. Check our IFF you moron.”

The IFF on the Station on Jack’s screen lit up identifying the approaching squadron as friendly using the new codes they had just down loaded from the squadron making Jack smile. “I am sorry but our old identification protocols do not match yours. But then we have been out of contact with The Rock for over a month. We will have to verify your credentials through inspection. You will stop and allow a customs boat to dock for inspection and verify your credential. If you do not stop as ordered you will be fired upon and destroyed as an Attacking enemy fleet. Until then all ships and mines will be targeted but put on standby. Approach Control out.”

“That is ridiculous. I have 8 battleships and you have one lightly armed transport and this stupid transport that we do not recognize armed with only point defenses. If you fire on us we will destroy this transport, the armed transport and then the station. If you do not follow my orders we will fire and destroy your ships and the station as traitorous mutineers.”

The hulk Battleship approached the station with its 48 engines blasting away sending torrents of reaction mass out across bracketing the station as Jack came on the Comm. “Now that is the most moronic statement I have heard in 7 months since the last Spider Battleship the Red Pepper destroyed. We have the weapons of two Spider battleships, an armed transport the Red Pepper armed with super weapons you can’t even dream about and over 20 confirmed Battleship kills. We also have two squadrons of Destroyers along with thousands of torpedo mines not to mention the thousand fighter bombers sitting in the cloud waiting to pounce and you actually think you can out gun us. Come. Not even the famous Vice Admiral Ditzen who fired on his own ships would be stupid enough to think that. Which makes us believe you are an imposter enemy that has taken over captured Republic ships and is trying to bluff his way inside our defense perimeter. Stop to be inspected or all 8 battleships and 4 assault transports will be fired upon and destroyed within seconds. Here is a shot across your bow to demonstrate our power.” The Red Peppers 4 God Guns and a dozen 16/8 inch guns (16 inch guns reduced to 8 inches to increase their power and range against Spider Battleships) from the Red Pepper flashed across the corridor a few thousand yards in front of the bows of the squadron’s lead ship. The plasma generator powered guns at quarter power sent 12 rapid fire streams of shots through the cloud for some 10 seconds before falling silent.

“That is just the guns from the Red Pepper. Only a fraction of the guns pointed at your pitiful squadron Vice Admiral Ditzen if that is who you are. Allow us to inspect your ships and credentials and we will allow you to dock with my apologies. Fail to follow standard Republic procedures and you will all be destroyed and I will apologies to the survivors if they turn out to be Republic crews for your continued stupidity Vice Admiral Ditzen. Which brings up another point since your fleet command flag was pulled. What are you doing out here aboard a squadron you have no authority to Command when you are supposed to be back at The Rock in charge of Security and not out here Supposedly Inspecting Stations? Do you have a Commodore in Command of the Squadron as per Republic protocols? I demand to talk with the squadron’s Commander before you get them all killed since you are refusing to follow standard Republic operating procedures. I hope the transports following a day behind you are not as stupid. Perhaps if you really are Vice Admiral Ditzen you can tell us where all our supply transports have gotten to? That is if you are not the enemy that has been blockading us.”

Admiral Halsey smiled. “I love this kid more all the time. He is sitting there arguing with a damn Vice Admiral. I should be getting mad at him for showing such disrespect but then he is right about procedures and that Ditzen should not even be out there.” Tapping his Comm. A few seconds later his attaché came on the screen. “Get me Marine Commandant Quinten immediately. And then Vice Admiral Ditzen if he is in The Rock. Break in immediately if you find him. Also find out where these Battleships are on The Rock since I don’t’ think they are where they are supposed to be. Then I want to talk to Admiral Shinn at supply. And have Vice Admiral Weathering report to my office immediately and have a marine guard standing by.”

A perfectly dressed Marine Commandant appeared on the Admiral’s screen. “Commandant Quinten, I want the marines called out to find Vice Admiral Ditzen immediately, search every nook and cranny of The Rock. I have good reason to believe he has left the Rock without orders. You have authorization to search all security offices and installations. I also want the following ships verified as to being in the maintenance docks they are assigned. If not, find them priority 1-A. is that clear. I also want a head count of Marines done as well. I believe you will be missing two divisions and 4 assault ships unless you are part of this mutiny which I cannot believe.”

“Well hi and good day to you Admiral Halsey. Mutiny you say. Give me a minute to get things started and then you can tell me what this is all about?” Turning to a screen next to him. “General’s Briefing in 15 minutes. Put the base on lock down war footing, mutiny protocols. Muster all units in full combat gear and equipment. Establish all class 1 checkpoints immediately throughout the base.” Turning back to Admiral Halsey. “Ok Frank, my base will be secure in 5 minutes and a hundred thousand men will be ready to move out across The Rock in a half hour in force. Now what is this about?”

“I believe that Vice Admiral Ditzen has left The Rock with 8 Battleships from different squadrons, 4 Mountain class Assault ships and is attacking what has become known as the Hulk Station at Entry point Gama 13.”

“Gama 13? That is that new ultra secret Spider battleship hulk base attached to some kind of carbon bubble from a Spider Battleship that blew up. Something about Captain Turner the hero with a bunch of ex enemy slaves developing weapons for the Republic there. Didn’t Captain Turner have to kill a surviving Spider Battleship last month or something when a whole Wing of Destroyers could not?”

“Yes. Quite an accomplishment for the young Captain. But how did you find out. I had to go around Security. Vice Admiral Ditzen is part of a group of Officers that is saying that the Captain is lying and that he did not destroyed the enemy ships he says he has and has turned traitor harboring enemy battleships trying to find The Rock. That the Battleships along with the Alien slaves including captured Republic crewmen and anyone in contact with them should be eliminated to protect The Rock. He has evidentially found enough likeminded Captains to follow him in the attempt. No doubt he thinks that once they are eliminated that his flag will be returned to him. I need to confirm my facts before I go to the Supreme Admiral with the plot and his and the other ships desertions.”

“Ok Frank. What kind of fool goes up against live Spider Battleships with only 8 battleships after the fleet was decimated only 7 months ago by these same battleships without a single enemy battleship being damaged by our guns according to the secret official records?” Shaking his head. “I know Ditzen and he is to damn chicken shit to do any such thing.”

“A fool that knows that Captain Turner actually did destroy the Battleships he and the recordings say he did and is just looking to take Turners place in a bid for fame and promotions.” Admiral Halsey said disgustedly. “He thinks 8 battleships is plenty to take out one little armed transport that is still being repaired.”

“With 480 guns to the transports 12. Ya he probably can.” The Commandant said shaking his head.

“Actually no they can’t. Captain Turner already had upgraded his weapons with Spider technology when he took on the enemy Battleships destroying them in the cloud and has added two more ships to his fleet and probably refurbished the enemy Battleships weapons by now. The 8 Republic Battleships and your 4 Assault Transports as well as any marines in them don’t stand a chance once shooting starts and I believe someone higher up the food chain knows this and is hopping that they will be destroyed so they can use that as an excuse to say that Captain Turner really is lying and there is an enemy squadron at Gama 13 trying to find The Rock to justify replacing Supreme Admiral Eisenhower and sending the whole fleet to wipe out Turner and the ex-slaves.” Admiral Halsey shook his head. “I need your help proving that there is a plot and finding who that Admiral is before Admiral Eisenhower is replaced and our only chance of quickly developing superior weapons to the Spider Fleet, destroyed.”

“Four Assault transports you say. Damn. I let Generals Meyers and Shitsu take 4 Assault Transports and their divisions to do practice assaults on mining stations on the other side of the Black Dwarf just to get rid of them and their bellyaching about that damn station and the enemy slaves. Now you say they are on some damn unauthorized attack mission on the Gamma 13 Station and those same slaves?” The Commandant turned red as he spoke and slapped his Comm. “Captain, I want contact with the Assault ships I sent to the other side of the Black Dwarf on my screen immediately along with General Meyers and General Shitsu if they are still in the system. Start getting a squadron of long range recon attack boats ready to chase those ships down if we don’t receive an answer before they are ready to launch and send recon drones to the ship construction and maintenance yards and all the outlaying docks. I want a full sensor photo of every outside dock on this Rock in one hour. And include all the emergency landing pits around the rock as well even if it will take some 6 hours to get to them all.”

“But Commandant that will require more drones than we have on standby. We will have to take them out of storage and...”

“I don’t care just do it or use manned fighters. I want those ships found if they are anyplace on the surface of this Rock or in this system.” Turning to Admiral Halsey as he tapped off the Comm. “We will have squads at every airdock and construction cavern in an hour just in case they are not in the outside docks they are supposed to be in. We will also be going to the Officers shore quarters to question relatives. We will also have every Security office and installation locked down in two hours. Command decks are already being locked down as we speak with reinforcements arriving in about an hour or before, depending on how long it takes for me to decide how many Generals I can count on and who I have to sack.” Taking a deep breath as he frowned. “I have been expecting troubles with all the wild talk going around The Rock but I was not expecting this. Can you tell me anymore about what you know and how you found out about what is going on Admiral? None of that are in the latest dispatches coming into The Rock.”

“I can only tell you that a new top secret slave and human invented untraceable communications device has allowed the Gamma station to contact me with the details of the Vice Admirals attack.” The Admiral tapped his desks for a few seconds as he watched another screen. “We will know in a few minutes if the station survives as well as the Battleships and Assault transports. The Vice Admiral is refusing to comply with Republic standard identification protocols when approaching a military station. Trying to bluff his way into range without acknowledging them as friendly. Possible trying to keep the other battleships of his little squadron from opening Comms with the Station that would prove that they are friendly and not spider Battleships.” Halsey said as he watched the Hulk Battleship rapidly approaching the Gama 13 sector Transport Station the Vice Admiral Bingamton had slapped the name Hulk on before they had lost Comms. It looked like they were trying to ram the stern of both ships together. He just hoped they did manage to dock properly or Ditzen would be given an easy victory.

“Captain Turner. This is Captain Glenn. We fucked up the drag calculations and used the amount of mass exhaust English engines would create instead of the exslave God tech engines we have and the squadron will exit the corridor a fraction of a second before you will dock, from our readings of your current deceleration. Sorry Captain for fucking it up.”

“That is alright Captain, at least we should manage to dock in one piece with a second to spare if we can get that last engine running. Just turn away from the station when you exit the corridor and get that ship and your refugees back in the cloud and safety. I don’t want you getting between us and those ships just in case we have to fire on them. Or hell, even a stray shot hitting you and the Refugees. Fact is you can follow your orders early and start heading for the martialing point and wait for survivors. Then head for Earth if things go badly here and tell them what happened here.”

Admiral Halsey turned back to the Marine Commandant. “This Comm is Top secret Quinten and the information I have given you that an attack is taking place will not be general knowledge for as long as a month with all Comms having to go through repeaters scattered through the cloud. That means I cannot give you the outcome of the battle. You will have to conduct your investigation in the dark as to the outcome for now. Depending on what you find, I will add to that information at a later date as we figure out what to do next and what the Supreme Admiral decides. For now proving that the Vice Admiral and those ships and crews are not in The Rock’s system before I go to Eisenhower is all we can do unless you find a smoking gun. Good luck. Out.”

Halsey looked at the Hippy in front of his desk. “Zoote you better be right about this Comm being impossible to trace or I will be executed for disobeying a Prime Directive.”

“I have isolated the transmitter and antenna from the systems on the station both Spider and Human. The beam cannot be intercepted or detected unless you are within a few feet of its 20 foot wide beam. Do you wish to talk to Captain Turner?”

“Hell no, that would not only shock the kid into making a mistake right now, but alert everyone that we have a new secret Comm system that works. That is until it is destroyed with the station in a few minutes. But that can’t be helped. Is the information you sent include this new Comm tech?”

“Yes Admiral. It does not require any major advancements and can be mass produced in a matter of weeks at The Rock. It will allow every ship in the fleet to contact every other ship including The Rock no matter where they are in the Republic if the Range equations are valid. All you have to know is where who you want to talk to is at within a mile or two depending on range for the beam to find the receiver.”

“Good.” The Admiral said. “But I don’t see that being needed for the average ship and will probably be restricted to only Command ships that not only need to talk to The Rock and even Earth reliably but can be certain they are destroyed if the ship is captured.” The Admiral watched the ships approaching the moment of truth. Feeling compelled to watch the inevitable Train Wreck. “Make sure you send every detail of the battle until the Station is destroyed. Even an enemy battleship should not be able to survive a couple hundred of the Republic’s new Blackhole torpedoes at point blank range.”

The Admiral bowed his head in sorrow. “The shame is that Captain Turner had a hand in designing the new torpedo warheads as well as the torpedo engines that are as likely to take his life as the new 18 inch guns. If the damn ass hole Ditzen fires all his tubes along with his guns as close as they are, enough are bound to get through to take out both battleships. I just hope the Red Pepper and the other refugee ships stay in the cloud and run afterwards. Make sure they head for Transport Supply Base Victory Prime. It is my best defended base that is independent from Battleship Command and should be able to protect them. I just wish I had gone ahead and used the Gama 13 entrance Station as a storage base even if it was out of the way of all our major trade routes in and out of the cloud. That ass hole would not have dared what he is trying.”

Taking a breath as the squadron came closer to the corridor’s entrance and the Bounty left the corridor and turned away from the station as ordered. “Keep recording even after the station is destroyed. I am going to have to use your recordings to defend Captain Turner or the refugees whether he dies or not in the enquiry later so don’t lose them. The Republic does not take kindly to its Admirals destroying Republic ships and their crews no matter what the reason is. It is going to be very important who fires first though the problem is that at close combat, the first ship to lock onto the enemy target and fire, is usually the winner. But like you said, if Jack fires first he would win but be executed for murdering the Republic ships and their crews. A no win situation. I am going to have a heart attack waiting to see which way it goes.”

Zoote zipped a signal finger over to call the paramedics to stand by in his outer office just in case. Not knowing if the Admiral was just joking or serious. It was not worth taking a chance as stressful as the next few minutes were going to be. She even found herself activating more and more of her processors and super charging her finger cores around The Rock for no apparent reason. They were certainly not needed but she could not stop herself. Her defensive subroutines were kicking in even though there was no reason for them to.

Needing to do something she tried to access the 8 ships in the Squadron in an attempt to keep them from firing on the station and the transports but was quickly kicked out from each of the AI’s. But each time she had managed to stay in long enough to gather enough pieces to put together what was going on. She did not like what she saw.

Jack glanced at the engineering screen that showed the one engine still not working. No matter what they did they could not get it to run properly. Even with the squadrons’ best engineers running over to help they still could only get no more than a few burps from the damn thing that was threatening to blow up instead of run right. With less than a minute left until docking one engine no longer mattered. “Enough. Prepare to jettison the Destroyers. I will not take them down with us.”

“Captain we have one second of leeway and should stop some 40 feet from the other ship if you have to. Docking should be easy even with one engine none operational.”

Jack glanced back at the engineering screen again. “DD 1704 has one engine showing problems. If we lose it to in the next minute we will hit hard enough to damage both ships, making it impossible to dock. We will drift away with no time to make repairs and dock. The destroyers could also be thrown down into the other ship destroying them since their cradles are not designed for those stresses. I want you to jettison them away from the ship just before we hit no matter how hard we are going to hit.” Taking a deep breath as sweat ran down his face. “Pan how are we lined up?”

“Perfectly in line and parallel faces. Doing good Captain.”

“Thirty seconds to dock Captain.” Said the tactical officer.

“Are we still behind the Squadron?”

“Yes sir by one second. 15 seconds to dock.”

“No!” Screamed Pan. “We have somehow rotated 43 degrees to Port Captain. We have to rotate back or the fingers won’t engage the leg locks. They will hit the flat armor and destroy them. You would have to weld the ships together which will take hours. None of the attachment service lines and passageways would line up even if we don’t bounce off. We have to rotate back to dock properly.”

Jack hit the rotational thrusters as well as the maneuvering thrusters to slow the station down but with half of them still not operational, the ship not only was slow to rotate but the miss matched thrusters started to push the ship out of alignment with the Station. Forcing Jack to hit other thrusters trying to maintain the alignment.

“Ten seconds Captain. No, the ship is slowing to stop short.” Said the tactical officer.

“30 degrees off rotation and coming around. A tenth of a degree off of center and one hundredth of a degree from parallel faces.

“Five seconds Captain.”

“Ten degrees dropping. Still off center 15 feet and returning. South side 5 feet too close.”

“3 seconds to full stop Captain. 100 feet distance from station.”

“Five degrees rotation and closing.”

“One second and ...”

Jack brought the throttles up slowly as he hit the thrusters to stop the rotation with the docking fingers not quite lined up.

Jack pulled the throttles off in one smooth motion while still hitting the side thrusters.

“Sixty feet and closing 3 seconds to dock at 10...”

“South side now 3 feet to close.”

“Squadron leaving corridor.”

“Thirty feet… we are not perfectly aligned Captain. 2 seconds.”

Jack continued hitting the side thrusters as the main destroyer engines at low power continued to slow the ship.

“Ten feet. One second. Enemy squadron entering the Bubble’s void.”

“Squadron turning to head over the station. They are ignoring orders to halt but are not headed for the station.”

Jack shoved the throttles all the way up giving the ship a short burst of deceleration and as the velocity meter approached inches a second. Jack heard a distant bang and jerked the throttles off as the destroyers suddenly went flying away from the sides of the Battleship.

Clangs started echoing through the ship rapidly getting faster and faster as locking lights on the screen for each of the hundred docking clamps went from red to green. One by one in a cascade. Finally the last docking finger light turned green and a loud sound of gears could be heard from one side of the Battleship.

Jack looked around at Pan.

“Just the lock legs pulling our ship into the other ship while finishing the final alignments for the hard dock. Should only take a minute or two. This is a much bigger ship with a lot of armor massed at the other end. But it looks like you did a very good job Captain. Even the God Officers would have let you live.”

Jack closed his eyes with relief as he wiped the sweat from his forehead with his arm.

“Captain, the squadron is stopping over the top of the station 500 miles out.”

Zoot noticed pathways in the Battleship Stations Comm to the Battleship’s defensive weapons. Slipping into the strange firing controls and targeting sensors she found a mass of over written code with dead ends and gates using stupidly complex reasoning and orders that contradicted other orders and programs and immediately started deleting and rewriting the targeting codes for all the defensive weapons on the Battleship not a Base Station. She also noticed that the Stations monster Battleship guns were none operational even though they were tracking the squadron. She realized that it was a bluff. Fearing that all the weapons across the Battleship Station were bluffs as well since they had not been fired across the bow of the Squadron for maximum effect. She threw her processors into overdrive to find out. It became obvious that the Station was going to have to defend itself.

She increased the power of the lasers of her processors to speed up the recoding. Then a pathway opened up to the other battleship after reprograming the turret to turret comm system to enable them to work together. Dumping her directly into the turret control systems of the other Battleship that now made up the Base Station. Again she went to work transferring her upgrades to the second ship while wiping the moronic codes from the systems.

The problem was the defensive weapons for both Battleships were down until she finished what should have been quick and easy but was taking longer and longer for her to complete even with her starting to overclocked her processors as the job kept growing with the hundreds of weapons that were programed with code hundreds and even thousands of years apart depending on when the weapon was produced or last worked on. With 90% of the weapons code trying to fix problems with conflicts with older codes and programs added over the centuries.

She increased the overclock speed of her processors again and they started heating up. Even relatively cold laser light driven processors that normally did not need cooling would build up heat when the beams power was increased by factors of 10 to overclock the processors. Processors that were quickly building up heat they could not get rid of, threatening to burn her whole core out. But she continued adding more and more power trying to finish in time. Finish in time to save the Republic from a stupid fools power grab as the targeting sensors from the Battleship Squadron hit the Battleship Station. Upping the power yet again the automatic safety circuit breakers finally kicked in and shut the core down with her still in it. The hundreds of Point Defense turrets and missile launchers of what was now a Basestation were completely inoperable. The Attack sensors of 8 Republic Battleships were now targeting the Base Station at full power.

“Open hailing comm to the Squadron.” Jack said after taking a deep breath.

“Hailing Comm on Captain.”

“Vice Admiral Ditzen. This is Temp. Vice Admiral Turner, Commander of Research Basestation Hulk of the Gama 13 Entrance Way. You will prepare to be boarded for inspection according to Republic regulations.”

The Vice Admiral appeared on the comm screen. “I am Vice Admiral Ditzen. You will surrender your ships and your crews or we will destroy you. We are directly over you so you cannot escape. You have 30 seconds to comply.”

“Republic stations do not surrender even to friendly forces. If you fire at us we will defend ourselves Vice Admiral Ditzen, if that is truly who you are. All you have to do is let us confirm your identity and that you are not under duress and you can dock with the station. We do not need to surrender to you.”

“You think I am stupid boy. You are on an Enemy Battleship being forced to betray your planet. Tell your captors you call Spider Gods, we will not be fooled. Surrender your slaves or die. I know from your own reports that your monster guns do not work. We will destroy the enemy battleships and then hunt down your other ships that have run away like the yellow pigs they are and kill them as well. Surrender your slaves and you can survive for a few days until your court-martial on charges of treason. I am looking forward to presiding over your Court-martial and then your execution.”

“My, you have a twisted mind whoever you are. You won’t even let a little innocent shuttle dock to examine your identity but we are supposed to surrender to you. It sounds like you are the one being forced to betray the Republic. Are you a lying traitor Ditzen if that is truly who you are?”

“You are the traitor you bastard. All Battleships open fire!” He screamed.

With the 8 Battleships pointed at the newly Commissioned Base Station, they were able to fire a total of 480 guns with 24 inch beams that immediately hit the hard armored top deck of the Ex enemy Battleship that was facing them. Twenty four torpedoes left the tubes of each of the 8 battleships sending 192 torpedoes streaking out and then down toward the Battleship station. The little signature on the nose cone of each torpedo faithfully reproduced from the construction plans used to produce them. The torpedo’snew black hole warheads guaranteed to do tremendous damage to the Battleship Station below them. With the little 2 inch long signature (Designed to get the job done by Jack Turner and Carle Hooch) etched around the little sensor dome put there late at night for a laugh, not expecting it to be left there for production.

The 480 beams of the 24 inch guns lanced out hitting the shield deck without doing more than pockmarking the face of the shield deck with small craters the diameter of the 18 inch beam but less than an inch deep.

The Torpedos were programed to ignore the shields decks after the failures of the old torpedoes to damage them during the failed fleet attack a half year before. The Torpedoes were programed to hit the sides of the Battleship Basestation. The 192 torpedoes rapidly accelerated taking themselves far out and around the shield decks. At hundreds of Gees of acceleration, it only took a quarter minute for the torpedo’s to arc out a thousand miles to the side and then back toward the Station only 500 miles below the Squadron of Battleships.

“Captain Turner, the point defenses on both battleships are shut down.”

“What the hell? Get them back up. Those new torpedoes will tear this station apart.”

Jack and the bridge crew watched the approaching torpedoes as the weapons tech’s work with their fingers flying over their consoles.

Hitting the Base station’s comm. “Crew, brace for impact. We have a couple hundred torpedoes headed for us.”

The torpedoes were only a second away as Jack cringed trying to brace himself for the impact. “

Suddenly 910 Heavy Armored Gun Sleds fired up from prepared positions in the rocks in a two mile wide ring around the Station. The plasma balls streaking up to intercept the torpedoes ignoring the flares and chaff and counter measures designed to foil the sophisticated sensors of normal point defenses. Only the sleds were not using normal sensors. The Mark One Eyeballs of the gunners assisted with the best targeting computers Human and Slave engineers could make grouping several widely spaced sleds onto the same target providing the pin point position and speed of each torpedo, allowing the cooperating computers to started taking out each targeted torpedo in only a few shots. Allowing the gunners to go onto the next except there were no next. None of the torpedo’s made it closer than a hundred miles to the Station.

Thirty seconds later a second salvo of 480 guns again fired at the shields and again they did no appreciable damage.

After two more wasted torpedo salvo’s over the next 10 minutes with the closest not getting within 300 miles of the Basestation, another 190 (2 launch tubes getting fouled during reloading) torpedoes were launched but this time they raced away from the ships. Streaking up away from the Station and then turning around and slowing to a stop and then turned off their engines. Thirty seconds later another salvo of guns streaked away from the ships. It took 3 minutes before another salvo of torpedoes were fired as the guns kept hammering away. The guns still doing no appreciable damage while the torpedoes joined the second salvo and sat there.

“Captain Turner, we have isolated the problem with the point defense guns. The control and sensor programs have been wiped. Another program has been downloaded in its place but has not been activated.”

“Well activate it then.”

“We are trying but it looks like something happened during the down load as pieces of the program seem to be missing. We can’t activate programing that is not complete. We are trying to fill the voids, the missing pieces but it will take time since we don’t know what all is missing. We are having to go from one stoppage to the next filing in the gaps as we go.”

After the 13rd salvo with the 24inch guns, the smaller 5” and 3” guns of the Battleships started plastering the 2 mile wide ring around the Basestation but the area had already been cleared by the Heavy Armored Gun Sleds as soon as the first waves of torpedoes had been eliminated and the torpedoes started massing. The gunsleds moving deeper into the rocks between each of the first salvos. The mining equipment long moved to other mining sights in preparation for the battle the day before. Not one gun had yet fired at the attacking Squadron as Admiral Halsey started screaming at the tactical screen. “Fire on the damn son of a bitch Turner. What are you waiting for?

“Zoote put me through to Turner for crying out loud.” Looking up across his desk but the Hippie Zoote had disappeared during the first torpedo attack.

The 17th salvo of 18inch guns suddenly streaked down missing the shields and joined the smaller 5” and 3” guns hitting the area close around the ship where the gunsleds had been. The big 24inch gun’s defused beams designed to destroy light armored targets over a large area, melted an area of rock and metals some 50 feet in diameter and 20 feet deep. Vaporizing the lighter softer materials and slag off into the vacuum of space and leaving the heavy liquidized metals to be sorted by the electronic meteor and rock shields of the Battleship Station as they started to cool and solidify at different temperatures, clumping them into parallel line streaks by weight. In short, refining the ores in each melted pool for easy retrieval later by simply pulling up the whole solidified melt and peeling off the layers.

Twenty Five more broadsides turned a ragged 2 mile diameter ring around the Station into a cauldron while the mass of torpedo’s sitting some Five thousand miles to the sides around the Squadron had grown to over 1700 torpedoes.

“Where the hell are the point defense guns?” Demanded Jack. There was no way only 910 gunsleds could take out almost two thousand torpedoes in only the 15 to 20 seconds it would take for the torpedoes to reach the station without the help of the point defenses of the station.

Jack had been hoping that the Vice Admiral would simply give up but with the mass of torpedoes growing every three minutes, Jack finally gave that hope up. The problem was he had planned on the Vice Admiral wasting his torpedoes’ sending salvo after salvo at the Battleship Station with the gunsleds and the point defenses taking each salvo out over a long period of time. Then when the Vice Admiral ran out of torpedoes, Jack would order the ships in to take out the 8 Battleships engines and 24inch guns safe from torpedo attacks. He had been pleasantly surprised when the Gunsleds took out the first salvos on their own. But knew as the number of torpedoes grew waiting to attack in one mass, that even with the help of the point defenses of the Battleship Station (even if they could reactivate the targeting system), taking out that many torpedoes in the few seconds they had was impossible. Yet if he ordered the ships and fighters in to attack now. Some of the torpedoes would likely be retargeted and hit the refugee packed ships. If something had to be destroyed, he decided that the all but empty station with only a skeleton crew had to be the one that suffered. The irony of the bare bones crew running the station being called a skeleton crew before they were even dead making him chuckle. At least they would all die to become their name sake together.

Jack hit the Comm trying to keep his hands from shaking and his voice level as terror raced through him. “Captain Glenn. You may start your attack as the torpedoes hit the Station. Don’t limit targeting to the guns and engines as planned. Take that son of a bitch out including the assault transports, so they can’t follow or report you. Then pick up the ground forces and head for Earth and the Asteroid Basestation Factory. Admiral Halsey should protect you once you get there. You are going to need to upgrade and improve the new Battleship Destroyers coming out of the factories there.” At least he had finished the design for the new Destroyer.

Jack knew that if they built enough of them and they found competent Commanders, they could defeat the enemy. At least he hoped anyway. He would just have to settle for believing that when the torpedoes’ hit. The fact that he had helped design the torpedoes that were going to kill him making him smile again as he shook his head.

Tapping the Station wide Comm. “Now here this, our point defenses are out and we have no defense against the Torpedoes massing to attack the Station. Torpedoes I am sorry to admit I designed with new black hole warheads that should tear these Battleships apart though they have not been tested yet in live combat. This will be the first time against a Spider Battleship so at least the Republic will benefit in some small way though I wish we weren’t here to see it firsthand.” Jack studied the ring of fire hitting the surface of the bubble around the station. “I won’t order the Station abandoned since I don’t think any escape pods would make it through that deluge surrounding the station. You have my permission to abandon your posts and seek shelter in the core wherever you think may be survivable. It has been an honor serving with you. Good luck and my Godstar be with you. Captain Turner out.” Jack headed for the exit with the bridge crew starting to follow and then stopped at the hatch. Letting out a little Growl he turned around and headed back and sat down at the empty point defense station.

“Captain, what are you doing? The Sick bay is the best protected compartment in the ship. We only have a few minutes to get there.”

“You all go. I hate just sitting around. I am going to see if I can’t get the damn point defense systems running. If I can take out a few of the torpedoes it may allow you guys to survive in Sickbay. Now get going.”

The Point defense Officer stepped up to Jack. “Captain if you please. I know a lot more about the system programing than you. Please let me do my job.”

Jack looked up at the Officer and shrugged as he smiled. “You do have a point.” Then got up and retook the Command chair and tried to access the Point defense systems from there. Something the God Captain’s evidentially felt was beneath themselves.

The weapons Officer walked back to his console. “Hell Captain. I never liked the smell of sickbay. Too much sickness around and all that. Besides, the Point defenses work better when they have someone to point them in the right direction and prioritize targets. Jack shook his head since there were torpedoes ringing the enter ship. Pointing them in the right direction was not likely to be a problem. “Records show they have a habit of ganging up and overkilling some targets while letting others through.” Answering Jack’s unspoken thought.

The Engineer walked by on his way to his console as Jack gave him a puzzled look. “Points won’t work without power when they get them going Captain. Especially when the ship starts taking damage.”

“Hell Captain. They need the sensors working too. I may be able to filter out most of the counter measures since I know what they are.” As the Sensor officer sat down.

The rest of the Bridge crew returned to their stations making excuses as they passed Jack or sat down at their consoles.

The number of torpedoes hit over 2,000 and suddenly they all came to life and streaked toward the Battleship Station and its skeleton crew as the last tech took his seat.

Jack watched over 2,000 engines come to life creating thousands of pin point stars around the station replacing what had been a solid gray and black universe for the last 7 months as another 480, 24inch beams streaked down amongst the downpour of flashing 5” and 3” beams.

“That is the squadron’s full complement of Torpedoes Captain Turner. Every fucking one of them coming to say high to us. Makes me feel kind of special.” Said the Tactical officer before he jerked his head closer to the screen.

“The Red Pepper and Paprika firing from the cloud Captain and are powering out of the cloud. The Red Pepper is taking out the engines of all 8 battleships. Now they are passing the Battleships and going after the torpedoes with all the fighters jumping ahead of them targeting the torpedoes as well. The 24 Destroyers are making a pass at the Battleships from behind taking out the 24 inch guns sir. With the Bombers alongside helping the DD’s 5 and 3 inch guns take out the 5 and 3 inch turrets with their guns and missiles. I am not detecting any of their torpedoes. They must have jettisoned them in the cloud.”

Jack glanced at the Red Pepper and Bounty as they dropped rapidly past the Battleships and started hammering the mass of torpedoes from opposite sides of the Base Station. The fighters racing out towards the torpedos. “Damn it, if the Destroyers miss even one 18 inch gun turret, thousands of refugees could die, maybe even one of the damn ships could be destroyed.” Jack barely noticed when the gunsleds opened up on the mass of torpedoes as they reached 500 miles from the Station. He waited holding his breath for at least one of the 18inch turrets to open up on one of the ships dashing down toward the rapidly closing ring of torpedoes. He knew even with the help of both ships and the fighters, they did not stand a chance of intercepting all the torpedoes as they rapidly picked up velocity. The faster they went the harder it was for even the advanced targeting of the Gunsleds to accurately follow and hit the rapidly maneuvering torpedoes crossing in front of them.

The only ones that stood a chance were the point defenses on the targeted Spider Battleships that was now the Gama 13 Hulk Base Station the torpedoes were headed for since they did not have the added difficulty of tracking a rapidly crossing target amongst all the other problems. A quick glance at the once frantically working technicians that suddenly sat back from their consoles in terror told Jack all he needed to know even before one of them blurted out. “Something just wiped out all our fixes in the programing Captain!”

Admiral Halsey looked up in despair from the massive torpedo attack. He was expecting at least a couple of turrets at any second to put death into the two ships trying to rescue Jack as Zoote appeared in front of him. “Sorry Frank but it took me a while to get out of that damn computer after it crashed down to minimum power. I guess I am lucky to make it out of that dying core and back here to The Rock and my backup cores. I am distributing myself across several cores this time to keep from losing myself again or getting stolen. If not for this new Comm I would have all but died but I will have to fill you in about that later. Now I have some work to finish and from long distance even over this Comm with the incredible band width it has, it is taking me a while so I may have to cut your feed for me to use. Aaa… Yes… Bye. Bye.” And disappeared.

The Admiral turned back to the screen to wait for the inevitable deaths of both Jack and the refugees and any chance the Republic had of surviving the Spider Battleship invasion and the remnants of the Human race turned into slaves. He watched the ships point defense missiles leave the squadron of Battleships. Normally used for close range engagements as they were maneuverable and fast to accelerate, they were good at taking out fighters and smaller ships. All the Admiral could do was watch in horror as they went after the bombers and destroyers already dropping decoys and countermeasures. “Why didn’t you follow orders damn it and take those suckers out when you had the chance?” He knew that the Red Peppers God guns as well as the 16 inch guns upgraded to only 8 inch bores could have lanced right up through the middle of each of the Battleships firing from behind. Killing the ships and eliminating any threats from all 8 of them in seconds. Now there was no way more than a handful of fighters and Destroyers could survive long enough to take out all the 24 inch guns sealing the fate of both refuge ships since neither of them were paying any attention to anything but the torpedoes racing past the front of the two ships toward Jack and the new short lived Gama 13 Basestation. The Admiral could only shake his head as the human races only hope was about to die in front of him as torpedo’s raced toward the Base Station only seconds from hitting and then the screen went blank.

If the Admiral had been able to have a heart attack, it would have happened right then.

Zoote flashed back into the Battleship Station’s Point defense targeting systems and promptly dumped all the crude attempts at fixes to what she had not had time to finish. Now she went to work adding every finger core scattered around The Rock and then the Battleship Hulks alien computers to help her as she immediately over clocked them all to a hundred times their rated processing speed. She knew they would burn out in only seconds but that was all she needed. Or at least all the time she had before the Torpedoes started hitting. She quickly finished the Battleship’s point defenses and as they came on line she noticed a channel the Gunsleds were using to coordinate their targeting on the torpedoes. Jumping in, she added the input from the Station’s point defense systems, greatly increasing their accuracy and hit probabilities. Then went up the Comms to the Red Pepper and the new combined ship the Bounty and reprogrammed theirs, getting rid of the dead wood programs that slowed things down. Turning the 5” and 3” guns on the sides facing Ditzen’s Battleship Squadron onto their point defense missiles launchers as the fighters and Destroyers rapidly circled Ditzen’s squadron as they fired their own upgraded 8 inch weapons into the Battleships 24 inch turrets.

It took a fraction of a second (much too long in her mind) to find the channel to the Destroyers but she made it and gave the ship’s crew panic attacks when their weapons stopped working with a burp and then came back on. They were too busy to notice that it became easier to find and hit the 24 inch gun turrets as well as the point defenses they needed to take out to survive. The DD’s turret mounted 8 inch reduced to 7 inch guns (8/7inch) started jumping from turret to turret much faster, knocking out 24 inch guns as fast as they could fire instead of waiting precious seconds for slow target locks. The Captains of each of the Destroyers watching the big guns slowly turning toward the two unarmored transports while the smaller 5/4” (127/105mm), 3/2” (76/50mm) and 1” (25/20mm) guns took out the point defense guns and missiles with the help of the stern guns of both the Red Pepper and Paprika and bombers that suddenly got a lot more accurate and faster as well. The center mass tank positions on the DD’s that had been reserved for the big 16inch guns and their generators that were not ready, had been replaced in the last minutes with short range missile pods that were now firing hundreds of the small 2.75 inch diameter point defense missiles. Over whelming the Rogue Republic Battleships Point defenses.

“Point Defense turrets and missiles back on line Captain!” The tactical officer shouted. “I don’t know why and I don’t know in hell how. Over 95% percent of the programing codes have been deleted and the new program is less than 5% the size of anything I have ever seen for a targeting program. The system should not even be able to run let alone target anything.”

“Fifteen seconds until the wave of torpedo’s hit Captain. Way too many for us to take out even if the damn Point defenses are working as good as ever. Most of the hundreds that are left are past the gunsleds and too far away from the Red Pepper, Bounty and the fighters to help and are going to get through Captain.”

Jack watched the mass of gunfire and point missiles streaking out toward the incoming torpedoes and said a little prayer to Godstar, keeping it simple. He could do nothing else. He couldn’t move the ship, slow or speed it up or turn away. All he could do was sit and wait for the end.

Even noticing that the mass of fire flooding down around the ship had stopped. Now wishing it would resume in the hope it would have taken out at least a few of their own torpedoes as they crossed it but know even that little help was not possible. What was worse was that the gun fire not directed at them would be directed at the refugee packed ships.

“Well this is a damn good mess you have gotten us into this time Turner.”

Jack wiped around to see Pan and the Lieutenant walking into the bridge.

“I thought we had him when he moved his squadron into the perfect place directly over the Station with the shield decks between the body of the Station and his squadron. I don’t know why we didn’t think he would use the same attack you pulled back at the first Hulk we assaulted some 7 or 8 months ago.” The Lieutenant said as Jack continued to stare at her. “Close your mouth. I said I was not leaving and I meant it Jack. I said I was going to follow you everywhere you went from now on. At least I don’t have to worry about you ditching me anymore after this.”

Pan just stood staring at the screen. “It has been one heck of a fireworks show Captain and getting better by the second.” As the mass of torpedo’s rapidly closed as missiles continued to die at a rapid rate.

Admiral Halsey looked up as the screens came back on and Zoot appeared draping a bare leg across the corner of his desk. A mass of torpedoes were headed for the Battleship Hulk only seconds away but at least the Red Pepper and what was listed as the Bounty were still in one piece without any signs of damage. He sighed with relief as he took a close look at the Battleship squadron. He could not believe that the 8 Battleships of Vice Admiral Ditzen were not firing any big ordinance as hundreds of bombers circled the squadron. With the destroyers drifting slowly between the Battleships picking off point defense gun turrets smaller than 3inch that were all that was left. The small point defense turrets spewing out streams of shots that did not seem to bother the destroyers as their turrets were picking them off one by one.

The Bounty and Red Pepper were far behind the fighters chasing the torpedoes that were already fare from and rapidly pulling away and still accelerating toward the Battleship Hulk Station. Though now the Station was at least defending itself as he watched torpedo’s die by the hundreds in the last few seconds before the remaining torpedoes hit. Grimacing as tears came to his eyes.

Suddenly Explosions ringed the Base Station from all sides blotting out all sight of it in their huge bright fiery star bright flashes.

The Admiral buried his face in his hands knowing when the huge explosions disbursed there would be no Basestation left.

“Admiral. The Station was not hit.” Zoote said with her voice dripping with disbelief.

Halsey looked up half in shock that the AI sounded emotional and that she had to be wrong. Nothing could live through those black hole explosions. He had seen the tests on old Republic Navy hulks and asteroids himself. The Black Hole warheads never left enough behind to see after sucking everything within hundreds of yards into it before the coils finished collapsing leaving the explosion to distribute the Energy of all the mass that had been sucked into the artificial black hole to explode out like huge anti-mater bomb.

“Admiral.” Zoote Continued. “As the hundred remaining torpedoes approached in the last fraction of a second, they seemed to be deflected away from the ship itself. The warheads hitting the cleared metal ring on the bubble around the ship or simply pushed away, around and back out into clear space where the defense guns took the extra fraction of a second to destroy them. If the point defenses had started even another half a second sooner, none of the torpedoes would have gotten close.”

The Admiral stared at the still standing Basestation atop a mile round bright green bubble at its base as Zoot continued. “The 23 torpedo Blackhole warheads hitting the metal ring covering the main bubble around the ship seem to have created hundred foot wide craters clear down to the bare diamond surface of the bubble leaving incredibly bright hundred foot wide beams of light shining out from the bubble. The slightly concave surfaces are focusing most of the beams into spots thousands of feet from the bubble with the different mettles where each warhead had hit etching various colors into the Diamond crystal creating rainbow colored beams on most of them with some a bright solid single color. Admiral, none of this is believable. I must have over heated my cores and I am processing the information wrong. I must let my cores cool down before I can analyze what has happened and explain it Admiral. Not being able to do anything else for the moment, I have to admit for the first time that I am amazed for lack of any other word to describe it.”

“I was afraid something like this would happen.” Jack’s voice came from the screen showing the Bridge or now Control center since it was no longer a ship but a Base Station. “The damn grav-mag rings incasing and containing the black holes in the warheads, allowed the damn navigation screens to deflect the damn torpedoes. I was afraid of this. The fucking torpedoes are worthless except for demolition charges.

The Admiral sat back in his chair and closed his eyes. “Thank God for that little miracle.”

Chapter 16; Saluting until it comes to Attention

“You knew all along the damn torpedoes were useless.” The Lieutenant who had hugged him just before the torpedoes had hit, started beating on his chest tears streaming down her cheeks. “You knew all along we weren’t going to die.”

“No I didn’t. But the issue did come up when we were designing the warhead but we had no better ideas at the time and we needed something. Though I have since come up with a few possibilities that just may work even better since then but I have not had a chance to pursue them.” Hugging her back. “I am sorry but I really did think our asses were cooked.” Turning to the Comm officer sitting with her hands shaking like a leaf. Get me that puke Ditzen on the screen when you can.” Jack wiped the Lieutenant’s cheeks with his hands and then sat down in the Command Chair. “Aaa. Lieutenant, think you could get me some hot tea. I need something to calm my nerves before that ass hole sees me shaking or something worse.”

“You want your nerves calmed? I can always stun your butt and calm you down fast. I am going to be a wreck for a week.” She turned and stomped off toward the hatch. One of the crewmen ran over and puked sticking her head down the waste chute.

“Captain. Captain Glenn, wants a situation and, a damage report Sir.” Her voice kept breaking as she found it hard to talk.

“Put her on the screen Lieutenant.”

The Lieutenant reached over with hands that were not quite shaking as bad and put Captain Glenn on the main screen.

“Captain Turner how much damage have you sustained. We are headed that way to assist.”

“None Captain. The Torpedoes where repelled by our shields and missed.”

“What the hell? I saw the biggest explosions I think I have ever seen Captain. I am surprised any of the ship is even left yet… Aaa yes, I see the station sitting there seemingly undamaged but I don’t know how or really believe it.”

“The armor seems to have protected us from the blasts but we will have to take a better look when we get time. Right now we have to continue with Plan C unless you think one of the others would work better. We have pulled the claws of the wolf pack and now we need to separate the leaders and save the pack if we can. Now how many casualties have you had while disobeying orders to frag the son of a bitch?”

“Vice Admiral Ditzen on hold Captain.”

“Surprisingly the Battleships never got a shot off at either of the ships or as far as the destroyers and bombers, no dead but 16 are wounded with two in surgery as we speak. One critical I am sorry to say. A couple of the bombers are damn near totaled. We may have to junk at least one of them but the Chief will take a look at them later. The destroyers have only minor damage. The 20 feet of armor on the knife edge of the arrow shapedhull with that new Ceramic Diamond coating, sloughed everything off with only a few point defense turrets damaged. Plan C does sound about the best with the Assault ships still undamaged. I wonder why they did not participate in the attack. A Squadron of our fighters went right by them within spitting range and they did not even track them with their defense turrets. They could have knocked a couple dozen out at least if they had wanted to as close as some got. I am glad they are acting friendly but with at least 20,000 Marines in them, I am keeping my ship as far away from them as I can. I gave the same orders to the Red Pepper. Returning to the cloud where I can track them and keep an eye on the Battleships.”

“Yes they did seem to get farther away from the squadron while I was talking to the Vice Admiral. Assault ships usually stay as close as possible to the heavy’s for protection. I hope that means the ship’s Captains aren’t part of this and were just following orders. We will find out shortly. Out.” Glancing at the Lieutenant that was no longer shaking but looked exhausted. “Put the Admiral on the main screen Comm.”

“I am filing charges for attacking a Republic squadron and a superior officer Captain. You will surrender immediately and turn over the Gama Station and all the slaves to me.”

“I am sorry about your losses Admiral but you fired first as you well know which we recorded. We had no choice but to defend ourselves. We have more advanced medical facilities than yours using technology from the ex-slaves if you will allow us to shuttle your most critical patients over before you dock when our inspection teams arrive. It will take you at least 12 hours for your maneuvering thrusters to get you here with your main engines knocked out.”

“Fuck the wounded. I ordered you to surrender and turn over the Station and the slaves to me immediately. I will decide what technology we use from our new slaves. Traitor. As for your recordings, they will not survive long enough for anyone to see them. I control everything that goes in and out of The Rock. Now surrender before I send my two Marine divisions down there to take the Station.”

“Enough with your crap Admiral. I am coming up there with the inspectors and if you are Vice Admiral Ditzen and your ships are Republic ships, then you can dock and your squadron and marines can take shore leave as long as they conduct themselves in a civilized manner. This is Vice Admiral, acting, Jack Turner; Commander of the Gama 13 Basestation. Your superior officer while you are in the Transport Basestation’s Control zone. Out.”

The screen went blank and Jack got up and headed for the hatch “You have the aaa Station Number One. Make sure everything is ready for Plan C, though I was not planning on having to go up and do the damn inspection. I am not going to allow that ass hole to let his own crewmen die from lack of care.” As the Lieutenant turned to follow. “No, stay here…” He said to her.

“Like hell I will. You don’t have the authority to disobey Admiral Halsey’s Orders Vice Admiral, acting. It is stupid for you go up there by the way, where he can arrest or even kill you.”

Jack rolled his eyes and continued out of the hatch. “He shouldn’t have anything that can touch our new battle suits. Don’t worry. We will take a few of the new Mechs and remote bots with us just for show. I have not included them in any of my reports yet since we just developed them so they should be quite a surprise for the little Napoleon. Besides it should make quite an impression on the Battleship’s crew without risking any of ours for them to kill or providing possible hostages.”

Jack looked out the ports of the Assault Shuttle’s little bridge as they approached the Admiral’s Battleship the Detroit Epsilon and realized that it and the squadron were the new built battleships that copied the Spider ships with armored decks in the forward half and the gun decks at the stern. He had heard about them but had yet to see one but then he noticed that each of them had little differences in their designs. On some the forward decks were the same size as the stern gun decks while on the majority of them the shield decks out front were wider than the stern offering more protection. Even the number of guns seemed to be different on the two basic classes of ships.

Jack could only shake his head as he made note that not one battleship had the squadron markings on it of any of the other battleships. Though he had already known that, the mechanical differences of the 8 ships just brought that home. Seeing it just drove home how desperate and far out on a limb the Vice Admiral had to be. Command would have sent a single full squadron of at least 12 ships with all the ships the same build to make maintenance easy and that had trained together enough to not be scattered as haphazardly around the area as these were. Command would also have included at least an Assault Carrier with support fighters and at least a section of Cruisers to go with them and the Assault Transports that did not even have a Dock landing ship for the Assault boats needed to assault anything substantial. Not even a combat supply ship to supply the marines for operations that lasted longer than a few days. No this smelled like someone’s clobbered up fiasco though even then it had to have had some kind of support at The Rock.

The Destroyers were just finishing deploying between the Squadron drifting where their engines had been knocked out and the 4 Assault Transports with their 20,000+ Mech Marines that had not moved since the Battleships engines had been taken out. Hundreds of Human and Ex-slave piloted Fighters and Torpedo bombers were flying in squadron sized formations scattered around them for additional intimidation. Not that the Republic Mech Marines would be any match for Jack’s Spider God Mechsuits. He just didn’t want any additional complications or the risk of having to kill Republic marines that would be needed in the future. Hundreds more fighters and bombers along with the 910 armored Gunsleds with thousands of Apes and Human marines had already landed back on the Newly enlarged Basestation to get where they needed to be if the expected guests started arriving early. Weather they came as fiends or foes.

Jack looked back at the Basestation still surprised that it was still there. Though it looked even more like an umbrella at the beach with the much widened table top armored decks the exslaves had been working on for the last month. The armored decks having been widened from about 2000 feet across to almost a mile (5000 feet) wide using material from hollowing out each of the 50 foot thick solid armored decks with several personnel decks honeycombed into them. The lower half of the top deck (with the upper 25 feet remaining solid armor was in the process of being made into a commercial retail deck 20 feet high. Jack was still in awe of how fast the 5 lower mile wide decks where hollowed out with each solid 50 foot thick deck now divided into four 10 foot high or two 20 foot high sub deck compartments, since they were not needed as armored decks anymore. The use for the new decks as well as the now 100 foot high space between the main decks was still being debated. With heated arguments about what to use the mile wide decks for. Most felt that using them for farming was a waste of space with the huge mile wide bubble scabbed on between the big 100,000mile wide bubble and the Hulk Basestation providing plenty of crop space that was still only half used, though it was expanding rapidly as earth plants to feed the humans was added. They wanted to turn the ex-shield decks into warehouse and factory decks for the ship docking births Jack was having added to the outer edges. While others pointed out that the two hulks once attached with the Ape hibernation decks turned into living quarters, they would need the additional farm decks to feed the hundreds of thousands of inhabitants (possible a million) even though at the moment they had far less than a hundred thousand with the bubble providing plenty of farm space for all including the humans once crops started harvesting.

Jack smiled. He could see the new vertical frames for docking cradles that were being constructed around the outside edges across the now 200 foot distance between the 2 top decks, (the space between the top two decks having been increased to make handling cargo easier). The Docking cradles would be able to handle any ship from small transports or destroyers to the biggest bulk carriers using Republic specks. The entire squadron and all the transports would easily fit around the 3 mile circumference leaving huge gaps between the ships. Only problem was that the docking cradles would not be finished until the next day, long before the Battleships and their transports where originally due to arrive. With an air curtain around the circumference of the decks, the 200 foot distance between the mile wide decks was perfect for handling cargo transfers between docked ships or loading cargo into the station and its new cargo holds and factories Jack had pretty much decided to make the lower ex-armored decks into. Though he was just going to let it happen with guidance and votes as the need for space arouse instead of making a big announcement about it that would anger some of the populace. He was starting to learn how to be a politician. Figuring that a bunch of votes over time would teach the new voters more than simply declaring the fact knowing that the farm bubble had plenty of space to support even an expanded population which was unlikely to happen very fast while the ex-armored decks would be needed for warehouse and factory expansion rather rapidly.

Jack turned around and sighed as he looked at the Battleships scattered around in a rough group. Thanking Godstar that he did not have to worry about docking the fleet to the Basestation before they were ready thanks to the delay Ditzen’s stupidity had made possible. As it was, Jack’s departure from the Basestation for the Command Battleship of Ditzen’s had been delayed a few minutes when the Lieutenant insisted on finding Jack the proper placards with a Vice Admiral’s star on them for the shuttle as well as the stars for his Battlesuit. Giving Admiral Ditzen plenty of time to prepare a reception committee which did not make Jack happy as he turned back around to look at the Battleship they were approaching.

The Assault Shuttle touched down in the Battleships Hanger Dock that stretched only half way across the ship with the central core of the ship at the fare left corner. The docking bay actually continued ahead clear across the ship to the other side like the Red Peppers dock but a sliding bulkhead hatch that ran from the half-moon core across to the bulkhead that started at one of the Battleships 4 engine rooms and ran back to the outer hull hatch the Assault Shuttle had entered through, sealing the docking lock off from the storage hangers. A mirrored docking bay was off to the left on the other side of the ships core hull with engine rooms and cargo handling areas separating the two just like the Red Peppers only 2 engines did.

Jack walked down the side ramp into vacuum as the Lock’s outer hatch was still closing. He walked toward the main hatch into the ship’s central core running across the corner of the lock with the control room ports above it filled with officers. The Lieutenant taking up position 2 steps behind and to the side of him in her new Human/Slave tech Battlemech suit making her look like one of the big Red Apes 4 times her weight and size from their first battle aboard an Enemy Battleship hulk ages before. Pan in one of the New Battlemech suits on a can instead of legs looking a little strange to Jack, stood on Jacks other rear corner. Her breasts competing with the Lieutenant since she was using them as her natural oxygen reserves though the suit mostly hid them. Jack just thought she liked the looks she kept getting from the human males when her breasts were expanded. The official inspectors came out and lined up behind the three in their own new Battlemech suits though they carried no obvious weapons, only sensors. Fifty of the new remote Battlebots looking like skeletons with huge weapons, lined up close behind them across the front corner of the Assault Shuttle which had its own chin and 4 corner turrets tracing back and forth above and behind them.

A pair of the new armored Gunsleds with long poles running along their sides came out of the Assault Shuttles back hatch and took up positions to each side of the hull hatch and extended poles up to the overhead and then laid them against the hull at the inside edges of the 30 foot tall 60 foot wide hatch. The two Gunsleds keeping their top gun turrets aimed up the side of the Shuttle toward the cargo hatches running up the sides of the lock. The hatches on one side ran into cargo holds, boat storage and work hangers. The hatches on the other or core side led into a long narrow cargo handling area between the docking lock bays with a main propulsion engine shaft dropping down through it half way between the core and the outer hull.

With the closure of the outer hatch. The air started screeching in as the lock’s air pressure rapidly increased. Jack and the warbots just stood with their weapons locked into their holsters and back cradles with the inspectors looking bored while looking at the main cargo and personnel hatches into the Ship’s central Core a few feet away, ignoring the officers in the control room ports above. Though Jack noticed that one of them was the Vice Admiral himself.

“That room is filled with hate Captain.” Pan said in Jack’s ears. “I am finding it hard to influence their mood, it is so foul amongst so many of them. I am not able to effectively calm creatures with so much hate in them. Why the God Officers go out of their way to kill such slaves at the first sign of such emotions. Though most of the Admiral’s officers are mostly confused with only the closest to the Admiral actually radiating hate toward us.”

“That is Ok. Pan. Do the best you can for the ones that are just going along caught up like a mob in the actions of those that are beyond help.” Jack new that most were just caught up in the mob mentality. Mother Nature’s way of massing the clan thousands of years ago to fight off predators.

As soon as the air pressure equalized with the rest of the Battleship. Most of the hatches around the lock sprang open and over 200 Republic Battlesuited marines standing side by side in ranks, marched in with their weapons leveled at the now closed up tight shuttle and Jack’s inspection party.

Jack nor any of the rest moved as they were surrounded by pointing weapons. The Marines not sure about the skeleton warbots with their huge weapons lined up at the corner bow of the strange looking Assault Shuttle with Republic markings. The Marines keeping a weary look at the warbots and not Jack and the inspectors.

“I am so glad you came so I could arrest you like the traitor you are Turner. I cannot even imagine such stupidity after disarming my fleet so readily. Surrender and nothing will happen to your crew. Resist and I will send my Marines down to slaughter the rest of your stupid crew as we capture the slaves.”

“Oh just the ex-slaves. But then your prison ship is not big enough to hold everybody including all the new exslaves let alone the human refugees we found on the other hulk. With no other transports in your fleet for them you must be planning on killing them when you destroy the Station. Though it is a shame you just couldn’t capture it but then that would show what a big lie your story is, that I never captured them in the first place. Though I don’t understand why you are bringing enough materials and sub sections along to construct a new base station big enough for a Vice Admiral.”

The Admiral smiled from ear to ear. “It is nice to know you were not lying about all the metals you have plastered around the station itself not to mention what we are reading on the planet’s surface farther out will make me rich to go along with my fame for exposing what a traitor you are and actually destroying the Spider Battleships and acquiring the advanced technology you have been withholding from The Rock all these months.”

“What do you mean withholding?” Jack started to bristle. “I have been sending full detailed…” Taking a breath. “Oh so you as Security Chief for The Rock have stopped my reports from going through. Explains why your weapons are so pitiful. Also why we have not been getting any supply ships if they think we are dead or traitors.”

“No, they have been sending the Transports. I have just been making sure they are diverted to an out of the way staging area where they have been sitting in limbo. Shame too, seeing how desperate the Republic is for Transports right now.” Smiling down at Jack. “Take him prisoner.” The Admiral ordered.

The closest pair of marines slung their weapons, took several steps toward Jack raising their arms to grab him.

Jack raised his hands palm out toward the marines chests as hate washed over him. Just before they touch his suit he activated the gravity ring in his palms and the pair went sailing away from him falling to slide across the deck as Jack dropped his hands back down to his sides.

The row of surprised marines in front of him stared at him. Turning on his Comm to the whole ship including the marines in front of him. “I am Vice Admiral Turner, the Republic’s only authorized Commanding Officer of the Gama 13 Hulk Basestation. Vice Admiral Ditzen’s and Commodore Hendricks superior officer with full authority over this fleet while it is in the Gama Hulk Basestation’s sector. Any further efforts to mutiny against the Republic and or attacks on the Gama Hulk Basestation will be met with death. I am ordering you all to lay down your weapons before you all are charged with mutiny, declared guilty under article 7 and summarily executed on the spot.”

“You cannot be serious Turner.” Admiral Ditzen’s voice thundered across the lock from just the lock’s speakers. “You are surrounded by marines loyally sworn to me with laser cannons and not assault guns you have reported as worthless, ready to destroy you and your little shuttle. Give it up before I have you killed where you stand.”

“Believe me Ditzen. Even your laser Cannons are worthless against our new armor and the R-bots.” Shaking his head. “You men have this one chance to live. Those that are loyal Republic Marines step back through the hatches you entered through and you will live.”

Shaking his head as a smart looking platoon at the aft end of the shuttle started to move back toward the hatch shouldering their weapons only to have the troops on both sides point their weapons at them forcing them to stop then move over in front of the corner cannon turret on the Shuttle with their hands raised, Jack looked up at the Admiral. “These deaths are on your head Admiral.”

“Now I can’t help it if some marine Captain and his handpicked men do not like you and your enemy slaves Turner. Not my fault they think of you as a traitor.”

“I take it the whole crew feels this way?”

“Don’t be ridiculous. Who cares what the rest of the crews feels or thinks, as long as their senior officers and the marines to control them have the correct thoughts and attitudes? Now carry out your orders Marines.”

“Good to hear I don’t have to execute the entire crews of all 8 Battleships Admiral.” Looking down at the marines surrounding him again. “Last chance guys.”

The marine captain in front of Jack turned to the squad nearest him. “Take him now.”

The squad took two steps toward Jack and with a bang, the huge hull hatch suddenly blew out sucking every marine out of the lock as Jack and his inspection party stayed rooted to the deck with their enhanced magnetic boots holding them down.

Two blasts from the guns on the Assault Shuttle took out the lock’s defensive turrets as the air curtain sprang across the wide open hole in the hull where the hatch that was tumbling away into the distance once was. Half the marines were not quite to the open hole when the air suddenly stopped cascading out of the hatches around the lock as the open hatch hole in the hull was sealed. But the momentum of the marines traveling at a hundred miles an hour by then, sailed out through the curtain barely slowing down. Only half still clutching their weapons. The hole had been open for only half a second. Boats were already waiting to pick up the marines that had their helmets on as regulations dictated and were still alive. Though he noticed the ones that didn’t, seemed to be the ones that radiated the hate. With the ones close enough for Jack to hear their minds talking to themselves lusting at the buxom Lieutenant and Pan. Several with references to others they had taken advantage of or raped since transferring to the Vice Admiral’s service and given special immunity as enforcers. Jack new that not all the helmetless marines were sycophants and hoped that most of them got their helmets off their belts and on their heads before they died even if the real bad assess did not even have their helmets on their belts with only a training Sim visor over their eyes for tactical and directing their weapons. Jack was also glad that the Platoon that had tried to return to the ship and had been sucked out the open hatch with the others, had their helmets on and were already marked as friendly to be picked up first.

Jack waited for the roar of the air rushing back into the hanger lock to stop echoing before speaking again to the ship. “I have just executed over 200 marines for mutiny and trying to attack my troops in the hanger lock. Any farther attempts at mutiny will garner the same immediate Sentence. “My inspectors and security bots will be fanning out across the ship to ascertain if this ship is still controlled by the Republic or the enemy. Continue doing your jobs and you will not be harmed. Vice Admiral Turner Out.” Then looking up at the Control Room ports. “If you are not the enemy or Mutineers Commodore Hendricks, you and the ship’s senior staff will meet me in the Flag Conference room when I am done inspecting the ship. That is an order. If you do not follow Republic regulations to the letter from this moment on, you will be arrested, charged, court-martialed and executed by the end of the day. You are dismissed.”

“You can’t court-martial anyone Turner. Officer Court-martials require a board of 5 officers of the rank of Captain and above.” The Vice Admiral smiled down at Jack. “My Captains would never convict me but they will convict you of anything I tell them too.” Ditzen started laughing.

“Sorry Admiral but I happen to have 17 full Captains and 3 Commodores dully vested under my command amongst the prisoners and crews I have rescued over the last 7 months. Plenty of flag officers to Court-martial everyone except you. But the Commodores can allow me to dump you in the Brigg for later disposition Back at The Rock unless you give me a reason why I should kill you know.” Jack Smiled. “Please don’t.”

“You… You… You wouldn’t dare.” The Vice Admiral stammered.

“Try me Ditzen. Just break one more Republic regulation. Please.” Jack walked through the still open hatch and into the wide central compartment that made up the core with its half dozen elevators large and small along both sides. The Core hatches into the two hanger locks across from him and the one beside him in front of the Assault Shuttle most of the marines had come out of, were wide open as well. The automatic hatches had not even had time to react to the sudden loss of air in the evacuating lock before it had been sealed again. Jack watched the airtight hatches into the elevator shafts themselves next to the elevator cars on their access platforms open as a hundred Armed Recon Discs little bigger than a Frisbee flying from the assault shuttle zipped into and up the elevator shafts almost too fast to be seen followed by the original 50 Remote warbots (called R-bots) that did not bother with boarding the elevator cars but followed the Frisbees on their way up or down ship as hundreds more poured out of the Assault Shuttle to help search the Battleship. The inspectors split up to cover the ship as fast as possible followed with their own R-bot escorts entering elevator cars and cargo platforms to go to the decks they needed to go to.

Republic regulations called for a search of a possible enemy or mutiny ship that would take 8 to 10 hours for a standard inspection team under normal circumstances but Jack definitely did not have the time. The R-bots would do most of the search leaving the Official inspectors to take care of the critical compartments as well as the Officers. Jack wanted the inspection team off ship in a half hour. Though he was going to leave some of the R-bots behind to replace the lost marines as well as to keep an eye on the Vice Admiral and his officers. That is unless he gave Jack a reason not to and eliminate the threat from the officers and then the bots would just be guarding the crew.

The R-bots or Remote controlled Bots, were something the Ex-slaves had come up with since they could not fight against the Apes physically themselves thousands of years before but had eventually realized that just taking over one or two ships even if it could be done in a universe of tens of thousands of God ships was certain death. Especially when most of the slaves had grown to accept Slavery as normal and could not even think of doing anything that might get themselves or their families killed. It was all too easy to get killed already.

The Gods had long before realized the limitations of remote warbots as well as fighter drones and had dropped the concept since the life and death of armies and ship’s crews was the cornerstone of their power and live Gronks were cheaper in the long run. Not that the Gods did not believe in maintenance bots as well as remotes that were useful and even needed for some jobs but that they were a waste and even a handicap salving or tracking down problems. While bots added another layer of failures and maintenance for live minds and bodies to perform.

Besides, Jack had decided that trying to save the lives of most of the Admiral’s ship’s crews was not worth even one of his marines lives or the hostages that they would be if it came down to a fight. The bluff was too much of a gamble to risk any more lives than he had to. The fact that he could get 4 or 5 R-bots into the transport space of one armored Ape or Exo-suited Marine, reducing the number of Assault Shuttles he had to risk, was a big factor as well. The new jam proof comms (even the Gods did not know about,) that treated mettle bulkheads and hulls as if they were not there without the need for repeaters just made using them aboard enemy Battleships possible.

Jack with the Lieutenant and Pan, followed the rush of bots as Jack went straight to Sick Bay that was not that many decks above the hanger. Walking into Sick Bay Jack was pleasantly surprised that they did not have as many casualties as he had feared. Though they did have several critically wounded from the knocked out turrets that the Doctor did not want to transfer. Jack had the Ex-slave Alturian Doctor he had left safely on the Assault Shuttle come up to talk with the Ship’s Chief Surgeon before the critical as well as several others that would benefit from the advance care, were taken for transfer to the Red Pepper. The Alturian Doctor leaving several pieces of medical equipment that the Chief Surgeon fell in love with. The wounded being taken to the Red Pepper since the Hulk Station was still mostly abandoned as far as civilian Refugees were concerned and would stay that way until the Vice Admiral’s situation was resolved.

Jack stepped into the Flagg Conference Compartment a half hour after the Assault Shuttle had touched down on the Hanger Lock’s deck. The inspection was done and the casualties already evacuated on a small Medical Shuttle that had slide in through the air curtain just long enough to load.

“Commodore Hendricks.” Jack said with a smile. “Glad to see you coming to your senses.” Jack talked directly to the Commodore ignoring the Vice Admiral. “Please have the rest of your squadron’s ships open a cleared lock for my inspection Shuttles standing by and not interfere with their inspections. Any resistance will be met with overwhelming force. Even if every crewmen in your ships were marines they would not win. Most would die so I will hold you personally responsible for their actions and safety.” Jack smiled at the Commodore. “Each inspected ship can then dock with the Station tomorrow morning and we will start repairs on your engines and even perform upgrades to weapons and power generation and distribution systems if you wish Commodore.”

The whole time Jack was talking the Vice Admiral was getting redder as he built up a head of steam. “You will address me Captain Turner. I am in Command here.” Vice Admiral Ditzen demanded.

“Sorry Vice Admiral but you lost your Flag ratting before they made you The Rock’s Chief of security. You can’t order an Ensign to get you coffee on any Republic Ship. Though I am starting to think you probably can on an enemy ship.” Jack shook his head side to side disgustedly as he looked around the conference table at the Officers before looking back at Ditzen. “The Commodore may follow your advice if he so wishes to but the responsibilities for his squadrons Actions are all on his shoulders as well as the Charges of munity and sedition that can and will get him executed if he continues listening to you, while you walk away free simply because you have no official authority here.”

Looking back at the Commodore that was turning white. “The Commodore does not strike me as the fool you take him for. It is a shame he has let you lead him down this path with all your lies trying to get back your Flag, more stars and now wealth.” Turning back to the Vice Admiral. “The shame is that if you succeed all you will do is insure that the Spider Fleet slaughters 90% of the human race and enslaves the rest. Your keeping vital technology from the development labs and factories of The Rock may have already insured that fact. The shame is that The Rock will have to put you on trial for that. All I can do is charge you for what you do here but since you are officially not a flag officer, unless you physically attack someone, the Commodore and his Captains are the ones that will die for your sins if they continue to listen to you.” Smiling at Ditzen and his still red face as he clenched his fists. “So I really do not give a bilge rat’s ass if you don’t like me ignoring you or not.”

Turning back to the Commodore. “What are you going to do Commodore Hendricks?” Jack asked politely.

“I am going to follow regulations Vice Admiral Turner. I will order the rest of my ships to comply with all inspection teams immediately and then dock at your Station to make repairs and to make sure you are telling the truth about not being a pawn for the Spiders. That the Battleships really are hulks with their engines and weapons destroyed and that the Station really is under your control before returning to The Rock to finish repairs and return to our squadrons.” Looking at Ditzen and then back at Jack. “I see that you are picking up the marines you flushed out of my lock. Thank you.”

“If you wish, by the time you leave here you won’t need repairs. As for your marines, I will return the survivors as soon as you dock Commander.” Jack smiled. “I have already been informed that 37 have died with another 23 in critical condition but are expected to survive, another 30 only suffered moderate vacuum damage. All the rest had their helmets on according to regulations.”

The Commodore looked at Ditzen again. “I would appreciate it if you only return my ships platoon. You can keep the Vice Admirals Company of marines. I don’t want those monsters or his other platoons on my ships again.”

Jack smiled. “Already got your platoon segregated and will be waiting for you at your dock. All of them alive and well. I will decide what to do with the Admiral’s surviving marines later since you don’t want them back.” Looking at Ditzen. “I have been told that all of the ones in preliminary interviews have confessed to being strait from the Vice Admiral’s brig. Most with life sentences for rape and murder. Some have admitted to being scheduled for execution with a few that were supposed to have been executed long ago somehow missing their appointed execution date. It seems the Admirals famous liberal leanings against harsh treatment of prisoners and executing criminals are only for those criminals that he can use to kill and control others that get in his way.”

Hendricks looked shocked and swallowed before speaking. “I have some officers and crew that the Vice Admiral found to fill out the crews for the ships in my squadron. Most of them are from his brig as well. Supposedly for minor infractions again. Though their records were slow coming from the Admiral and did not arrive before we left The Rock. If you could take them off with your inspection teams until their records show up I would appreciate it Vice Admiral Turner. The incidents of theft, assaults and rapes have gone up ridiculously since we left the Rock with most of the crimes unsolved except for accusations and disappearing evidence pointing to the new officers and crewmen. Including a couple of murders. The only exception is the one ship in my squadron that refused additional crewmen. Even after the Vice Admiral demanded they take them or face the consequences of a bad quarterly review and charges later.” Looking over at the Vice Admiral who looked like he could kill the Commodore.

“Very well. Deliver them to us when my inspection crews dock. We have special places for just such crewmen. We don’t have a brig but the Ex-slaves know how to control working prisoners from personal experience so no one will be lazing in brig cells when they could be wishing and even praying that was what they were doing.” Jack stepped to the hatch and turned back. “Your squadron is scheduled to dock tomorrow morning including the Assault transports. It will take your Battleships that long to get their on maneuvering thrusters. Contact Approach Control when you are ready to move that way Commodore. The Supply transports are schedule for docking when they arrive tomorrow afternoon if they follow Republic Regulations and do not resist inspections as well. Good day Gentlemen.” Jack smiled. That is if he did not send them elsewhere. Which was sounding better by the minute. The last thing they needed here was all the construction material here for an even bigger Base Station. Not to mention that he had been told repeatedly that all the Admiral had to do was make a quick trip back to The Rock and return to take command, even if he succeeded getting rid of Ditzen temporarily. No he was starting to think of better things to do with the materials and mining equipment Ditzen was planning on getting rich off of

The officers around the table jumped to attention as Jack turned to leave. That is except for Vice Admiral Ditzen whose face looked like he was panicking as he remained seated.

Saluting, the Commodore said “By your Command Admiral Turner.”

Jack returned his salute and then turned around and stepped to the hatch as Ditzen’s face suddenly lit up. “I relieve you Captain Turner.” He said to Jack’s back.

“What?” Jack stopped and turned back half through the hatch. Looking at the Admiral.

“I as the senior Vice Admiral in the district officially relieve you of Command of the Gama Hulk Basestation.” Smiling from ear to ear. “I may not be a Flag Officer but I am still a damn Vice Admiral and Basestations are commanded by Vice Admirals and they don’t have to have a fucking Flag rating.” Almost laughing as he talked already planning what he was going to do to all those that had betrayed him. Giving the Commodore a deadly look before turning back to Jack. “Your ass and the slaves are mine Captain Turner.”

Jack’s face turned to shock as he swallowed. His mind racing. He knew full well what a Vice Admiral could do to a lowly Captain. While he could not strip him of Command of the Red Pepper unless Jack allowed him to by resigning his Command. The Vice Admiral in charge of the Basestation could make him and his crew wish he wasn’t alive let alone in command by cutting off all power and services and supplies and arresting any crewmember that stepped foot on the station. The Commander also controlled all movement and assignments of the ships assigned to the Station. In short the Admiral could make Jack and his ship’s life even more hellish than it already was. Including finish starving them to death.

The Lieutenant standing out in the passageway tapped her wrist comm and whispered into it.

Jack turned and glanced at the Lieutenant as the panic that was flooding his face turned to hope and then determination as her spoken thoughts flooded into him now that he was facing her for a few seconds before turning back to the Admiral. “Sorry Vice Admiral without a Flag. You need another star before you can change the Commander of a Basestation even if I am only a Temp Vice Admiral under regulations. Unless you have orders from The Rock’s Base Command Authority, you can go take a shit. That’s the only thing you are in command of around here.”

Jack started to turn around to leave again.

“I have orders from The Rock to relieve you Captain.” Ditzen smirked.

Turning back around Jack knew that was impossible. “Very well let’s see your specific notarized and signed orders to take command of the Gama 13 BASE Station.” Jack said emphasizing the word Base as he held out his hand.

Ditzen frowned then looked down as he started tapping away on his PDA’s screen and then stopped as his face turned white. Looking back up at Jack and said unbelievably. “Base Station?” Looking back down at the PDA then back up at Jack. “Base Station?” Ditzen slapped the screen up against his chest with both hands covering it to keep anyone from seeing what looked at first glance like an official order without close examination. “Aaa. I will have the orders for you when we dock tomorrow morning and you can turn the Station over to me then. Have my marines at dockside suited up armed and ready for my orders Captain.”

“Really, do I look that stupid Ditzen? If you can’t hand over the orders now you don’t have them. Even then, why would I want to give you two companies of killing machines as soon as you walk onto the station?”

“Because… Because I don’t have to show you my orders until I take command and it is my right according to regulations to demand that you turn out the entire crew of the station and the ships under your command to facilitate the smooth turnover of Command Authority. That would include the two marine Companies that you are picking up around this ship and from the other ships that are part of my Staff.” Trying to keep from laughing. “All according to regulations right Captain.”

Jack’s eyes tried to pierce the man’s head but he only got a bunch of jumbled mixed up words that he could not understand. Jack knew Ditzen was up to some trick because he could not possible have orders he did not know he needed before this minute by tomorrow. But what it was, Ditzen was not talking about even to himself. Giving up Jack turned and headed out the hatch.

“Regulations say you also have to come to Attention and Salute me Captain.” The Vice Admiral demanded with a shit eating grin on his face.

Jack looked back over his shoulder forcing himself not to salute automatically as he took a breath. “Until you relieve me Ditzen, you can salute your dick if you want something to come to attention. At least it will respond if you salute it enough.” Then left the ship.

Chapter 17; To Desert or not to Desert.

The next afternoon Jack looked out the port overlooking the new Docking deck from the control room that hung down from the overhead around the central shaft that ran between the overhead deck and the main cargo deck 200 feet below them. The 8 Battleships and 4 Assault Transports were spread out around the ring of docks about a 1,200 feet apart in the only docks that had been partially finished. The rest were on hold as more important matters had come up with Ditzen saying he had official orders to take command of the Basestation. The Bounty and the Red Pepper were no place to be seen. The 24 Destroyers were sitting upside down on their landing legs on the overhead in a ring a couple thousand feet from the Control room. Their crews walking around the ships as they finished installing the 16 inch guns and their power pods and making minor repairs associated with faults in all the new equipment that had been installed over the last month. Gravity coils had turned the overhead into an upside down deck in relation to the main cargo deck 200 feet below. A trick the exslaves had been using for thousands of years on the ag-decks to increase production space.

Jack watched the marines from the Assault Transports and Battleship crews of the newly arrived ships start to file out of their locks toward their assigned places in front of the stage set up to one side. Knowing it would take time for the thousands to assemble in their assigned places Jack turned to an officer standing with a pair of binoculars studying the ships and the troops coming out of them. “Is everything set up and ready Sam?”

“Yes Admiral. As ready as we can make it in the short time we had. Do you really think he actually has orders to take over this station?”

“I am sure he will present orders that look very official and real Sam.”

“Look Admiral?”

“Yes. Look. I am going for a walk. I want to inspect those new 16 inch gun mounts for the Destroyers.”

Sam smiled. “They shrunk Admiral. They are only 12 inches now sir.” I just hope that they don’t tear up the Destroyers when they fire them.”

“They should be fine. They were designed with 8, 8inch guns so one 16/12 should not be a problem if we didn’t fuck up our calculations about the size of the bracing needed. Just make sure the transports get away on schedule.” Jack walked out of the open hatch onto a ramp that had him looking up at the overhead and the Destroyers but as he walked along the twisted ramp he quickly turned 180 degrees and walked out onto the overhead deck looking up at the cargo deck 200 feet above and the marines and crews marching out of their ships now upside-down to him. The destroyers suddenly looking as they should on their landing gear.

Jack walked under the closest Destroyer and up a short ladder into the gun pod tank housing the 16/12 gun. This was the first chance he had to actually see what the engineers and he had designed in a rush only to miss the deadline to use them during the battle the day before because of one stupid oversight. No power cables. Well, they had plenty now and depending on what happened in the next few hours they just might have to use them to escape Vice Admiral Ditzen. Jack spent a few minutes climbing around the small space between the gun and the reinforced hull of the mass tank that made up the pod and then climbed out and examined the braces and attachment points for the gun pod. Not the most aesthetic mount with the external braces distributing the load and recoil forces across several hard points on the Destroyers hull but it had gotten it mounted without a major hull refit they had no time for. After checking the Generator pods straddling the gun, Jack continued out along the deck. The crews and marines above still streaming out of their ships.

A thousand fighters and torpedo bombers were parked in nice rows in another ring around the control room a thousand feet farther out beyond the Destroyers. Mixed human and Ape pilots and ground crews worked on the fighters repairing the damage from the day before. Not that they actually had pilots for all the spacecraft but he was not about to leave good fighters for the ass hole and with a fighter slaved into formation with a piloted fighter or bomber, they could be greedy. Each Bomber was packed out with torpedoes and missiles. He was surprised that they were able to get so many mounted. It almost looked like they had simple welded some of the mounts onto the hull and then slapped racks of missiles on them. Rows, of the newly built transport bombers were mixed in with the bombers. Packed with maintenance supplies inside as well as weapons outside. The weapons officers now full fledge pilots, as well as hundreds of human crewmen with a lot of game Simm time and some gifted maintenance crewmen with a few hours of simulator time were piloting them. He watched one taking off after the ground crew had finished prepping their two fighters and head out toward the new mining base that was being called New Home. Though he could not blame the Ex-slaves. New Home was a major miracle all by itself. Jack had to chuckle. A major miracle sitting on a miracle wonder of the universe.

“Admiral Turner, Basestation Control. The Bounty is docking for another load. Should be out of here again in an hour. The Red Pepper is on approach. Are they going to be able to make another round trip or should we call this it and take down the last factory.”

“Call it final and hope we can squeeze another round in. Is the transport Squadron still headed for New Home?”

“Yes sir. Right on time. They are less than a half hour out. We have our own pilots on them with their navigation systems dead so they can’t find it again but they will know we have another base Admiral. You sure you don’t want to bring them here with the Bulk Carrier and transship the materials. The Captain of the Bulk Carrier headed this way is going to tell the Vice Admiral anyway.”

“No. We don’t have the time and New Home needs what they are carrying. As far as they are concerned if everyone follows the script, they will just think they are dumping everything someplace in the middle of the cloud leaving it there to be picked up later. They won’t know it is New Home or anywhere near the Bubble. And even if they suspect, it will be a long time before they can talk to Vice Admiral Ditzen to tell him with them headed back to the martialing yards I am sending them to.”

“Very well Admiral. Oh you have got another request from Jeeves to report to your cabin on the Red Pepper. The message says it is very important Admiral. Fact the message says it is Admiral Halsey’s orders. Which has to be impossible Admiral.”

“Ya I am sure it is since we are still out of contact with The Rock.” Shaking his head. This was the 6th time he had gotten a message from Jeeves back on the Red Pepper to come see the old AI. Each message getting more insistent, even desperate but now using Admiral Halsey’s name was going too far. Jack’s irritation at Jeeves insistent demands with him already running ragged from one problem to the next with no time to go out of his way to board the Red Pepper just so the old codger could sit and chat added to the fact that he had just gotten used to being called Captain and now they were insisting on Admiral of all things every time he turned around. “And quit calling me Admiral Damn it. As soon as that fool presents whatever Orders he comes up with I will be just a Captain again. Until we go AWOL and then I will just be a deserter with the rest of you.”

Jack continued on toward the outer hull and rows of Armored Gunsleds. They had been able to produce another thousand Armored Gunsleds that were no longer really just gunsleds with an additional kit added to them and the one already produced. They were actually spacecraft now with their own open space propulsion systems in long fat poles or canisters down the sides along the bottom corners. They still looked like boxes with sharply sloped flat bows and long flat slab sides with a ramp hatch at the back and a squat 3inch gun turret on top. They were still more armed and armored transport than fighter. Able to carry 12 fully mechsuited marines or 10 tons of cargo making them much more than simple sleds now. With the original 910 sleds now numbering well over 2,000 with trailers little better than shells the same size as the transport that could carry 20 tons of supplies added to their assess in chains, they turned out to be quite versatile. Over loaded, with them programed to follow the leader in 10 sled squads or trains, Jack watched as the Armored Gunsleds’ drivers turned pilots with a couple hours of Simm time, checked their slaved train of sleds while they waited for orders to depart.

Continuing past the Gunsleds Jack started jogging. Jeeves last call invoking Admiral Halsey’s name eating away at his mind. He finally had a few minutes so maybe he should stop by the Red Pepper and see what was so damn urgent. Maybe the old man Jeeves or even Zoot had a way out of this mess so they didn’t have to go AWOL and become fugitives just to keep from being the Vice Admiral’s tortured Slavesor even stay alive. Even though it was Jeeves and Zoote that had told him he had to go AWOL in the first place instead of just killing the SOB.

Jack jogged along a line of cargo canisters that had a new form of cargo sled that resembled more of a frame than flat sled attached to their tops that amounted to several poles around the edges with a driver’s seat hanging half way down at the front left corner. A hundred cargo boxes were lined up end to end with a short pole between each box forming one long flexible train. Jack watched as another group of individual piloted 50 foot long Cargo Container Boxes were being flown up from the cargo holds and in between ships docked around the deck’s edges to join several new trains being assembled as Jack jogged up to a (10 by 40)foot flat decked sled that was picking up the drivers as they climbed out of the control seats of each box after nosing up to the cargo box ahead of them in the train and sliding the short pole hanging out in front of the sled into the receptacle in the back cross beam of the sled ahead.

Stepping onto the personnel sled as the last of that batch of cargo box drivers jogged up. The sled rose up and then dropped toward the deck below as it turned over. Jack looked up to the lines of cargo containers already running around the edge of the overhead and smiled. Everyone new that sleds were only for short range ground transportation. You could never take them very high or far between charging’s. Certainly the Vice Admiral would never think that they could go a quarter of the way around the Bubble or what was turning out to be a Dyson Sphere (a big ball around a sun). Just not the kind most people thought of as a Dyson Sphere. No one could live inside this Dyson Sphere (for a few thousand years anyway), but the outside was turning out to be something else.

Too bad few people would ever even hear about what was now probably one of the top 10 wonders of the Universe. Even the damn Vice Admiral evidentially had no idea that the Basestation he wanted to destroy was attached to a Dyson sphere and not an asteroid planet or moon from what he had said. Jack had been ordered to redact all mention of the sphere from his future reports when he had received an answer to his first report to Admiral Halsey when they had finally gotten long range comms up after the Bubble had been created. While his original report to the Admiral had been classified ultra-secret with only the top Admiral’s with a need to know even knowing about it and evidentially before Ditzen found out about Jack the aliens and the Station. Though that had not stopped Vice Admiral Ditzen from finding out about the wealth of minerals around the Station even though it was never explained why the concentration of metals around the Station was there or that it was not just sitting on an asteroid. Jack knew it would not take long for even a moron like Ditzen to figure out about the bubble with him in charge of the New Basestation only a few miles from the hole spewing gases and lighting up the Cloud. But that was no longer Jack’s problem.

Jack watched one of the already assembled cargobox trains drop down from the overhead and follow them out between two docked Battleships and drop over the edge of the Cargo deck slowly filling with marines and crewmen from the Vice Admirals Squadron. The train following them down the side of the Basestation before it lifted off to move out across the open metal covered field between two of the colored beams still shining up into pin point torches of light reflected in the haze created by the original explosions that dug, cleaned and etched the bowl shaped lenses in the Sphere. The pinpoints vaporizing the gas as it drifted across the superheated concentration of light creating the torch above every blasted hole. Looking at the torches Jack still could not believe they had survived the torpedoes as he watched a train’s tail light in the distance disappearing low towards the horizon hundreds of miles away. It was some big ass sphere.

Jack stepped off the Sled as it touched down in one of the locks in the lower half of the Basestation with the weary drivers as the Red Pepper slid up to the next lock over to start loading the equipment and supplies they were stripping from the Station. Sections of the last Factory with all its mounting hardware and base frames were lined up and ready to go cluttering most of one side of the deck. The last thousand of over ten thousand cargo containers with essential equipment and supplies from the lists continued to come up or down from the various holds in both Battleships to have the new sled frames taken from their stacks, attached and driven up to the train assembly deck at the top of the station for the Vice Admiral to see and get the wrong impression. Forcing him to waste time looking for them close to the Basestation instead of where they were going. Jack knew it was a waste of time even trying to hide the fact that they were abandoning the Station to him.

Jack was taking no chances though it was probably impossible for anyone to find New Home unless they knew where the original mining station was in the first place with the trillions of square miles of surface area covering the sphere to search even if the Vice Admiral knew they were not close by. Especially what they would be hiding in. Though it was going to take some time to get everything under the cover of the natural domes. New Home was being made from what looked like the rest of the trillions of square miles of rocky jagged surface if not for all the ships and the growing piles of construction material and supplies sitting out in the open at the moment. Eventually someone would be able to fly directly over New Home with sensors and not find them but that was possibly years in the future. Though they did not have years nor could they simply hide. They still had a war to help win even if certain humans where starting to feel they needed to hide and not help.

Walking into the Red Peppers Personnel lock with the boson pipe cutting off as his foot touched the deck, Jack saluted the Colors and the Officer of the Deck. Admiral Arriving was blasted all across the ship. Jack was immediately deluged with more last minute problems. Turning his Comm back on he started to deal with them on his way down to his Cabin as he kept getting intercepted. Half of it ship’s business the First Officer could not take care of. After all he was legally still the Red Peppers Captain even if he had been mostly absent for weeks on end. Finally holding up his hand to quit the Officers starting to line up. “Come on guys let me get down to my cabin at least and my desk. Makes it a lot easier to work instead of standing here in the passageway.” Jack continued to answer questions as he walked but had to put many of them off to do some checking. He already knew they were going to have to leave a lot behind that included some of the last minute things that suddenly no one could live without. But that was what you got when you only had hours to evacuate two Spider Hulks made into a Base Station only hours before. He needed to look at the lists and schedules to find out what they could trade for something that was suddenly needed, if they could or even wanted to trade. Leaving something else that was just as important behind. What they needed was more time and more ships and...

Wondering where he got the idea that everything was settled and he could take a peaceful walk Jack sat down at his desk. Checked the progress of the gathering crews on the new Docking/Cargo deck at the top of the Station he started changing the remaining lists, adding and subtracting and hoping he did not cut or leave something behind they could not live without. Though he had found out over the last 6 months that having too few of some things was sometimes worse than not having any. Adding to his problems was the fact that some things people wanted to ship now could be made with the factories when they finished setting them up later. Though the problem was that he did not know what could and could not be made later or what if left behind, would prevented them from even getting the damn factories operational. He simple had not enough time to learn what could not be left behind safely. While he added a few important things he could not believe had been left out at first, the requests and problems started getting ridiculous and he finally cut everyone off and said live with it. He wasn’t changing anything else as his steward sat the first decent meal he had seen or smelled in days in front of him making both his mouth water and his stomach growl.

The Lieutenant shoed everyone out and Jack sat back and started to pig out as the Lieutenant joined him. Looking up at her Jack smiled. “Last meal for the Condemned right Lieutenant.”

“Not necessarily Admiral Turner.” The Hippie Zoote appeared next to the desk and even though her voice had warned Jack, he still jumped a little as she appeared.

“Ok. What do you mean by that Zoote?” A little bit peeved that the first quit peaceful meal he had had in ages and probably his last was being interrupted. “And what the hell kind of name is Zoote anyway?”

“I am one of the few series Z-001 Supper AI’s ever built with an organic processor. The fancy calligraphy on my case made Z-001 look like Zoote. Does that answer your question Admiral?” Looking and sounding like she was taking a breath as her chest moved. “As for the first question. You can’t let the Vice Admiral Ditzen take over Command of the Station at this time.”

“Really, the only way I can see that happening is to shoot the SOB and you said I can’t do that.”

“I have talked to the Detroit Epsilon and the orders he will present to you are fake forgeries.”

“Daaa. Tell me something I don’t already know Brains. Of course they are forgeries but he is in charge of security and I don’t think there is a Comet in hell’s chance I can prove that anything he produces is forged. At least not here and now. Now leave me alone and let me finish my steak in piece. I have work to do and little time to do it. Besides I haven’t had a steak in 7 months.”

“Yes I see that you are moving. That is why you need to keep Ditzen from taking over the station for now until you can get everything New Home needs not only to survive, but flourish. You need at least an additional month to do that.”

“And how am I supposed to do that? Besides we have already gotten most of what these Battleships can give except for more materials. So even if we had the time, striping the damn Station to the bulkheads would still not help that much. Not to mention losing our main food supply until we can get new crops growing in the new domes. It took over 6 months to get the Station operational and we are starting all over again without the decks and ship structures the Battleships provided. I am told it will be at least a year before most even have quarters to live in.”

The Domes they were moving to at the mining sight were just bare bubbles in side of the bigger bubble’s wall. Created by a Comet caught in the initial explosion’s shock wave that created the Diamond Bubble or sphere in the first place. The comet fragments of ice were sandwiched into the molten carbon expanding wall and spread out across the wave where they gasified to blow and inflate the bubble domes across a thousand square miles of the sphere, some domes were filled with poison gas depending on what ice was caught in that part of the bubble as it expanded. They had found the mountain range of bubbles only a month before and had only started a mining station there a week before. Which was why it was still fresh in Jack’s mind when the need for someplace to hide arouse.

Jack took another bite and without tasting it as he threw down the fork. “And I don’t appreciate you invoking Admiral Halsey’s name just so you can tell me shit I already know. We will be gone from here in another hour or too if I can stall long enough but it is going to be a year before we can be of any help to the Republic because of this move. I hope they can hold out that long. At least by then we should have a few weapons that will help if I can figure out a way to get them to Admiral Halsey to be produced in time.”

“What about the long range Communication systems you are leaving behind. You are going to need them.”

“It would take a week to pull them so we are going to blow them up along with a good chunk of the equipment on the station we can’t take. Eventually we can produce everything with the factories we are taking once we can turn the domes into someplace we can to do it in. That is our main priority now is taking what we need to live for the next 6 to 9 months while we clean out and connect the domes and build up New Home.”

“You can’t blow up the Comm equipment. Admiral Halsey needs you to take that with you so we can stay in communications.”

“What the hell you talking about. There is no Comm traffic in or out of The Rock and we are not about to start transmitting a signal that can be traced even if we had the long range Comms.”

“Your Comm department has developed a long range Comm that is not traceable. I am talking to you now over it. I am with Admiral Halsey now.” Admiral Halsey sitting behind his desk appeared on the side of Jack desk across from Zoote to the right of Jack.

“Zoote I told you not to divulge the secret Comm to anyone at this time.” Admiral Halsey said not very happy at all.

“It was paramount to convince Jack that he was not alone or he would have allowed Vice Admiral Ditzen to drive him and humanities only chance to survive into hiding. With a 77% chance that powers that Jack cannot control would keep the Colony from ever reaching out again to help anyone let alone the Republic in time to prevent humanity from losing the war and extinction.”

Jack looked over at the Halsey. “I already knew about the trace less comm Admiral. What I don’t understand is how you got the only other transmitter/receiver.”

“He doesn’t Jack. When I was on the Bulk carrier prison ship I found the transmitter when I was recoding the Basestation’s Point Defenses and sent a carrier wave along with the signal down the laser tunnel that provides a way to send and return data to and from the Admiral’s private secure long range Transceiver.”

“You were the one that almost got us killed? What took you so frigging long?”

“I burned out my core on the prison ship and had to reboot my main program in my back up core at The Rock. Sorry, if I had not been in such a hurry and got carried away overclocking my core, I would have been done in plenty of time Jack. I was so afraid of you getting killed I got stupid.”

“Ok. You are going to have to explain how it is possible that a computer can be afraid or get stupid later. Right now I need the Admiral to send me orders officially countermanding any orders old numb nuts has made up taking the Station away from me.”

Halsey shook his head. “I cannot do anything that will reveal that we have this new technology Turner. You are going to have to figure some way to retain Command for the next month and give me time to ship what you need in to get this New Home Colony established.”

“What? Why just a Month Admiral? If I manage to put old but hole in his place why should I have to worry about holding on any longer than the time for you to send me the needed orders giving me official command. Fact is why do you need me to be in command to begin with if you are going to send what is needed to establish the colony in the first place? You can send along a decent Commander for the Base Station.”

“If Ditzen has Command he will control all shipping in the area making it impossible for me to sneak in any transports to the New Home Colony. As for you having permanent Command of the Station let alone a Basestation is not likely. It turns out that there is a large faction at The Rock that thinks you and the slaves need to be arrested and imprisoned. You, for not following orders that you technically did not need to followed and the slaves because they think they are spy’s of the enemy.” Shaking his head as he turned red, Halsey continued. “You have the right idea Turner because I will not be able to protect you or the slaves. I am only a Supply and Transport Admiral now even if a do have a Flag and a brand new star. You are going to have to disappear in the next few months as shit hits the fan around here so you and the ex-slaves can work safely and come up with what we need to defeat the monsters at our gates. I am going to send you everything I can including enough prefabricated structures and equipment to house and feed a million people or two in those domes of yours that Zoote here says can easily house 6 million with an industrial base to take advantage of all the resources you have.”

“Millions? You are sending me a million people when we can’t even feed ourselves yet.”

“Yes I am sending administrators and a military Governor that has a lot of experience with aliens and secret isolated research basses to run the Colony with very specific instruction that you and your ex-slaves have a free hand to do what needs to be done. You will be in charge of the fleet and defense side of the base and what is produced at the shipyard factories Zoote has shown me and I hope we can start building to increase our production. I am also sending you the scientists and engineers you were working with before you took command of the Red Pepper along with as many other bright ones as I can find. You will produce and test the weapons and then I will send the finished products to be produced across the Republic. That is if everything goes according to plan. That is if you can keep that fool from taking over the Gama 13 Basestation without proper orders while I delay the morons on this end from sending the proper legal orders as long as possible. At least long enough for us to get the New Home research base established without anyone finding out about it.”

Jack shook his head no. “In order to keep such a base secret means you are going to have to restrict anyone from coming and going to the station but a very select few. Even someone knowing they are headed for or returning from such a base is enough for someone to eventually find it.”

“Come Turner. The Rock has been our best kept open secret for over a hundred years. You can do it with New Home.”

“Listen Admiral. The Spiders know about The Rock being the Republics’ main military base and have already found The Cloud. Eventually they are going to plant thousands of ships outside the damn cloud until they find or starve The Rock out. The only thing that is keeping them from doing it now is that they don’t know that The Rock is the Cornucopia or Heavy Metal of all Heavy Metal Stars they have been looking for. When that happens their whole fucking 10,000 ship war fleet is going to camp on our doorstep while they destroy the rest of humanities systems because they don’t need them. You had better start doing a better job of locking down the people that know about The Rock’s resources before the Spiders do find out from new human slaves. And if you are smart, the same goes for this damn Carbon Metal sphere. Ask Zoote. I am sitting on more metal than the Spider fleet that is trying to destroy and enslave the surviving humans has used in the last ten thousand years.Let Ditzen destroy the damn Gama 13 station and prison anyone that knows anything about what really is here. With your help we can build the New Home colony without this hunk of junk and do the job you want without the damn million colonists and without anyone knowing about us but you.”

“Damn it Turner. “That hunk of Junk Station is what is going to give me the ability to send what supplies and equipment I can. The million handpicked colonists will be the best and brightest refugees we can find from star systems we are abandoning and from across the Republic and is going to give me the ability to send youanything you need from outside the cloud where people like Ditzen and his supporting Admirals won’t even know about, let alone interfere. That is as long as The Rock is not being blockaded. You sure that enemy fleet Zoote told me about is coming? I was told that fleet scout operations are not my worry but that there is nothing out there. Any idea how long before they get here?”

Jack turned down the lights and looked over in that direction as he chewed his steak for a few seconds. “Hard to tell just looking at them but it looks like they are taking their time and staying closely packed. Probably sending out scouts trying to find out what happened to the fleet that was in this area to begin with. I have been too busy to keep a close watch on them.”

The Lieutenant turned and looked where Jack was looking and said. “Oh shit!” The mass of pin point lights flashing from the fleets collapsing black holes was easy to see with their ass’s pointed at the cloud as the ships slowed down approaching The Cloud. “They will probably stay far enough away to keep from getting detected as they study the cloud trying to find out what happened to their original fleet.

The Admiral looked from Jack to the Lieutenant and back again as he took a breath and a sip of his Coffee steaming on the desk. “Well that should give us some time then. You are going to have to make sure Ditzen does not succeed in taking command from you for as long as possible. Even if legitimate orders do show up in the next month. Luckily his backers don’t know he is having problems yet. I can’t help or interfere with Ditzen right now but I can see that you are short on personnel. Zoote says you need thousands of construction personnel to help get New Home started faster so I will send you as many workmen as I can with the shipments of prefab structures that was headed here but you have to keep control of the Basestation that I am using for an address or you will be on your own until I can get the Basestation downgraded to just a station in spite of its mass. Which is all we need there guarding the opening into that damn sphere and those Spider Battleships still inside of it. Which is what has most of The Rock’s Top Admiral’s terrified right now of besides you, the aliens and the hulk station itself. Though I am starting to believe there is something else going on right now concerning High Command that is disturbing but that is not your problem.”

Taking another drink of his coffee. “Once the Hulk Basestation is only a Station, the Commanding Rear Admiral or simple Commodore will no longer have any control over what comes or goes in the area. Even if old Vice Admiral Dimwitz is still Commanding. He could wind up spending the rest of his career at that station guarding the hulks in the bubble if his political backers pull enough strings and piss enough people off about making him the Basestation Commander before it gets declassified down to just a Station.”

“Aaa Admiral, Ditzen is already planning on getting rich mining the metals around the station. If he starts exporting metals from here to Earth or the Colony systems, the Spiders are going to catch on real fast once they capture a transport or two packed with valuable metals.”

“Well now the Rock does have a shortage of such things so establishing an official mine at the Station would short circuit his ambitions and send the product strait to The Rock where it is needed. Though we would have to keep prospecting down else they could trip over New Home.” The Admiral rubbed his chin. “Yes I think a simple mine would also help retask enough tonnage toward mining to reduce it down to a simple Station once the mine was established without special acrobatics or much involvement on my part and if old Dimwitz is greedy enough he won’t even see it coming. You just have to keep him from taking over the station today or the next few weeks.”

“And how the hell am I supposed to do that Admiral if I have no way to discredit his damn orders. Sir.”

Zoote leaned in toward Jack. “Start thinking out of the Box Jack. There are hundreds of rules written over the centuries concerning turning over stations to new Commanders. Most have stopped being enforced over the decades but they are still there. Stop fixating on the stupid Orders you can do nothing about even if they are forged.”

The Comm sounded. “Admiral. Vice Admiral Ditzen is on comm.”

Taking a deep breath Jack looked down at the remnants of his meal. “Couldn’t have waited another 5 minutes could you ass hole.” Pinching the bridge of his nose as he closed his eyes for a couple of seconds as the Lieutenant hid the projections of Zoote and the Admiral. “Put him through.” He said as he looked up and back out the huge ports adorning his cabin.

“Vice Admiral Turner.” Ditzen burst out. “I see you are enjoying one last meal as a Vice Admiral. Good for you. Now get your butt up here so I can take over the Station. All the crews are here except for my marines. I expect them to be delivered as ordered by the time you get up here. Now get off your butt and get moving I am growing tired of waiting for your low life ass. Or do you just want me to read the crews my orders and take Command?”

Jack through his cloth napkins down next to his plate as he stood up. “I am coming Ditzen.”

Something caught his eyes as Jack stood up making him take a couple steps along the viewport and stopped. A smile came to his face. “Sorry Vice Admiral Ditzen but not all the Station’s Ships Crews are in attendance yet and per your Specific Orders, you still have 5 hours before your transport squadron arrives to attend the transfer of power.” Turning back around to his desk screen he hit the station wide Comm. “Your attention please. Vice Admiral Ditzen has gotten in a bit of a hurry for officially turning over Command of the Station. As per the Vice Admiral’s stated Orders and Republic Regulations, Command cannot be turned over for another 5 hours waiting the arrival and attendance of the Transport Squadron’s crews. Ships Captains are authorized to stand ships companies down at ease on Docking Ring A’s Cargo Deck or return to their ships for 5 hours. Ships Captains and Marine Commanders and all Senior Officers are authorized access to all areas of the Station as long as they do not interfere with station operations. Vice Admiral Turner, Commanding Officer, Gama 13 Hulk Station. Out.”

Jack turned back around to face the red faced Ditzen as Ditzen started screaming from the screen. “You can’t delay me from taking Command forever Turner.”

“Maybe not but I have another 5 hours, 6 if the crews of the Squadron are as slow as their transports are.” Jack smiled at Ditzen. “Excuse me for enjoying the Vice Admiral perks just a little longer Ditzen. Out.”

Jack hit his desk comm again. “Control. We have enough time to make another couple rounds with the Transports if we hurry. Have them send back as many of the Cargo Container train sleds as they can. We should be able to get another 5,000 to 10,000 containers along with the loaded transports if we push it. Have them pull out the long range Transceivers including the new ones while you are at it and get them installed in the Red Pepper as soon as possible.” Turning back to Zoote. “So tell me what old regulations I can use to delay this asshole before we get cut off.”

“Sorry Jack but you are going to have to do that yourself. You have already gotten a good start with the transport delay. You have 5 hours so best get reading.” With Jack’s open mouthed stare Zoote chuckled. “Lawyers, Judges and Politicians have been twisting and bastardizing ironclad rules to fit what they wanted to do as long as man has been in existence by arguing little things like the meaning of ‘Is.’ Even turning one of the most wealthy countries of old Earth with an Iron Clad constitution designed to make sure the Government stayed small with a list of rights and rules the Government could not break, into just suggestions and then twisting them to mean just the opposite of what their founders had meant and making it possible to enslave the populous to the rule of a few elite politicians. I cannot decide what or how to do the same for you. You are going to have to read the regulations and think outside the box yourself. You will have no problem pushing what you come across on your own much better than just going through the motions reciting what I tell you even if I could come up with something. Though you could use the teaching Simm to speed things up with a legal program I have added. I have also plucked out the Hundreds of regulations concerning Change of Commands scattered across the Dozens of Navel Agencies and Congress for your consideration. Some go back to the creation of the Republic Navy. They are a lot to go through in only 5 hours but I know you can do it.”

“Great. How long before I can count on getting transports if I do succeed. We still have not gotten our regular supply transports and I am still wondering where this steak came from though the baked potato tastes fresh from the farm.” Sitting back down and cutting off another bite of steak as the Lieutenant pushed her plate back and started reading something on her PDA. “Ditzen did say something about dumping our supply transports in some limbo someplace.”

“The first 12 ship convoy is already headed your way.” Halsey said with a smile. “I simply retasked the convoy waiting at the Beta 5 staging area for Pilots to head for The Rock. It is packed with prefabrication structures meant for The Rock expansion. You should be able to use everything they have including the handpicked Navel construction crews and engineers to add to your construction crews. The best we could find across the republic as usual for The Rock. The transports with the supplies you were supposed to have gotten over the last 6 months you will have to go and get. I managed to find where the first ones where sent and the rest should be with them. But when I tried retasking them I found Ditzen had put a security Comm lockout on that Staging Station. I am down loading the Staging area to you now.”

Jack tapped up the staging area on a navigation screen and smiled shaking his head. “Damn that is close and we have been starving for months.”

“What do you mean close? It is two weeks away from you at best with all the switch backs and dirty corridors slowing the transports down to a crawl according to my navigation display. Probably why Ditzen chose it. He knew we stopped using it years ago with the outpost all but abandoned, little better than a listening post now with the Corridors getting worse each year. If the damn cloud entry corridors were half as bad as those leading from it, we wouldn’t even have a listening post there anymore.”

“Yes but those switchbacks brought it only about a week from us if we drill a hole straight through the soup in a few places. We are getting pretty good at it now. I will jump over there as soon as I get this Station cleaned out and finish with the Vice Admiral. Just down load the orders authorizing me to take command of them Admiral. Don’t worry. They will think the orders came in with the Battleships. Oh and if I remember right didn’t you say something about a squadron of Destroyers due to the Rock. How about rerouting them this way as well. I suddenly have a whole bunch of 24 inch guns I can get ahold of though half of the barrels are burned out but we can repair them. The DD’s are Transports responsibility until they hit the rock aren’t they?”

“Yes they are not only my responsibility getting them to The Rock but putting and maintaining them in storage. Warehousing doesn’t want anything to do with them since a large part of the Navy considers them nothing but junk and Supply has their hands full already trying to find room for all the material flooding into The Rock now preparing for the next time the nebula gets blockaded.” The Admiral shook his head. “I have almost a hundred in long term storage in the Maze at The Rock’s Staging Station but that is damn close to the Station itself so you may have a problem getting them.

“Thanks Admiral. So why not just make the Gama 13 Station the new Warehouse for the DD’s” Jack smiled.

“Nothing like asking for the impossible Turner.”

“Hey Admiral. I have my impossible with Ditzen and keeping New Home secret while getting it built to receive a million refugee colonists. Only fair.” Jack tapped up the regulations for changing Station Commanders Zoote had down loaded. He had been reading what amounted to the Navy’s book on Changing Ship and Station Commanders for Dummies that went through all the modern relevant regulations, procedures and ceremonies but did not get into the regulations themselves beyond what was officially needed. Now facing the full regulations listed by Zoote, Jack could only shake his head. “Damn I can hardly understand some of the older ones I have scanned in just a few seconds and there are so damn many.”

The Lieutenant reached over and stabbed the last piece of Jack’s Steak and plopped it in her mouth. “Well now that you are finished with your wonderful steak you can get in the Simm.” She said around the steak in her mouth. Don’t forget to put your notes and relevant regulations on the PDA in the Simm so they well transfer out. Now get going. I will make sure you are out in plenty of time when the Transport arrives and that you are not disturbed. I think I am going to have some desert. Whatever that stuff the steward has on that desert tray looks marvelously irresistible. She certainly can cook.” Patting her slightly bulging stumach. “To Dessert or not to Dessert. That is the question.”

Jack watched her stare at the tray of desserts like a cat getting ready to pounce as he headed for the Simm closet adjacent to the cabins bedroom.

Chapter 18; Change of Command

Jack stopped next to the 3 foot tall platform above the deck of the sled. Flags were attached to all 4 corners with the rest of the sled dressed up like a parade float with flashing colored lights and bunting. “Damn it Lieutenant, I look like a damn peacock.” Jack’s brand new Battlesuit had received Republic armor plates glued on to make his new suit look like the suit he wore during the Paprika campaign complete with bright red stripes down his sides. A crystal coating like the one covering the ship had been added over the top, making it shine with every light in sight reflecting off of it. The red strips between the black armor blocks were now glowing bright red with a light of their own.

“Oh shut up and hold this on your hip. I had them add a special holster for the butt.” The Lieutenant shoved the biggest Ape Cannon Jack had ever seen into the holster and slapped the handgrip on the barrel into his left hand. “Hold it out at about a 45 degree angle when you are up on the platform.

Looking down at the weapon he noticed his chest full of salad again. “At least take all this shit off my chest. I haven’t earned any of it.” He started to reach up with his right hand to take it off and got his armored hand slapped by the Lieutenants armored hand creating a bang that made Jack stop and pull his hand back even though it had not hurt.

“You have earned every one of those medals and awards. Leave them be.”

“Bullshit. What the hell is this damn gaudy thing?” Jack grabbed and held up a large gold and diamond medallion on a ribbon around his neck. “This looks like some stupid thing you got at a fucking fair for raising goats or something.” And started to jerk it off only to have the Lieutenant grab his hand firmly in hers and carefully take it out of Jacks hand and lay it neatly back onto his upper chest.

“That you moron, is the Republic’s Congressional Medal of Honor for planning and leading the assault that captured the first Spider Battleship long enough to recover the first credible intelligence on the Spiders and their Battleship’s weapons and crews. Rescuing thousands of slaves then going back and rescuing stranded marines all while being attacked by 10,000 enemy Apes.” Smoothing the Medal of Honor back down, she started straitening his other medals as she continued. “The Iron Cross is for the tactical plans that saved the Transport Fleet from certain destruction allowing them to escape into the Nebula. The Silver Cross is for taking control of the fleet and flying them around the cloud that could have destroyed half the fleet while the Gold cross is for destroying 23 enemy Battleships single handed during the Gama 13 Battle. With the attached gold bars for capturing an enemy Battleship 6 months ago. You should get another bar on that for the latest one. The Silver Star with the bars below it are for saving or rescuing the crews of half a dozen Republic ships as well as the Red Pepper itself. I don’t have time to go into all the other campaign and engineering design ribbons but you earned them all Butthead. Those crews and marines up there need to see them so keep your hands off of them.”

Pan at the front of the sled clapped her hands together. “Yes perfect. Very impressive.”

“This is getting ridiculous. Why the hell do I need all this crap to impress anyone anyway?”

The Lieutenant stepped back and looked at Jack and frowned. “That deck up there is packed with troops and crews that have been told you are a fraud, a traitor and public enemy number 1 along with enough propaganda to choke a thruster for the last 6 months. They have been ordered to kill you at the first chance. You are about to have your first and only chance to make those crews and marines think you are not only a Republic hero but a fucking God. Able to breathe fire and destroy Spider Battleships with a wave of your hand and kill hordes of Enemy Troops simply by looking at them with your eyes. If you don’t succeed in convincing them that you are capable of doing exactly what you have already done, they will try to kill you and us the first chance they get.”

The Lieutenant stared as Jack tried to think of an argument against what she had said. “Pan and I have written a speech for you to give before you even talk to anyone up there on that stage. Especially the Vice Admiral. Otherwise when you refuse to turn over Command of the Station to Ditzen, his loyalists will try to kill you and hand it to him.” Jack looked down at her skeptically before the Lieutenant continued. “They will try anyway but if the crews join in, 50,000 marines and ships crewmen will be slaughtered since we have enough firepower on the overhead deck to slag that whole cargo deck in half a second and still leave the stage and you untouched.” Letting that sink in a few seconds. “You have to make sure you are so scary that no one even thinks of trying to shoot at, let alone try to kill you no matter what Ditzen orders when you tell him to stuff himself.” Suddenly looking worried. “You do have a plan to tell him to stuff himself don’t you after 6 hours in the Simm?”

“Yes. But I look and feel like a fricking fool. How is anyone going to respect and be afraid of me?”

Relief flooding her face she smiled at Jack. “You just stand there and look omnipotent and Deadly and let us handle the rest and don’t forget to go to the podium and make that speech as soon as you step on the stage. We have talked everything over including the speech with Admiral Halsey and Zoote before we lost contact. We are hoping to have the long range Transceiver up and running on the Red Pepper anytime know. Oh and we have added a light to your palm grav-coil thruster. Be sure to use it when you salute and wave at the troops as we pass in review, it will help make an impression. Don’t forget the safety if you need your palm grav-coil blaster on stage. But if you look scary enough we hope you won’t need it.”

“Well if you want scary intimidation you should have gotten me a Gronk Battlesuit without these damn inch thick black armor blocks plastered all over it.”

“No. We thought of that and decided that it will be obvious to the crew and marines that the armor blocks are from Republic armor giving you a none Alien Spider connection to them to identify with. Now climb up, lock down your mag boots and don’t forget to turn them off when the sled noses up to the stage and a flimsy ramp appears for you to walk across or you will collapse it. It will look like you are walking on air to anyone more than a few feet away. It will be damn impressive subconsciously even though everyone will know it is just a flimsy ramp. And try to slap the Assault Blaster Cannon onto your back as smoothly as possible before you cross the ramp. You don’t need to look like you are assaulting the stage and the officers. We are supposed to all be friends remember.”

Jack shook his head looking at the Cannon. “Speaking of which, this monster cannon is twice the size of anything we have used in all our campaigns. What’s with it?” Jack slipped it over his shoulder and into the cradle on his back having a bit of a problem the first time getting it to seat until he found the right angle for it. Then repeated drawing it out and putting it back away several times.

“That is the new Mechsuit weapon the Tec boys have developed. You have the prototype just to help scare the shit out of anyone that doubts your abilities. It has multiple blast rounds that include armor piercing incendiary with a 1,000 rounds per mag, standard fletchet with 10,000 to 50,000 rounds per mag depending on how much power you put into each shot allowing you to shoot all day if you want, Blast shot gun Fletchet or Incendiary that will clear a passageway in one shot with a hundred round mag, Grenade launcher with Frag, Incendiary or smoke with a hundred rounds and a Mortar that is again Frag, H.E. or Incendiary as well but takes longer to recharge between shots and will use up a mag after only 10 rounds. The shell selector is on the fore grip with the safety and power lever above the trigger hand grip for your thumb. It has a full charge if you need it with extra mags on your suit in the usual places if you need them along with Hand grenades on your belt. The more compact production version of the Assault Cannon is now in the hands of the Mechs standing on the overhead if anyone down on the main Cargo deck starts any shit. The Gunsleds have a bigger 3inch version of the Mech’s 1inch weapon but the sleds have a mini core for power that can recharge the Mech’s mags during deployments. If anyone starts anything we are going to finish it. So you just be sure you intimidate and scare the holey shit out of them so we don’t have to kill them.”

“Oh… Come now, no one in their dress blues are going to start anything Lieutenant.”

The Lieutenant looked at Jack shaking her head sadly. “You haven’t even looked have you? Everyone on that deck is in Battle Armor. Republic Battle Armor but still Armor with weapons and after standing out there for 6 hours now with that SOB Ditzen whipping them into a mob, they are ready to kill something. That something is you.”

Jack turned pale as he swallowed. “Shit. And you are having me go through the middle of 50,000 armed crewmen and marines that hate me? Thanks. What did I do to piss you off this much? Tell me and I will apologize.”

“Nothing Love. Admiral Halsey is right. If you don’t stare down the Beast we will have to kill it and none of us want to do that. Luckily they are tired after 6 hours and should be easy to influence using basic fear to impress them before they can be given any orders to attack from Ditzen after you reach the stage.” Slapping him on the butt,(the only thing she could reach), the Lieutenant walked up and dropped into the large cargo sleds driver’s seat at the front left corner as Pan slid off the sled leaving only two skeleton R-bots sitting at the back corners facing forward with their weapons pointing up from the deck alongside their right legs.

As they pulled out from the Red Peppers Docking bay Jack looked down across the flat smooth mettle floored valley around the Station created by the Battleship bombardment with the beams of light shining up from their holes scattered across in front of him. He could not help noticing that a large block of Cargo Containers was being stacked as another block of Cargo Containers stacked 10 high a couple of thousand feet long and 400 feet wide, with the top open surface packed with equipment and building materials lifted off and headed away from the Station. It took a few seconds for Jack to spot the large poles running around the top outside edges of the block with one of the Assault Shuttles at the stern with its engines at full power pushing the huge block up and away.

“Damn Lieutenant, what the hell is that monster?” Jack said pointing at the block flying away.

“Oh that. Someone came up with the idea of stacking the containers out there while they waited for the Red Pepper and Bounty to get back with the lifting cradles for the container trains. Someone else came up with the idea that if they locked the containers together into one big block they could put those same cradles around the edges with a few lines down the center and form a lifting field between them and lift a lot more containers without making more cradles. The numbers showed that they could lift 16,000 containers that way easily but then after building the block they found out they did not have enough power left for propulsion leaving them with just a big barge. Then one of the Ground pounders remembered tugs pushing barges up and down the rivers where she came from and they grabbed one of the Assault Shuttles for a tug. That is the third barge leaving now, two more are building on the other side of the Station.” The Lieutenant looked around her as they lifted up along the hull past empty holes once housing gun turrets. “I really hate abandoning this Station after all the work we have put into it. It was starting to feel like home.”

Jack looked down at the back of her suit watching her looking around while she drove the platform. “Well, we will make another home. This time we will be staying if we don’t get hit by a meteor or I fuck up in the next few minutes.” Jack said as the sled slipped up over the edge of the cargo deck and some 50,000 crewmen and marines appeared in ranked groups lined up in a 3/4 circle around the center stage sitting in front of the core shaft reaching up to the overhead. The ceremony stage was in the center with a couple hundred yard gap between the forward rank and the stage. The ships crew formations made up the front row of formations closest to the stage with the marine formations in company rows behind the ships crews with a gap of some 30 feet separating the ship crew formations from the marine formations. Jack did not even notice the mass of troops and equipment now scattered across the overhead with their weapons already hot and charged. Fighters circling around the deck outside the station with half the Destroyers mixed in with their guns pointed at the packed section of cargo deck.

The sled drifted up to the first formation of ranks from one of the ships at head height. Jack found himself staring at the guy at the corner of the first rank as they approached. As the sled started to slide across about 30 feet in front of the formation Jack watched the guy role his eyes and say to himself. ‘Hell he is a kid dressed up like a clown. God if this dressed up stupid bozo salutes I am going to puke. Looks like one of those morons that think if they plaster enough fake Geedunk medals across their Chest, crewmen will respect them. I know what. I will give him the middle finger salute in return if he salutes. That is if I salute at all. There is so many around me the traitor won’t notice little old me.’

“Jack, salute them as we pass reviewing them.” The Lieutenant said in his ears.

Jack started to follow her order but stopped with his hand half way up as he stared at the man calling him a stupid bozzo in his mind. Getting pissed at being in this stupid predicament wearing the stupid medals. Suddenly the palm coil light from his open hand flashed out hitting the man he was staring at dead center.

‘Shit he sees me.’ The man blurted to himself. ‘He is looking straight at me. Shit he looks like he could kill me right now with that monster cannon. Damn that armor looks like he could take on a fucking tank and win. My god he is still looking at me. He doesn’t need that cannon to kill me.’

Jack felt the panic start to take the man over as the man started screaming at himself to run and hide as Jack looked away. “Lieutenant Stop. Now.” Jack said as his eyes started to look at the rest of the crewmen lined up in the formation. The light following his gaze without thinking about it. Jack’s memory flashed on all the times his older brother twice his size had stared at him when they were in public with the promises of death later in private, terrorizing him. Jack knew that groups of men and women were always braver than individuals which was why mobs and armies were so dangerous. As his light and eyes traced over the formation he could feel the group’s fearless hate turning into individual terror at the sight of him picking them individually out. He did not need to linger. He just needed for them to think he looked at them for them to see that he was a force to be reckoned with and not what the Admiral’s propaganda had said he was. That maybe he could have done what the news reports said he had done. That was all he needed.

“What? Why?”

“Just follow orders Lieutenant. Now stop or I will get out.” The sled came to a halt giving Jack time to finish glancing at everyone in that section of the 10 rank deep formation. “Now you can slowly pull ahead no faster than a walk and stay about 20 feet from the front rank.” The sled started forward again with Jack looking at about every tenth crewman while just glancing at the rest. The loathing hate turning first to surprise bafflement and then crossing fear into thinking that this guy was a bit scary and just maybe he could fight. Most knowing they didn’t want him looking at them. Most suspecting that they had been told a bunch of crap about the man in front of them by the time he passed.

The marines and crewmen in formation down the lines could see Jack eyeing the troops before him with glances farther up the line. Knowing he was actually looking at the crewmen and marines instead of simply passing in review started many thinking long before he got to them. Started them looking at him for what they could see knowing that someone with fake medals or could not fight would not be staring at people daring them to say or do something anything to displease him.

By the time the sled reached the end of the crewmen formations, Jack was starting to get the hang of knowing how long he needed to look at any one group before moving on allowing him to look at more and more instead of simply glancing at them.

“Lieutenant, now we can go around and down the line of marine formations. I may need you to slow down even more. I don’t know how hard these marine nuts are going to be to crack. Though I don’t feel as much hate coming from them as I did before but that just may be me getting used to it.”

“But Jack they are waiting for you on the stage. I don’t see the reason. Technically you reviewed the marine formations behind the crew formations on the first pass.”

“Just follow orders damn it Lieutenant. I was too far away for them to see more than a fucking G.I. Joe doll. Now turn outward.”

Jack found the marines to be more stubborn and harder to impress but slowly they got a good look at him and realized something was not right in Georgia. When Jack finally stepped onto the stage the mass hysteria of hate had been reduced to small pockets with most being individuals. The majority were mostly baffled and at least ready to listen. It is hard to hate someone looking you in the eye when they look and act nothing like you were led to believe.

Jack started for the podium as the Vice Admiral stood up to head that way as well. “It is about time you stopped stalling Turner and handed the Station over to me. Now let’s get it over with.”

Jack smiled as he changed course to intercept Ditzen half way to the podium. “Excuse me Ditzen but regulations state that the outgoing Admiral should introduce the new Commander while going over his accomplishments and the condition of the Station. Please take a seat. It should not take long.”

“Damn right it won’t take long, you have only been a Captain for a few weeks. And where the hell did you get so damn many fucking meddles.” A smile crossed Ditzen’s face. “Don’t bother, I will bring you up on charges of fraud for wearing decorations you are not authorized for and being out of uniform amongst others including firing on Republic ships as soon as I take over Command. By the time I get done, you won’t even be in Command of the Red Pepper.”

“I seem to remember you firing first Ditzen. Even after I begged you not to.”

Ditzen stepped up to Jack. “Don’t be stupid Turner. I was The Rock’s Chief of Security for 2 years. When I get done, the only record that will ever reach The Rock will be of you and the Spiders destroying six Republic Battleships before my brave marines succeeded in capturing them and making this nice Station out of them.”

“Don’t you think The Rock will get a little suspicious when those same marines go back to The Rock along with the ships and their crews with different stories?”

Leaning in to whisper into Jack’s ear without really whispering. “How stupid do you think I am turner? They are never going back to The Rock. They are here for the rest of their fucking lives as are the rest of the Battleship crews. Why do you think I picked ships with crews that had lost their ships in that slaughter? I need workers for the mines I am establishing around this station. The first batch of Battleships built in the Spiders Shield Deck configuration was a waste of materials with a dozen thin shield decks, half of them the same size as the main hull. While the damn fleet crews from all over the Republic who lost their ships are manning them instead of the Congressional Earth Union crews loyal only to Earth. The reason why the surviving Battleships were spread out across The Cloud as pickets stuck at transfer andentry stations before they were put to use as Cargo ships. I already have their orders assigning them permanent duty to the Station guarding that fucking hole in the Sphere and those dead Spider Battleships. They are going to die in my mines. By the time I retire, I am going to be one of the richest men in the universe with my own seat in the Senate with the Rank of Supreme Admiral and the savior of the Republic to my fame with the weapons my new slaves produce for me in those factories you told me about in your reports.”

Frowning suddenly as he stepped forward until they were face to face. “By the way where are those slimy little creatures? You may be able to hide them for a while from my officers but my troops will find them and that little mining station you call New Home you think you can run to.” Chuckling. “Did not think I would notice you trying to run and hide out amongst the rocks did you moron. Just let me make it perfectly clear. You can’t get far enough away from this station in the short amount of time you have had to hide from me. I will find you at this little mining station and put you and your little vermin to work making me rich as well as famous.”

Jack just stood there waiting for the Vice Admiral to wind down as he tried to ignore him while reading the speech he was supposed to give that had been written for him. Resisting the urge to look down to check and make sure his Comm was still on broadcasting the Vice Admirals ranting’s to the entire station including the new arrivals standing in the ranks in front of the stage, while keeping his face blank. The sound curtain around the stage keeping the speakers broadcasting his words to crewmen without ear receivers, from echoing back onto the quiet stage.

Flipping his hand toward the podium Ditzen continued. “Go make your speech and get it over with. Try begging for forgiveness you slave loving traitor. Maybe they will not tear you apart before my men kill you. Now that I think about it. You are actually too dangerous to keep alive.”

Jack waited reading over the speech again as Ditzen took his seat before turning around and stepping to the podium. The ranks of shocked or baffled faces stretched out before him.

Jack stood looking out across the Cargo Deck as he pushed the podium’s microphone away. His Comm was still on from when he was intercepted by Ditzen, simply hitting his arm panel to turn on the outside mike as Ditzen had walked up. The Station and most of the crewmen and marines could hear his Comm in their ears better than the speakers recently hung on the Cargo Deck Bulkheads echoing around and over lapping words from various distances though the air curtains strategically installed had prevented most of the echoing that would have made half the speech unintelligible for half the troops.

Jack finally took a deep breath and let it slowly out as he wiped the screen clearing the speech the Lieutenant and Pan had written for him. Then. “A little over two years ago I and my best buddy joined the Navy a few days after turning 18 when we were dragged by a couple of the most gorgeous monster breasted girls we had ever seen into the Recruiting office.” A chuckle could be heard from the troops spread out in front of Jack.

“Jack. What are you doing? Read the script.” The Lieutenant said in his hears.

“After over 10 years in The Game and 7 years commanding and designing my own ships in The Game. With a half dozen Doctorates and a whole bunch of bachelor degrees I was bored stiff of sitting behind the damn Gravity board on my Family’s Trampship’s Bridge and cleaning out septic tanks and welding injection nozzles. You all know how it went. With way to much booze and promises of being a Starship pilot I joined the Navy trying to get down the almost none existent pants of the gal that dragged me into the recruiting center with my nose half way up her butt.” That got a laugh rolling across the deck again as Jack smiled sheepishly. “I dreamed about those boobs and cursed that butt all through bootship.” Chuckling a little. “And still do once in a while.” Most of the deck laughed. All of them smiled.

“Damn it Jack, the script is not just a guide. If you don’t stay on script you will miss important points they need to know without crossing the line revealing any secrets.”

Jack looked around as his face turned sad. “You all know what happened almost a little over half a year ago when we lost half the fleet. And most of you also know that we could have lost the whole fleet.” Looking stone faced. “You probable also know that what saved half of the fleet including most of your butts was the upgraded engines installed in half the fleet that did not require Reaction Mass that allowed them to escape the enemy Spider Battleships that ran down most of the battleships with the standard reaction engines when they ran out of reaction mass.”

“I wish to apologize for missing out on that fiasco. At the time most of you were trying to stay alive I was on my way back to The Rock.” A mumble started across the deck. “Though I was trying to stay alive as well when we ran into the Spider Battleships blockading The Cloud. To make things worse for you and the thousands of crewmen and ships lost is that the fleet of transports I was with using the new massless drive engines was making a mad dash back to The Rock not only to pick up Conversion kits to rebuild the engines in the entire Battleship Fleet but to grab the new 24inch guns for the fleet as well as new torpedoes and other new weapons in order to give the fleet a chance against the Spider Battleships after finally finding out just how powerful they were, or at least how powerful we thought they were. As it turned out even then we were wrong as they were even more powerfull than we could even imagine. Now for the really secret part that will get me in real trouble. The reason we lost so many ships and crews and attacked when everyone knew it was hopeless was because the Attack Fleet Admiral had family on the planet just captured by the Spiders and refused to wait for the upgrades that would have given the lost ships and their crews a chance to live.”

Ditzen jumped up from his chair. “You are going to hang Turner for divulging top secret information. I don’t need to kill you now the Navy will do that for me.”

“Oh shut up moron. You still have to kill me or I will expose your whole operation you want to create, as a fraud before I ever face trial. Besides do you really think they are going to hang a Congressional Medal of Honor Recipient? The most they will do is haul my ass someplace where I can’t get into trouble.”

“You are lying. You can’t be a Congressional Medal of Honor Winner.”

“Hey moron. Boogle it.” Jack suddenly wondered how many lined up in front of him were at that moment doing just that. “Now sit back down while I finish introducing you.”

“Does not sound like you are introducing me at all, but keep digging your own grave as long as you want.”

“Thank you.” Turning back to the assemblage. “I told you that ultra-secret that the Vice Admiral just confirmed for you so you would believe me when I get to the unbelievable shit.” Looking around the cargo deck at the eyes staring at him. “Something else you can check on yourself is that I am the designer of the engines that saved most of your lives.” Smiling for a couple of seconds before continuing. “Four of the Battleships docked around you have the new manufactured engines. Four others have the upgraded version that uses the core of the old engine. Which is why the ships with the new build engines can out run the rebuild engine ships without working at it. Just to prove what I say. If you look at the engine head manufacture name plate, you will find my grandfather’s name as the design engineer with my name attached on the upgraded engines as lead engineer. Jack J. Turner. I believe I was an ensign at the time.”

Taking a deep breath. “Now comes the unbelievable parts but please keep in mind that all these medals making me look like a cheap whore or clown if you prefer, were all given to me for what I am about to tell you. What I am about to tell you is also a result of usually spending 40 to 80 hours a week playing The Game for over 10 years between collage classes while trying to avoid my big ass abusive brother and of course work. All of you know about The Game and most have spent major hours on it. Few if any have gotten up to level 9.” Looking around the deck for a few seconds as he took a deep breath. “Since the age of 14, I have been a ship’s Captain designing my own ships and winning and losing battles.”

Jack pointed up at the overhead and one of the Destroyers directly over him. That Destroyer with the big guns is one of my latest designs. The Navy has built thousands of them as a cheap way to keep the politicians off their backs and provide local planetary defense for the Systems across the Republic. Though their version does not have the big 16 inch gun, the stock 8 inch guns are still impressive firepower against Republic ship and our old neighbors. It is a shame the Navy Brass has seen fit to hide most of them in storage after the politicians see them coming off the production line. Though I am getting ready to do something about that but more on that later.”

“On the Transport Squadron’s trip back to the Rock and before you guys got your butts shot off, we ran into a lone cruiser version of a Spider Battleship with only a few guns and one shield deck. You would think that 40 plus Armed Transports with hundreds of guns and torpedoes would be able to take one little Spider cruiser out but we lost one ship and had several others damaged and still we almost did not destroy it. But we learned a lot from that little skirmish.”

“With help of all the scientist and engineers that had helped me design the engines we managed to upgrade our weapons by the time we got to The Cloud and found it was being Blockaded by some 70 full class Spider Battleships. With the Spiders massing their ships to stop us from even getting to the Nebula Cloud, Admiral Halsey accepted my plan to get the fleet through the blockade and into The Cloud without losing most of the fleet. I managed to do just that and on the way knock out half the enemy fleet without us having to fire a shot using help from The Rock. The 5 Spider Battleships our 30 some Battletransports had to take on directly and managed to sneak up on before attacking shot the shit out of half a dozen of our transports before we finished off the last of them. I was given Command of the hulk that was the Red Pepper simply because there was no one else to take command at that time and place and what was at that time just a drifting hulk. My orders were to get it back to The Rock if I could make repairs or crash it into the cloud at a hundred times the speed of light to keep it out of Spider hands.”

“Well we got it running barely and on our way to catch up with the rest of the fleet we had to go past one of the Battleships we had just knocked out with the Red Pepper needing more repairs. I took advantage of the time to take a boarding party to find out who and what we were fighting. Since no one in the Fleet or Republic yet had a clue even what the enemy looked like.” Holding out the Medal of Honor. “That is where I got this thing killing a few thousand of what we called Black Apes and why our uniforms are painted Red. We liberated a bunch of Apes that had been condemned to die for no better reason than because they made one of their officers upset. I had them painted Red so we could tell the difference between them and the Black Apes on the Spidership’s crew. Without their help my crew and I would have been killed and the massive amount of intelligence we now have about the enemy would have been lost.”

Jack carefully laid the Medal of Honor back down on his chest. “By the time we got done there, most of the Republic fleet was not only gone but the other half of the Spider fleet was coming back for revenge. Using some of the slightly upgraded weapons we had put together, the Red Pepper managed to kill a few more. With the help of the slaves we had liberated (that the Spiders use for crew) we were able to upgrade our weapons even more that allowed the Red Pepper to escape and kill the 4O some Spider ships that followed us to the Cloud entry point by playing hide and kill in the clouds. Catching them in ambush after ambush and then finally capturing these two Spider Battleships to make this Station which entailed killing almost a hundred thousand Black Berserker Apes using advanced weapons designed and built with human and slave cooperation. It took us weeks of hard fighting and many casualties.” Jack turned to the Lieutenant as he changed the channel. “What do you mean many casualties? I get back on your script and you have me saying many casualties? And besides we did not kill most of them.”

“Well there were many casualties. I was one of them remember. That battle still terrifies me in nightmares and yes we did even if it was from them jumping across vacuum trying to attack us.”

Shaking his head Jack blanked the screen with the speech on it again as he changed back to the general channel. “Just look around you at this station as final proof to all I have said.” Looking around at the thousands staring at him. “I am responsible for killing more enemy ships and troops than the whole entire Fleet using only one ship for most of them. What do you think I could do with a fleet?”

Looking around at the Vice Admiral staring a hole through Jack’s head. “Am I a traitor because I am gladly using the help of thousands of Ex-slaves that hate the enemy as much as we do? Am I a liar because I try to tell the truth about old out dated tactics and that lining up our Battleships against superior enemy Battleships that outnumber us 10 to 1 to be slaughtered is not a good idea? Too bad because I want to win. I want to save the Republic in spite of Greedy assholes like the Vice Admiral here or a 4 star Admiral that is to stupid and greedy to get his family off the planet he half owns before the invasion and cared so little about the men and women under his command that he readily accepted sending a quarter of a million of them to their deaths for one chance to get one ship in to rescue his family that were already safe in the hills fare from the enemy that did not give a rats ass about hurting as long as the enemy were left alone to strip the planet .”

Ditzen turned beet red as Jack turned to glance at him and then back to face the troops. “I still am in Command here for a few more minutes at least and that gives me incredible power. It gives me the power to accept transfers from anyone that wishes to transfer from the ship they now serve, to the Red Pepper and my Command if they really want to kill the enemy with a chance to survive and talk about it. Whether or not Vice Admiral Ditzen or his Captains will allow since they have no say about it while you are on my station. All you have to do is step out of your formations and go and get your personal belongings out of your ship and report to the Bulk Carrier in docking slip 9. I have already assigned the ship to my Command replacing the ship’s Captain and the crew that do not want to transfer and just happen to be off the ship at this time and have already submitted their resignations. One little tid-bit for all those who would like to chance MOS’s to something else you would like to do or simply to jobs that you spent years training at in The Game. All you have to do is transfer off your current ship and ask for a new Job MOS.”

“What the hell are you doing Jack?” the Lieutenant demanded. “This is not part of the agreed upon speech even if you did ignore most of it. Admiral Halsey will never approve of you stealing crews from other ships let alone a transport.”

Jack switched his Comm as he watched the crewman and marines start to move from their formations. “Bull, I think he would happily approve but he is not here and I am. Now I need enough R-bots and marines to drop down to protect our new crewmen as they get their belongings. One R-bot for each new crewmen. Get it done. I already see several crewmen being intimidated back into line.”

R-bots started dropping from the overhead landing next to anyone that even moved out of line toward the side of a formation. Anyone trying to stop them was quickly rounded up gagged and their hands and feet bound and left sitting on the deck.

“As for taking the bulk Transport Lieutenant, I am going to take a lot more than that before I am done. Those Battleships are going to be little better than hulks before we get done if I have my way and I can delay Ditzen a few more days.”

Jack turned around to look at Ditzen fuming in his chair. Jack could see the Gears in his mind and then suddenly. ‘Ya turner, just keep it up. You are just condemning all those crewmen to death alongside of you. You are out of excuses now and have to turn over Command of the Station or get shot for treason.’

Jack smiled. “Don’t worry Ditzen. As soon as the few that want to transfer are aboard the Bulk Carrier, we can get on with signing the orders.” Ditzen continued to look at Jack through the top of his eyes and a drooping head. His lips sneering.

‘You just wait Turner. The instant you sign those orders you are dead. No. Maybe I should just arrest you. I was starting to have some fun torturing people to death. That would be a much more enjoyable way to kill you. I have read books about specialist in the trade being able to keep their victims alive for weeks while making them scream for hours several time a day. How long can I keep you alive Turning for keeping me waiting for what you can’t stop.’

Shaking his head Jack turned away from such a sick mind and watched a growing number of crewmen headed for their ships. An R-bot dropping down next to each of them before they had taken more than a couple of steps.

“Vice Admiral Turner.” A General got up from the chair he was sitting in. “I am General Meyers. I wish to apologize for falling for Vice Admiral Ditzen’s crap. I would like to offer you my division as a whole unit.”

“What about The Rock, General?”

“Not staying with Vice Admiral Ditzen will make me so many enemies with staff that my career will be dead but I cannot condone what he has done not to mention the lies he has told me. I and my men signed up to fight the enemy and I think you are the only one doing or planning any fighting the Spiders not the Colonies. Besides I never wanted to be anything more than a General leading men into Combat and I am already that. Well minus the combat so far. Will you have me and my men?”

Jack looked at the General and held up his hand. “Sure General Meyers but one moment please. Who are the Captains of your transports?”

“Captain’s Renalds and Nolen Admiral.”

“If you would please ask them to come front and center.”

The General went down to the very end of the line of chairs and spoke with a couple of Captains and then returned with them behind him. “Captain’s Renalds and Nolen Admiral.”

Jack looked at the men for a few seconds without saying anything. Then smiling. “Will you join me Captain Renalds, Captain Nolen?”

Nolen smiled and immediately said. “I was thinking of asking if you would have me but thought I would wait until you got around to the Ship Captains, Admiral.”

“Good to have you Captain Nolen.” Turning to Renalds. “And how about you Captain. Marines are not as good when they don’t have their Assault Transports. I have read your records and I would be honored to have you on my team.”

“What you have read my records. How? Well Admiral. I would love to but I have a family and I will have to Contact Commandant…”

Jack leaned closer to the Captain and whispered so only the two Captains could hear him. “Captain Renalds, I already have your ship and I am willing to bet he did not authorize this mission outside of The Rock. What I need to know is that if I promise to bring your family to be with you at our hidden secret staging base, will you join my little operation?”

“Aaa. Yes sir. That is affirmative. I am in whole heartedly Admiral.”

“Very good. Please take your crews and immediately return to your ships. General Meyers and his division will be returning as soon as you are ready for them.” Jack switched channels again. “Your attention please. General Meyers and his Marine Division have just joined my little family. Captain Renalds and Captain Nolen would like their crew to report immediately to their ships. If you are in the process of transferring from either of those two Assault Transport please return to your ship and prepare to take on marines. The same goes for any marines from the 107th division, please return to your Assault Carrier.” Turning back to General Meyers. “Any marines that do not want to transfer with the rest of your division can be returned to the station at any time General. I only want volunteers. The assignments you will be deploying on are going to be very risky. I can only use the best motivated people. Conscripts are not only not welcome but they are a detriment to the rest of the teams and the Division. They must also understand that this return offer is only valid until you leave the Station. After that, death is the only way anyone is getting out. Security has to be maintained at all costs.”

“Yes Admiral, I know my men. There will be no deserters.”

“General. What did I just say? No Conscripts.”

“Admiral. Please I only meant that my men will… I will make it clear that anyone that wishes not to fight with their brothers are free to leave. With no coercion.”

“Thank you General.” Jack returned the Generals salute and then walked to the other end of the stage where the other two Assault Transport Captains were sitting.

Stopping in front of them about 6 feet away facing them with his hands behind his back, Jack just stood braced and stared at them with a stern unemotional look on his face. The two Captains were talking amongst themselves about the other two Assault Transport Captains and what was going on. Taking several minutes before either of them noticed Jack standing a few feet away in his Bright red stripped Battle Armor. After trying to look around the big suit of armor and then looking up. “Aaa. Can I help you Admiral?”

Jack just stared at them without moving a muscle.

The two Captains looked at each other and then at Jack again still staring at them.

One turned to the other. “What the hell does he want?”

“God, I don’t know. Probably to enlist us in his little navy.”

“Well at least it sounds like we would be doing something besides sitting around playing with ourselves waiting to haul a load of marines to attack something that resembles civilians on Republic planets instead of enemy troops like our last two practice assaults.”

“Hell, it would be our luck he would stick us transporting crap all over the damn cloud.”

“Well it would be a lot more interesting than sitting on our butts at The Rock playing with ourselves and polishing the pole. This is the first time I have been out of the hanger in 2 months. The hookers are getting boring.”

“I have been reduced to playing The Damn Game just to keep from killing myself.”

“Yap me too. You try out those new Destroyers yet?”

“You mean the ones that look like the ones sitting over your head? Ya they are some damn fine ships. Especially the new ones with 6 fucking 24 inch guns as a main armament.”

“Yes. I would give my right nut for one of those.”

“You said it. Think we should ask the Admiral if he could use us.”

“Aaa. I don’t know. He looks kind of pissed for some reason. What did you do?”

“Nothing I swear.”

“Then ask him.”

“But what do we do with our Transports? We can’t just leave them.”

“Well I am sure he needs Transports Even Assault Transports. He transferred the bulk Carrier and took the other Assault transports.”

“Ok well Good because I really did not like the idea of just leaving mine behind. But shouldn’t we contact the Commandant first?”

“Hell he is an Admiral. That is his job.”

“So let’s ask him.”

“Ok let’s ask him.”

Jack let his hands fall from behind him as he bellowed. “It is about time. Welcome to the family. Now get our butts back to your ships with your crews and prepare to take your marines back aboard.” Jack smiled. “Lieutenant.” Jack turned to the Lieutenant still sitting in the sleds driver’s seat at the edge of the stage only a few feet away. “Make the announcements recalling these ships crews please. As well as all the marines that belong to them.”

“Yes Admiral.” The Lieutenant said still baffled about what was going on and why jack had not simply asked the two Captains to join instead of waiting for them to babble on to each other.

Jack walked up to stand in front of the sole remaining General and again he just stood there looking at the General who was trying to ignore him. Jack did not stare this time as he kept track of what was going on around the Cargo deck with his arms crossed in front of him. A much more relaxed posture. Not in the least bit of a hurry.

Half the crews seemed to be gone from most of the anemic ship formations to Jack surprise. Yet a trickle continued to leave the emaciated formations. Even the remaining marine Division was starting to look thin. Shaking his head Jack turned back to the General taking a deep breath and sighed.

“Damn Turner.” The Vice Admiral said from down the line of chairs. “The General is not going to join your little party. We have been friends for 30 years. Give it up and sign the damn orders.”

“Sorry Ditzen but I know the General is your friend. Which is a shame and waste of a damn fine General.” Taking a breath. “No I am just hoping I can figure out something to say to him to make him realize that he loves his troops more than he loves you. No matter how misplaced that love is.”

“What do you mean?” The General said. “Love has nothing to do with my friendship with Vice Admiral Ditzen.”

“Listen General, I know you would die for your men. You can’t get better than that. Something I know you wouldn’t do for Ditzen but you just don’t realize it yet. Loyalty is admirable in any man General and I respect you because of that loyalty and will never hold your association with the Vice Admiral against you or belittle it in anyway. But tell me this. Who would you leave in Command of your Division if you were no longer able to Command them?”

“The Table of organization states that…”

“I know what your table of organization is General. I need to know that if you knew your Division was going into a horrific battle against the Spiders tomorrow and you… say, you had to have an operation that would keep you out until after the battle. Who would you want taking your division into a meat Grinder Combat say against a hundred thousand screaming Apes carrying weapons like this.” Jack flipped the cannon off of his back and after transmitting, “Test fire in the Hole. Fired a long burst out the open sides of the cargo docking bay. Then laid it on the General’s lap so the General could get a good whiff of the burning hot barrel and its weight. “Your Division is going to get shit on and buried alive until the last body is mincemeat if you do not leave your Division in the best hands it could possibly be General. Who do you want commanding it?”

“You wouldn’t. You couldn’t. You can’t be serious.”

Now Jack stared daggers through the General as he bent over him. “Your Division is going to die without you in Command General unless you assign the very best you have to Command them. The absolute very best or the Black Apes are going to eat them alive for lunch, dinner and then breakfast. And they do love their human meat cooked rare.”

“They are cannibals?”

“No General, they don’t eat their own but they love livestock and humans are especially sweat and tasty. Your men will feed a hundred thousand Ape army for a week.” Jack whispered in his ear. Tell me who will save your men from the stew pots of the enemy and put them in the ground instead.”

Turning white as much as an Asian can, the General swallowed. “Major… Major Sherman. He is my best Commander. He won’t let anything happen to the men and play hell with the enemy.”

“He is a brigade Commander General. Why don’t you have him on your staff?”

“He is too good a Brigade Commander to waste on my staff.”

“Damn it General Shitsu, he is too damn far down the pecking order for me to appoint him to take Command of your Division when you are gone without gutting the staff. But even The Game agrees with you as do I but I was hopping.” Taking a deep breath. “You are going to have to promote him either high enough for me to place him in Command or you are going to appoint him as temporary Division Commander in your place. A much better option concerning the cohesion of the Division. That would also leave the Staff intact and functioning. The last thing your division needs is to go into Combat next week against an enemy that will chew them up and shit them out their asses while your division is still trying to put and train a staff to work together.”

“You have got to be shitting me. You cannot replace me.”

“Look General, the 107th is already in its Transport. Your Division Transports are now crewed and waiting for the rest of your Division but you are not going to be commanding them. Now do you think I could do all of this without the marine Commandant’s approval and orders.”

“Then show me your orders Admiral.”

“You left The Rock without orders from the Commandant or you would have had those orders in your hands when you left. But we were not expecting things to be hitting the fan so soon. If you had stayed, you probably would have gotten such orders about now. The shame is that you are the one that is AWOL. Your career is over General, Dead. Let your division live on with the best Commander you can give it.”

Ditzen walked up as Jack stepped back. “I don’t know what you are talking about but you are not going to get away with whatever it is.” Looking at Jack and then back at the General. “What is he trying to pull Lee? Whatever it is my people back at the Rock will take care of it.”

“Jesus Ditzen, your people couldn’t fix a wooden dildo for an 80 year old whore.” The General got up and left the stage walking back toward Major Sherman’s Brigade Command group.”

Ditzen turned on Jack pulling his pistol. “Time is up Turner. You are going to sign those orders now or I will kill you so you don’t have to.”

Jack smiled at Ditzen. “I would be very careful if I were you. If you had actually gotten your pistol barrel even close to pointing at my head instead of my chest, you would already be dead.” Jack tapped Ditzen’s Chest were several laser spots danced around. “As it is, if you pull the trigger now, the nice shiny coating on my armor will reflect your laser beam back into you someplace around your head. Give yourself an instant lobotomy. Fried brains is a delicacy I am told but a waste if you are dead and can’t enjoy the delicate taste. You know Apes just love fried brains. I don’t know if they would like yours or not. But I don’t think they are that picky.”

Ditzen’s gun slowly lowered as the Lieutenant reached in between them and took it. “Is that what you were talking about with Shitsu? How did you know he is terrified of being eaten alive?”

Jack smiled. “Why you told me Ditzen. Couldn’t keep your mouth shut you were so disgusted with your friend. But then you probably don’t remember getting drunk that night. It was a long time ago.”

Jack turned, grabbed a chair and walked back to the podium. After looking at the ever shrinking Ranks Jack turned and studied the 8 Captains and executive officers left on the stage. Shaking his head he sat down facing the officers of the 8 Battleships and just ran his eyes across their faces one at a time.

One of the Captains finally spoke. “As soon as you sign those Orders. We are going to go and get our crews back.”

“Oh really. Have you ever been aboard that Bulk Carrier?” Jack shook his head and chuckled. “The Vice Admiral spent a lot of money making sure that no one would every escape from his prison ship or break into it. It could hold off an army of Apes. What are you going to assault it with?” Jack jerked his thumb over his shoulder. It does not look like you have much of an army left.” Jack sat looking up and down the line of chairs with a noncommittal smile. Neither gloating or funny or pessimistic or even wry. Just a small bit of a confident smile. And the longer Jack sat with the small smile, the more nervous the officers became both female and males. Tapping his extended command screen on his forearm and mumbling once in a while.

A while later General Shitsu came up followed by Major Sherman. “Vice Admiral Turner. I would like to introduce you to the new Commander of the 82 Spaceborn Assault Division.”

Jack stood and shook Major Sherman’s hand. “Very good General. Shall we make this official? Pan have you got the documents I asked you for?”

Pan came up on the stage with a large screen in her arms and showed what was on it to Jack as a couple of marines placed a table next to Jack. Pan placed the screen on the table. Turning to Jack and the General. “This is the promotion orders for Major Sherman to Lieutenant General with a temporary promotion to full General.” Holding out a stylists. If you would be so kind General. Please include your bio prints as well.”

The General signed and thumbed his print where marked and then the Major signed. Along with several other pages.

Jack turned to the Captains, pointing at the most nervous one he had been watching. “Will you please sign as a witness Captain so we can get this mess over with?”

Trying to keep his dignity he stood and stepped to the table and signed the several offered pages without looking at them.

Jack smiled as he turned to the rest. “Please Gentlemen sign next to your names.”

“I am not signing anything Admiral.” Said the closest Captain that had always had a disgusted look on his face as well as his mind every time Jack looked at him, as several others started to get up but then sat down.

“So we add refusing orders to your crimes.” Turning to Ditzen still pacing back and forth at the front of the stage. “They say they will not sign the orders giving you command of the station Ditzen. Too bad without their signatures the orders are not valid. Abstaining is considered none approval of the new Commander and said orders putting you in question as the Commander.”

“They can sign my orders without signing that pile of shit.”

“Sorry Ditzen. But I have already ordered them to sign and even though they are only orders promoting Major Sherman to Lieutenant General. Not signing promotion orders as witnesses when ordered and authorized by the Commanding officer of the unit under the Commanding Officers name can only be excused by the said officer’s lack of ability or fitness to witness said orders or simple insubordination. After all the said officer is not attesting to the promoted officer’s fitness or ability but only that both the Commanding Officer and the promoted Officer having signed the promotion orders.” Jack looked at Ditzen. “Don’t look at me. They maybe old regulations but it is in black and white with no uncertain terms. Witnessing is a very serious duty. I am down loading the specific file now. Both are reasons to forbid the Captains from signing your Station Transfer orders. Without the signatures of all attending Captains signing your orders, you do not become the stations Commander though Captain’s under charges of any kind disqualifies them from sighing but does not rid you of the requirement for them to sign.” Smiling. “Sorry. You are the one that insisted that they all attend.”

“Jesus stupid Crist. Sign the damn orders.” Ditzen practically screamed.

All 7 remaining Captain’s signed the orders one after the other. Signing several pages after the first without even glancing at them.

As the Lieutenant walked away leaving the screen behind, Jack returned to the podium. “Will the remaining officers of all the ships please come forward in front of the stage?” It was not a request. It took a few minutes for some to walk the distance but without the officers in front of the formations another bunch of crewmen quickly left and headed for the ships. R-bots dropping down again to join each of them.

Jack turned the chair around and sat watching the Officers from around the cargo deck converge. With them all across in front of the stage Jack continued to look at them for several more minutes before finally standing up and ignoring the podium. Ok Gentlemen. Here is how it is going down.” Jack waited a few seconds before continuing. “I need officers that want to fight and are not in Vice Admiral Ditzen’s frame of mind or employ. I know the Navy is your career and leaving a ship without the Commanding Officers approval is tantamount to suicide though I notice that several brave Officers have already gone in spite of that. They will go far. So I would like to assure you that if any of you would like to join me you have your Commanding Officers full approval. Please head for your ship now and get your things.”

As several Officers left two of the Captains jumped up together. One of them practically shouted. “I have given no such approval. Any officer leaving my Command will be deserting and their careers are finished.”

Jack smiled as he turned around. “Please Captains. All of you have already signed authorizations while signing and witnessing the promotion Orders. Copies have already been sent to your Officers PDA’s. Turning back to the group of Officers before the stage. “As I said you…”

The Captain that had screamed at Jack lunged toward Jack drawing his weapon screaming incoherently. Jack lifted is hand palm toward the Captain. As a light from his palm hit the Captain, he went flying back across the stage crashing into his chair. The weapon flying out of the hand and off the back of the stage. “Please, there has already been way too much violence and you can always appeal it back at The Rock but even then any officer that transfers now is still legally covered since they have done no wrong.”

Finishing his turn to face the Officers in front of the stage. “As I said your Commanding Officers have already signed their authorizations for anyone that wishes to transfer. If any of you are even thinking about it, look up at what you may one day command.”

Jack noticed one officer looking at the Vice Admiral out of the side of his face and getting a node from Ditzen. As the Officer started to leave Jack pointed his palm light at the man. “Stop right there.” Staring at the man for a few seconds before continuing. “I don’t need Ditzen’s sycophants. You can step to the side of the stage with the Admirals men he is planning to kill me with as soon as I sign the orders. That goes for anyone else that thinks they have more interest in helping the Admiral and not the Navy fight the Spiders.” Jack started running the light over the other officers. Stopping on one. “Yes I think you would be a good Destroyer Commander one day. Join the club.” Then going on as the officer looked around her and then left. Jack stopped on another one. “I recognize you. You can join the Admirals groupies.” Finishing flashing the light across the rest. “Fact is I would be honored if the rest of you joined my little outfit. I can promise you all adventures killing Spider ships and possible I am sorry to say, a glorious death for a few of you. You will be on the front lines working your butts off but only if you want to and willing to give your all. You all may return to your ships. You have a couple hours until the Bulk Carrier leaves to make up your mind but don’t wait too long. Dismissed.”

With the cargo deck mostly empty Jack turned to the Vice Admiral. “Well Ditzen, I guess I can’t put this off any longer. Let’s sign your orders to take over the station.” A crash echoed across the cargo handling deck as a turret was dropped from the side of one of the ships ringing the deck.”

“What the hell is going on now? Why has that turret been taken off my ship?” A Captain stood up staring at his ship as a Destroyer dropped down from the overhead with a loud deep whine and slipped between two ships and out of the cargo bay. Fighters that had been parked ringing the core started dropping and zooming out of the bay in groups with loaded transports following.

“We are stripping the ships Gentlemen.” Jack said as he looked at the turret being lifted off the deck in what looked like a large U shaped horseshoe.

“You will return the turrets when you finish repairs right.” The turret floated out past the ship.

“Sorry but I have other plans for them. Besides why do you care? You just signed your ships away. You are no longer the Captains of those Hulks. Check your PDA’s. You even attested to them being hulks and not repairable. Though I don’t think the Engineering Department Back at The Rock is going to agree with you. You really should learn to read what you sign.”

One of the Captains turned to Ditzen. “You have got to stop this.”

“Just as soon as the Orders are signed the New Station Commander can put a stop to it I am sorry to say but then we have already stripped the turrets and much of the equipment from the backsides of the ships through cargo hatches you can’t see from here.” Only 200 feet of the main living and gun sections at the bows of the ships ringing the cargo deck could be seen leaving what was happening on and around 90% of the ship a mystery.

The Vice Admiral looked at Jack with daggers in his eyes as he waved his hand and a screen was rushed out from the side of the stage and placed on the table. “What the hell do you think you are accomplishing with all of this. I will just reverse it all as soon as I am in Command.” Pointing at the screen. “Now sign the damn orders so I can put a stop to whatever the hell you are doing.”

“Why certainly Vice Admiral.” Jack leaned down placing a stylus from his pock to the screen and stopped. Straitening up. “These are your orders Vice Admiral and rightly you should be the first to sign them.” Jack stepped to the side.

Ditzen growled impatiently and bent down and signed, placing his bios against the screen. “Now sign Turner.”

Jack started to bend over again and stopped. “Sorry Vice Admiral but let’s see if the Captain’s still want to sign for you. This time they are signing to your competency and fitness to be the Station Commander instead of just witnesses. And if they refuse, my signature would just be confusing with the orders in limbo. I know it is normally just a formality but regulations are regulations.”

“Why you little shit. I should…”

“Come now Vice Admiral. Have your Captains sign so we can get this over with.”

“Criste… Ok. Get up here and sign the damn thing and be quick about it!” The Vice Admiral demanded as he turned to the Captains.

Each Captain went out of their way this time to examine each and every tab and subsection of the orders and attached sheets.

A half hour later with most of the Destroyers, fighters and bombers gone after a steady stream of noisy irritating departures the last Captain finished with the last sheet and stood up.

“Fucking Finally!” The Vice Admiral shouted. Then with a little more control. “Sign the damn Orders now Turner.”

“Why certainly Vice Admiral. About time this mess was over.” Jack sat down in the seat the last Captain had just vacated and started Going through the orders and the attached sheets. As Ditzen started drumming the table with his fingers Jack looked up. “There seems to be a problem with the attachments Vice Admiral Ditzen.”

“What the hell do you mean a problem?”

“You are lacking form 782. The form attesting to your qualification to run this Station Vice Admiral.” Ditzen started turning beet red as Jack smiled up at him. “Tell you what Vice Admiral Ditzen. I will give you a quick verbal test concerning the basics and call it good. Will that satisfy you?”

Rolling his eyes. “Yes by all means give me the damn test.”

“Ok then let’s start with the basics. How many decks does this Station have?”

Ditzen just stared at Jack for a couple of seconds then. “How the hell am I supposed to know that?”

“Aaa you look it up or ask someone or count them to make sure they are all there.” Shaking his head. “Well then how about how many Fusion Reactors does the Station have and where are they located? That should be simple enough.” With the Vice Admiral’s bland stare. “Ok then. How many Fission Reactors does this station have?”

“What the hell. Who the hell uses Fission reactors anymore?”

“Sorry Vice Admiral but some Spider Battleships do use them to power their main weapons. They power up and down faster than Fusion reactors do. Fact is we are in the process of stripping the Fission reactors from the station just because they are so primitive and take up so much space but you would not know about that because you have not even bothered to get your fat ass off this deck let alone familiarize yourself with the very station you wish to Command. You are just as likely to walk out an airlock into vacuum as to tap the control on the wrong valve that would vacate a whole section of the station killing thousands. Hell, you probably don’t even know where the fucking Admiral Quarters are let alone how to even open the hatch to get into them and you want to Command this Station.” Taking a deep breath. “You take me for a fool. My signing your orders says I certify that you know how to operate this station safely which makes me responsible if you wind up blowing the fucking fusion reactor because you are too stupid to even know where it is let alone who to assign to operate it. This is not a Republic Station Vice Admiral and you are going to have to at least learn where the Admiral’s shitter is and how to operate it. Regulations say that I have the responsibility to train you to operate the Station before I turn it over to you. So I suggest you get busy learning your Command instead of hatching plans to start mines around a station you can’t even operate. You are a smart man so it should only take a week or two.”

Ditzen now beet red with his veins about to burst, screamed. “Kill this Fucker!” Then dived under the table hugging the deck with his hands over his head.

Jack’s helmet ratcheted up over his head to fast to see creating a mirror bight bubble.

A Dozen laser beams lanced out hitting his suit and helmet.

The beams reflecting from the crystal mirror finish of the suit and helmet as Jack just sat there with his hands still on the screen. The reflective beams hitting the Officers still on the stage and even back at a few of the shooters. Though the few beams that reflected back into the groups that had suddenly fired hidden weapons did not have much time to do any damage. A torrent of blaster balls streaking down from the overhead killing everyone in the groups including some of the ones not brandishing weapons. Shooters and Bystanders all in the tightly packed group used to hide the weapons long enough to fire in their effort to kill Jack fell dead in less than a half second after the first shot was fired.

Jack’s suit acquiring a few blemishes that smoked a little as his helmet ratcheted back down into his collar. Bending down as he scooted his chair back Jack looked under the table at Ditzen. “You should stop cowering under the table and go over to your people and check if any of them are still alive. The least you could do for getting them killed.”

An R-bot dropped on the stage next to Jack and held a gun on the Officers sitting and standing around the stage in shock as others with Red Crosses started taking care of the wounded on the stage. Most of them wounded from laser beams reflecting from Jacks armor.

“Fuck them. A needed sacrifice but how the hell are you still alive? Those pumped up lasers should have burned through even the best Republic Armor.”

Jack just shook his head. “You really are that stupid aren’t you even after reading all my reports.” Taking a deep breath. “Damn shame you are a full Vice Admiral and I am only a temporary Vice Admiral or I would have you in the brig already. But the Regulations say I can’t touch you unless I witness you murdering someone and even then I would have to prove you did not kill for the Good of the Navy to an Admiral’s board. Now if I was a full Admiral I would just shoot you for the good of the Navy with the evidence I already have and your statements but then those regulations have not been used for over 400 years.” Jack had always known that Captains in space had the power of Judge and Juries but he had just been shocked a few hours before to learn that Admirals had almost the power of Gods.

Jack pushed the screen away. “Well, all I can do is wright a report of your actions and orders that I witnessed and send them to The Rock and hope your friends aren’t too powerful but I won’t hold my breath. As for you taking Command of the Station, form 782 has a list of standard questions you have to answer and places you have to visit using Bio and GPS recognition codes so no one can answer them or go to those compartments for you and the Station is yours. Shouldn’t take you more than a week or two to finish. If you run and don’t eat or sleep. You and what is left of your staff have quarters on the Flag deck even though you don’t have a flag. That is if you can find it.” Jack stood up. “Good day Admiral.” Jack started to walk to the podium and notice a rapidly cooling body with Captain’s pips on his collar sitting in one of the chairs on the stage. A barely perceptible hole had been burned through his head by a reflected laser beam. Shaking his head as he glanced at the carnage around the ends of the stage, Jack continued to the Podium.

Ditzen sat up still under the table looking around at the carnage he had created as Jack walked to the Podium. “All remaining crewmen will return to their ships and their normal duties until further notice.” Jack announced to the few hundred remaining crewmen. Then turning, Jack started walking back toward the sled now at the back of the stage.

“Turner!” Ditzen stood up using the table to pull himself up. “Where is the Flag deck?”

Jack stepped onto the sled and turned around. “Now that is a damn good question Ditzen. You and your staff are only authorized to use the facilities in the Admiral’s quarters on the Flag deck and no others will recognize you. Too easy for you to eat the wrong food or drink and die from poisonous alien food. Though you have free rein to all decks and hatches, be careful not to walk through the wrong hatch or push the wrong button. You could get killed since you can’t read or understand Godspeak. This is one Fucking Big Station but I am sure you will eventually find the Flag deck. But be careful, the elevators will dump you into one of the airless damaged decks if you push the wrong button. Oh and I hope you eat recently. Finding the Admirals Quarters on the Flag deck may be a whole other problem. I have to go and reorganize what is left of the crews of 8 Battleships and thanks for the mining equipment you packed the transports with instead of food and supplies. I will put it all too good use.”

The sled pulled out from the stage and headed for the edge of the cargo deck and slipped over and out of sight leaving a screaming and cursing Vice Admiral behind. He quickly found out that no one on the deck would even tell him how to get off of it let alone where the Flag decks where.

Chapter 19; Fleet Trap

Jack sat up on the edge of his bed and looked out the deck to overhead port at the hundreds of domes spread out across the surface of the bubble. The Domes had been created when the huge Battleship destroying fusion explosion’s shockwave in the mass of Nebula cloud material creating the rapidly expanding bubble of carbon plasma started to slow from the massive amount of cloud material it had picked up and cooled as it hit a very large comet of ice, and rare heavy metals that was scooped up and then embedded into the surface before it could completely melt and flash away. The expanding cemetery gasses buried in the then, more plastic than liquid plasma, created the hundreds of varying sized domes from a few yards across to tens of miles depending on the size of the ice chunk embedded.

One of the survey crewmen that had tripped over almost colliding into the mountain range sticking up from what was mostly a mineral and metal rock covered forever plain, into a cloud of ice and vapor that mostly hid the miles high domes, noticed a hole in one and then another and since they were looking for and seeing vast amounts of rare metals she took a closer look into what turned out to be hollow mountains or domes and then proceeded to tell everyone she met back at the Hulk Station about her amazing odd discovery. The Domes were picked as a research and mining station months before the Vice Admiral had shown up and had rapidly grown into quit a large station of its own right, due to its distant location and many rich deposits in and around it. Though once they knew what to look for they had found dozens of other fields of domes around the bubble but none as big or as rich in metals and minerals surrounding the mountain range of domes.

The problem was the reason they had found the mountain range of domes in the first place was the vast amounts of lighter materials forming a cloud around the mountains that included mostly water vapor that had leaked out of the domes when the rapidly expanding super-heated gasses inside the bubbles had burst many of the domes. Though luckily bursting usually meant only creating a relatively small hole where the dome’s wall had an imperfection from a high concentration of metals or other material that had not quit been boiled out before the rapidly expanding and cooling plasma had solidified. But the cloud was making it hard to navigate around the domes with visibility and sensor penetrations of only a few miles at best.

Jack knew that the cloud would keep expanding over the years and hide the domes from discovery as the rest of the Nebula cloud slowly dropped back down to the bubbles surface but at the moment it was a pain in the butt with all the traffic and material that needed to be moved into specific domes. The shame was that it would be years before they would be able to build habitats in the bigger domes simply because they did not have enough air to fill them yet. But then that actually was a blessing in disguise in many ways.

Jack watched a string of shuttles dropping down from the Bounty to the open hole in one of the medium sized domes that was having tunnels built to the surrounding smaller domes that were quickly being made into habitats (or at least pressurized). The lengthened hull with the two hulks combined was paying dividends. Jack looked down at the Red Peppers own string of containers and equipment streaming down toward the central medium sized dome below them with its own network of tubes being constructed to the domes around it that were already sealed up with refugees inside them. The light from the torches heating and powering the domes shining out around the covering of surface rocks around the carbon crystal domes. Each dome radiating a slightly different color of light according to the trace elements in the carbon diamond making up each dome. Jack could not help admiring the beauty of the patchwork shining from the many domes they already had lit up but knew with some sorrow that they would have to coat the domes soon with something to prevent the domes from being so readily spotted not to mention adding insulation to reduce not only power consumption but again to keep the domes from standing out like beacons to heat sensors.

He just had to stall old Vice Admiral Ditzen from taking control of the Gama 13 Hulk station until any scouts the Vice Admiral might send out looking for them had nothing to make them look more closely if one happened onto the mountain range of domes where the cloud happened to drop back down to the bubble. Though the probability of a scout tripping over the few square miles of domes they were using in the middle of a million square miles of mountains plastered on the surface of a trillion square mile bubble was slight. The survey crew that had found the mountains had even found it impossible to simply go back and find the mountains again even with all the Navigational equipment they had when it was decided to put a mining and research outpost there. A GPS (global positioning system) had not been established on that section of the Bubble yet and even as accurate as the Inertial Navigation System was on the scout, after weeks of gravitational anomalies around the bubble it only took a couple of micro degrees of error and the mountain range had been lost. Taking 3 days of ever more frantic searching by a growing number of scouts to finally find it again. A beacon was placed to make it possible to find it after that which Jack had immediately killed when it was decided to abandon the Gama Hulk Station since a secure GPS network had been established by then. Though Jack was going to kill that as well once the base was set up and go to the same system The Rock was using. With martialing or staging yards a distance away from New Home. Finger prints were in the process of being taken of the surrounding Surface of the Bubble so no matter where someone that was from the Mountain Dome Base hit the bubble they would know which way to go to find it.

The alarm went off and Jack slapped it with a sigh. He had woken up a good ten minutes early and figured trying to sleep anymore was a waste of time and had sat up staring in amazement at the dozen ships scattered out across the domes unloading construction equipment and refugees or being repaired or rebuilt.

The Lieutenant slipped her legs and arms around Jack from the bed behind him and hugged tight laying her head on his shoulder and purred. Pressing her huge breasts into his back. A Pair of Destroyers glided by with little contrails from their engines streaking out behind them and a barely perceptible cone out in front scooping up matter to create that contrail. It was a shame there was not enough material in open space to do the same and rid the need for the Destroyers to carry reaction mass, Jack thought to himself. A flight of 4 scout bombers took off from a dome with a big hatch in the side and climbed up past the port almost close enough to touch. Jack could see the pilots and sensor operators next to and behind them. Closing his eyes he could almost feel himself strapped in the Cockpit with his hands in control of a million horses at his back ready to drive him across space but no harness and seat ever felt so nice as what was wrapped around him and rubbing all the right places.

Jack sighed sadly. He knew that before breakfast he could bang the Lieutenant until he wore them both out without completion, (at least his, though she had no problem except for making him deaf for half the day), no matter how many times they had tried over the last 6 months. No, he didn’t need that frustration to begin his day with even as much as he wanted to. Though if he didn’t have so much to do he would have given it the old try just to make the Lieutenant happy.

Jack turned and gave her a kiss and then stood up and headed for a quick shower leaving the Lieutenant pouting. A couple minutes later the Lieutenant came in, used the head and then climbed in the shower with Jack and started rubbing him in just the right places, just in time for Jack to finish rinsing off and force himself to leave already becoming frustrated at turning the willing Lieutenant down twice in a row. “Later love. We can have a long lunch.” Not that he minded satisfying the Lieutenant several times in a row with the incredible endurance he had before breakfast but being left high and dry himself with such a beautiful woman passed out and then having to go to work just made it impossible to keep his mind on the job. Feeling like crying, Jack dried himself and slipped on a ship’s jump suit and stepped out into his cabin as the Steward placed a bowl on the table.

“Well at least I get a decent breakfast.” Jack sat down at the table in front of the bowl. “I haven’t had Bacon and eggs seems like forever.” Looking down at the bowl of off white cream. “This doesn’t look or smell like bacon and eggs. Didn’t you say yesterday that…?”

“That was before we tore out most of the farms to transfer them, stopping production, we got 50,000 new crewmen and we found out late last night that not one of the ships in the squadron, Battleships or Transports, have over a weeks’ worth of food supplies.” Smiling at Jack. “You needed your sleep so I made an executive decision for you last night at midnight and combined all our fresh produce and meat production into the communal galleys again. Luckily we had a few days of full farm and livestock production before we had to shut down to move everything so we have a few weeks of fresh food before we have to go back to strait Meal Rations. I would suggest that we go with a good fresh breakfast and a mix of food and Meal Rations for lunch and dinner and we may be able to stretch the fresh food until the farms are expanded enough to feed everyone something fresh for every meal. But it is going to be months before the farms and livestock are back up to full production.” Smiling down at Jack. “Now eat your mush-meal. That is what everyone is getting for breakfast. Even bread is going to take a few days to get back up to full production though we should have enough for a slice or two for everyone for dinner tonight with a few greens in the stew. Sorry for getting your hopes up with the steak meals the last few nights but at the time most of the crew was starting to eat good even if it was mostly greens and I thought you deserved a good steak from one of the first slaughters instead of the meat stew everyone else had. Especially with all the transports arriving. You would think that at least one of them would have had something besides construction and mining equipment on them”

“You have got to be kidding.” Jack had read the scouting reports but had hoped they would find something. “A whole squadron of transports and not one of them is loaded with consumables?”

“That’s a fact Jack. Oh a, sorry Admiral. I couldn’t resist.”

Jack buried his head in his hands as he rubbed his eyes and face. His stomach not caring that he did not have green eggs and ham started growling for whatever the hell was there. Shaking his head Jack started eating his porridge. Deciding he really didn’t want to talk to the Doctor about his little before breakfast problem after all. He had more important problems to deal with. Like what fool of an Admiral would deploy over 50,000 men in 2 squadrons and not stock op on food and consumables for them. He knew we were starving to death from the reports I had sent up the line. Jack thought to himself. Could be part of why his flag was taken away.

The Lieutenant came in wearing a Jump suit that was zipped almost as fare down as Red liked to wear hers. Giving Jack a frustrated look he did not even notice, she started to sit down. Taking one whiff of the steaming bowl just placed on the table, she suddenly turned before her butt had even touched the chair and ran back into the bedroom slamming the door behind her.

Watching her suddenly leave Jack’s eyes grew big. “What the hell is her problem?” And suddenly Jack thought he knew what was pissing her off which was making him feel guilty and ashamed for turning her down. But he didn’t know what he could do about it, making him feel even worse. Suddenly Jack knew what he could do after breakfast as a smile came to his face, stuffing another spoon of cereal into his mouth. Sometimes he could perform half way decently after he got something in his belly.

Admiral Halsey and his desk suddenly popped in across the breakfast table from Jack as he was taking another bite of his porridge. Still upset with his mind on the Lieutenant, Jack simply continued to chew after pausing in surprise for a second as he realized the Admiral was there.

Before Jack could say or do anything else Admiral Halsey leaned across his desk and growled. “What the hell have you done Turner? Who told you to scrap 8 of our battleships? We are busting our butts trying to build up our battleship numbers. Scrapping 8 of them is unacceptable for any reason.”

Jack swallowed. “Aaa. Good morning to you too Admiral. As far as I know we are not scrapping any ships. Vice Admiral Ditzen forced me to severely damage their engines while destroying most of their weapons to save the Station and our lives. We are merely repairing them as best as we can and making a few improvements while we are at it.”

“What the hell do you mean, Improvements?”

“Well, by taking out the scrap turrets and most of the crew decks we are increasing the Cargo space by almost 50% to start with. Then by making a little stretch in the hull, we are again doubling the Cargo tonnage above that. You said you were lacking transports. I am giving you 8 new transports able to carry almost 3 times the cargo instead of scrapping them. After all, the only thing the original Battleships were good for was Transporting Cargo like they were being used for but doing a piss pore job of it. They were worthless against everything the enemy has anyway.” Jack punched up the plans of the new conversion and sent them to the Admirals Desk. “They should be back into Cargo service in 2 to 3 weeks. And what is this about the new, new Battleships being Different with fewer and thicker shield decks and Congressional crews?”

“Politics Turner.” The Admiral looked at the over 3,000 foot long stretched Transports Jack had used the combined hulled Bounty as inspiration. “What? Two to 3 weeks? That is impossible.” Frowning as he tried to lean closer to the screen. “What are those lines or ribs down the sides?”

“The ribs down the sides are for reinforcing the longer hull to start with but someone came up with the bright idea of stacking thousands of cargo containers outside the hull on those ribs. Two to 3 weeks is easy since all we are doing is adding hull material using a form ring to shape the foam steel as the hull lengthens for more cargo decks with the Technology the Slaves and my engineers have worked out while putting the Paprika and her sister ship’s hulk together to make the Bounty. They had to add a short plug between the two ships half hulls to make them line up perfectly and distribute the strain with much shorter side ribs than what the new rebuilds have now that we know how useful the side ribs are.” Smiling at the Admiral. “No, we have to have them done by then in order to be off the Station before Ditzen takes over Command.”

The Admiral chuckled. “Yes I watched the tapes of that damn dance you did a dozen times and I still can’t believe how you did it.” Then his face turned stern. “You are going to be in a world of shit as well when the Supreme Admiral finds out you shanghighed some 50,000 Crewmen and Marines.” Shaking his head. “I managed to get a couple thousand crewmen using my transports as an excuse before I was told to knock it off. Which Brings up another problem.”

Jack stared at the steaming spoon of mush as the Admiral talked. Then when he paused. “Ya, I have 50,000 more mouths to feed and no food. What fool deploys with 50,000 troops and no food? Not one of his ships had more than a weeks’ worth of food left on them for their own crews.” Jack practically growled. “We have been on sort ration MRE’s for almost 6 months and we are damn near out of them and the damn Battleships have made that even worse.”

Halsey in the middle of trying to find the right words to continue what he wanted to say was taken aback by Jack’s venom. He suddenly found himself watching Jack stuff the spoon full of something he obviously did not want to eat into his mouth. Finally. “One reason Ditzen lost his flag was the third time his squadron spent a month eating MRE’s and then ran out of ordinance during a War Game because he failed to even schedule resupply ships after leaving with his crews larder empty to carry more ordinance so he wouldn’t have to be bothered about munition ships. The man has no concept of what it takes to supply and run a Navy.” Shaking his head. “Actually that is the problem with most of the increasing number of politically appointed Admirals the Navy has been forced to accept over the last 2 years. Most have no concept of supplies or care if their crews get fed as long as they can have their steaks and a fancy battleship to impress the politicians that put them there. Which is why most think anything but Battleships are a waste of money and resources. At least that leaves us Navel Career Collage Graduates in most of the support roles. The reason I was given another Star for winning the blockade battle was because I was commanding Transports and not Battleships. Even then they keep reducing my power as they try to micro manage everything even though they don’t know their ass’s from thruster bells.”

Shaking his head the Admiral continued. “In order to keep our funding before the war, more and more Congressmen had been demanding the use of the Navy to pay political debts and now that Earths Congressionals are blaming the old guard for the losses in the Rim Battle they have convinced the Colony planets to allow Earth to run the show. The Admiral that cost us half the fleet was one such Political appointment. Ditzen is another. Most around the Supreme Admiral are now Political Appointees.” The Admiral seamed to Deflate. “We lost a lot of good Captain’s and Admirals when we lost the fleet during the first encounter with the Spiders 2 years ago when they first appeared and most of the best that were left 7 months ago trying to save the half that made it out. The Damn Political appointees are now in the majority at the Rock and it is all out war between the morons that can’t think beyond lining their own pockets while getting the Congressman that supported them reelected and the few Admirals that want to win this war and save the Republic.”

Shaking his head the Admiral looked at Jack. “I was able to reassign the Destroyers coming in to you since no one wants them anyway but I can’t assign them a tanker to take them to you. They are already tasked with prior commitments. The Fact that they are supposed to be my Tankers and that the damn new Battleships don’t need them anymore is beside the point. The New Politically appointed Battleship Admirals don’t seem to give a shit about feeding there men but they are not about to take a chance that their Battleships might need some reaction mass so a hundred tankers are sitting at The Rock just in case the Battleships (that don’t require reaction mass anymore), may need them. While the Transports that don’t have the new engines carry half the cargo they could so they can carry enough reaction mass to make it to The Rock without requiring remassing anywhere away from a planetary system or Station near a mass source. Which is why I have been upgrading the old Battleships as fast as I can but I never thought about actually turning them into Transports.” Looking at the plans Jack had sent him. “And these rails along the outside are… Different to say the least. How do you know the damn containers won’t just fall off once you start accelerating?” Grimacing at Jack.

The Admiral looked again at the plans for the converted ships and shook his head. “Damn it Turner. Why are you stripping out 2 of the engines from the Battleships? They won’t be able to carry the additional hull weight let alone carry more cargo. Not to mention where the hell you are getting the material to make the new hulls? You melting down the station?”

“Not at all Admiral we are using the material from the 30 foot thick armored decks along with thinning the ship’s own 20 foot thick armored hull to create the new stretched hulls. Hollowing the armored decks out to form a 20 foot tall honeycombed cargo deck sandwiched between the 2 new 5 foot thick decks. Turning the decks into flat trusses that are actually stronger than the solid deck. The 2 massless ion engines on each converted Transport is plenty of power. That will give me 16 Ion engines for my other transports that still have the old engines. Espeacialy the new ones I just acquired.”

“Other Transports?” The Admiral said puzzled.

“Yes, the much lengthened Paprika had its engines destroyed in the cloud before we converted it to the bounty using Slave tech engines which we need to replace. The Bulk Transport Ditzen had converted into a prison and torture ship needs 2 if it is going to be able to out run the Spider ships with a pair going to my Tanker to support the fighters, bombers and destroyers the Bulk transport will be carrying and supporting.” Jack switched the screen to the Bulk transport’s conversion plans. “As you can see Admiral it should be able to handle a thousand fighters and bombers safe in side with the ribs running along the outside to dock about 50 Destroyers to the ship itself and support a hundred Destroyers as a tender if I had them. I am not sure which of the transports Ditzen brought I am going to upgrade or even if I am going to keep them but I am sure I will need all 16 engines and then some if I decide to use them to upgrade the DD’s.”

“You are lengthening the bulk carrier too?” Halsey was surprised. “The damn thing is already 3,000 feet long and 500 wide.”

“Ya but like I said, it is only metal and I have plenty of that. At a mile long it will be able to support a hundred Destroyers making strikes deep inside the enemy lines with enough supplies to last 6 months at least. Take the battle to them where they least expect it and have fewer defenses to resist attacks.” Dropping his spoon into the empty bowl and sitting back as he looked at the ceiling. “You know Admiral, with the other 4 squadrons that returned to The Rock when they couldn’t destroy the Spider Battleship I would have enough destroyers to take on that Spider fleet headed this way once I get them all 16 inch guns.” Thinking for a couple of seconds. “You wouldn’t happen to know where I could get some more 16 inch guns would you. I hear the survivors from the Fringe Battle have added their 16’s for the new 24’s.” Leaning forward as his smile turned grim. “Get me those Destroyers Admiral.”

Halsey’s jaw dropped. He was not used to a temporary Vice Admiral, snot nosed kid giving him orders. But then this was not the average snot nosed kid by any means. Finally chuckling, Halsey twitched his head to the side and took a deep breath. “I have to admit since the Destroyers came back after failing to destroy that Battleship. I have not seen them out of their hangers. Something about saving reaction mass for the Battleships. But I don’t see how I can even get them transferred to me aaa, well aaa maybe as Coast Guard patrol Cutters to help keep an eye on transports in the shipping lanes. I will go talk to Supreme Admiral Eisenhower which is probably a waste of time let alone getting them to the Staging Station but I will give it a try. You sure about this enemy fleet? No scouts have seen hide nor hair of them.”

“Thanks Admiral Halsey and yes they are now spreading out around the Cloud about a light year out. It is as if they know our pickets are in a ring a half light year from the cloud which is troubling. Like they have someone on our inside or scouts already here. Would bet that they are planning to go around and cut our supply lines by taking as many transports as they can before we know they are there. As if they know we are low on Transports as well.” Jack watched the Lieutenant come out of the bedroom and stand just out of sight of the Admirals vision and waited. “I am going to get my damn food supply ships and then those Destroyers waiting for me at the Staging Station. Have the rest of the Destroyers there by the time I get there Sir. It will take about 6 hours to attach the Mass Scoop kits to the destroyers before we can leave. While there I should be able to get a Comm to you using normal channels hopefully and tell you where I am leaving the Mass Scoop kits that will make your old mass drive engined Transports tanker free in the Cloud at least. Turner out.” Jack started to hit the cut off icon on his desk as his thought turned elsewhere but the Admiral interrupted him.

“What the heck is this about Mass Scoops? I saw something about Mass Scoops in your latest report but it didn’t sound all that important so I have not taken the time to get into it.”

Jack rolled his eyes. “The most important thing to come along concerning travel in the Cloud for a hundred years and you slough it off as unimportant.” Shaking his head. “The Spiders have Gravimetric scoops on their fighters they use for ground attacks on planets that scoops up the planet’s atmosphere and compresses and converts it into mass for their engines giving them unlimited range in atmospheres. Our fighters don’t stand a chance when the enemy not only cannot (no matter how hard they push there fighters), run out of reaction mass and don’t carry more than the minimum needed to drop down to the planet making them tons lighter and smaller than ours. Not to mention their better blast cannons over our laser cannons.”

Taking a breath and thinking as a smile came to his face. “Though I do remember an old ground attack fighter that used a hyper velocity rail gun with a good range that was damn maneuverable with good armor protection and would probably do a damn fine job of taking on the spider fighters and bombers. You wouldn’t happen to know where they might be keeping the retired Thunderbolt fighters in storage at would you? That is if they have not been scrapped out already. I know the Spaceforce hated them no matter how many times they proved they were better than the more expensive and faster new fighters the powers that be kept insisting on trying to use for ground combat support each time they tried to junk them. It has always amazed me why the Space force kept an iron grip on the job of ground supporting the troops when that was the last thing they wanted to do. Being forced to go back kicking and screaming to ground support each time the troops started dying because they couldn’t be bothered to do it right. Then have to recall the old Thunderbolt out of storage to keep the troops alive after losing a lot of big expensive fighters that were supposed to do it better. Tell you what Admiral, Do you think you could send me the plans of those so I can start making my own?”

Jack smiled as he leaned forward turning the bolted down swivel chair to get out from under the table. “Got a million things to do Admiral before that enemy fleet shows up and kills half the transports you have left. Out.” Then hit the call end icon on the tables corner pad.

Chapter 20: The Trap

Jack walked up to the bomber as the Lieutenant started up the landing leg’s wheel well of the Bomber into the cockpit until she spotted Jack and stopped with a big grin spreading across her face. “Thought you were too busy to come down Admiral?” The Lieutenant’s bomber was one of 24 bombers that looked exactly like hers lined up down the side of the hanger lock. 24 fighters were lined up along the opposite side preparing to pair up and escort the bombers.

“I am, so I’m not really here.” Taking a deep breath as he grimaced trying to keep a smile on his face. “Remember this is just a recon mission down the cloud entry corridor to clear space. Just a recon mission. Nothing more. You run into anything at all, you turn your Butt around and head back and let us big boys take care of it if we have to. If they don’t see you and the corridor is in bad enough shape, they may not come in any farther and eventually go away. If we have to fight, this may turn into a battlefield as their reinforcement come in and we are not ready for a major battle yet. Especially if there are a bunch of transports at the Staging Station with empty mass tanks.” Taking a breath as he hugged her. “I mean it. New Home needs these supplies or people are going to start starving to death. The big guns on the Destroyers are untested and the crews are not trained to use them yet. We can’t afford a battle right now. We would be lucky to get any of the transports out before they are destroyed if a squadron of Spider Battleships happened to be around or are using them for bate. So no contact with the enemy. Period.” Jack backed up from her ear and let go of the hug. “Once we know what we are facing we can make plans, prepare the crews and come back where they least expect us.”

The Lieutenant smiled. “What a man won’t do just to get a hug and cop a feel. Anything else you want to chew me out about before I do it anyway? Just make sure you grab my ass this time hard enough for me to feel it through this armor.” Smiling she leaned forward and kissed him on the lips slipping her tongue for a quick tickle of his upper pallet before breaking off. “I love you too. Now got to go love, my crew Chief is waiting for me. See you when I get back.” Then disappeared up the ladder.

“I didn’t do anything… I didn’t cop a feel.” Jack stood there for a few seconds baffled and feeling like there should be something else he needed to do but knew that if he dragged her out of the Cockpit she would never forgive him.

Patting the side of the bombers fuselage. “You better damn well keep her safe or don’t come back.” Turning he headed for the control room at the side to watch her take off when his comm beeped. “Captain, massive ships signatures in the Staging Area. We are an hour out so we can’t tell what or who’s they are but there are a lot of them.”

‘Shit!’ Jack thought to himself. “Bridge, tell the Chevron G to come to a halt as soon and as quickly as possible using her maneuvering thrusters, kill all drives. All ships and escorts to follow suit maintaining formation and go to stealth running. Secure all emitters and go to General Quarters. I want a black hole in the cloud around us by the time I get to the bridge Number One.” Of all the contingencies he had Simm’d about, finding the enemy already in the Staging area was by far the worst. Well at least they had detected them a good hour out. He had not planned on detecting anything until they were only a half hour out but then he had planned on only finding at most a couple dozen friendly loaded Transports.

Admiral Halsey had said that they had not spotted any enemy ships since the battles he had destroyed the remnants of the enemy fleet 7 months ago. Could this be an enemy fleet that had snuck into the cloud before Admiral Hulsey’s Transport Fleet had arrived back here at the cloud? If so, they were screwed unless the corridor was in so bad a condition that the enemy had lost track of it. Or were they just waiting for the reinforcement fleet Jack had been tracking to arrive. That would explain why no one had gotten a comm from the Staging Station for 6 months with someone taking it for granted that Ditzen had simply closed the Comms to the Station. It could be nothing else but the enemy with as many ships as his First Officer had hinted at. Shaking his head Jack decided he had better check things out himself as he tried to look through the elevator and hull of the ship toward the Staging area but knew it was useless with all their drives down unless they had massive leaks in at least one of their ships fusion cores. Then as soon as he looked for them, he saw several cores leaking massive amounts of energy which would not be possible without one hell of a lot of damage or simple terrible maintenance and he knew the slaves would not stand for equipment in that bad of shape unless it was simply impossible to repair. Which was impossible in itself with the on board factories each Spider Battleship had. Unless again the ships had been heavily damaged. But by who and when. He had been their when all the Spider Battleships he knew about had been destroyed.

Or at least he had thought they had been destroyed. Could he have somehow been mistaken? Come to think of it the Red Pepper had been at the bottom of a trench running for its life when several enemy ships were supposed to have been destroyed by a suicide bomb he had left with crewmen that were already dead from radiation poisoning but could still function. The Admiral had said that the bombs had taken out several Spider Battleships. Could the Admiral had been wrong and these were them?

Stepping out of the elevator Jack turned toward the Bridge only to have his Doctor/Steward grab him by the arm and jerk him around toward his cabin. “You are going to put on your Battlesuit before you get too busy.” Jack was surprised by the old woman’s strength. Or was it her knowing how to grab him by nerves in his arm where he couldn’t argue.

“But I…”

“But shit nothing. It will only take seconds now shut up and cooperate or it will take longer. As soon as Jack stepped through the hatch his suit was already out of the closet in its rack and ready to go. A marine weapon’s tech and an armorer were standing to the sides of it and between the three of them Jack was suited up checked out and out the hatch headed for the bridge 10 seconds later. Which meant he was 20 seconds later than if he had simply gone straight to the bridge. Still Jack cursed the delay. They could already be under the guns of the damn enemy Battleships and be dead and just not know about it yet.

Jack slammed threw the hatch and started issuing orders as his eyes went from screen to screen across the bridge. Forgetting to take a breath once in a while, so some of them came out as merely whispers but every order was heard, sending crewmen dashing or taping on their consoles. Again many of the orders were redundant but 10 years of training in The Game with crewmen popping in to replace Sim-crewmen without warning that may not have been up to speed, so orders not given each and every time needed, just meant lost battles and dead ships.

Finally the Red Pepper and the Squadron was at battle stations and registering as a black hole in the Cloud, the scout bombers and fighters were deployed with the enemy still an hour away, not seeming to have noticed and the ship could relax, a bit. Jack tapped his comm and whispered. “Next time Doctor Truitt, if GQ has been announced you will bring the damn suit to the bridge. I know it is my fuck up but that 20 seconds I was delayed could have cost lives. But thank you for you and your crew’s speed. It would have taken me 15 minutes on my own. I appreciate the help. That is all. No. Not all.” Jack was looking around the bridge with half the crew still in ship’s suits and not battle armor. “We are too short handed for the crew on duty when GQ was sounded to leave to get their Battlesuits. If the techs are still there have them start bringing up the duty crews suits from their cabins for them please. Start with the First Officer’s.”

A few minutes later the Steward/Doctor came onto the bridge with a cup of steaming hot tea and sat it down on the arm of Jack’s Command Chair. “Two sweeteners like you prefer Captain.”

Jack looked down at the cup. “I would have preferred you…” Jack started to growl.

A combat suit on a rack came sliding onto the Bridge stopping Jack’s comment half said. Another suit followed a few seconds later with a line of suits behind it. A pair of marines with each suit. The rest of the Bridge crew was suited up and ready a couple minutes later and the marines were gone except for the normal GQ guard at the hatch.

“Aaa .Thank you for the hot tea Doctor.” Jack took a sip as he stared at the screen with the long range sensor scan of the staging area showing a mixed up jumble that made no sense.

The Doctor smiled. “From now on anyone on the bridge not in a suit when GQ is sounded will have their suits delivered Captain if you approve.”

“Aaa Certainly Doctor. Thank you again. Noticing she was in a Battlesuit. If you like you may take a jump seat at the back of the bridge.” Jack stared trying to make sense of what he was seeing. The problem was it looked kind of familiar but nothing quite fit.

“No thank you Captain, I have too much to do.” And turned to leave.

“Ok Doctor… No. No. Not so fast Doctor.” Jack looked around the Bridge and found an empty console at the back of the bridge next to the damage control console under the damage control screen running across the back of bridge. “Doctor Truitt, take a seat at that standby console.” Jack pointed at the empty console. “I want you to go over the scans of the target area and anything the scouts and drones send back. I think I am seeing biologicals mixed in but everything is so out of whack. If I did not know better I would say we are looking at pieces of half a hundred ships or parts of ships damaged beyond recognition. Republic ships. But that does not make sense.” Turning back to the Doctor. “I want you to tell me if anyone is alive in that mess and more importantly, if they are human.” Then to Comms. “Get me General Meyers in the lead assault Transport.”

With the appearance of the General. “You may have to search some 50 Republic hulks for survivors in a couple of hours but you will have to be ready for a quick withdrawal if this turns out to be a trap. We are searching the area now for the enemy but haven’t found anything yet but a bunch of rocks with a lot of metals in them. No signs of life yet but we are still light minutes away. Keep an eye on tactical General, if we go in you may not have much warning. Sorry for the lack of time to plan. Get back to me when you have an idea what your plans are and how long it will take you to clear the hulks and the station I did not know was there but which we are not getting much from either. I don’t want to spend any longer in that mess than we have to. That is if we go. My gut keeps telling me to run but my stumach wants fed and if our supply transports are there, I want them. Turner out.”

Hitting the Comm again. “Flight, how long until we have eyes in the Staging area?”

“A half hour Captain… Admiral. We will have 3 passive Pebbles going through the Staging area. Though only one will try transmitting out. The other two will be from scouts shooting their recon Pebbles at each other across the inlet and will have to wait another 10 minutes until they are back in the cloud and recovered on the other sides to be transmitted up the chain of fighters if the first loner is destroyed. The First Pebble willdrift through and eventually down what is left of the passageway toward clear space if it survives long enough.” The Officer smiled at Jack. “If all three came up with nothing and you decided to risk it, I will have a large Pebbles already drifting through that can start transmitting active sensors for a better look while serving as bait to see if we get any response.

“Calling me Captain is fine Flight.” Turning to the rest of the Bridge. “Fact is people, Captain is preferable and easier while we are on the Red Pepper. Admiral is just a formality for a few weeks while we are on the damn Station.”

A half dozen smiles briefly appeared with. “Eye Cap.” Without interrupting their work.

Then the waiting started which Jack hated the most. Though he did start doing some rough Sims on one of his Command screens. Putting numbers of enemy ships at various locations and seeing what would happen if he did different things. The Sims made easier since he, or to be more exact the squadron he was with as a bridge officer some 8 years before in The Game, had run into damn near the same circumstances. It had turned out to be a trap as they tried to recover valuable systems from the wreckage to upgrade their own ships. It had not ended well for the squadron. The trap had even been in a Nebula cloud similar to this but with plenty of rocks to hide behind. Slapping the Comm to flight. “Make sure you have the scouts and fighters check the backs sides of all those damn rocks in the cloud around the Staging area. I don’t want any surprises.”

Jack watched the scouts headed toward the access corridors staying well inside the cloud on the space side of the Staging area as well as deeper into the cloud. Something told him there had to be other ships in better condition around someplace. Probably a hell of a lot better condition. Then Jack turned his attention back to his Sims while glancing at the growing details coming in about the Staging area and the rocks around it as the scouts got closer. The 3 bombers concentrating on the staging area while their fighter escorts checked out the back sides of the large rocks. Jack right off noticed that the rocks seen through the curtain of cloud all seemed to be roughly about the same size except for one that was a monster that was about a couple miles long. Though as thick as the cloud was even that was a guess. Most looked like just the typical asteroid rocks that looked like several rocks that had slowly stacked together with each other over time. Jack remembered seeing as many as a dozen rocks lined up in a row like some kind of centipede while on an excursion with his Grandfather (Pop), a long time ago when he was 10 or 12. Wondering at the time how the hell they got stuck that away instead of balled up into a Simi loose round or oblong clump. Shaking his head he looked back at the rocks. Though again as thick as the cloud was with the fighters only getting close enough to make sure there was nothing hiding behind the rocks, it was hard to tell exact dimensions.

With all the metal showing in the rocks Jack took it for granted that someone at one time had tried to make a mining station out of this Staging area or maybe the staging area had been made out of an old mining station that was worthless once The Rock had been discovered with its core full of all the Iron the Navy could possible use in a million years. It would explain why the Corridors in and out of this station had deteriorated so badly if they had originally been built to civilian standards instead of the military’s. Whatever the reason for the Station’s existence, the rocks around the damn junkyard made it all too good a place for an ambush. Which could explain the reason for all the wrecks if every ship that happened to arrive got ambushed over a long period of time, the numbers would add up. Actually no. There was just too damn many even for that. Someone would have noticed that many ships going missing in one area over the years.

“Sensors, can you get a rough idea how long those ships have been there?”

“One minute Cap and I will have it down to plus or minus a day or two but a rough guess is 6 months.”

Jack’s head snapped around. “Aaa. ON average? Ok I can see the transports that were recently sent here but see if you can find how long the oldest ships or ship has been there.”

“Aaa Captain. The Station shows readings of several hundred years at least but all the others have only been here for at most 6 months. They are all leaking gasses and fluids with dispersion patterns of roughly 6 months as far as they have spread out from them and the damaged core readings.” Turning to Jack. “If any of them had been there any longer, the leakage would have spread farther out into the cloud than it has. As it is I can detect a trail up the corridor from open space that coincides with the time line. Except the ships docked at the station, all of the damaged ships came in at the same time give or take a day or two sir.”

“What about life signs?”

“I get indications but there is too much interference from all the crap from the wreckage for anything even a guess.” The sensor operator shrugged his shoulders. “Maybe when we get better readings from the scouts Captain.”

Jack turned to the Doctor/Steward. “Truitt, anything you can tell me damn it. Lives are on the line here.”

“Damn it boy I don’t have a clue how to operate this damn board. I’m a doctor trained as a fucking cook and frying grills look nothing like this.”

“Then get the hell out if you can’t help… No damn it. Stay put.” Jack popped his safety harness off and jumped up stepping to the Doctor at the rear console and started hitting keys and icons. “Here is the training program for the sensors and the console. Don’t take your head out of this console until you can tell me if something is alive at the center of a planet even if it takes the rest of your life. I am tired of guessing every time we come up on a ship or wreck or rock and you are the Doctor and you are going to start telling me. If this station or the sensors we have can’t do it, you will find out what will and tell me so we can get or make them for you.”

Jack turned around heading back to the Command Chair but stopped as he looked out at the rows of Destroyers docked at the 10 foot wide, 30 foot tall rails that ran up along the sides of the hull from between the fins all the way forward to where the bow started sloping into a point. He had brought a dozen of the Destroyers along to test the concept of staging them from a mother ship not expecting them to be used for anything. Now he was suddenly damn glad to have them and wishing he had brought the other squadron along as well. “Number One, get the rest of the Destroyers launched thrusters only. I want a 10,000 mile perimeter around the ship. Any trap should be along either the entrance or exit of the Staging area so the squadron should be safe since we are coming in from an unexpected direction through the cloud and still an hour out but I am not taking chances. Sensors keep an eye out for any waves in the cloud that will donate someone or thing approaching powered down. Any rocks headed at or even past the squadron are to be taken as hostile’s period. No ifs, ands, or buts. I am taking the destroyer we are using for testing the new gun arrangement, the Phoenix, in for a closer look. Have the assault transports follow me and get our bomber transports ready and follow the assault transports to evacuate anyone we find on those hulks. You can start edging the squadron closer to the Staging area on minimum thrust without the feed cones extending the corridor channel. The Tanker can always come back and open up the channel the rest of the way later. Leaving the end here will also make it harder for anyone to find it if we have to abandon it.”

Jack left the Bridge as the First Officer dropped into the Command Chair and started issuing orders. The Marine’s, “Captain leaving the Bridge.” Not raising as many hairs on his neck as usual. At least it was better than that damn Admiral Crap that had been coming out of everyone’s mouths for the last week. Not that the thought of jumping down some one’s throat had more than flashed through his mind a dozen times. There had been way too many other things to worry about like first hoping to find their lost supply transports to keep his growing Command from starving to death and now rescuing anyone left on some damn hulks somehow dragged here from the Rim Battle for the certain enemy ambush that had to be ahead.

Jack was pretty sure who the ships were but he was still wondering how the hell they had gotten there and why. The only thing he could think of was that the Spiders had brought the hulks here to what was probably one of the few entrances they had found as bait for a trap. After all this was the closest Entry point in and Staging area in The Cloud to the Enemy Fleet. The perfect place to follow any survivors back to the next staging area or even The Rock itself. The problem was that by now Jack’s crews new damn well what the Spider Battleships energy signatures were even on standby and there simply were none around. And if they were hiding cold, Jack would have plenty of time to kill them before they could warm up and start their fusion cores for maneuvering. Though it would only take a few minutes to pull the rods from their fission generators to fire their weapons. Thank Godstar the Fission cores stood out like beacons when they were lit off know that they knew they had them. Hopefully anything the Spider Gods had was far enough away for him to get in and find the transports and get out again. But then if they had too many Battleships or they were to close, all Jack had to do was disappear back into the cloud.

That is unless they had a new tactic or equipment like something small. Something fighter bomber size and a lot of them that could easily hide in the cloud. The Battleship records Pan’s cousins had dumped into is mind suddenly showed a huge Fighter Bomber Carrier that could hold tens of thousands of fighters and bombers for attacking well prepared God planets to capture factories and resources. Starting to panic his memory said that the God Fleet did not have any of the huge Carriers left. None had survived the final Battle when they had tried to take back their God Battleship Factory and its planet before being banished into the outer reaches of this Galactic arm.

What if Pan’s Cousins were wrong? What if they had one or a few Battle Carriers Pan’s Cousins knew nothing about. Would they risk sending one or two of their last Battle Carriers this deep into Human space with only a squadron of escorts? Certainly if they had come with a whole fleet but then The Rock’s Scouts would have spotted them. But then he had destroyed a whole fleet and a whole new fleet was approaching The Cloud now.

Slapping his wrist comm as he started jogging toward the hatch leading to the Destroyer that was sitting between the landing/cooling fines just aft and to port of the Bridge. “Number One, I want you to change the sensors focus to small fighter and bomber sized targets. We may have a damn God Carrier standing far enough off not to be seen but we should be able to pick up its fighter/bomber wings if they are out there. If you even get a trace that you suspect is an enemy fighter. Immediately recall everything and get the hell out of here ASAP. We can’t even think of trying to take on 10,000 fighter bombers directly. We will have to come back later and find the Carrier first and destroy it if possible, then we can worry about rescuing our guys if any are even still alive out there.”

“Changing focus now Captain.”

Jack wasn’t worried about taking on a God Carrier as long as he knew where it was and had time to prepare. Especially in this cloud. The Carrier if it was there was as good as dead. He was just not sure how many of his new crews would have to pay the ultimate price and if he could take it out fast enough to have very many of the fleet ships to rescue by the time he did. For the first time Jack was praying that he was wrong and Pan’s Cousins were right. But nothing else fit. The remnants of Task Force 58 with its old mass drive engines could not possible have made it all the way back here on its own even if it did not have all the hulks he had been staring at on the screens. It had to have help and a lot of it. Which begged the question as to why come directly here when there were half a hundred planets along the way that could have helped them and spread the word that they had survived. But then they would have had to have been Spider crew and Ape free. They couldn’t possibly have hidden being under the thumbs of the enemy if indeed they were under enemy control stopping at any of the planets on the way. But nothing else fit what little information he now had. He had to get into the staging area and find out before he risked the rest of the squadron.

Jack passed the marine sentry at the bottom of the ramp without slowing down and was gone before the sentry could salute which was just fine with him. He realized that there were a dozen crewmen ahead of him making a mad dash up the ramps tunnel and through the Phoenix’s hatch. Reaching the hatch he saluted the colors and started to turn around to close it and saw even more crewmen rushing at him so he just turned and headed for the bridge.

Jogging past the closed Captain’s Cabin’s hatch still pissed him off at the expensive opulence all through the cabin. Every time he had passed the damn hatch over the last month Jack thought about taking a torch and cleaning the cabin down to the mettle bulkheads just to get the old Captain’s stink out of it. But after blowing the Officers trying to ambush him guts and brains out across the bulkheads with a blaster, Jack didn’t think that smell would ever come out. Though he was never planning on using the cabin he was surprised to see that the holes in the bulkhead he had blown to both sides of the Conference room hatch to take out the trap had been patched up as good as new. He had continued using the destroyer with a skeleton crew after the majority of the crew had been hauled off and slapped in the brig powering the Spider hulk Battleship around the bubble to dock with the hulk station.

Then the ship was just handy to use for testing new engine upgrades and weapons configurations. Not to mention it gave him the opportunity with only a skeleton crew to pilot one of the Destroyers he had actually designed in real life instead of just in the Sims. Spending hours relaxing piloting the ship on gun runs testing different guns not including the latest configuration with a 24inch gun slapped under each wing in place of the old 16inch gun he had originally slapped under the center line of the little ship. Though the big guns were in the way of the lower 8 inch gun turrets which he had not figured out yet what to do with. He even had one of the spar Battleship engines attached to the underside down the middle under the stern 200 feet of the ship. It looked a bit ugly but it could get up and go. Jack knew he was going to have to take the engine off and put it on one of the transports as soon as they started operations outside the cloud but that was a few weeks away yet so Jack had enjoyed himself while he could. That was until now.

They had not yet had a chance to test the twin gun configuration. The engineers were afraid the guns firing together would break the ship apart and firing separately would knock it so far off course so fast, they would not be able to hit a target. With the lower 8 inch guns blocked from deploying, Jack did not even know if he had half his weapons, or any come to think about it. The lone 8inch twin gun turrets on the top of each wing, could easily hit and destroy the 24 inch gun barrels sticking out about a hundred feet in front of the wing from below the turrets. They had not yet had time to program the turret guns to miss the big long Barrels so they had simply disabled them for the tests. Not good for going into battle but someone had to stick their head down the lions mouth and hope they could run fast enough if they needed to. And no one could run faster than the Phoenix with that battleship engine on its back and its cruiser engines replaced by a pair of the latest Ex-slave/Human designed fusion power cores in each engine bay feeding both the engines and the 24/16 inch guns. Hell he could not even make up his mind how small to squeeze down the barrels of the 24 inch guns yet. Though that depended mainly on how well they worked against the God Battleships which they lacked for target practice at the moment and the last thing he wanted right then was to find one here. Target practice needed to wait until he was sure the Destroyer could even fire the guns without destroying itself.

Jack knew one thing for certain, the Phoenix was going to surprise someone in the next hour. He just did not know who. Him or the enemy. Though he hopped no one.

Jack still had to ignore the opulence on the bridge though much of it had already been torn out but his mind was back on business as he headed for the pilot’s cockpit chair and found it full. He started to yell at the guy to get the hell out of his seat when he realized it was the best pilot the Destroyers had and she was not about to take any shit from even her Captain. Temp Admiral or not.

Grumping Jack took the Command Chair. “You were assigned to pilot Captain Burk’s destroyer. You can just go back there. I will not have anyone breaking up established teams to babysit me. I can pilot this ship just fine on my own”

“Sorry Captain but I have been here since the ship docked with the Red Pepper. Captain Sherman has had a new pilot for a long time now. Been boring sitting around here doing nothing but my nails.”

Jack sat back fuming as he noticed the Lieutenant’s chest still heaving in and out with a film of glistening sweat across her neck and brow from running. Then looked around to see that his normal test crew were absent. “Damn you. Where is my test crew?” Jack looked around and noticed that all the stations were filled with the best crewmen from a dozen different ships. Most of them senior officers. All of them breathing a little heavy.

“The test crew are down in auxiliary control monitoring the weapons and engines without having to worry about running and fighting the ship Captain.” The First Officer (who was in line to Command the next Destroyer they got their hands on, this ship in fact if Jack had not named and claimed it as a test ship) said as he walked into the Bridge from behind Jack. “Auxiliary Control has finished the departure Check list, all hull hatches and locks are closed and checked, we are on ships power, clamps are singled up and unlocked and we are ready to launch Captain.” And then sat down at the Tactical console breathing a little hard himself.

The marine that had been at the bottom of the gangplank tunnel came running up out of breath as he took his position next to the hatch and said. “Main hatch locked and secured sir.”

The Comm officer spoke up. “Flight control says we are cleared to launch Captain. Number one in the chute.”

“In other words the rest are waiting on me.” Jack looked around pissed that his First Officer on the Red Pepper was not going to let him take his destroyer out and fly it like a fighter into Combat with his skeleton test crew. Royally screwing up all the fun he had been looking forward to for at least a week. Though he had to admit finding something besides a couple dozen transports here was a lot more fun than he had planned on. “You may launch Number One.” Pouting because he did not get his way while feeling like a fifth wheel. ‘If he had wanted to be a damn Captain for this mission he would have stayed on the damn Red Pepper.’ Jack bitched at himself.

Taking a deep breath Jack new that he had lied to himself, he had grabbed the damn Phoenix so he wouldn’t risk the Red Pepper and the lives on it. He also had to admit that having a full crew had just doubled his chances of making it out alive no matter what happened. But damn it, he still wanted to pilot the damn thing. At least for a few minutes even if it wasn’t into combat. He knew from experience that piloting while in combat instead of doing his job as Captain had cost lives when he had gotten to busy piloting to see the big picture that included the ship’s operations as well as the enemies. That he or any Captain could not think about the big picture if he or she was busy piloting. A stupid sounding expression to anyone that has never command a ship before. A fighter pilot had to operate as close to instinct as possible as fast as things changed in battle, with rapid instant responses with no time to think about other things, and take it for granted that the fighter he or she was in was ready and fully capable and the game plane was all there was. But that was not enough on a ship. It was the Captain’s responsibility to keep the ship ready and able to fight while thinking about the rapidly changing Game Plan and everything else to keep the ship away from dangers that even the best pilots could not see or avoid while out smarting the enemy and it was a full time job that did not need any distractions including having fun. “Shit!” Jack said much too loud.

“Captain?” The First Officer turned to face Jack.

“Nothing Number One. Just commenting on Life.”

The first Officer turned back around smiling with a little chuckle. He knew the Captain had been using this DD as his own personal play toy for the last week and sympathized with him but knew play time was over.

Taking a deep breath Jack got busy being Captain. “Navigator, follow the track left by the scout bombers and fighters headed for the Staging Station. Pull up when we reach their deployment marker. Sparks, make sure we don’t have our fly open please and weapons, you have 15 minutes to get the 8/4s programmed not to shoot our dicks off and see if you can get the lower turrets deploy fare enough to use if we need them. They should be able to fire straight ahead and to the sides.” Taking a deep breath. “As close as we are going to be to the enemy, I don’t think we have to worry about not hitting anything with the 24/16’s. In fact if we go up against fighters and bombers we may want to test low power rapid fire with the diffusers. We don’t need full power against lightly armored fighters and several shots a second with a couple hundred foot wide beam footprint means we don’t have to be that accurate. Get with the test guys in auxiliary control and get me that option ready, give them something useful to do. Engineering, I want you to get the mass scoops engine bypass hooked up to the engine’s mass diffuser. We may need to use it as another rear defense weapon against fighters. I think I have a way to aim the matter stream like a tail gun to help out the 5 inch turrets back there. Get things going down there and then get back to me and we can go over what we will need for the coils and controls.” They had already figured out how to use the Scoops put on to supply mass to the original Destroyer’s engines to clear a path through the cloud for the ship and then shoot the extra mass back out using a second set of cones to deposit and fill the void left behind leaving no trace of the ships passage. But they didn’t need stealth when fighters were already on their ass, they needed every weapon they could come up with.

Jack looked at the pilot’s Cockpit wishfully again then turned back to being Captain of the Phoenix.

Jack did a double take as the Doctor/Steward walked through the bridge hatch still breathing a little hard. “Sorry I had to take a break in the air lock. I didn’t realize you needed me until just before you were ready to leave. Almost didn’t make it.”

“Ok and why do I need you?”

“I may be a terrible sensor operator but I am still a damn fine Doctor and even if I don’t get the sensors figured out I can still take care of the wounded and I am still your steward.” Smiling at Jack as she sat down at a station at the same relative place. “But the thing is I am finding all kinds of similarities with scanners and sensors we use all the time on the body in surgery and the wards, in a lot of the ship’s external sensors and scanners. I just may be able to tell you if some of those ships are dead or not. I may even be able to trace where the live ones have gone if they are hiding or driven to a few compartments.” Frowning as she kept tapping on the board’s screen. “That is if I can get this damn board to cooperate. Just give me a few more minutes. I may not be able to do much now but in time I should be able to tell you if a ship has a flee infestation.” Chuckling. “Fact is if what I think I saw on the other board is correct, if you pull up within a couple miles of a ship, I should be able to scan the whole crew and tell you which ones are sick and what treatments they need once I get the board down pat. Make some hell of a ship’s call. Is that what you had in mind Captain?”

“Ya I think that will do Truitt.” Jack could not help but chuckle himself. “Damn Truitt. You are out of uniform. You are now my ships aaa. Damn. I need to make up a new tittle or position… Yes… I can’t have my Medical Scanning Officer running away to treat patients every time someone skins their elbow. And here I was just getting used to your tea and flapjacks.”

“Don’t worry Captain I still love cooking. You will still get your tea and flapjacks.”

“No Truitt, you are going to be way to busy training new Medical sensor Techs. Right now figure out how to tell if there are any Apes or slaves on the ships we are going to be approaching in a few minutes mixed in with the humans. I really don’t want to risk sending troops into traps to rescue humans that are already as good as dead. It will also save us a great deal of manpower if we don’t have to worry about our backs or wasting time hunting for the survivors.”

Truitt started licking her lips. “I am still learning Captain but I think this board is broken or at least different than the one I was just on. It looks the same but it is not. I am having to start over again.”

“Damn. Yes these are new boards and combine the best of both Humans and the Gods. Number One, get the techs, aaa, the sensor man from auxiliary control up here to help her and the rest of the bridge crew figure out the new boards. This is important.” Sitting back in the Command Chair as an Alturian (Jack recognized as one of the Test engineers) rushed in to sit next to Truitt as several others did the same around the bridge. A Yellow and purple manikin dropping down on a jump seat next to the pilot. Jack suddenly remembering that it had taken a few minutes for him to get used to the slightly different placement of a few of the controls in the pilots cockpit. Chuckling at the thought that he may get to pilot the ship after all if the pilot found the new configuration to different but was quickly disappointed when the pilot seamed to already know most of the changes as did the rest of the bridge crew. Evidentially they had not been sitting on their hands over the last week either even if they were on the other DD’s.

Turning back to the Doctor as he started thinking about what she had said and smiled. ‘If she thought she could do all that with the old sensors and controls on the Red Pepper, I can’t wait to see what she will do with these.’ Jack said to himself. The exslaves and the human crews and refugees had had months now working together at upgrading the Republic sensors and equipment and were pulling off some damn surprising work. Most of those upgrades had not even been put on the Red Pepper yet but did manage to get slapped onto the Phoenix while it was strapped to the Spider Battleship hulk. Evidentially the exslaves and republic engineers had been a little afraid of going too far with advances on the Red Pepper for fear of failing so they concentrated on simply matching what the Red Pepper already had as they mixed the two technologies. The Phoenix was different and they had gone hog wild using the best from both Techs to do things neither could do on their own. That Tech was already paying off with what Jack was able to see as he studied the large bay in the cloud.

“Approaching the Scout deployment Marker sir.” The Navigator said a half hour later.

Jack turned away from the tactical screen showing the junk yard the Recon Pebbles with the enhancements the new tech on the Phoenix had helped reveal. Each hulk was showing signs of activity and repairs. Small power sources were scattered across most of them with no Main Central Power Cores on any of them (hot enough for the little pebbles to pick up anyway) except the core energy leaks on several hulks that were obviously being stripped. The Station did show a central heavily shielded power core sending power to most of the decks but like all the hulks it was going out of its way not to radiate any active signals including any more power than it had to. Which was actually doing quit good for a 200 year old Power Core that used a design that was out dated when it was new, Jack told himself. The only Battleships that looked like they were in fair shape were docked at the Station taking what little amount of power they were using from the Station.

Jack wondered why the Battleships in decent shape were at the station and not a few of the many damaged ships so they could use the Station’s help to make repairs. After all, that was what Stations were supposed to do… Well there was final outfitting and supply’s before deploying but that did not make sense here. Did it? But then nothing made sense around the station and the Bay (or small sea) around it in the cloud. What really worried Jack most was the question of what had happened to the transports that were supposed to have been sent here. He could not see any signs of them anywhere. “Very well, Pilot follow the left bomber trial at quarter impulse. That will put us coming out at the back side. Comm, get me the assault Transports.”

The two Assault Transports Captain’s appeared on Jack’s screen.

“Deploy your scoops using minimum power with a wide sweep to slow and stop here at the marker then kill them. I don’t want to take the chance they may see your engine exhaust if you turn around to decelerate. I am continuing in to check things out. If I call you in, get straight in fast so we can get the job done. But if we uncover a hornet’s nest, don’t wait for orders, just get the hell out of here as quietly as possible under full stealth. We will leave by a different route for them to chase. You are not to engage the enemy under any circumstances unless I order it. Is that clear? If this is a trap we are going to be so out gunned so badly we won’t stand a chance without reinforcements and a lot of planning and recon work. Is that understood Captain Renalds? Captain Nolen?”

Both Captain’s grimaced. And forced out an answer. “Yes sir. Run to fight another day Admiral.”

Taking a breath Captain Nolen got stubborn. “But what of the …”

Jack interrupted him. “If this is a Trap there won’t be anyone to rescue Captain no matter how inviting and desperate they may look or sound. By the time we got to them they all would be dead. That is if we lasted for more than 5 minutes.” Jack grimaced himself. “If it is possible to get them we will come back and get them but playing our game not theirs.”

“I can’t believe that those are not our ships Admiral.” General Meyers said.

“They are our ships Captain but they may not be our crews. Or they could have guns to their heads. There is no way a bunch of hulk battleships got here all the way from the Fringe Battle on their own and if they were Republic controlled crews they would have gone to any one of a hundred systems on this side of Earth instead of here. Is that understood?” Jack took a breath. “I hope that this isn’t a trap and that these ships and their crews are just lucky ass holes that managed to do the impossible for some idiotic reason that we can’t fathom but that is very unlikely since they have not contacted anyone in The Cloud. Most likely it is a trap outright or even a Trojan horse hoping to be taken back to The Rock so a tracking device we cannot detect or is not transmitting yet or the brain washed crews can destroy The Rock or both. Whatever, the Task force fleet remnants strange behavior and the fact they are here has got to be explained and it looks like the Phoenix is the one that has to do it. You just have to follow orders even if I stay behind with the fleet while you return to New Home to protect and help build a new fleet. Is that clear?”

Both Captains grudgingly acknowledged the orders and Jack broke the connection.

The entire bridge crew except the Pilot sat staring at Jack still shocked at what they had heard. One by one they returned to their work.

“Ensign Truitt, how are my new sensors coming along?” Jack smiled. “Sorry for forgetting to swear you in but I signed your commission this morning. You can get a proper uniform as soon as your shift is over.”

The Doctor/Steward now Ensign turned back around to face Jack. “Ensign? Aaa, they are coming. With Engineer Tuleen’s help it is looking good.”

The Alturian next to her smiled an Alturian smile which looked more like a human hated frown than smile though to them he was beaming. “We should have something for you in a few minutes. It will be very crud but I am amazed at what I think we can do in time Captain. We did not think to consult with medical engineers. Who would think to use sensors in these ways and in such strange combinations? Then the strange things she is tuning the sensors for were not even thought of.”

The Phoenix slipped around to the other side of the Staging area around behind the monster Asteroid that was some distance behind the Station away from the hulks with a bunch of smaller rocks around it. Jack was glad to be able to take a good look at its backside through the cloud to see no indications of anything small or large hiding there as it slowly tumbled. The Destroyers sensors never did see the Scout fighters or bombers but then they had added the human stealth tech coatings combined with the crystal armor the slaves had added and he was not expecting to see them while they were still in the cloud but he had them look anyway just to reassure himself. Hoping that if the smaller craft were well hidden then the bigger Phoenix was doing just as good. Later he would find out that the Phoenix had spent most of its time off the scopes of the Assault transports only a few miles behind them long before they had gotten to the deployment markers. The Red Pepper loosing Phoenix shortly after it had left the squadron while the Assault transports and the other destroyers stayed on their sensors the whole time.

But not knowing that at the time. Jack had finally let out his long held breath as they drifted slowly into the 20 mile wide cavern that made up the bay with the Station in the middle surrounded by some 50 wrecks with still no signs of the missing transports. Once they were out of the interference and fog of the clouds, information started flooding into the ship from her advanced sensors. Immediately finding that most of the hulks had at least one of their Main Power Core’s going on minimum but with all the shielding the Battleships had around them the Pebble’s simple sensors could not detect them. The Station itself turned out to be more alive as well. The hulks without active shielded power cores turned out to be in the process of being repaired using parts from the leaking running power core’d hulks.

“Admiral, I am picking up massive life forms on all the hulks and ships and the station.” The new Ensign Truitt said with a smile. “We should have the sensors tuned better in a few minutes now that we have targets. And then we can start scanning for individuals and numbers.”

“Hold off on scanning Ensign Truitt. We are still running silent. They don’t seem to even see us yet. Not even an IFF hit yet.”

“Captain, Tactical. I am counting now but almost half the hulks are missing most of their bows. A few have nothing forward of the engines but what looks like some kind of flexible bladder or dome across the open deck between hull bulkheads. Fact is most of the hulks being worked on or should I say repaired that are missing their bows have or are in the process of getting a dome across the open hull to form some kind of bow even if there is not much ship left. All the Battleships that are in one piece in the bay are in the process of patching over the holes in the hulls using scrap hull plates cut from the hulks. I am finding several skeletons now that don’t have a single solid strait section of hull plating left on them. The Battleships at the Station are full of patches with no detectable holes or damage on the outside and I would bet that their interiors are being outfitted using the stations services. Which would explain why they are there and not one of the wrecks that are still working on their hulls. Fact, I have a complete hulled Battleship drifting slowly toward the station now that has big gaps in its power distribution systems that is probably headed in to be re-outfitted itself and that one of the Battleships at the station is getting ready to depart the dock in about two more days from the power readings. About the same time as the ship with the newly repaired hull arrives. Though the ship getting ready to leave is showing some damn strange readings from its hull. I am reading rock more than metal.”

“Ok well that explains a lot except where are the Battleships that have already been repaired and re-outfitted. This can’t be the first one. Look for them Number One, fast.” Jack frowned trying to think. “Look for a trail leaving the Bay. They have to be going someplace. Pilot take us across the bay slowly.”

The Phoenix started drifting through the widely spread hulks as a boat sprang from a hulk on the other side of the group and headed for the Station but didn’t seem to be in any hurry.

“Captain, Sensors. I am getting some strange readings from the ships at the station and the one approaching it. The one getting ready to leave at the station has bumps of varying sizes that get rather large and even crags sticking up all over its hull and as I said is reading more rock than metal.”

“What the hell. Highlight the ship and get me a close up of it on the screen fast.”

“Captain, a boat has just left one of the hulks behind us and is approaching fast. It will pass a half mile off our port side. If they didn’t see us before, this guy can’t miss us unless he is blind.”

A ship attached to the station appeared on the main screen as the boat started to pass the Phoenix about a half mile away and suddenly whipped its tail around and started decelerating sending a stream out along its course. Coming to a stop it turned to face the Phoenix still floating slowly along on a Sunday cruise.

“Captain, Do you want me to jam any transmissions from it?”

Jack looked at the docked ship on the screen that looked more like an asteroid than a ship. Swallowing hard. “No. Let them yell their heads off.” Jack turned to look back into the cloud and the hundreds of hidden asteroids they had taken for granted were there for mining and closed his eyes for a few second.

Whispering barely loud enough to hear himself he said. “Open hailing frequencies. Keep the power low. I don’t want the whole universe to hear us.”

“Boat is screaming its head off Captain. Direct laser comm to the Station in the clear.”

With the comm light appearing at the corner of the main screen. Jack took a deep breath. “Staging Station Delta 7, this is Acting Vice Admiral Turner of the Gama 13 Basestation aboard the Destroyer USS Phoenix looking for some of my lost Supply Transports. I was told that I would find them here. It seems I have stumbled onto something I was not informed should be here. Any information concerning what appears to be the lost and Destroyed Task Force 58 and my wayward Supply Transports would be greatly appreciated. I will wait here for contact. Out.”

“Pilot bring us to a stop. Bring up our shields to full and arm our point defenses Number One. Pilot, at the first hint of an attack, I want full thrust and use Tango evasive maneuvers to get us out of here strait across the bay and not the way we came. Stay as far away from any Rocks you can. I believe they are Battleships in disguise. Sensors, full sweep and power. If we have any Spider Battleships hiding deeper in the cloud or down the corridors our scouts have not had time to spot, I want to know about them now. I also want hard scans of the ships around us Truitt. Tell me if they have any Apes on them. I also want a scan of that monster rock. It is too big to be a damn Spider Battleship. It could be one of the Spider fighter Carriers. I want to know what it is ASAP.” Jack was suddenly regretting leaving Pan and most of the other ex-slaves behind just in case the Station was like The Rock. The last thing he needed to do was make anyone panic while he was trying to get food for the starving human crew and the refugees back at the Base Station. But he could have used Pan’s advice about the Spiders right then.

The Comm officer turned to Jack as a mute icon appeared at the corner of the main screen. “Captain. Sir, Admiral. You are still on Comm. You have an open screen I have muted for a second. Do you want me to cut the Comm sir?”

Jack smiled at her and whispered. “No. Lieutenant. Keep it live.” Then after the mute icon disappeared. “Weapons, charge our big guns and activate torpedoes. Blow the first ship that fires at us out of creation and as many as you can on our way out.” Sitting back in the Command Chair Jack took a deep breath and slowly, nonchalantly said. “And now we wait to see if these ass holes are Republic friends or Spider fools trying to pull something over on us. Too bad we didn’t make it to the Station. It would have been fun knocking on their hatch and saying high while looking them in the eyes to see if they are human or not.”

“Mr. Cummings. What is the betting odds of them being friendly?”

“Aaa Admiral, since I can’t see how they got here with the engines they have, I would say they are 50 to 1.”

Jack was looking at the large rock still mostly hidden in the Cloud and suddenly Jack knew what the big monster was. “Would the Fact that the big rock is the lost Black Dwarf make the Odds any better?”

“Yes except that it still would have been easier for them to have hit one of the systems closer to the Battle. So it is still 35 to 1 Admiral. Not to mention that they have not told anyone yet that they are here that we know of after 6 months.”

“Well then let’s speculate as to why they hadn’t told anyone Number One.”

Shrugging his shoulders the First Officer turned from his Tactical board. “I now if I knew or suspected I had some kind of Spider Tracking beacon that the Republic could not detect on my ships, I would not make contact even if I had a couple of Spider Battleships keeping me from leaving, or even spy’s or plants aboard .”

“No, I don’t think they have a gun to their heads Number One, or they wouldn’t be going to all the effort to rebuild their ships but you may have something on the beacon. It may be that they suspect that one or several of the torpedoes that hit the fleet may have been beacons. Comms, after capturing a couple of Spider Battleships and the slaves they had crewing them that have helped us kill a couple dozen Spider Battleships so fare. Do you think we could find and even detect such a beacon hidden on the ships of the fleet?”

“No problem Admiral. Our knew Comms not only have the Spider frequencies we did not know even existed before capturing their ships but we have developed a few they don’t even know about and have their codes. We can read their emails like school kids and we would have picked up any transmissions and finding any sleepers is just a matter of looking for them.”

“So if that is not it, then what the hell could be their antisocial problem that turned them into hermits?”

“Actually Admiral it may not be TF-58’s fault or the Station’s.” Doctor, now Ensign Truitt, spoke up. “From what I know about what is going on back on Earth and The Rock. There is another possible problem. ”

Jack turned his chair around to face her.

“They may have tried to contact The Rock when they first got here but if they got ahold of Vice Admiral Ditzen or one of his or the Cabal cronies, he may have buried it for political reasons. From what we have found out so far, the Staging area was put on comm lockdown about the same time the Task Force arrived here. The political backers of the Ultra Liberal University educated Congressional appointed Admiral Bingamton thinks Politicians are smarter and better equipped to fight this war than the Admirals and Generals that have spent their lives in the military (and have fought wars for almost a thousand years since the Republic was founded). The President’s Democrat Party are trying to make Binghamton into a hero for saving half the fleet while the other half was destroyed. Saying that Admiral Spencer and Admiral Halsey, both Career Admirals, are the reason we lost so many ships and almost half a million crewmen when they disobeyed orders. They are trying to make Bingamton the Supreme Admiral’s Executive Aid, where he will have full control of staffing and promotions across the fleet. He has said at several political fund raising dinner talks over the years that he has a hit list of Career Admirals he is going to get rid of and replaced with Political Correct elite Democrat Party Admirals.”

Almost snorting in disgust. “If the public found out that Admiral Bingamton left Taskforce 58 to die while he ran when he could have saved them, he would no longer be a hero. Having the Remnants of Taskforce 58 show up with Admiral Spencer able to defend himself and prove that if Admiral Bingamton had stayed and fought using any smarts at all, they could have saved more of the fleet is the last thing the Cabal wants.” Looking at the tactical screen. “With the more maneuverable and faster Battleships of TF-50 as help, most of the fleet could have been saved by the looks of it.”

“So you think Vice Admiral Ditzen is just a political hack of Binghamton?”

“Why else would he cut off all comms to this Station which we knew about already and then use it for a black hole for everyone that gets in the political cabals way. Which we didn’t know about before this. I bet he has been sending more ships here than just our supply ships. It would explain why Admiral Halsey is so damn short on transports and no one has seen several admirals for months. I will even bet that those smaller rocks farther out are camouflaged Transports. Ours amongst them.”

“So you don’t think this is a trap?”

“Oh it is definitely a trap.”

Jack sat forward in the Command chair.

“But not by the Spiders. I don’t detect any signs of Apes or any of the other slave races having been on any of the ships. Nor can we find any of the traces we have detected in the past that the Spider engines and ships leave behind where ever they go. No. This trap is by the Democratic party’s Political Cabal that has already taken over Earths Government putting ¾’s of the population on the government welfare dole so they have to vote for the Democrats or fear losing their paychecks and health care with all the remaining industries and businesses run by the Government through the Unions and strict costly government permits and rules for everything including allowing the public to go anywhere or do anything outside their small size restricted apartments.”

Shaking her head as she grimaced. “When they decided Political Correctness was having to buy a Travel Permit on the Government Internet to leave your apartment to go to the store to buy food so the streets and supermarkets would not be crowded with restrictions on which businesses you could shop at. I decided it was time to get the hell off of Earth. Only as a Doctor I was not allowed to buy a permit to leave the City or the Planet. Because I even tried, I was assigned a politically correct friend to take me to meetings to talk about my politically incorrect Anti-social behavior.” The Doctor/new Medical Sensor Tech Officer growled as she continued. “I had to walk into the recruiting mall office with the clothes on my back to get away from the Black suited politically correct police that came to my office that always showed up when someone took a vacation to one of the Democrat Politically Correct retreats to make them enlightened. I almost didn’t make it out the back door as they were bullying their way through my receptionist with their search and arrest warrant. Then made it out of the alley before they blocked it off.”

Breathing hard she took a deep breath. “I didn’t think it could happen to me but since then I have been keeping up with the speeches and writings of these people including Old Admiral Binghamton. He even wrote a book on how he would take over the Fleets High Command and the Admiralty once they had a powerful enough President and he was famous enough to get him the appointment he needed. Now they are trying to take over The Rock so they can Profit from the War and spread Political Correctness and the Democrat Liberal Agenda to the rest of the Republic whether they want it or not. Even if they lose the War doing it by the looks of it.”

“Oh I am sure that the Liberal smarter than everyone else Academics that mostly run the Democrat Party are sure that all we have to do is be nice to the pour misunderstood Spider Gods. Order someone else to bend over letting them fuck us up the ass to show them how Enlightened we are to forgive them for slaughtering billions of humans that were not as Enlightened as they and everyone will get along splendidly and sing Cumby-Ya all night long around the campfire orgy. While the Academics teach the Spider Gods Political Correctness and how they should wipe their butts when they pee out of whatever orifice they pee out of for their own good while they take over their schools to teach their kids to be proper Communists.”

Jack could not help but laugh as he sat back in his chair. She sounded a lot like his Grandfather Pop back on the Turner Joy. It was just as boring back then but know he suddenly realized that maybe there was something to that political shit and it could start costing the lives of his crews. “Well then. The same people that are screwing us over are screwing over the 50 some ships that made it here from Task force 58 and their hundred thousand survivors as well then. Isn’t that a riot?”

“Actually Admiral. According to our new scanners, Task force 58 know consists of well over a quarter million people and a hundred plus ships. Though most of them have had the shit knocked out of them. A long way from the 200 that it started with.”

“Damn. That many? Then my hat is off to Admiral Spencer if he is still alive. Especially if he managed to save that damn many crewmen as well as that many ships before they ran out of Reaction Mass.” Shaking his head as he looked at the Tactical. “But that does not answer why they came here instead of heading for the nearest safe Starsystem or for that matter how the hell they got here with no fuel?”

The Navigator turned around and faced Jack. “Aaa. Admiral, I may have something on that. I have studied the long range tapes of Task Force 58 as it was torn apart by the Spider ships chasing it. It was out running the 3 Spider Battleship squadrons chasing them until ships started running out of reaction mass and then the whole TF seemed to slow down. We thought that they were just trying to conserve and stretch their reaction mass. Now it is obvious they were slowing down to fight the spider Battleships while they evacuated the ships running out of reaction mass while they remassed the ones they could. It looked to me also that when Task Force 58 slowed down the Spiders started trying to get around the fleet to cut them off knowing they had to head for a friendly system in their range and the Spider ships could then pick them off. Only Task Force 58 headed out into deep space which just happen to be in this general direction before the rest of the fleet in Task force 50 that did not have to worry about reaction mass, was out of sensor range. Everyone just took it for granted that the rest of TF 58 was eventually ran down by the spiders when they ran out of reaction mass. A belief confirmed when they saw ships blowing up in the void to far away to tell who they were.”

The Commander at the Navigation console smiled. “I ran some calculations and I think that the ships we see here are the number of ships one Dwarf could feed to out run the spiders and still drop below Warp speed (faster than light) and make it into a system. But they couldn’t make much of a course change. Not enough to turn and hit any of the systems between there and half way here. And once they came half way, why not just go all the way as fast as they were already going at that point. Basically they did what we did because they had no choice. I checked the Scans and they show particles from that same cold black nebula we almost hit. Only their hulks are still out gassing massive amounts of the particles from that nebula. They must have hit it head on. God only knows how they survived it unless they hit it going a lot slower than we did. And I agree with Ensign Truitt. If any Spider ship had hit that cloud even with their shields. We would be able to pick them up a light year away with our new scanners now we know to look for the traces even in this soup.”

“Praise the Lord! Finally something that makes sense and fits all the variables. But why the hell are those Bozo’s staying tight lipped now? Well then. I guess we wait.” Jack looked down at his wrist checking the time. “Shit. I need to get this info to Admiral Halsey now instead of waiting for these Bozos to get around to deciding to talk to us.” Jack jumped up and tapped the pilot on the shoulder and gave him a thumbs over his shoulder and waited for the pilot to vacate the cockpit. “Engineering, I hope you have those new Anti-Mass-coils tuned properly.” Jack said as he plopped down hitting the maneuvering alarm and started tapping on the board. “Comm drop a Comm buoy and keep a close watch for anything from these bozo’s if they ever get their heads out of their assess and decide to talk to us. I bet they are as starved as we are as long as they have been here even with our food stuffing their faces. Time to get us all some consumables. And the first step is talking to our only contact we can trust at The Rock. Hell our only contact anywhere outside of Gama 13 other than slime bucket Vice Admiral Ditzen.” Shaking his head. “Evidentially the only one these guys here have been able to talk to too since they are being so stuck up. They probably don’t know who to trust.”

Getting a big smile Jack checked the tactical screen for anything in their way and smiled as he slapped the Comm for the General Traffic Control channel at all Republic Stations as he turned on their IFF beacon. “Taskforce 58, give me a call when you want to talk, I have to go talk to my boss. Delta 7 traffic control, keep clear of my filed exit corridor for the next few seconds. I am going to see what this baby will do at full throttle. Out.”

Jack lifted the cover off the hard wired initiate button and said. “ONE!” Then slapped the big red button.

The ship vanished from the Staging area bubble as a small oblong dent appeared in the cloud on the opposite side from where the little destroyer had been sitting. The scoops clearing a hole for the Destroyer and then dumping the mass right back to fill the hole again after it passed not even leaving invisible shock waves rippling out through the cloud. With an acceleration of well over 14,000 Gees, no human eye could have seen it even start to move as it disappeared from one eye frame to the next one 60th of a second later. Even the Station’s sensors that were scanning the little ship at a thousand frames a second caught it in only the next frame half way across the open area. Then found several minutes later as they picked up the Destroyers IFF beacon still transmitting deep inside the cloud.

The Destroyer appeared stopped next to the Red Pepper several million miles away a few seconds later. The automatic defenses not even having the time to register it was coming before it was there. The Identification Friend or Foe (IFF) system identifying it as friendly only a millisecond faster than the Point Defense system firing solution saving the destroyer from being targeted. Though it would have taken another half a second for the guns to get slaved on target and the missiles to be launched.

Jack made sure the transmit icon was still in the corner of the screen showing the comm buoy was functioning properly. “Red Pepper, I will be aboard as soon as we dock. Have the comm room cleared by the time I get there. I need to Phone Home. Oh and forget I said that.”

The Red Peppers First Officer smiled and said “By your Command Admiral.”

Jack got up and stepped over next to the Command Chair and waited facing the main screen. Yawning Jack suddenly frowned and turned to Ensign Truitt and said in a voice only she could hear. “You remember the God frequencies we were talking about earlier?” Getting her baffled node. “Have you checked them?”

“No sir. I thought we were just aaaa. Speculating.”

Rolling his eyes, a low growl escaped his throat. “Well, speculate no more and check them well. Look for even a trace and next time take the damn hint since you should have been doing it already.”

Frowning as Jack turned back to the main screen showing the Station surrounded by ship hulks, her fingers started flying over the console like she had been at it all her life.

A few seconds later the Comm Officer said. “Admiral Spencer on the Comm Admiral Turner.”

“About time. Admiral Halsey would not be happy if I could not tell him if his buddy Admiral Spencer was alive or not when I talk to him in a few minutes. And forget I said that.”

Admiral Spencer appeared on the screen replacing the view of the station and the surrounding ships. “Excuse me for eavesdropping on the channel you left open while I had you checked out Captain Turner to make sure it is you. According to my last records and the Earth programing and News casts that are always bouncing around the Cloud. You are still a Captain. How does one get promoted skipping Commodore to Vice Admiral in only a few weeks unless Earth News about the Hero of The Cloud Battle with 23 confirmed Spider Battleships on his record is that out dated and wrong? It had you confirmed as Captain only a month ago with the awarding of the CMH.”

Jack frowned for a second as he got a look at how thin the Admiral looked. Touching the Doctors shoulder behind him she looked up and simply whispered as the Admiral continued to speak. “Looks like they have the same problem we have. He has lost more than just a lot of weight.”

“Ya I guess getting any supplies here is a bust.” Jack said out of the corner of his mouth as the admiral talked.

When the Admiral asked his question how he had become an Admiral, Jack smiled. “Well Admiral, You slap a couple of Spider Battleship Hulks together to create enough mass to qualify as a Basestation with a Vice Admirals billet so I could out rank a certain Vice Admiral Ditzen before he took command of a simple station and destroyed both the Battleship hulks I just happen to have sitting around and imprison and torcher my crew while executing them as enemies of The State while he steels the secrets of advanced weapons to give him and the people he works for an advantage to reinstate his Flag and take over The Rock.” Taking a deep breath as Jack smiled at the Admiral and then. “Now that was a mouth full but I think I got it all in.” Looking up. “Well most of it.”

“Yes that was a mouth full Vice Admiral. Now what is this about Calling Admiral Halsey at The Rock? There is a long range direct Comm blackout at The Rock. All messages go through staging stations. I have been trying to get ahold of anyone but that fucking Ditzen for 5 months and now I can’t even get him.”

“Well Ditzen is a bit busy as I said trying to kill me and my crew. That is if he doesn’t walk out an alien airlock accidentally. Right now he is trying to take over the Gama 13 station so he is running up and down the corridors of the station filling out a little test I gave him to qualify to Command the Station forcing me back to a simple Captain so he can enforce his nasty little plans.” Chuckling to himself. “The fact that I had to execute half his staff with the other half in sickbay with blaster wounds and under arrest after they tried to shoot me off the stage when the Admiral found out he had neglected to fill out Form 782 stopping the turn over ceremony is probably slowing him down a bit and will take him at least a couple of weeks. The shame is he found the Flag deck and the Captains Galley.”

“Yes 782, I am well aware of that little form. It has been the undoing of many a Commander when it is ignored or forgotten until something happens and lives are lost and then it becomes a very important career killing or making little piece of paper.” The Admiral smiled. “And his Staff tried to kill you? But let me see now… You can’t arrest him since I doubt he had a gun himself.”

“Yes I had his pistol taken away from him before that when he got all pissed off and stuck it in my ribcage because he thought I was stalling.” Jack smiled. “Which I was. My crews were busy stripping the station but more importantly his 8 wrecked battleships docked to it and pilfering their crews that really didn’t approve of the way he was running his squadron. For some reason with them off their ships for the Turnover Signing Ceremony, they expressed an interest in transferring to my little Command when I said I needed help to fight the Spiders and not Republic ships or bombarding colonies which is what most of their training was. What can I say?”

“Ok why was 8 wrecked Battleships docked at your station in the first place? Is there some Spider Battleship Activity going on around the Cloud not in the National news?”

Jack chuckled. “Not since I took out the last one a couple months ago. Vice Admiral Ditzen tried destroying the Basestation as soon as his squadron jumped out of the cloud and got into position over the Station. Of all the stupid places to attack from. They created one hell of a mess scratching up the top spider armored shield deck on the station with their new 24inch guns and the area around the Station with a massive Torpedo launch. My squadron had to knock out most of the 480 guns and their engines. Though about a quarter of his gun barrels exploded before they could be knocked out. I am sorry to say both sides had a few casualties. I lost a bomber and a pilot I still plan on taking out of his hide and the Admiral lost 8 Battleships but only a few crewmen thank God. My gunners on the attack runs were careful to only damage the turrets and not penetrate in deep were the crews were. The guns themselves are in good shape and fit nicely on my destroyers. The Admiral’s supply ship squadron came down the Corridor the next day and I got a few more ships to join. Only thing was they lacked Consumables as well. Why I decided it was time to go looking for our wayward Supply ships Admiral Halsey had been sending our way that never got there. At least I am glad someone got them that needed them.”

“Speaking of Corridor’s. How did you get here when I can’t get a ship past the next corridor intersection even when I was able to scrape up enough reaction mass for a squadron? It is mined with what must be a million mines and a full squadron of battleships and a Battlestation with guns bigger than my Dwarf has and only allows ships to pass one way. Or is that it? You came in and are stuck here as we are.”

“MM, I wonder if we have the same Intersection Battlestation guarding Gama 13.” Jack thought for a second and smiled. “Too bad we don’t need to use the existing corridors anymore to get around through the mazes of Cleared Passageways in the cloud. We make our own corridors now. Well at least my ships do as I hope you noticed.”

“You don’t say and yes I noticed you disappear into the cloud. Including you showing off your ship. Are those really 24 inch guns under your wings and a battleship engine under its ass?”

“Yap Admiral. Gives the Destroyer quite a kick in its pants along with a bit of a punch.”

“Nice but I don’t quite understand why you would want to go to all the trouble to make those changes to a light weight destroyer. One hit by even our 16 inch guns will destroy it not to mention those monster Guns the Spiders tore us up with.”

“That’s just it Admiral, even your Battleships got tore up. My little destroyer is a lot harder to hit than your Battleships and should be able to get close enough fast enough to get behind the Spider Battleships forward facing armored decks and take out their Monster Guns. And if a few get hit we still have a hundred others to finish the fight instead of the enemy taking out 60 guns with one hit on one big slow target.” Jack got serious. “So Admiral, I have quite a few Questions for you but it is a waste of time for me to ask them here when Admiral Halsey is going to want to ask the same questions. I would like to invite you over to have a chat with the Admiral if I have your permission to bring my little squadron in to visit and maybe we could get an update on your Supply situation even though it looks like your crew is more emaciated than mine.”

Jack felt a tap on his leg and bent an ear Truitt’s way. “We are detecting enemy frequencies from the fleet and station Admiral. I am trying to localize them now but it will probably take hand helds on the ships themselves to locate them. We will have to add a module to our PDA’s with an app but they should be able to detect and trace the transmitting sources.”

Jack took a deep breath as his mind went into high speed for several seconds as he adjusted his thinking and planning. “Damn Admiral Spencer. Change in plans. I have been fighting these Ass holes for almost 8 months now and lost too many good crewmen and I will not lose any more to stupid mistakes. I am sorry to have tell you this but we have just detected God transmissions from your fleet. My troops are going to search your ships to find the active transmitters and to make sure you do not have anything else Spider God related accidentally or purposefully planted on your ships. My marines are a mix of human and ex-slave God troops that are very good at what they do and they will find them.” Looking at the Admiral with a stone face. “Now if you cooperate we will get it done in a day or two.”

Jack looked at the Admiral with steely eyes. “If not, I will bring in the rest of my Big Gun Destroyers and start blowing up your ships into scrap even I can’t repair until I have your cooperation Admiral. Please believe me when I say that you can’t stop me. This little Destroyer you and the Rest of The Rock dismiss as shit can take out every ship you have in a couple hours with the odds of you even scratching our paint so low that I will probably have dinner while my joiner bridge crew get some training in.” Jack finally smiled. “And I have 2 squadrons assigned to me now with another hundred waiting to be picked up. Though Even Admiral Halsey does not know what they are truly capable of yet. Don’t make me attend the funerals for half your crews because I have to do what I must. We are running out of time quickly with a God Fleet approaching the Cloud. These transmitters are short ranged but the enemy may already have detected them.” Though Jack knew that all the God ships he could see were headed back along The Cloud and not in this direction he was not going to take a chance that would change soon.

Jack sat down staring at an open mouthed Admiral Spencer for a second before getting up and walking to the Comm console. Reaching over the operator’s shoulder he tapped up a window and then looking back at the Admiral. “You have about an hour to prepare your ships and crews. And believe me if you have even a chip from a God missile or shell that could serve as a beacon taken off a dud missile that hit one of your ships, as a souvenir, we will find it. And according to this mass of little wavy lines.” Jack pointed at the top of the comm screen window. “You have a bunch. Turner out.”

Jack slapped the Comm. “General Meyers, we have detected some God tracking transponder transmissions from the fleet. You will have to find their sources and eliminate them. I don’t think you will find any God troops or crewmen but check anyway. I am going to have the Red Pepper electronics shops build up some plug in signal sensors for your PDA’s that should help if they work as they should. Baring that we will try to triangulate as best we can to narrow it down for you.”

“Don’t need the PDA sensors Admiral. Your Apes have been quite an education since you mixed them into our ranks. The Apes have a nice little hand held for that already. They love tracking down Command and Control centers with the little things during war-games’. We will find your transponders. How long until deployment?”

“About an hour General give or take. Depending on whether we get cooperation or not. We may have to go in hot but I hope to god we don’t but we have to take out those transmitters. I am going to try to get the other Division here as soon as possible so don’t spread your forces to thin. I don’t want to risk losing any of them.”

“Now Admiral, you know as well as I do that in an operation this big with all the new equipment, we would lose a few just too training accidents even in peace time. It just can’t be helped but we will keep the casualties to as few as possible and we will find and destroy those transmitters.”

“I am sorry General but I will take your word for that, I have very little experience with marine training operations this large. Most of my marine experience has been in the passageways during ship defense drills. Oh and be sure to record everything you can about those transmitters before you destroy them. If possible just shut them off and bring them back to the ship so we can get a close look at them later. And no killing unless it is absolutely necessary. These guys are supposed to be on our side and did not know about the transponders. At least most of them I hope.”

The General smiled. “Don’t worry Admiral my men know their jobs. Now I have to pass along new orders with a few perpetrations, we will be ready in 15 minutes. You just tell us when. Out.”

Jack turned to the pilot. “Lieutenant Commander, get me on the Red Pepper ASAP. I am headed for the lock now.” Turning to the Commander. “You have the ship Number One.”

Chapter 21; But Crewmen continue to die.

Jack walked into the Captain’s Ready room or Office or Day Cabin or Sweat. He was still trying to get his mind around what the exslaves had built him behind the Flying Bridge on the Red Pepper and sat down hitting the Comm. “You have New Home yet and General Sherman?”

“Yes sir.” Came the reply. “Waiting on line 1 Captain.”

Jack tapped line 1 and the General appeared. “I hear you have had a little trouble Admiral.”

“Just a little. I need you to hop the Assault Transports over hear as fast as possible to help with a search and destroy mission looking for transmitters and possible infiltrators on the remnants of TF-58. Grab anything you can think of to help including grabbing some tracking modules I am down loading the plans for to the Stations factories now. I am also sending you all the Tactical information. Have you finished swapping our Republic Assault Shuttles out for the Spider Assault Shuttles yet? They are a cut above the Republics and I am afraid we are going to lose troops here because General Meyers did not have the time to swap his before we left.”

“Yes Admiral we have finished swapping out everything including the support fighters. Though once the Republic fighters are upgraded with the new weapons and technology, I think they will do a better job. Surprisingly we have already finished swapping the weapons in our tanks and Mechs. But then the Engineers had already had a couple of months to work on the needed modifications to the Ape weapons to readily fit into Republic mounts with the ships changing blasters for lasers. Since the mountings and rings used on naval ships and marine equipment are the same, the swaps were easy. The training in the new suits is coming along as well with the Apes mixed into integrated units speeding things up rather well. Though I am glad that having 22,000 marines in the division instead of 18,000 is not making the Assault Transports as crowded as I thought they would be. The compact more efficient and capable Ape Armor is making a big difference there. Though I had not realized how much wasted space there was on the Transports until your crews finished adding decks to spaces that did not need to be two and three decks high even with the birthing decks for the Bigfoots.” The new General smiled. “I have been able to almost double our heavy weapons and Mechs. The Big foots I think are also going to be a good addition with the loads and strength they have with them serving as medics, supply and gun support when needed. At least on the larger ships and planets that we can use them on.”

The General lost his smile as he turned a bit sour. “Though I am afraid your R-bots are having some problems fitting into the squads. I must admit that having an additional 15,000 troops that store in the space of a few cargo containers sounds good but they have their limitations and they still have to be maintained. So fare their best use has been with the support personnel were their added strength, speed and senses are beneficial while having to recharge every 24 hours and the momentary control delays that keep cropping up are not such a handicap when you consider the R-bot operators are not in any danger.”

Thinking for a few seconds. “We are also having some success in training with a couple of R-bots assigned to squads where they can perform the more dangerous tasks such as walking point or taking and clearing tight places with the rest of the squad in support making up for their flaws. The biggest problem with that right now is who do you keep safe in the rear to operate the R-bots? A marine on line with his life on the line is not going to like it when the R-bot operators is safe in the rear areas or back aboard ship. Though that may not be a big deal when we start getting wounded in no condition to go to the front but can operate the R-bots. Then it is definitely going to be a force multiplier with the trained troops to operate them that are not physically capable of Combat.”

“So you are just using them as replacements then?”

“Until we can figure something else out yes. I cannot use squads made up of only R-Bots no matter how nice it sounds. We just finished a series of tests where R-bot squads were pitted up against marine squads and the R-bots lost big time every time. R-bots are easy to confuse simply because the interface between bot and pilot are not perfect. The only success was when they were simply guarding a hatch or area where a lot of movement was not required and the slight delay was not such a handicap. They were harder to take out because of being armored skeletons and damn hard to hit but they were still taken out though not as fast as a human sentry usually is. It is simply harder for the operator to have the same instant awareness of what is around them, which means it is lousy at close combat and will lose most times. But like I said they are great as trip wires on point and other dangerous jobs including some scouting. Well that is until the enemy figures out how to jam their controlling signals. Then we will be back with the old Mark 1 Marines Admiral.”

“Very well, do what you can during this deployment but we are going to need a hell of a lot more marines later. I want you to start planning a new marine division with people that don’t qualify physically for the marines but can operate the R-bots. That should get around the fact of fairness for the front line marines and maybe with a lot of training they can overcome the bots limitations. I will start working on those and the other R-bot problems as well. I think I can add a new plasma battery that will increase its charge to last a week at least. Then take a look at other improvements to speed up the awareness and response times. Start recruiting as soon as you get back to New Home if you can find anyone interested that is.”

“I don’t think recruits are going to be a problem Admiral.” The General had been taping on his desk the whole time they were talking which was starting to bother Jack a bit. “We have been turning them away in droves while picking only the best since this war started. The same goes since we stepped foot in the New Home Domes. I will start forming the Geek marines before we leave and get their training started. I will also take the older retirees that we have reactivated with us to start training on the bots. We will be out of here in an hour as soon as the new sensor modules are ready. Pan has given them top priority. Is there anything else Admiral?”

“No. I think that covers it for now. It took us two weeks to get here but with the new trail blazed pretty much straight here and mostly new corridors, you should be here in less than a week I hope. Contact me then. Out.” Jack had been disappointed when it had taken them two weeks to make it to the Delta 7 Station as close as it was as the crow flies but it turned out to be harder to cut tunnels than he had thought it was when you have a lot of ships with you. Especially when you are trying to keep the new tunnels and New Home secret. At least the reinforcement would only take a week to get there. Though he was now having doubts about their return trip with a hundred half destroyed mass starving Battleships and the Black Dwarf.

Jack tapped the Comm again as the General disappeared off the screen. “Have you established a link with Admiral Halsey yet?” The Secret Comm laser had not stayed secret for very long when the Comm Techs had returned with the call logs still on the screen after Jack’s first conversation with Admiral Halsey. The AI Zoote had screwed up. Then with the push to get the equipment out and set up keeping it a secret from at least the Comm crews and Senior Officers was impossible. Too many crewmen already knew about the new equipment anyway during the development and testing before Jack was told to keep it a secret. Making the secret the ongoing joke around the ship’s senior Officers as well as the Comm crews.

A few minutes later Admiral Halsey came on the screen. Jack spent a good 15 minutes filling the general in on what had happened with TF-58 at Delta-7.

Admiral Halsey shook his head and frowned. “I will review the down load later but for now it sounds like you could have been a little more diplomatic with Admiral Spencer. I am sure the Admiral had no idea and is just as adamant as you about getting the transmitters off his ships.”

“No Sir.” Halsey’s eye brows lifted a little as Jack continued. “I had to make it perfectly clear immediately that I was the one in charge and doing the search, otherwise we would spend days wasting time over turf arguments when my men are the only ones that can insure that every ship is clean. I don’t want to waste time searching ships time and again as personnel are transferred around while we have to defer to the ships crews. Both of our forces probably have people that are going to start dying if we don’t get some supplies soon and we can’t worry about that until those damn transmitters are taken care of Admiral.” Jack frowned taking a deep breath. “Speaking of which we need food and we need it now. When can we expect Supply ships? At least a half dozen within two weeks or people start dying when we run out of MRE’s. My old Tramp Ship had to go on the emergency energy pills once and we lost a lot of people before we got back to civilization. It took a few month before they started dying but I am not going to take the chance. In 6 months that won’t be a problem when the domes start producing enough food for my crews but it will be years before we can start producing enough for the Admiral’s Crews even if they could last that long. Which brings up another problem I can get TF-58 out of there but where do they go. If I just take them to another Staging Station the same thing is going to happen to them or something worse. Can I just take them directly to The Rock?”

Admiral Halsey took a deep breath and grimaced. “Yes you do know where the rock is don’t you.” The Admiral stated not making it a question as Jack looked out the huge ports surrounding the ready room and pointed nonchalantly and smiled as he shrugged his shoulders as the Admiral continued. “No, if they even approached The Rock with Earth’s Congressional Cabal mostly in charge and the hysteria flooding the ranks thanks to that very Cabal, they would probably just declare them the enemy and wipe them out. Three hundred battleships against less than a hundred that are half hulks would not stand a chance or last long enough to surrender especially when the people in charge don’t want them to.”

“Ok well what if we just broadcast to the Republic that Task Force 58 has survived and returned and prove old Bingamton is a fraud.”

“Come Turner, the liberal Democrats run all the news services with the majority of the news castors proud members of the Democratic Party as well as the internet police. They aren’t going to allow that news to survive longer than an hour before they will have a hundred experts they invite and pay, publishing a consensus that says that Task Force 58 is dead and the news of their survival is a fraud. Scientist Consensuses is always used when scientific facts are lacking. With a growing number of reports and experts that know nothing about the subject and a thousand talking heads repeating the same exact words over and over again that the story is a fraud day and night while using every nasty name and slur in the book whenever talking about anyone that says different. No one is going to believe the truth.”

Admiral Halsey shook his head as he sat back in his chair disgusted. “There is already talk here coming from that very Cabal about a possible attack by Spider crewed Republic ships that were captured. No, I see now that they are already setting up an excuse to go to Delta 7 and take care of their problem in the next month at most. Going after the crews of TF-58 after it has pretty much starved to death and has no possible threat of defending itself. I have been watching it develop and ignoring it until now as panic talk.” Shaking his head. “Now that you have told me they are still alive it all makes sense. But there is nothing I can do about it right now Jack.”

“Well we have to do something Admiral.” Jack could not believe what he was hearing about the Admiralty.

“Yes we will do something Turner. We will do a lot but it is taking time to get the word out to the Colonies. For now do your search and get those transponders and give Admiral Spencer my apologies but tell him I said he better damn well cooperate with you and quit being a stubborn butt. Get the basic scans done and have him patched in to me as soon as possible so we can talk and figure out what we are going to do but the best bet is to send him to join your little Command at New Home.”

“And about the food situation Admiral? We need you to send as many transports of food stores as The Rock can spare. At least we know they will reach TF-58 and then we can take any surpluses you happen to send. That is if The Rock is not starving as well.” Jack said sarcastically meaning it as a joke.

Frowning the Admiral Shook his head. “The Rock has enough food to last a hundred years with everything it already produces for itself. But sorry Turner. I can’t ship a single food container out of here anymore and now I know why at least. They are trying to starve out TF-58 before they attack and destroy it.”

Hulsey chuckled and smiled. “Tell you what Turner. Staging Station Q-19, the closest Station to Earth, has become the cargo drop off point for ships coming from Earth and the Colonies. I am using it as a waypoint with the fast long range ships dumping off cargo for the slower short range cloud transports and tramps to bring to The Rock. They have enough food to feed millions for years and getting more in every day.” The Admiral started tapping on his desk. “I am sending you orders to pick up as much as you need. But you are going to have to use your own ships and any transports you can scrape up from what is stuck there with TF-58 to do it. I can’t give you anything, not one ship. Oh and one more thing. You will only get one shot at it. As soon as The Cabal finds out you took even one load of supplies which will take about 12 hours to get processed at The Rock, they will put a stop to it.” Halsey stopped in mid tap. “You have gotten those Destroyer already haven’t you?” and then waited for Jack to answer.

“Aaa, not yet Admiral. I have been a little busy running around this neck of the woods trying to rescue my food transports.” Jack suddenly had the urge to ask if he knew what a neck of the woods was since no one else could ever tell him exactly what it meant beside a general location but dropped it. Though his grandfather Pop used the expression a lot but would only smile when Jack asked him.

Shaking his head the Admiral started typing again. “I was afraid of that Turner. You are going to have to grab the ships first or forget about them as once you strip Q-19 they won’t let you near the ships sitting in storage at The Maze. Fact is, once you grab the food you still have to run a gauntlet of corridor security blocks across the full length of the cloud as the Cabal tries to keep you from getting back with it to Gama 13. Even if they have to plant a fleet at the Gama 13 Hulk Station which means you are going to have to cut all ties between New Home and the Hulk Station before you visit Q-19.” Taking a deep breath. “Don’t fail me here Turner. Without that food TF-58 and possible your little New Home is not going to last much longer and with them goes any chance we have of defeating the Spiders. I am sending you the Intel of cloud routes codes and procedures that may help you avoid the patrols and checkpoints. Though that could change without warning. I only find out about security changes after they are enacted. I am also sending you authorization to grab what cargo is at Q-19. A blank check so to speak. Use it wisely as limited as you are in hulls to transport it. Just remember you will have less than 12 hours once you sign for anything. Which should not be a problem with 20 or 30 transports loading at the same time if you are careful.”

The Admiral looked up from his typing and grimaced as he looked at Jack. “I have been running into rumors and talk amongst the Captains about Battleships massing at the Maze Station with The Rocks Battleship docks looking damn deserted lately. I just thought they were out on maneuvers. But if several hundred Battleships and Carriers are at the Maze Station getting ready to head for TF-58 you would not get away with taking the DD’s. You need to go after the supplies at Q-19 for now and forget about the DD’s and I will see about getting them to you later. Just make sure you take as much food as you and TF-58 will need, because it will be the last you get in a very long time. Even the million Refugees I send you will not have that much food with them when they get there since The Rock is supposed to have plenty of food and that is where they were originally going. The only good thing right now is the convoy of construction ships I told you about sending is on its way. I am sending them the long way around to avoid the blockade to Gama 13 they have in place but it is going to take a couple of weeks to make it to you. I have put as much food with them as possible which was only enough to feed them for a couple of months.”

Admiral Halsey continued to type as Jack stared at him with his mind a million miles away.

The Admiral finally looked up to see Jack staring at him. He had seen that look before and had thought it was a look of stupidity but had learned better real quick. “Turner!” When Jack ignored him the Admiral smiled. “Turner, just don’t forget to have Spencer Call me as soon as you can. Out.” And the screen went blank as the Admiral continued to type and bringing up screens.

Jack finally looked around and then hit his comm. “Get me New Home.” Jack had a lot of arrangements to make and little time to do it.

Exactly an hour after Jack had told Admiral Spencer he had an hour to decide, the Admiral was on the screen of the Red Peppers Captain’s ready room. “Yes Admiral Spencer, what is your decision now that you have run your own search and found nothing.”

“How did you know we ran our own search? And that we found nothing?” Jack could see the defiance in the Admirals eyes.

“I would have had every ship under my command tear itself apart looking as soon as the Comm screen went blank if I was in your shoes Admiral. As far as finding nothing. You had already spent 6 months making repairs and tearing things out and it still came as a surprise Admiral. Another hour was not going to change that.” Jack took a deep breath and let it out. “Are you ready to cooperate or do I need to pull out my big guns and eliminate the threat. Admiral Halsey said for you to damn well start cooperating and quit being such a stubborn Butt. He is waiting to have a talk with you.”

“You tell that reprobate… No, I will tell him. But how the hell are you getting through when I cannot?” The Admiral shook his head and without waiting for an answer. “Shit. You have my full cooperation Turner. What do you want me to do?”

“General Meyers of the 107th Marine Mech Division is running the search. I will put you in touch with him in a minute. General Sherman with the 82th will be joining in 3 or 4 days.”

“I know General Meyers, we have worked together several times. He is a good no nonsense fireball. We can make this work.” The Admiral looked at a side screen as his eyebrows lifted. “But I don’t know this General Sherman, according to his record he is just a Brigade Major with a lot of demerits and bad reviews from his superiors which is why he is still a Major and a Brigade Commander.”

“That so. Well General Shitsu specifically appointed him as the Division’s new Commander when I told him that if his division did not have the best officer the General had access to commanding them, his whole Division was going to get wiped out in just a few days during their first Combat against the Apes. Aaa. The Spider Battleship troops, since you don’t know what Apes are yet.”

“That Opinionated Ass hole Appointed Major Sherman as his division’s new Commanding officer after giving him half his demerits and bad reviews. If you want someone that is stubborn, Shitsu is the definition of the word.” Tapping the desk in front of him a couple times. “So why did you relieve him of his Command if that is even legal.”

“Actually he resigned. As a friend and supporter of Vice Admiral Ditzen, I could not have him at my back. As far as the bad shit against Sherman, the General said he was his best Brigade Commander and always got the job done while the rest followed. He wasn’t about to lose him to any promotions which probably explains the bad reviews that only started a few months after he joined the 82nd.” Looking at the Admiral as sternly as possible. Though Jack didn’t think he was pulling it off. “General Meyers is in complete charge of the search. If he says to fire on and destroy any or all of your ships, the guns will be firing before the words hit his own ears. Is that understood Admiral?”

The Admiral’s lips became paper thin as he stared at Jack. Then. “I understand Turner. General Meyers has complete control.”

“Very good. Now that we have the chain of Command settled.” Jack let his face smile trying to lighten the mood. “While General Meyers is cleaning out your ships, I am going to get started on getting us some food before we starve to death. I need every Transport and Tanker in your fleet and station. How many are operational Admiral?” Jack already knew how many transports were in the system now with the new sensors even with all the rock camouflage but he needed to get the Admiral engaged and back into commanding something.

The Admiral continued to stare at Jack for a good 10 seconds but finally looked over to another side screen. “I have 52 transports and 8 tankers listed in the system at this time with another 45 Battleships that have had their bows so badly damaged I am turning them into Battletransports with mostly empty patched hulls or domes ahead of the Tanks for a bow using material and equipment from 27 hulks. The problem is we have virtually no reaction mass. This damn section of the cloud doesn’t have any concentrations anywhere close. The shit is that most of the damn 52 transports that came into the system over the last 5 months have carried mostly ship repair parts and only food for a few thousand and not hundreds of thousands, which was good for my ships but shit for my crews.”

“Well damn. I didn’t want to hear that about the food Admiral but as far as reaction mass goes we have plenty for a couple dozen transports which was what I was expecting and plenty of time to scoop up more. General Meyers will start with the transports even though most of them are from the cloud, while we refuel them. My tanker will start refueling transports as soon as they have been searched and while fuel scoops are added to your tankers. You have about a week or two and we will see about moving your fleet Admiral. Admiral Halsey will talk to you more about that in a little bit. Now if you could please get the transports moving toward the vacant side of the Station’s Bay to save time before we go on. I will wait.” Jack sent the coordinates.

The Admiral frowned but did as Jack had asked and less than a minute later the Admiral crossed his arms across his chest and looked at Jack. The transports with a coating of rocks around their hulls started heading for the assembly area. As the Assault Transports approached the Bay’s Staging Basin through the cloud the scout bombers and fighters started flying through the Bay around the Task Force. Their scanners looking for the dreaded enemy beacons.

“Very good Admiral Spencer. Now I need Crewmen from you to fill out the crews for 24 Destroyers now and then more for at least another 100 I am told I can pick up if I decide to go after them. I don’t care where they come from. Active or the many rescued crews you have aboard the Black Dwarf. But they have to be your best. There is a massive enemy fleet headed for the cloud to replace the one I destroyed. Another reason we cannot waste any time finding those transmitters. If the enemy gets within range of even one of them we are screwed. The only thing that is going to stop them from blockading the cloud again or dropping down your ass if we don’t get all the transmitters in time, are your crews and my upgraded Destroyers.

I need Captains that think like fighter pilots not Battleship Commanders that have been trained to sit and slug it out with other battleships. We aren’t fighting that way anymore. That also Means pilots are out period, they are too self-centered, egotistical and anal about small minor details that don’t mean shit on a ship even if they are life and death on a fighter. No the average pilot just does not have the skills learned over years by ship’s officer on how to manage large crews without someone wanting to frag the asshole as crew performance drops to nothing until the pilot captain is replaced. But I need your best fighter pilots as well to fly the destroyers like fighters just not command them. If you catch my drift. I need your best because they are going to have to learn to operate and fight these ships in a matter of weeks or even days. Out of a quarter million crewmen I am sure you can find me great crews. I will down load my crew needs and the tactics that the Destroyers will be using to give you an idea of what will be expected of the Commanding officers and crew. We will also be up grading your ships after they are cleaned but more about that later. For now the Transponders come first. Are there any questions Admiral?”

“Now I see why you are talking about blowing my ships up. No! We don’t have time for questions right now. We have too fucking much to do. If you will give me a list of the ships you identified as having transponders, I will isolate them just in case we need to destroy them. Now put me in contact with General Meyers so we can get this show on the road Admiral Turner.”

“Sorry Admiral but one of them is the Dwarf. I can’t establish a secure Comm until it has been cleaned. Here is the list along with everything else. I will transfer you to the Red Pepper as soon as possible so you can talk to Admiral Halsey. General Meyers will be on momentarily Admiral.” Jack hit the comm key to bring the General on the line.

The Admiral gave Jack a strange sick look and then started giving orders to his staff before Jack had time to put the General into the conversation.

Twelve hours later the last of the 8 tankers pulled away from the Red Pepper with a minimum of reaction mass and the last set of scoops Jack had brought for the Transports he had thought would be waiting for him. The Tanker joined the rest of the tankers that now had scoops skimming the cloud around the bubble to fill their tanks with the small percentage of fluids and gasses found in each ton of Nebula cloud dust so they could remass Task Force 58. The back ends of the scoops dumping the dust back into the void as the tanks slowly filled. The search for the transmitters continued as they prepared to vacate the Basin after all the ships had been cleaned. Jack could not believe how difficult it was trying to organize over 50 Tramp Transports that had signed on to run around the cloud on independent missions with no training when it came to close formation convoying. Having to negotiate new contracts with the majority of them to cover the new job he was asking them to do. Though most of the actual face to face work was done by others that had a lot more experience working with leased ships. Having so many senior officers with his was now paying off handsomely.

Sixteen hours later the last of the transports pulled away from both the Red Pepper as well as the Tanker Chevron Gulf not far away (that had come with Jack’s little squadron) finishing up the rapidly paced shuffle to give each transport just enough reaction mass to make it to New Home. That process was now completed as the marines they were leaving behind with the Battle Fleet for their slow delicate task of finding beacons that did not want to be found took the last of their equipment off the Red Pepper.

“I will be leaving in another 15 minutes Admiral Spencer, General Meyers. How is the operation going so far?”

General Meyers shook his head. “We have found a half dozen transmitters from what looks like mostly dud torpedoes and missile warheads and I am glad to report the Black Dwarf is now clean but we have one on a Battleship that was made into a Battletransport that simply refuses to be found after 10 hours of searching. I am kicking it to the side as we evacuate the crew so we can destroy the ship instead of wasting more time on it. Admiral Spencer will have the crew off in an hour. So far I have 23 clean Battletransports ready to go with you Admiral Turner.”

Admiral Spencer turned to Jack. “Do you want your Destroyers to do the honors? It was a good ship and I hate to put it down with my crews but…”

“Hey now. Just slow down. General, Admiral, have you tried using our new PDA sensors to find it. I was told the ones we have made aboard ship are a little more sensitive than the Apes suit sensors.”

“Yes Admiral and even the R-bot sensors are not finding anything.”

“R-bot sensors? I thought you were not going to use the R-bots on this.”

“I wasn’t until I found out that they have the signal trackers built right into them since they are originally Spider ex-slave designed. They are a little more sensitivity than the ship built PDA modules and average crew techs can operate them adding to the search crews. The problem is that we have been over that ship three times and we can’t seem to localize the signal.”

“Shit General, have you checked the hull for holes? If the transmitter is in the hulls armor it could use the whole hull as an antenna so you would not be able to localize it.”

“Don’t be insulting Turner. Yes we have. The only thing left is to destroy the ship.”

“No. Find that damn signal’s source General.” Jack demanded. “The Spiders have a small tracking torpedo the size of a missile they use to track damaged ships back to their planets and basses. Evidentially they fired and got at least one through if not more.” Jack said tight lipped.

Taking a deep breath as the Admiral started to open his mouth Jack continued. “General Sherman and his Division will be arriving in 5 or 6 days with the Factory built PDA sensor pods that are supposed to be twice as sensitive as anything else we have not mounted on a ship that should find it. But it does not matter if they arrive or not. You have to find the source so you know what to look for and find any others that are on delay timers or set to respond to inquiries instead of simply transmitting. Destroying the ship is the last resort. If you do have to destroy the ship without finding it, you condemn whole crews to death when the next ship starts transmitting and we have to destroy it before the crew can be evacuated to keep the whole damn Spider fleet from attacking to destroy everything at and around that location before we are ready for them. If it turns out to be at The Rock it could cost us the whole war. Is that understood General Meyers?” Turning to Admiral Spencer. “Is that understood Admiral Spencer?”

Taking another quick breath as two shocked defiant faces looked back at him. And by the way. Once you find out what and where the source is and how it is hiding, you will have to reexamine all the hulls again. Which is why I am not taking any of the Battletransports that were with you under enemy guns and missiles. They will have to stay until you can make sure none are compromised and then send them along to New Home.” Shaking his head in disappointment. He was making plans to use them at Q-19 but know that made it impossible to get them freed up and on the way to Q-19 in time to use them. Let alone trying to get them to New Home were they could be upgraded first.

Jack sat back taking a deep breath. “Well. Enough of that. The last of the transports have enough fuel to reach New Home where they will be outfitted with the mass scoops, hull racks for cargo containers a few other upgrades and then we will head for Q-19 to go shopping. Thanks for the crews Admiral. The Assault Transports that left yesterday will not have any scoops for your fleet. They did not have any more ready before it left so don’t let any of your Captains go pigging out on reaction mass or you will be here for another week and you don’t want to do that. Do you have any need to talk to Admiral Halsey again before we leave Admiral? I have already made arrangements to add the new Comm to the Black Dwarf when you get to New Home which has one as well that you can use until yours is installed. Something else that was not ready when the AST’s left yesterday.”

“I want to know what your crew is trying to do to the Black Dwarfs main 48 inch guns. Why are they plugging them?” The Admiral was none too happy about losing his main guns.

“Sorry but I guess I took it for granted when I said upgrades I would have had more time to clue you in. They are plugging your guns to be able to pump a carbon matrix gas into them at extreme high pressure and temperatures to grow a Crystal coating around the inside of the barrel tubes. This will reduce the diameter from 48inches to something like 32 in the next month or two, increasing the guns concentrated power and firing life. I am told that your guns will be able to easily slice through 4 armored decks of a Spider Battleship and deep into the ship behind them. Since most of the Enemy Battleships have 4 decks or fewer, you will be more of a battleship than the whole rest of your fleet. Which is why the rest of your fleet will be converted into Battletransports with the addition of the new engine kits upgrading them to the virtually massless Ion Engines now that we can use the deck grav-coils in storage and strip the grav-coils from your tanks until we can replace them. Which brings up another question. Why didn’t you just convert your battleships to the ion engines in the first place now even if not before? With the coils from your tanks you could have converted your entire fleet.”

“We were not given the choice. The High Fleet Admiral did not want the new engines falling into enemy hands with the bait. Us. We never got the plans or kits. Not even the Black Dwarf since unlike the other Dwarfs, it were assigned to stay with and as part of TF-58. Fact is before I talked to Admiral Halsey, I did not even now what the upgrade was, just that some of the other Task Force’s Battleships were upgraded to be faster to be able to close the pinchers around the outside of the enemy to attack from the fleet faster from the rear.” Rolling his eyes. “And we saw how that went. The only thing they used their speed for was to run.”

“Damn. Well, I am going to need half your battleship Engines for the Destroyers eventually. Fifty of them as soon as possible. As well as a couple hundred of your big 16inch guns to arm the Tramp Transports once we return from Q-19. The more hulls we have with weapons that can harm the Spider Battleships the better. Even a transport ducking out of the cloud behind a Spider battleship can do tremendous damage. Then ducking into the cloud again before it could be fired upon. As for your big guns. Eventually all of your fleet’s guns will be upgraded but it will take longer with your big guns as I have said. As long as a month to grow them down to the 32inches that seems to be the smallest we can do for now until the Exslaves have had time to upgrade the power supplies and beam initiation coils, so they are getting a head start. Not that I ever expect the Dwarf to go up against a Spider Battleship.” Jack smiled at the Admiral as he watched his face change to defiance.

“No, you are not getting my engines or my guns. And my ships are staying Battleships.”

Jack’s ego suddenly deflated with the Admiral not understanding that his battleships were worthless in open space battles and being stubborn about it. Jack looked down at the table and rubbed his eyes and temples for a few seconds. Several hundred 16 inch barrels striped from hulks were already on the transports for storage at New Home so Jack did not need to push it right then. “Very well Admiral, I need to get going. Without the supplies it is a moot point anyway. Anything else?”

“Did I understand the Halsey right and there is a billion tons of supplies at Q-19 and that this will be the last time we can gets supplies? Possible for years?”

“Yes Admiral. The Cabal at The Rock wants us and you dead. So what can I say?”

“You only have enough transports to grab onto 15 or 20 million tons. I know that sounds like a lot but it isn’t when you have almost a quarter million mouths to feed and no access to replacement parts. Not to mention the million refugees Admiral Halsey was talking about sending our way.”

“Well Admiral, we do have a way to manufacture most equipment thanks to factories on the Spider ships we captured. So we aren’t desperate as all that to get everything. Though there is still a lot we can’t manufacture such as growing food right now and very high tech electronics the Spiders have never seen before so their factories are not equipped or have the tech to produce them. But still you are right. I would feel better if we had a couple hundred ships like the Battletransports you have already created and I hope are freed up in time. But we simply do not have the time to even convert more of your ships even if they were already clean. Hopefully what we have will be enough with a few tricks we recently learned evacuating Gama 13. I expect to leave with at least 50 million tons of supplies if everything goes well.” Jack took a deep breath as he thought of all the problems that could stop them cold and the Admiral’s words hit him. “You said ours Admiral. Does that mean you and Admiral Halsey have made up your minds what you are doing with TF-58?”

“Fifty million tons? I don’t see how but then I have been hearing about you pulling off miracles for 6 months now over the video net.” Smiling as he thought for a few seconds before continuing. “Yes Turner]. I am taking over New Home. I am sorry if that is putting you out of a job.” Expecting Jack to get upset as he wondered just what kind of a tantrum or show the boy Admiral would put on.

Jack smiled from ear to ear. “Hell no Admiral. I have been trying to give this job away since I got it but no one wanted it. No, it is all yours.” Jack saluted the Admiral. “Welcome aboard Admiral. Can I go back to just being a Captain now…” Jacks face fell. “But you haven’t even left this fucking bubble yet or reached New Home and a lot can happen in the meantime.” Taking a breath. “Does the Admiral want to replace me for this mission?”

Surprised at Jack readily accepting his loss of Command after seeing the recordings of Jack taking it away from Vice Admiral Ditzen only a week or so before with so much violence and death. The Admiral found himself finally agreeing with Halsey’s insistence that the mission be left in the young Admirals hands.

“No Admiral Turner. You are still technically still a Vice Admiral even if it is temporary which is what this mission requires and as you said I still have not reached New Home or the Gama station yet so technically you still out rank me. You are the one that has planned this mission from the beginning and are in the middle of carrying it out. Replacing you now would be ludicrous but I will send some of my staff along to help and advise you. They have the experience you lack and will go over some of your choices of supplies and routings and point out the advantages of reducing the size of the transport fleet into squadrons to make them easier to handle at the other end and a few other things. They will even be able to make a few suggestions to speed and smooth things over as you go as well as problems and dangers to look out for but the mission to get us a few million tons of food is still yours and your responsibility.”

Jack was disappointed that the mission was still on his shoulders but realized that he really didn’t trust anyone else to complete it properly and get everything New Home needed. Especially if Admiral Halsey was still thinking of sending a million Refugee to New Home.

“Thank you Admiral Spencer. Anything else?”

The Admiral leaned forward. “It would be great if you could grab 50 million tons of supplies but don’t get carried away and try for too much and lose them all.” Taking a breath as he studied Jack. “I don’t know how you plan on grabbing that much cargo but you cannot highjack any transports that happen to be there or you run across on the way. That is piracy even in the Navy. Is that understood Admiral? You can only use what is assigned to you even if it is on a thin twisted thread which most of the ships in your fleet are on at the moment.”

Jack smiled. “Yes Admiral I understand.” Jack thought about being a shit and arguing about semantics when borrowing ships just for the fun of it to release some of the tension he felt but decided now was not a good time or the right Admiral to play games with. “Sorry Admiral but I was not planning on borrowing any transports. Got a much easier solution that may even bag us more than the 50 million tons. I was using as a conservative number. I plan on building my own bulk container ships when we get there. We can build a million ton container ship in just a few hours. With a couple dozen of them, we can leave Q-19 with enough food to feed millions for years that include steaks on the huff, not to mention everything else that is listed at Q-19 to pick from. But as Admiral Halsey said, there is a lot of cloud between here and there.”

The Admiral’s jaw dropped as his mouth opened and closed several times before he said. “Very well Admiral. Carry on and good luck. Admiral Spencer out.” As the screen went blank Admiral Spencer sat back and shook his head. “Now that I have got to see.” As an idea started spinning around in his head. The Admiral turned and started making plans and giving orders to make sure everything happened that needed to happen.

His stomach growling at even the thought of Admiral Turner grabbing enough food for everyone including steaks. Taking a deep breath the Admiral took a nutrition pill knowing if he waited until later after his stomach had really started to tumble, the produced acid would make him sick wasting the pill when it came back up. He washed it down with a large glass of water just as he was supposed to but damn, he was getting sick and tired of doing that. He was starting to look at drinking water as a chore. The last MRE’s had been eaten a month ago and that had been in sickbay with it split between two other patients. Most of the crews had been on nutrition pills for months before that but according to experts the human body could survive for years. If you didn’t run out that is. The problem with emergency nutrition pills was that you had to take one every 6 hours, 24 hours a day. If you skipped one or two your body would simply and suddenly shut down when the pills wore off but unlike most addicts that suffered long and painful withdrawals, the body simply and suddenly ran out of energy and just shut down. Dying in a matter of minutes unless medical help got to you in time. While that was the official story for the growing number of deaths around the fleet and technically true in a twisted sort of way, the Admiral knew better. His crew was dying at an increasing rate for other reasons the doctors were not sure of or could agree on.

Only thing was, the Admiral could not remember the last time he took a pill before this one. You could skip a pill once in a while but too much skipping every other pill and then taking two on schedule was just as hard on the body as taking two pills to close together. An overdose could kill you just as easy as too few pills. Closing his eyes and taking a breath. They had lost over a thousand crewmen to forgetting how many or when they last took the pill keeping them alive before he instituted handing out the pills at mess call across the fleet. Which was why medics were handing them out at the chow hall and checking off lists every 6 hours just to make sure everyone got their pill on time. The last thing he needed to worry about right then was missing the damn pill or taking too many but he was an Admiral after all and he could damn well take care of his own pills. He just wished he could remember the last time he took the pill.

But crewmen still continued to die. Even when the list showed they had all their pills at the proper times. Their bodies seamed to just fall apart from the inside out.

Chapter 22; Eye’s turned vacant

Jack walked into the Conference room next to the Captains day cabin/sweat, waved the officers to remain seated and sat down himself at the inside center of the half-moon table facing the new Staff arrivals from Admiral Spencer arched around him. The bleached out pale faces on a couple of them along with all the bling on their chests was enough to blind him that early in the morning. But still did not hide the fact that the uniforms hung on them like they were several sizes too big with way to much bone and little padding on the emaciated officers. Except for what the Woman Captain at the center was wearing. Frowning. She had way too much padding compared to the other women and in all the right places. While she looked like she had missed a few meals as well, she was not in half as bad of shape as the rest. “Well gentlemen, I hear you have a few suggestions and issues with my plan. Shall we get started?” Jack’s eyes centered on the Captain that was in command of the little group and wondered again why she looked so much more fit than the rest.

Immediately a voice popped into his head. ‘This little baby cretonne is Admiral Turner? How the hell did you kill even one fucking Spider Battleship? You look like you are barely out of high school and more like a janitor that couldn’t clean a head let alone wipe himself.’

Jack looked down at his wrinkled coveralls that had old grease stains with only a printed cloth name tag sewn on his chest and Vice Admiral stars with a bar under it denoting that it was provisional on his collar. At least it was clean. Just out of the shower and clean shaved after a good 7 hours of sleep, Jack had felt on top of his ship until he heard that comment in his mind as she continued.

‘What am I supposed to advise him about? How to change his diaper or play with himself? I best keep my blouse fastened and breasts small or he will cream his shipsuit.’

Jack had just about had enough of that. “Well Captain. Let’s start with the list on that little PDA of yours and just see how much your advice is worth. I hope it is not specific details on how to change my diaper or jerk off.” Jack smiled at the Captain that suddenly turned white as the officers around her. Jack just realized that he had been commenting on what she had said in her mind.

Trying to recover from his outburst. “I have heard it all. You had it written all across your face Captain. Now. Please excuse my looks but I have been busy and after the first sleep I have had in ages and a nice relaxing shower, I really did not feel like putting on my mech armor so soon again and since I have not seen a tailor for a while with my uniform in worse shape, this was all I had that looked comfortable around the Cabin. I was not expecting to have to attend a fricking inspection party concerning my uniform this early in the morning before breakfast with a few visiting officers that look like toys themselves.” Not good he realized as he tried to calm down. Damn he was hungry. “Now get that look off of your faces. The first person that expresses what the fuck you are thinking can walk back to the Black Dwarf. I have heard it to many times before. Now let’s get to work.” Jack said trying to recover, again.

A Steward came into the room and placed a cup of hot tea in front of Jack then turned around to the other officers. “Could I get you all something to drink before breakfast? I am afraid that breakfast is going to consist of a couple of eggs hash browns and toast with hot cereal. Ration shortage and all.” Turning back to Jack. “One of the Tramp ships sent the food over with their complements Admiral.”

Jack raised his eyes. “And I suppose you already have things made up. Well next time just send the food strait to the crew’s stew pot.”

“Yes Admiral. Breakfast is ready for you and your guests any time you are ready.”

“Thank you … Aaa Terrel.” Jack said after reading the woman’s name tag and then. “Another T. My last Steward was named Truitt. What is my Exec doing? Just going down the alphabet list? I hope you last longer than all my other Stewards. I am getting awfully tired of having to break new ones in. But then I keep telling him not to send me anyone. I don’t mind eating with the crew. Fact is I kind of enjoy it.”

“Yes Admiral. I was next on the quall list but the name is coincidental.” She smiled. “I am a marine and a lot harder to kill off than the others so I promise to hang around as long as you need me Admiral.”

One of the Staff officers across the table swallowed. “You killed your other stewards?”

Jack looked at the man not believing he did not know the marine was just using an old marine expression and that no one had actually died. But Jack saw an opportunity to have some fun. “Well you know how the enemy are. They don’t ask me when they want to lop off a head or put a blaster shell into someone’s chest.” Jack smiled. “Then that one battleship beam tore completely through the ship. Couldn’t even find the body on that one. Then there are the berserker Apes.” Looking up at the marine and winking. “Were you in on that mess last month when we assaulted and took that last Spider Battleship?” Cringing. “Now that was a mess. I don’t know why Stewards think they have to follow me into battle but that one gut his legs and arms sent in four different directions before I got turned back around and killed the rest of the damn attacking Apes. At least she took a few with her.”

“Yes Admiral. I hear they are still looking for her right foot.” The marine tried to hide a smile.

Looking from the Staff officers to the marine. “I sure hope you can run fast enough to keep up with me Terrel. Stay close to my butt or you will get your butt blown off. Told that to the others but they just did not listen.”

You don’t have to worry about me keeping up with you Admiral I was a sprinter in Collage.

“Oh shit. Don’t tell me you are another mathematics prodigy or professor of phycology.”

“No Admiral. Just collage educated. I will take the Staff’s drink orders now Admiral before breakfast gets cold.”

Looking at the Staff officers after their drink orders had been placed. “I hope you guys and gals know how to shoot and defend themselves or the Admiral is going to be sending me new Staff when I send your bodies back. I really hate breaking in new staff. The next time I see you all, you better have armor suits on and time on the gun range. And get rid of that fucking bling. Apes just love killing themselves to get to it. They certainly must love having it because they love taking it off dead bodies. I think it is the little trinkets flashing in the light that gets their attention.” Jack smiled at them as he failed to keep his face serious.

The Steward placed their ordered Coffee and Tea in front of each officer.

“Ok shall we start?”

“Yes Admiral.” The center Captain said as the rest just stared at the cups in front of them. One of them reached out with a shaking hand and spooned creamer and sweetener into his cup and then the others followed suit to their tastes. “You have all the transports grouped together into one huge mass. With them all having to stay with the slowest Transport. While this is good for security, it will play hell getting through the tight fitting corridors and on the other end when they all try to use the limited number of docks. Forcing most to hang around waiting.” Jack noticed a couple of the offices start crying as they lifted their cups to their lips and took sips of the steaming hot drinks. “If you break the large group into several smaller groups according to propulsion speed. You can stager the arrival times while getting the first transports there and loading long before the original convoy would have arrived. If we time it right each convoy squadron will arrive just as the previous one is ready to leave.”

The Steward sat Jack’s plate in front of him steaming hot and Jack dug in taking a big mouth full and then chewed while thinking until he swallowed. “But that assumes that all we are doing there is loading and leaving. The problem is we have a hell of a lot more to do there than simply load and leave.” Jack noticed that most of the staff were staring at his eggs and toast. Some with their mouths hanging open. Thinking that was strange as he took another bite and the Steward slowly went from one to the other as he placed their plates down in front of them from a cart. Each of them staring at the plate set before them. Jack frowned as he notice one of them on the end actually start drooling. The woman to his right side started crying.

This was the first decent meal Jack had had in months and he found himself wolfing it down with his plate half empty before he realized what he was doing and forced himself to slow down. Espeacialy with the shocked faces staring at their plates across from him.

Jack watched the one that had shaking hands putting creamer in his coffee, take a fork full of scrambled eggs and lift them up towards his mouth only for them to fall off the fork.

“Ok what the hell?” Jack could not believe what he was seeing as one of them pulled out a pill from her pocket and looked at the eggs and toast and back at the pill. Jack took another bite and slowly started chewing it. Finely enjoying the taste.

Several picked up the toast and looked at it as one took a huge bite.

“NO!” The Steward Boomed rushing back into the conference compartment. Stopping everyone in mid motion as she reached around and slapped the one that had taken the bight of toast on the back, knocking a half chewed piece of toast out across the table.

“NO one takes a bite of anything!” She demanded as she quickly gathered up the plates faster than Jack could believe. The last plate being swiped at as the officer tried to grab something off of it to eat but getting his hand slapped. “I will be right back with something you can eat without killing yourselves.” Grabbing the cups as well before leaving. Dumping most of them on the cart making a mess jumbling everything together in her haste.

She was back in a couple of minutes with bowls of watery hot cereal. “I thinned down the cereal to something your body can tolerate at the right temperature since your bodies do not even have the energy to digest the food.” She held a scanner module to each of the officer’s one at a time while recording her readings. Stopping at the Captain at the center and frowning. “Why are you so much healthier than the rest?” Then looking a second longer. You have only been on the pills fore few weeks and not months like the others. Then looking around at the shocked faces she continued. “Even one bite of solid food right know could have killed most of you. It is Ok. Go ahead and eat the soup. Just take your time to eat your bowl taking a minute or two between bights and you will be Ok. Next time you can eat a little faster and I will up the calorie intake.”

“Don’t tell me you are a Doctor to.” Jack said in despair knowing she would not be around long.

“Not of psychology Admiral. Sorry if you think you need analyzed.”

“What is going on here? Is it a requirement to be a medical Doctor to be a Steward now?” Jack pushed his half full plate away after not touching a bite after the Steward told the rest not to eat.

“I would not know anything about that Admiral.”

“Well take this away and send it down to Sickbay and someone that can enjoy it. You can bring me what they are having.”

“Admiral you don’t need to…”The all too healthy looking Captain started to say.

“Captain when I want your advice on something I will ask for it. Now I am going to show you a recording of what happened at the Station a couple weeks ago and when it is done I will ask for your comments.” Turning to the Steward. “What about the rest of the crew we brought on board from TF-58?”

“I just got a call from sickbay requesting my help as they have half the transferees in getting their stomach’s pumped with two dead already. They have already barred the rest of the transferees from eating. The Chief Surgeon is already trying to find out why they were sent over without warning us about them being on the pills.” I tapped out and interrupted breakfast just in time by the looks of it and will inform the infirmary that I have my hands full here for the moment. Excuse me Admiral.” The Steward disappeared into the pantry.

The Officers watched the station get stripped and then first the container trains being assembled and then the container barges with shuttles acting as tugs headed away from the station.

Steward Terrel brought Jack a bowl of hot cereal that was a little thicker than the others as Jack finished reading the Stewards records. “So another Doctor from an unaccredited Collage but only 2 years of residency.” Jack whispered to the Steward. “Well, you look qualified so tell me… How bad is it over in the fleet we left behind?”

“The energy nutrition pill is supposed to keep a crew alive for years if they are stranded in space.” The Steward whispered back. “But after the 3rd month on only pills, the crew starts dying off. First a few and then more and more exponentially until about half of the original crew are dead after a year. By then the survivors are little better than skin and bone with little muscle or strength but their bodies are now used to having only the pills for nourishment. They can still operate a ship and maintain it if nothing that requires strength is needed but little else. When and if they are rescued, it can take years if ever for their bodies to recover. Almost half the surviving crew may die during the transition back to whole food unless a lot of attention is paid to each victim. Each body responds differently during the process requiring specific and sometimes different treatments that can change overnight.”

“What the hell?” the Captain had shut off the recording to listen to the Doctor. “We have lost a thousand people over that last few weeks. You say it will get worse?”

“Yes Captain. I heard you have a Quarter million in the crew. In about six weeks, the death rate will expand to 10 to 20 thousand a week then it will start to taper off to practically zero baring the ones that simply give up hope or suicide. If it is any solace, the survivors if they live for the year through recovery, will live to incredible ages. Typically 200 years longer than the average citizen. Living on half the calories with some say heightened senses and abilities.”

“But they don’t have to worry about that now Captain.” Jack bust out having enough doom and gloom and finely knowing why the Turner Joy had lost so many when they had to use the little red pills for a while when the ship’s gardens could not supply enough food as they took months to limp into port on one engine after an accident had taken out 3 of the Turner Joys engines when he was 9 years old. It was after that when his brother really turned into a pig. Jack shook his head forcing the memories away. “We are going to get everyone plenty of food to pig out on. Now Captain. Back to business.”

The Captain at the center of the table watched Jack take a bite of his cereal without making any faces or comments and put the spoon down and wait. The Captain’s opinion of the Admiral going up another notch as she turned the recording back on and watched them build incredible large ships out of containers. While watching the Admiral match the officers bite for bite. The Captain truly believing that she had never tasted anything so good in her life. Which she knew was anything but true for the Admiral as she watched him work at his desk pad out of the corner of her eyes.

While the recording was playing, Jack tapped up the list of transports and started going down the list going over each ship to get a feel for its capabilities. Making notes as to what was needed to be done to it at New Home. Quick engine overhauls, life support, cargo handling equipment to speed up loading, adding the rails down the hull sides and what configuration would work best for that hull design and a hundred other details that started getting repetitive after the tenth ship.

With the end of the recording the Captain and several of the other officers started asking questions about the construction details and after answering the first dozen, Jack tapped his Comm to the engineers that had put the stacked ships together and made it work and let the two groups talk. Jack went back to detailing the Company and Tramp ships. Treating them both as equals since all he cared about was getting the most cargo on each ship. Though the Tramps usually needed more work than the Company ships.

Then Jack looked up as the engineers on the screen were going over a design for the container barge they were working on using one long tube up the center and the others spaced around the center connected with cross braces to attach large numbers of Containers to, for a tug such as a DD to lock onto the stern and push. The hollow tubes taking the compressive and strain forces instead of being concentrated on the few containers at the back. Thinking about it for a few minutes, Jack sketched out a design stretching the rails that they had been putting alongside the transports to attach cargo containers and Destroyers to, running them out in front of the ship. Doubling or even tripling the number of containers any ship could carry. Turning each Transport into tugs themselves.

Interrupting the Conversation on just how large they could build one of the plug together container ships. Jack showed the engineers his idea and a half hour later they had a solid design worked out that would fit any ship that could use the original side rails. Doubling the ships length on the weaker engined ships while tripling or more on the more powerfull engined ships.

Now the size and power of the ship’s engines were top priority and Jack started up grading the ship on his screen even more, not realizing it was a different ship after accidentally tapping the next button on the screen. His mind finding item after item on the ship looking so familiar that he knew what was were without looking at the index but putting it down to having already been working on the ship before he decided to make the additional and expensive upgrades to the engines and lengthening the rails. Soon he had a ship that had side rails almost three times as long as the original ship that would fold down along the sides when not needed with the uprated engines to move the added weight. Then he marked it done so he would not go over it again when he redid all the others he had already been over before and continued down the list. Not noticing that the name on the first ship was Turner Joy.

But then ships names were not really that important as he marked each added ship as done with the repairs and parts ordered for immediate production before the transports even reached New Home so the refits could start as soon as the transports docked. Hoping that the station Ditzen had brought to replace the Hulk station at least had its docks finished by the time they got there. After all its sections had been unpacked from the transports before he had left and all the prefabricated sections needed was snapped together in any one of dozens of configurations. Jack picking the one that offered the most docking tubes and repair/construction bays. Not needing massive structures for crewmen’s quarters and warehouses. That was one thing the domes on the bubble offered, was plenty of warehousing though quarters was going to be a problem for a while even if Pan had said she had it covered. That she had already planned on providing everyone with their own cabin in a short time. Though Jack was wondering how she was going to do that with him seeing only warehouses and workshops for the factories being constructed out of most of the Domes on the surface before he had left. With only a few domes being made into personnel living spaces. Though with the two prefabricated living modules that had come with the station and the prison ship able to sleep tens of thousands with only minor modifications to its cell decks and with the Red Pepper rebuilt into what amounted to a cruise ship even if it was well armed bas well as the Phoenix, Jack was not all that worried about Pan not having enough bunks when he left after abandoning the Hulk Basestation and all the work they had done on the two Spider God ex-battleships.

What Jack had not counted on was the ex-slaves getting carried away as they so often did now that they were free. Luckily he had his construction requests in early when New Home found out he was headed that way with over 50 transports now, possible 50 battle transports later and a hundred Battleships eventually along with a Dwarf to follow. For a short time even work on the habitat and storage domes stopped on the bubbles shell.

Jack was a little surprised when he finally got back to the station and found out that Pan had made an executive decision in his absence. Fact, she made several. No, actually a whole bunch to be more exact while twisting the book of orders Jack had left her into a pretzel. Which she had decided was one of Earths better snack foods. Jack would not recognize the new station when he finally got back as it looked nothing like the original generic plan he had simply pulled out of the book of designs for the available modules. But at the moment Jack had other more important things to worry about with the over 50 transports to get to New Home in one piece.

Dan Turner (Jack’s older and much bigger brother) sitting at the Comm console of the Turner Joy turned around to face the Trampship’s Executive Officer, his mother, sitting in the Command Chair. “Mom, message from the fucking Convoy Commander to all ships.” Dan did his best to keep a straight face and his temper checked as he turned red. He knew his parents had just about had enough of him. That he was one step from being kicked off the bridge period. It was bad enough that he was demoted several times over the last couple of years from being the ship’s First Officer and Pilot, and one step from promotion to Captain and having his own ship, to being reduced to Navigator then engineering Officer and then Cargo Officer and yet again to a lowly Communications Officer. But to have the reason he was reduced to an ensigns posting to suddenly appear at that very moment on the little screen at the corner of his Comm was unbelievable. Half in shock and not really believing what he was looking at, he did his job because he had no choice as his mind tried to process the new information.

His mother turned around baffled along with the whole bridge at hearing his disgust. “Put the fleet Commander on the main screen. What is your problem anyway?”

A few seconds later Jack appeared on the main screen and the ship’s Executive Officer sitting in the Command chair let out a huge scream of disbelief as Tears suddenly flowed and she started making hand jesters at the image on the screen showing the bridge crew around her what they could already see in shock themselves. Finally slapping the direct comm to the Captain’s Cabin Sweat, she screamed at her husband to get up there. She didn’t care if he had just gone to bed. Then went back to babbling at the crewmen around her in disbelief. Even calling Jack’s sister that had the next watch and was sound asleep.

Dan sat sick with hate staring at his low life brother that was the reason for all his misfortune. A brother once gone was no longer there to blame as Dan took advantage of every opportunity to profit from and abuse the crewmen under him as he was systematically demoted back through the consoles and postings for running any Tramp Transport. Having to actually do the work and pass the tests with ever increasing and closer observation of his work as he was repeatedly demoted for simply doing the jobs how he thought they should be done while taking advantage of every opportunity. His posting as Cargo officer just about bankrupting the ship in a matter of months until a series of corrupt and incompetent deals and trades came due at the same time with no money left in the ships bank to pay off and hide the facts any longer.

And then for his Grandfather to impossibly stumble upon his hidden ill-gotten fortune bank accounts when the ship was served with three bankruptcy debtor warrants after landing on some flee bag planet was just beyond reasonable. The fact that his fortune from years of crew shake downs and embezzling the ships funds was just enough to keep the ship from being confiscated and sold to pay off the depts, did not matter to Dan’s Parents. His father not seeing him as the hero he thought of himself being for having the money to keep the ship from being sold at auction. After all, it was his money that had taken him years to accumulate. That was when they started watching every damn thing he did. Not allowing him to get away with any of the dozens of schemes to get rich he had tried since then.

And it was all his puke faced little brother’s fault for running away and leaving him with the bag. Though once in a while he did think that maybe he had gone a little overboard beating Jack up and destroying everything of value to the little snot every chance he got. Especially the day Jack had left to join the damn Republic Navy. But Jack deserved having that stupid Sim he practically lived on destroyed for disrespecting him. Hell Jack was such a stupid shit and such a little weakling even if he was three times the kid’s size that Jack deserved to be taken advantage of and abused. After everything he had done for the kid over the years he deserved everything he had taken from the little shit.

Hell, Jack could barely talk when his parents had taken him away from the other family Jack had practically lived with for his first 6 years. After all they had a kid to that should have died years before as well. His parents should have left Jack there. But no, leaving him to practically raise the snot nosed retarded moron and teach him to speak and act a little like a human at least. Well his sister did most (all) of the work but still he had helped when he was forced to and Jack owed him big time now for that and even more now for leaving him holding the bag.

Shaking his head as he clenched his fists to keep his temper in check. Dan had put his little brother on the screen for his mother and the rest of the stupid bridge crew to ogle at the creeton. Listening to every word he uttered like he was some kind of Fucking God. He hadn’t wanted to listen to the babbling moron when he was six so why would he want to listen to him now. It was bad enough with his parents making the fucking mess deck quiet down every time his name came up on the fucking screen during a news cast or documentaries on the hero of the stupid Cloud Entry Battle and saving the transport fleet from certain destruction. God he was getting sick of hearing about that stupid Cloud battle and the damn movie someone had made about it made him want to throw up. So what, if he had been in Jacks place he would have destroyed twice as many ships as that moron and he would have been rich enough to be a king with all the loot he would have taken off the Godship instead of a few stupid slaves and weapons. Just looking up at him on the screen made him sick. Especially at the thought of Jack having thousands of slaves to pleasure him day and night.

Looking at his stupid brother sitting in a Military Command chair (that made civilian Command chairs look like camp stools), up on the screen in that stupid damn black and red striped suit made him want to puke. “God he looks like a fucking moron on a thrown.” Tron said out laud wishing he had both.

His mother whipped around. “You say one more word and you are off the bridge and assigned to waste reclamation where your father wanted to send you last month when he found you hording food. Now shut up and be still or you will be scrubbing shit from strainers and settling tanks.”

Tightening his lips as he turned red with hate and rage. He had enough food hidden away in his secret storage compartment to last him years and it was all Jack’s fault it had been found. If he had not started screaming at the screen showing a stupid news story of Jack assaulting yet another stupid Spider Battleship while cooking a steak, his father would never have found him and his little stash. The fact that he had forgotten to turn on the stoves air recycling purification fan, allowing the smoke and smell of the steak to spread throughout that section of the ship’s ventilation ducts making half-starved crewmen inform the Captain (Jack father) that someone had a steak somewhere, was beside the point.

Jack finally smiled and said. “Now that everyone is paying attention. I am acting Vice Admiral Turner.” His face turning stern. “We are now scheduled to arrive at what we call New Home, a secret hidden base somewhat like The Rock itself in less than two weeks’ time for the slower ships. High Command has decided that spreading our forces around the Cloud in several secret bases will prevent the enemy from completely destroying our war making efforts if they accidentally discover one of them. In this case The Rock. For that reason you will not be given directions to this base or allowed to even have your navigation Computer on from this moment on. In fact any hint of its existence is a state secret and will be wiped from your computers before you leave again and to talk about it to anyone after you leave can get you arrested and even executed on the spot if our many security people deem it necessary or they just feel like killing someone at that time instead of hauling you off to dump you down a deep dark hole never to see the light of day again.”

Letting that sink in for a few seconds Sorry but you have no choice in the matter so I do not want and will not accept any discussion on the subject so keep any objections to yourself. And I mean that literally, even complaining that you cannot complain is enough to get you executed. Not that we don’t feel your pain and frustration but even talking about the fact that there is a secret base and that it is hidden can result in the enemy finding it eventually. The contracts you signed with the military allow us to do that. Sorry. Live with it or don’t and die. I really don’t care. I have a few hundred billion people more important than a few self-centered morons to worry about. Just remember a little sacrifice now will insure your family’s safety and freedom later.”

Jack’s stone face grew a smile as Dan turned to see a pair of marines take up positions to each side of the bridge hatch. One running a scanner over the consoles. He had seen the idiots all over the ship a few days before but to leave some aboard was ridiculous. And now to have them breach the sanctity of the Bridge with his mother accepting it with not even a glance just made his hate grow as he turned to face his brother on the screen again.

“Now we are going to break the fleet up into squadrons in about an hour. You all have been given enough reaction mass to produce a standard change of velocity, speeding up and slowing back down enough times to arrive at New Home using standard efficiency tables for each of your classes of transports. Basic ship handling. Now I realize that every ship is different and many of your ships have been modified for better performance through maintenance upgrades or more efficient engines than the fleet’s minimum specifications for your class of transport, so I expect you to calculate your own engines efficiencies and ability to increase your acceleration above the set standard accordingly without requiring additional reaction mass to cover the required route. This will allow the ships that can, to arrive at New Home ahead of others that do not have more efficient engines. Please contact the Red Pepper with your ship’s engines total Delta-V or Change in velocity capabilities with the reaction mass we have given you and we will group each and every one of you into squadrons of equally capable transports to travel together lead by a destroyer for protection and navigation. The sooner you get to New Home the sooner we can start overhauling and upgrading your ships and the sooner you will start receiving the increased payments that go with the increased cargo tonnage you will be able to haul.”

Taking a breath. “Hopefully allowing some ships to arrive in less than a week and stretch out the arrival times of the rest of the fleet to something the New Home Station can handle without having to put ¾’s of you in parking orbits waiting to dock and refit, will speed things up.” Jack took a breath. “Now some of you are going to be sent to another station that has room for you and will perform your ship’s needed upgrades for the upcoming mission. Do no ask what the name of that station is. You will not be told and if you find out you will not be allowed to leave so don’t ask or try to find out. Best just stay on your ship during the refit and resupply. Sorry for the inconvenience but with all the construction going on all across the stations, there really is not anyplace to go right now anyway. Besides I believe you will be happy with your added capabilities and income that include hauling more cargo and better engines at our expense. Just be patient for the ones that have to wait a few hours or days and remember you don’t have a choice in this. Thank you for your cooperation. I will talk to each and every one of you when we reach New Home during the refits and try to address any lingering concerns you may have or minor changes you wish to make in the plan we have for each of your transports. Admiral Turner Out.”

“He can’t talk to us like that. We are family. He should be giving us…”

“Just shut up.” The 3rd Officer turned to Dan. “It is your fault we had to sign with the military in the first place. No reputable company or passengers would ship with us by the time we found out about all your embezzling and get rich quick schemes. Hell you even started shaking down the Passengers for God sakes. Now shut up. Your Brother can not show any favoritism in public, he is an Admiral. I am sure he will help us when he can.”

“I was not shaking down the passengers, I was just asking them for what they should have been paying us in the first place. Besides they didn’t have to pay.”

“You held their luggage hostage demanding payment before they could leave their cabins let alone leave the ship when you were the ships Chief Steward. You even forced them to pay you gratuities to get there rooms cleaned each day along with everything else you could think of to charge them for even though all their tickets said the services were complimentary. Which means free. You even beat up passengers that refused to pay and cleaned their own rooms. How stupid can you get?”

“Not my fault they refused to pay. What was I supposed to do when they insulted and disrespected me?”

The 3rd Officer rolled his eyes as he turned back to his console shaking his head in disgusted disbelief. The Officer of the conn wiping her face still staring at the blank screen her son had just been on. Ignored the conversation behind her. Her mind was still dealing with the shock of hearing and seeing her youngest son she thought she had lost when word finally leaked out about the huge losses the fleet had sustained. Only to find out he was a national hero that was on some secret mission and could not be interviewed and then only minutes before to learn that he was an Admiral in Command of the Fleet they were a part of and not just the hero Captain the news programs said he was.

The Captain of the Turner Joy came running onto the Bridge, half dressed and out of breath. “What’s wrong?” He bellowed as he looked around for problems after his wife had screamed at him to get his butt out of bed and get to the bridge as fast as he could. Spotting his wife as she started bawling and babbling, she slapped the controls on her side screen and Jack appeared on the main screen. In shock he fell to his knees beside the Command chair clutching onto his wife and the arm of the chair to keep from falling as he saw his youngest son appear on the screen staring at him for a good minute before speaking. They had known the fleet was commanded by an Admiral Turner but had not even dreamed of the Admiral being their son. After all turner was a common name.

Dan wanted to puke as he turned to keep from seeing his stupid brother on the screen yet again making a fool of himself as his sister walked onto the bridge. His sister who had never expressed a desire to ever be a bridge officer had started taking her lessons serious when Jack had left and had worked her way up under strict supervision and increased testing, (after her brothers misdeeds and incompetence became obvious) to become the ships First officer only months before. He wanted to hate her too but knew it was all Jack’s fault. Jack was the one he hated enough to kill. Fantasizing about all the times he could have easily killed him instead of letting him live over the years. Knowing suddenly that he would have another chance when Jack made the rounds of the transports he said he was going to make and this time he would not take pity on the pore slob creeton.

As the transmission was cut, Jack’s Steward came in with a Cup of tea. “Just the way you like it Admiral.”

Jack did not even notice as he turned to the Comm. “Get me Overseer Pan on New Home please.” Turning back he saw the marine steward turning to leave. “Oh Doctor how are the Staff doing with the breakfast? Are they showing any signs of problems?”

“I am keeping a close eye on them in the briefing room as they go over the cargo lists the fleet will be picking up at Q-19. So far they are keeping breakfast down. Though the Captain could have eaten what you had. I think she has been eating some solid food all along. The rest will be fine and in another couple of weeks they should be ready to eat a few bites of solid food. I am afraid I was too late sounding the alarm to the other officers and more than a few of them got a couple of bights down at breakfast and are now in the Infirmary. Several that pigged out are not expected to live even after getting their stomachs pumped. All the rest of TF-58 officers and crew are now isolated from food for treatment and should recover in time. Don’t expect them to be crewing any ships for a very long time though Sir. Those pills are a nightmare once they pass a certain point. You need to get TF-58 some kind of solid food to supplement the pills as soon as possible. Even a little something with a few calories and fiber to take with the pills for the body to absorb and process would go a long way to restart the body’s dietary metabolism and cut the side effects of the pills.” Shaking her head disgustedly. “It is a shit policy to have the crews wait until they run out of solid food before going to the pills. Which was what the Captain at breakfast had been doing. From what she has said she had stashed away crackers and dry cereals when it became obvious that the Task Force was isolated. Taking a few bights with each pill in the beginning with smaller and portions until she ran out I would say a couple weeks ago.” Seeing Jack troubled expression of disbelief. “My scans show her digestive system has been just as starved as the rest of the crew for six months except for just enough fiber and calories to allow her body to change and accept the pills over time without the shock of the sudden transition from all solid food to nothing but pills the rest of the crew is suffering from. Something she tried to get implemented across the Task Force before they ran out of solid food but the Chief Surgeon and the Admiral could see no reason for such measures with the Task Force expecting supply ships from The Rock any week after arriving at the Cloud. It sounds like to me that she knew something if you ask me.”

Shaking her head as she fought to control her temper. “That should be Standard Operating Procedures across the Navy anytime food starts growing short on a ship as well as anytime resupply ship arrivals are questionable. SOP should be cutting back to the bare minimum of solid food and taking the pills as soon as they realize they have a possible food shortage. Even if it is only a pills a day with half rations to begin with and working down from there. By taking the pills from the start with say even a tenth of a ration, the body still has something to feed on while the pills provide most of the nutrition allowing the body to maintain muscle mass for months or even years if they can stretch the soled food out to even a couple bites a day. Reducing the negative side effects of the pills so by the time the food is totally gone the bodies are already acclimated to the pills cutting out the tragic massive loss of lives as well as allowing the body to maintain its strength and last longer with only the pills.” Suddenly frowning. “Sorry Admiral. I did not mean to lecture. I know you started adding the pills and reducing rations months ago. I just keep tripping over policies and procedures that disgust me. But then that is why I joined the marines. I could take care of people the way they needed to be taken care of without a thousand and one politically correct rules and regulations designed to hamstring doctors and line lawyer’s pockets.” Taking a breath as Jack discovered his hot tea. “My apology again Admiral I will go now and check on the Staff.”

“Well it looks like I am calling Pan for a different reason than I had thought.” Taking another sip as Sgt. Terrel left the bridge.

“New Home and Overseer Pan, Admiral. On the screen.” The Comm officer said.

Pan appeared bringing a smile to his face until he noticed Pan looked a little ragged. “Ok Pan what is wrong?”

“Wrong Captain? … I am sorry, Admiral. No. Nothing is wrong but I am very busy. How may I help you?”

“Several things. Mainly, as you know we found Task Force 58 and not our food so now I have a Quarter of a million crewmen that have been on nutrition pills for a while and it is starting to kill more and more of them. We are going after supply ships and food in just a few weeks and should have plenty of food in a month or so if we are lucky but in the meantime a lot of crewmen are going to die if they do not start taking some kind of solid food, even a few calories I am told. Fact is, that is all they can handle right now with their bodies digestive systems shut down. You said your people were working on finding food humans could eat safely. I need to know if you have something we could start feeding a few calories, even a bite or two for the crewmen to take with the pills for each meal. That is if you have enough to spar for a month until we can return from our next mission with solid human food.”

Pan held up a finger for Jack to wait one. Copying a gesture Jack had used many times that he now found irritating when others used it on him, deciding to stop using it himself but not able to stop others that had acquired the habit. Pan went to work on her alien PDA talking to others. Jack took a sip of his tea as he noticed that the group she was talking to got bigger and bigger by the second. He found he could understand much of what was said but since he was on a Comm and not in direct contact, there was many new words that came to fast for him to recognize.

Finally Pan stopped and turned to Jack. We have studied human food and specifically your nutrition pills and come to the conclusion that they are some nasty pills that we can improve upon in the future. But for now we have found a grain that humans can thrive upon if processed properly and is already eaten by most of our species. We will have enough of the grain to feed small doses to 250,000 people for a week to start their recovery ready for shipment in 24 hours. The doses will be in single drink packets to be taken as hot tea with each pill for the next week. Another shipment next week will have a different stronger mix that will continue strengthening the body and should only be taken 3 times a day with the pill instead of 4 with no 4th pill. The 5th week they should be able to eat small portions of normal food without problems and with only one pill a day. Though over eating will still easily kill them for the first month after they stop taking the nutrition pill so care must be exercised.”

“I know you are busy bringing the transport fleet here. The Destroyers here are busy so I will free up enough of the bomber Transports to fly the food supplement packs to Entry Base Delta-7 along with Doctors to insure proper use and check the patient’s conditions and reaction to the food, fine tune the dose as well as the effects of the supplement over the first week to better tailor the next week’s packets. Is there anything else Admiral?”

“Aaa don’t worry about freeing up the Bomber Transports. And what could the Destroyers be doing that is that important? No, it doesn’t matter right now. The Red Pepper should be there in 48 hours well ahead of the first batch of Transports and we will pick it up and jump it over to Delta-7 days ahead of what the bombers could deliver it. Which is another reason I am calling. We are dividing up the transports into squadrons according to when they can get there. Spreading the arrivals out over the next two weeks starting in about 5 days. Should make things easier on your end.”

“Make easier! No. No. Not Easier. Much harder. No not good. Not be ready in time. Must change much. Much difficulty. Much change. No! Not ready for 50 Transports Captain. Not planned for. Impossible. We cannot do. Stay away. Yes. Stay away.” Pan started moving back and forth in front of the console as Jack had talked and was now getting faster and faster as she talked.

“Not 50 Pan. The first squadron will only be a half dozen if I know my transports and are still a week away. The next 10 or 12 probably 18 to 24hours after that.”

“Half Dozen…Maybe? Yes. Can work but much to do. Much work. Very busy Captain. Not planned for this. No, not planned at all. Must go. Much to do Captain.” Pan ran back and forth several more times then. “Yes you come, 48 hours then go. Will work fine but much to do is. Busy, busy, busy. Must go Captain. Much to do and no time to do it is. Must go Captain.” Pan cut the connection.

“What the hell was that all about? Is she losing it or is something wrong back there. Comms, get me New Home again and Captain Burk ASAP.”

Jack started tapping his fingers a minute later as he waited.

After five minutes he got up and walked around the Bridge.

“Comm. What is taking so long?”

“I am sorry sir but he is busy. I just got through.”

“What the hell do you mean busy. One of the damn perks about being an Admiral is no one is ever to busy when an admiral is calling. Now get him on the damn line. I want to know if we need to hit that place with a battle squadron soonest.” Taking a few more steps. “Hell that is a good idea. Navigator plot us a course to New Home straight there. Fuck the twists and turns of the connecting Passageways to our new tunnels. How fast can you get us there?”

“Give me a few minutes Admiral. I have not even plotted that out.”

“What the hell do you mean you have not plotted it out? That is all your job is. Is to plot out possible routes to everyplace we may need to go and keeping the results on an up to date list. Or don’t you think that just maybe we may need to take a more direct route Home. Especially if the fucking Spider Gods are attacking it right now. But no let’s all go take a nap while you are playing with yourself and we will just get there whenever you feel like you can pull your head out of your ass and bother to do your job and hope someone is still fucking alive when we get there. After all if we can’t do our jobs, maybe we can finish helping the enemy do their job and bury the bodies for them.”

Jack stared at the man trying to go faster and having to repeat procedures when he screwed up. Jack shook his head regretting his words. It was not the man’s fault. Jack was too frigging busy running a fucking fleet to run a ship. But then, it was his responsibility to make sure his crew was properly trained and it was obvious that this man was not properly trained and Jack was to blame for that. Fact was as little time as he had spent on the bridge training his crew he should be relieved that they weren’t tripping over each other and pissing themselves. Shit, was there anything he could do right. He had gotten people killed trying to have fun piloting the ship during Combat 7 months before when he should have been fighting the ship and now he had endangered the ship and its crew again because he failed to train them properly for Combat because he was too busy playing Admiral, making it very likely that crewmen would make mistakes during combat like this pour sod was doing. Possible getting the whole crew killed. Being an Admiral was just taking too much time away from being a Captain.

“Admiral, 17 hours and 25 minutes.” The navigator announced with satisfaction.

Jack had been looking over his shoulder and seen several major mistakes. Shaking his head as he placed his hand on the man’s shoulder and sighed. “Try it again and take your time this time.” Then turned away and sat in the Captain’s Chair.

“Admiral, Comm. The Staff in the conference room would like to talk to you about the cargo list. The last of the Transport efficiency reports just came in and is waiting for you and I finally got through to Captain Burk Admiral. What do you want to do Sir?”

“Put Captain Burk through please.”

“Yes Admiral.” Burk did not wait for the Jack to open his mouth. “We are a bit busy right now with transports coming in early. How may I help you?”

“I just talked to Pan and she seemed a bit upset to say the least. Is everything Ok there? Any big problems I should know about?”

“Problem? Hell yes there are problems. We have over a hundred ships including a fucking Dwarf due in here in a month. We have everyone working now on the station after shutting down the damn work crews for the domes just trying to get everything done in time for the arrival of a dozen transports packed with food and you go and through a monkey wrench into the works with overhauling a fucking fleet. No, everything here is all fucked up but we will manage to have it done enough for your first dozen ships when they get here and hopefully we can keep up with new arrivals after that but quit busting our balls ok.” The Captain took a breath and calmed down and tried to smile. “Don’t worry Admiral we will have things ready when they get here.” And then smiled from ear to ear. “But you may not like what you see when you get a good look at it but it will work. Need to go Admiral unless you have something else you need?”

“No that covers it Captain.”

“Oh wait.” Captain Burk said. “Pan says that they talked to Terrel and gotten the body scans from the officers and that one of the officers would have died before the day was out if not for the broth Terrel is feeding them. They say that it is worse than they thought now that they have seen the scans of actual patients. Twenty to 30 crewmen are probably now dying an hour back in the fleet. You need to get them the food packets now. They are speeding up the production of the packets and want you to get here as soon as possible and pick them up.”

“Very well. Already planning on moving up our arrival 24 hours. I will be there as soon as I can. Out.” Jack turned to the First Officer. “Follow me Number One.” And walked out of the bridge and down the passageway a few steps. “Ok. I know you are new to the rank and the position. You have done your best as First Officer while I have had my head up my ass trying to be a damn Admiral but what the hell have you been doing? I am sorry I have been a bit busy and I should have taken a more direct role with you and guiding you but the First Officer is responsible for training the crew. Now get off your ass and start running drills covering the basics and when I get back I will get with you about the finer details. You have the Conn and I best not see people tripping over the basics like I just witnessed the Navigator doing when I get back.” Jack smiled trying to be reassuring. “Have Destroyer 1701 ready for launch in 15 minutes.” Jack turned and headed for the conference room. Wishing know the Phoenix was available.

“Ok,” It only took a minute to reach the conference room and Jack noticed some color in the Staff Officers’ faces. Not realizing until just then how paper white they all but the Captain had looked at breakfast. “Listen, I am going to run a quick mission. You are on the Admiral’s Staff Captain Leslie.” Jack said to the fit Captain his mind had reservations about with her being fit when the others were not but he was in a hurry and after all she was on the Admiral staff so how bad could she be even if she was not talking to herself much, she had not said anything in her mind to make him doubt the Admiral’s choice. “Now you should know what has to be done over the next couple of days. With my standing orders to fill in any gaps. I am leaving you in Command of the Transport fleet and the escorts.” Jack suddenly realized what a relief it was not to be in command of the fleet. “You already have the engine efficiency specks for the fleet transports allowing you to group them into squadrons as you suggested and string the transports out to arrive over the next couple of weeks.” Jack was glancing at the cargo lists on the main screen and what was being cut and it seemed that a lot of the most important items were being cut. Baffled he turned to the Captain. “As for the cargo lists. A powerful AI did the cargo list so I am not too worried about them right now but we can go over them later when we have more time and I have had time to read your suggestions and you can explain why you want to cut the most critical items. Try it again after all of you know what New Home needs after you have spent a few days there though you should already know what your Task Force needs even if a I would think they could use a few of the items you cut.” Frowning Jack pushed the list out of his mind, he had a DD to pilot on a fast run to the Station. He was going to have some fun. Jack smiled from ear to ear at the thought of sitting in the DD’s pilot’s cockpit.

Jack could not believe how relieved he was feeling and how much he was looking forward to taking command of the Destroyer to make the run to New Home and back to the Task Force. Fact the Red Pepper would be better off in a better Captain’s hands. Taking a big breath. “Tell you what Captain Leslie. You can take Command of the Red Pepper while you are at it.” ‘Hell, she couldn’t do any worse than I have been doing.’ Jack thought to himself hitting his comm. “Bridge. Admiral Turner. Captain Leslie is now Commanding Officer of the Red Pepper.” Jack saluted the Shocked Captain. “Good luck Captain.” Jack turned and left. He would worry about the paper work later. Right now he had lives to save. One thing he was sure about was that only he could get that ship to New Home and back across that end of the cloud fast enough to save the most lives. It was also damn nice only having to worry about one little thing for a long change. Not a thousand things trying to pull him apart in a hundred directions, no guess work, no maybes, no enemy trying to kill him or Fleet Admiral trying to starve his crews. Just out right blinding mindless speed. What more could a person let alone and an Admiral ask for.

And as soon as Admiral Spencer reached New Home he wouldn’t even have to worry about the Stations. Jack jogged through the Destroyer’s airlock. After all. All he wanted to be was a Destroyer Captain. Jack smiled from ear to ear as he sat down in the Destroyers Pilot’s Chair that was more like a fighter’s Cockpit as the few still absent crewmen rushed in behind him taking up their stations. A Captain came wondering in taking the Command chair and stared at the Admiral. Wondering what was going on as the Admiral started barking orders without even glancing at the Captain behind him.

Seventeen Zero One flashed out of the cloud and into the cleared area at the edge of the fog surrounding New Home with it’s stern toward the bubble far short of 23 hours later. “I knew I could do it in less than 24 hours. Yowl.” Jack yelled to no one. The Destroyer dodged around a transport before coming to a stop then pitching over to head into the fog bank surrounding the Dome Mountains still leaking gases and particles. Jack was already on the comm. “Approach control. 1701 making an emergency stop to pick up medical supplies, give me a clear path and birth immediately. I want sensor upgrade crews to be waiting to upgrade 1701 to Phoenix’s configuration. Priority One. Admiral Turner standing by for directions.” Jack did not bother looking over his should at the monster coming over the distant horizon that he had no clue about nor did he check the tactical. But then he had other more important things to worry about after spending the majority of 20 hours in the pilot’s seat flying like half a bat out of hell. He was looking forward to flying like a whole bat out of hell now that he knew the route in the cloud he had to fly through.

“Seventeen Zero One you are cleared for direct approach. Follow the yellow brick road. You made good time Admiral. Medical supply and engineering cargo pods will be waiting for you at your dock. Sensor upgrade crews are on their way as well as are the medical staff and engineering specialists. We will have you out of here in a half hour. Over.”

“Damn it. Make it 15. Get the externals plastered on and the inside crews can work on the fly. I surveyed this side corridor on the way in so I can do without the sensors for part of the trip. Every minute you waste people are dying so get your butts in gear. See if you can get me out of here sooner. Over.”

Impatiently Jack slowed down as he ran into more and more traffic of boats and tugs pushing prefabricated station sections around a partially built Station. Jack followed the Yellow brick road on his heads up display as it arced around and down onto a familiar looking flat disk a couple thousand feet across with 6 long arms of the new station docks protruding from it. The sections he had been dodging around being added to the arms as he dropped down onto the flat disc. He was surprised as he touched down to see people running around on the disk as equipment and the mass tanks converted into cargo pods was brought up to the ship but he didn’t have time to look very closely as he jumped up. “Someone get me a hand navigation screen.” And dashed for the little head just behind bridge. Someone handed him the flexible navigation screen through the door a couple minutes after he sat down. Studying the scans of the area around the narrow corridor he had just navigated down to reach the station and the debris around and already drifting back into it.

Jack finished his business but was so intent on the screen he lost track of time as his eyes closed without realizing it and suddenly he was thrown to the side as he heard the whine and bang of the landing gear being retracted. Reaching to pull up his pants he found himself first pushed back down onto the head as the ship pulled up hard off of the wide station platform they had landed on. Then pushed off to the side as the ship came around as it continued pulling up hard with the grave coils still on landing minimums Jack found himself sliding off and to the side of the head to the deck. Then trying to pick himself up he was suddenly floating up toward the overhead as the ship dove over the side of the station’s platform between the arms onto the course that had already been plotted and cleared toward Delta-7 and Task Force 58.

Dropping back down the side of the head Jack was wedged between the head and the bulkhead as the ride smoothed out. His head hanging across the open bowl like a drunk praying to the porcelain god though this one was stainless steel, Jack was thankful it had emptied and sanitized itself before all the gyrations started and that no one could see him making a fool of himself. It took a few seconds to extricate himself from the small space beside the bowl. His pants down around his ankles not helping matters. Then as he stood up and bent over to pull up his pants the ship jerked around something throwing Jack off his feet again as he crashed into the bulkhead getting thrown down beside the bowl again but head first this time looking up at the backside of bowl. Extricating himself again he tried again to pull up his pants only to get thrown backwards against the bulkhead but this time he managed to at least pull up his pants with one hand as he held onto one of the straps used to buckle oneself down to the head when needed in free fall zero-G.

The ship leveled out long enough for the Grave coils to finish coming up to power so the next maneuver was only felt instead jerked. Jack finished fixing his cloths and cleaning up then retrieved the Navigation screen and stepped out of the little hatch. Shaking off his embarrassment at ignoring the takeoff and maneuvering alarms as he studied the screen before the ship took off, Jack stepped into the little pantry next to the head and fixed himself some tea and a bite to eat. He knew he could not do any better than whoever was flying the ship this close to the station. Especially after all the hard maneuvering the ship had done and continued to do with the grave coils finally up to power smoothing out the flight for the crew. Jack could now barely feel the maneuvers as space around him kept turning and jerking with each maneuver around another obstacle as the ship kept accelerating around objects to head toward and then back down the corridor.

An MRE sandwich in one hand and his tea in the other, Jack strolled onto the bridge as the ship entered the corridor from New Home deliberately kept in the fog trying not to make it to obvious where it was. The Corridor was more of a series of navigation markers than an actual cleared corridor, forcing the ships in it to us the collecting cones to clear the gasses and dust from in front of them and deposit them back after they passed. Though Jack had already ordered the newly created Corridor built to use their new technology was going to have to be cleared for a while to get the convoy of new transports to New Home. At least long enough to get them modified and do the supply mission before releasing them back to their duties for The Rock. The reason he did not want to add skimmer cones to them to try to keep The Rock from finding out about that new technology they did not need yet.

Looking around the bridge trying to be as inconspicuous as possible standing just inside the hatch, Jack started to relax until someone shouted. “Admiral on the Bridge.” Making him jump and turn to look out the hatch next to him only to swallow and turn red with embarrassment. Looking down at his half full cup he was glad it was only half full as he took another bite and tried to stretch.

Then with both hands full, all Jack could do was watch as everyone not at a critical console jumped up to attention. Including Captain Chin. Jack was just glad that since he had been on the bridge only a few minutes before they were not required to salute. He really didn’t want to spill his tea and he wasn’t sure what protocol there was for an admiral not returning a salute with a tea cup in his hand after taking a few minutes to take a dump. Something he had not expected to ever have to worry about. And then he realized that he had been gone an hour.

Quickly swallowing his bite of sandwich Jack said. “Carry on.”

Captain Chin stepped aside from the Command Chair. “You have the Bridge Admiral Turner.”

“Aaa, No I don’t. It is still yours Captain.” Which in fact it was. The ship was assigned to Chin and suddenly Jack felt incredible depressed at his stupidity of thinking he could just grab a Destroyer for himself. Taking a deep breath as Chin sat back down in the Command Chair. Especially after giving his ship the Red Pepper away. But then he knew he could not be the Captain the Red Pepper needed while he was trying to play at being a fricking Admiral.” Jack took another drink and bite of his sandwich. “But they were headed for TF-58 and Admiral Spencer. He would just hand the job over to Spencer to assign it to someone more qualified and he could at least have the time to command the Phoenix. Wishing now he had not left it behind with TF-58 and the other half of the squadron but they needed its big guns there. Or better yet he could finally properly command the Red Pepper. That is if he could get the Red Pepper back. Bullshit he had not signed any papers transferring command so technically the ship was still his. Even if that did make him an Indian giver. ‘Where the hell did that old saying come from?” Shaking his head he wanted to rub his eye’s awake but couldn’t with his hands full. But first he had a fleet to save and then talk to Admiral Spencer again about giving up this Admiral shit. After all the Admiral must have a dozen Admirals playing with themselves right now in TF-58.

Then Jack felt the ship slow as they went around one of the corridor markers and realized that the pilot only advanced the throttle back up to half power after the turn where it had been before.

Jack stuffed the rest of the sandwich into his mouth and stepped up next to the pilot and tapped him on the shoulder and jerked his thumb to the side.

The pilot turned control over to the navigator/copilot and got up. Still chewing the remnants of his sandwich, Jack looked at Captain Chin and realized it was going to take a good 10 to 15 seconds before he could swallow. He shouldn’t have stuffed the rest of the dry sandwich of bred and some kind of MRE meat paste and cheese into his mouth but damn he was hungry. Jack just plopped down into the cockpit chair surrounded by screens and controls. Placing his cup on a slanted flat spot on the side of the console, which was against all kinds of regulations as long as he could remember, he pushed the throttles up to maximum then buckled in and hit the General Quarters alarm. The Navigator/Copilot giving Jack a dirty look as he continued to fly the ship as its speed started to increase rapidly.

Jack finished buckling in and then used his hot tea to wash down his dry sandwich before saying over his shoulder. “Crewmen are dying Captain Chin. We don’t have time to take a walk through the park and get there next week. My apologies. Just keep the ship together and running for me and I will get us there in one piece.”

The Navigator/Copilot had been creeping the throttles back down and Jack slapped them forward again as he finished his tea. “Engineering, best be ready on the scoop. You are going to need to steer it around the bigger rocks as I maneuver.”

“Admiral! We are approaching the turn marker. We have to slow down.” The Copilot/Navigator said.

Jack smiled as he tossed the cup toward the disposal chute (surprised when he hit the hole, doing a double take) and dropped his hands onto the controls. “Who says we are turning? Delta 7 is that away.” Jack pointed straight ahead and cut the Navigator’s copilot controls.

A second later the Destroyer zipped past the marker and out of the corridor and Jack became very busy. There was a good reason the corridor had turned. The rocks suddenly got very big and thick.

The Scoops providing mass to the engines while opening a clear bubble around the ship before re-depositing the majority of the gasses back into the void left behind the ship, but that created drag. The faster the ship went the more drag their interaction with the dust and gasses of the cloud created. Unlike free space the ship had to maintain thrust to keep its speed up.

Though the Destroyer had the advantage of its maneuvering coils used inside planetary systems to push and pull against mass objects allowing the ship to fly almost like an atmospheric aircraft but across the vacuum of space as long as it had mass or mag lines from stars, planets, moons and even asteroids. In the cloud those same maneuvering coils could be used against the vast mass of the cloud even though the mass was spread over trillions of miles. The coils allowing Jack to fly the ship over, under and around obstacles that appeared on collision courses with the ship without having to turn the ship 90 degrees to use engine thrust each time he needed to go around something. The sensor records map of the space around their meandering corridor on their trip in on the side screen (Jack had studied on the navigation screen in the head), now paying dividends even if he had fallen asleep. Though he was keeping them in the thinner areas he still found he had to keep the speed down to not out run his eyes when it came to the cold cloud.

“Ok Captain Chin, where are my new sensors. I am having to keep the speed down without them and that is going to get even worse when we go to bypass the freeway running to The Rock if I don’t have those sensors by then.” The freeway was a good 12 hours away but he needed them now, a lot sooner than he had planned.

“They are installing the new equipment in the Main Sensor Compartment now Admiral. You should have them in a half hour.” The Captain was pushed down in his seat in spite of the mass dampening grave coils and then his stomach tried to fly out of his throat as he became light headed for a few seconds as they went over a large rock that suddenly loomed ahead. “Aaa Admiral shouldn’t we slow down a little. That was awfully close.”

“Not at all Chinn. Plenty of room. Been rock jumping since I could reach the controls on a scooter. All you have to know is the thousand and one secrets to doing it safely and a lot of practice. Don’t tell me Training Command didn’t do any Asteroid Ring training when they gave you Command of this Destroyer. Shit! Something else I am going to have to add to my list. May help in a few battles. Especially in the Cloud or around a planet or star system. Yes you definitely need some fighter pilot training.” Jack turned the ship around a rough looking patch. Jack tapped is Comm. “Engineering, I need 120% on the engines and don’t give me any gruff. Just do it and then see what you can do getting me more. And get me those new sensors.” Jack knew he needed to double his speed through the cloud as soon as possible. The fact that he had already doubled their speed through the corridors on their way to New Home making half the crew including the ship’s Captain think they had a mad man for a pilot was not noticed by Jack since he was doing the piloting. All he saw was the need for speed.

“I Admiral.” Came the reply from the Chief Engineer that was enjoying himself as his engines finally had a reason to stretch their legs instead of putting along beside slow transports.

Twenty two hours later Destroyer 1701 zipped into the Delta-7 Bay still going way to fast but still managed to miss everything in its path. “Delta -7 traffic control. This is Admiral Turner, we are here with emergency medical food supplements. Give me direct clearance to the Black Dwarf since they have the majority of the Casualties. The supplements with the specialists we have brought along will keep anyone else from dying from the pill until we can get the fleet to some food. We will distribute the supplements to the station and other ships from the Dwarf. Over.”

“Welcome back Admiral even if it is a surprise. You are cleared for a direct approach to the Black Dwarf. Follow the Yellow brick road to the Dwarfs main hanger bay. Contact BD approach control at 423 Gigahertz. Over.”

The Black Dwarf had moved into the edge of Delta-7’s cleared bubble on the other side of the station so Jack pulled back on the Destroyers power to let them slide past the Station tail first following the yellow brick coarse rings dropping toward the Dwarf.

The DD rapidly closed with the Black Dwarf. Expecting to dock in the tall Battleship repair locks at the bottom of the ship, Jack was a bit surprised that the Yellow brick shaped box coarse lines headed for one of the Dwarf’s fighter/transport boat hangers at the forward end of the huge mass tanks of the ship. He was sure that the Destroyer would not fit through the fighter/transport boat locks into the huge boat bay that filled most of that deck. But they had to know what they were doing. At least he hoped so.

Then with the velocity icon on the side of the yellow brick road demanding that they maintain 500 knots Jack really started worrying as he flipped the destroyer over to power back up to speed. Then he saw the little strobe light on the side of the ship around the side from the boat locks the yellow brick lines ended at as they approached the bow of the ship below the passenger and command decks and Jack had to ask. “Approach control, are you sure you want me to hit the side of the ship? Please check our navigation track?” Then Jack noticed the ring of narrow platforms running around the sides between the open locks as they got closer. With them on edge and dark compared to the bright open hangers with landing lights flashing, they were hard to see from a distance.

“Follow instructions 1701. Maintain velocity. We have our own squadron of DD’s. Or had. Over.”

Jack could see several DD’s sitting on a ring of platforms that circled the outside of the Black Dwarf around the Boatdeck. Jack realized that the dozen 400 foot square platforms folded out from the side of the ship were perfect for the larger intra system cargo boats to land on to quickly load and unload cargo and passengers without having to go through locks to enter the Boatdeck itself. The platforms looked to be the perfect size to land the DD’s on with Gangplank tubes running out to the bows of the littleships. He could see several large Transports boats that looked as long as the Destroyers but a whole lot fatter and taller farther around the ring of platforms. The transports were using the medium sized hatches in their tapering bows facing forward below their bridges instead of the bigger stern hatches that crossed the majority of their sterns. Evidentially they were transporting a lot of personnel instead of cargo. Or at least big cargo.

“Seventeen Zero One, you are approaching to fast, decelerate and follow the meatball directions for deceleration rate to your platform.”

Flipping the ship around to rapidly slow the DD since he had let them build up too much speed as he tried to figure out what was going on. Then back around to face forward to use the bow thrusters for the final approach like most boats. Jack could not help it as he started feeling a little sweaty. He was used to landing small boats since he could remember and now fighters into all too small locks or small landing platforms using the lights at the back of the locks or platformsthey called the Meatball to guide him down the center (for some reason he still could not get a good answer amongst the dozens of stories he had heard over the years about why they called it a Meatball since he was old enough to sit on Pop’s lap and fly one of the Turner Joy’s Shuttle boats) but he had never thought of using the system with a ship to land on a much too small platform before. Or a boat as large as the ones he was seeing around the Black Dwarf. Not that he had not seen system boats that large before but they usually where treated like interstellar ships even if they couldn’t leave the Starsystem they were in. And not told to follow the Meat Ball to land on platforms little bigger than themselves.

But as the DD approached, maintaining the meat ball centered with the deceleration bar, he had no problem whipping the DD around backwards at the last second before he would have normally entered a lock or landed on the platform, turning its stern toward the lock hatches along the Dwarf’s hull. Not liking the hassle or the time it would take to attach the small personnel Gangplank tube to the side bow hatches of the DD he saw on the other DD’s when the small cargo ramp tube was already sitting out attached to the central 12’ by 12’ lock with a small 7 by personnel lock without the needed tube next to it and a control room above between the two 50’ by 20’ cargo locks. Besides he had seen some of the equipment the medical techs had brought on board with them and taking the equipment out the normal Gangplank personnel tube on the side of the bow would have been a hell of a hassle.

As Jack locked the ship to the deck and shut down the flight controls. Several large vehicles came up and grabbed onto 2 of the converted Cargo Container tanks and then dropped them off the hull. They quickly ran away with them into the now open 50 by 20 lock but stopped with the tanks hanging half out across the ramp. Shaking his head Jack watched the lock’s side bulkheads and overhead slide out onto the platform lengthening the lock making itself long enough to hold the long tanks before the outer hatch closed. The other cargo tanks soon disappeared into the other lock that lengthened around them.

Jack climbed out of the pilots chair realizing he was covered in sweat barely able to walk as he hung onto the back of the pilot’s seat and console to get his legs moving with some feeling again. Finally realizing how long he had been in the Cockpit. He felt wrung out. Seeing Captain Burk looking like he was pissed off, Jack smiled. “Cheer up Captain, we made it in one piece and in record time. I told you we would. You run a damn fine ship and crew. I am proud of them and you.”

The Captain turned red. “You could have killed us a dozen times and then what… How many more would have died waiting for someone else to bring them the supplements if they ever got them at all.” Taking a deep breath the Captain’s whole body started shaking. “Get the hell off my ship Admiral. If I never see you again it will be too soon.” He said through clenched teeth.

Jack took a shaky step toward the Captain. “Now listen here Captain. Your ship and crew were never in any danger. We were merrily running an obstacle course like I have run a hundred times before. So you will calm your ass down and do it now before you start affecting your crew’s moral and performance.” Jack starred down the Captain still shaking in his seat with rage. Then again fighting the fatigue. “Again thank you for the fine performance of your ship and crew.” Taking a breath as he started to leave but stopped as he held onto the nearest console. “But you are right Captain. It would have been impossible on any other ship. That is why I picked your ship Captain instead of one of the other 5 attached to the Red Pepper at the time. I knew they and you could give me the performance and professionalism I needed to pull it off or I would never have attempted it. I will see they get a unit citation for this little trip. Good day Captain.” Jack turned and left the bridge on wobbly legs as everyone tried to look busy but their faces beamed.

Suddenly Jack was wondering where the hell he had come up with getting them a unit citation and why. He could not believe he had tried to throw the Captain a bone to pacify him but the crew had performed flawlessly going way above the norm and deserved some recognition. But a unit citation? ‘Talking about stupid.’ Unit citations were only given for things like battles and unusual accomplishments by ships and fleets. But evidentially Captain Burk thought it was death defying but to Jack it was no big thing. Then on his way off the ship at the cargo ramp tube attached to the DD’s stern cargo hatch between the boat hatches, he caught up to the Doctors and medics getting off, Jack shook his head.

A Doctor turned to Jack. “I heard you are giving the ship a unit situation. They deserve it Admiral even if half my medical staff were not able to keep their meals down.” Then turned around and headed out the tube.

“Shit!” Jack said to himself. He had heard the phrase about Unit Citations in some stupid movie or a damn book but he had now idea of how to go about doing it or even if he had the power.

At the inner lock hatch into the Black Dwarf, after Jack saluted the flag and lock entry officer as he listened to the stupid “Admiral Turner boarding.” Along with the pipe tone finally cutting off as his foot hit the ship’s deck, another of the Doctors slapped Jack on the back with a big smile. “You got us here in record time Admiral. I hear you even did the piloting. It is all over the ship. You have saved a lot of lives. We were expecting it to take days longer. Thank you Admiral.” Then the doctor stepped on the sled with the rest of the medical staff and were rushed off across the hanger following the first two tank pods toward the Central core across the wide open hanger.

Looking around him at the half mile long walk to the hanger’s Operations Center at the Core, Jack’s exhaustion started taking over making it harder to place each foot in front of the other, which he couldn’t understand since he had lost track of time as he was piloting. He had taken several breaks with short naps as they flew along already well surveyed rivers and gorges the other pilots could handle. Jack shook his head looking at his watch. 12 or 15 hours wasn’t that long. ‘NO.’ His befuddled brain said. ‘How about 40 some hours total since he had boarded 1701 on the Red Pepper. No, that wasn’t right either.’ “Damn. I am getting out of shape.” Staying awake for several days at a time in bootship was common and no big deal after about the 10th or 20th time. Jack continued walking toward Operations in the core, patting one of the pieces of equipment coming out the lock behind him as it passed him. “You just help save a lot of lives here. OK?” Jack glanced at the other crews around most of the other DD and transport locks around the hanger and then the God fighters and bombers mixed in with the Republic fighters and bombers with the maintenance crews around them that were lot closer to the Operations Center. Feeling more exhausted with every step. Jack watched several fighters come out of one of the locks to his surprise until he remembered the lock that took the DD’s long mass/cargo tanks extending out long enough to get them in now making sense.

A Spider Scout Bomber came out of a lock and then raced across the hanger to make a circle around Jack as he slowly trudged along with his feet growing heavier by the step. Jack finally recognize the Lieutenant before it went over to land in front of the Operations compartment. Jack suddenly wasn’t as tired as he smiled at the pilot that dropped down from the bottom of the bomber a couple hundred yards away.

A cart loaded with missiles slowed up as it went by as the driver stared at Jack for a few seconds before he stopped the sled all together and started talking into his headset. The sled started following slowly behind after Jack passed it again, making Jack feel very uncomfortable. Slowly Jack became aware of most of the work around the hanger coming to a stop as people started headed his way. A cart packed with crewmen came racing across the hanger as more carts suddenly started speeding in his direction. One cart almost running down the Lieutenant as she stepped out of its way. Some with crewmen draped across ordinance or equipment or supplies trying to hold on. More and more seemed to be joining the masses and started jogging in his direction from the farthest side of the hanger.

Realizing that they all looked as pale as ghosts and as thin as the R-bots Jack stopped in amazement that they could even walk as he looked around the hanger. Not understanding why they were coming toward him, Jack started turning around to see the crewmen from all around the hanger headed his direction until the numbers of crewmen stopping a couple feet away started blocking his view as more arrived until there simply was no room left to see beyond the mass of skeletons and then someone stepped forward and reached out to touch him. Not saying anything but simply touching him for a few seconds before someone else joined her followed by more and more.

The crowd continued to grow and grow as more held their hands out trying to touch him without saying anything then letting someone else reach through to take their place. All Jack could do was stare baffled in shock. A woman suddenly grabbed his arm and pulled herself closer to take his face between her hands as she smiled from ear to ear and said. “You saved us.” Then she grabbed her chest with one hand while grabbing onto his arm with the other. Closing her mouth with a little belch escaping her closed lips she collapsed toward the deck and her gaze locked onto him with a smile. Her locked hand trying to drag him down with her but she was so light she just hung there for a half second as Jack grabbed and lifted her up in his arms. His eyes not normally able to see much in bright light suddenly saw her bright heart and the surrounding blood vessels inside the almost none existent chest falling apart as he watched. The tissue disintegrating along with the bigger blood vessels throughout her body.

Her nerve system and mind continued as if nothing was amiss. Not even pain for about a minute as she stared at him and her mind said, ‘Thank you Admiral for rescuing us.’ Again and again. Gushing with love before fading away peacefully. Holding her in his arms as her body quickly cooled he knew he had been too late. He had not been fast enough to save her. That even if she had been in sickbay on an operating table she would not have survived. The tissues of her heart and blood vessels had simple grown to week to even hold together any longer under the pressure of her beating heart though he could see nothing else wrong with her. Dead and growing cold in his arms he just stood there. But still he could not force himself to put her down as she kept smiling at him with her face and eyes that did not seem so vacant even though he knew they were.

Chapter 23; Long way to go and little time.

Admiral Spencer sat at his desk watching Admiral Turner get mobbed and then suddenly pick up a body in his arms and stand there. For a second he wondered why the Turner was just standing there instead of trying to get the crewmen to help and then the hundreds of autopsy reports flashed across his mind and he knew nothing could have been done for the crewmen. It was a myth that if they got to help in time they would be ok. A lie to help the crew cope with the possibility of sudden death. That somehow if it happened to them they would get help in time. It had even helped him cope until he had read enough reports and talked to the Doctors that had finally realize that it was a lie. Which was why he had classified all the autopsy reports as top secret and even stopped performing autopsies. The crew needed the hope not knowing provided. Evidentially Turner knew. Though how since his Doctors hadn’t known until hundreds of crewmen had already died.

The Admiral’s Comm beeped with a name popping up on the screen. Taping the name. “Yes Doctor. Is this for real. Did Turner bring us something that will save my crews?”

“The People that came with the supplements think it will. Though they have not tested it.”

“What do you mean they have not tested it?”

“Admiral Turner’s Ex-slaves developed it at the Admiral’s request in only a few hours and they simply have not had the time to run any tests but they are sure it will work.”

The Admiral wanted to curse but held his lips. “How does it need to be administered?”

“It is a simple disk that is dropped into hot water to dissolve as a tea and taken with the pill three times a day with the 4th pill not taken after a few days. We can start fleet wide at the next meal. Three hours until the next pill issue should be plenty of time to distribute it to the fleet.”

“I don’t want to wait that long. Can the tea be given now and the pill on time or do they have to be taken together?”

Another person bent down next to the Doctor’s sitting at the console. An alien race that the Admiral had never seen before. “Yes Admiral. In fact the sooner we get the tea into the patients the better. But it has to be strictly regulated. Too much tea or going what you humans call cold turkey and taking no pills even with the tea will kill most patients.”

“Very well Doctor but you said it has not been tested. Why hasn’t it been tested?”

“Admiral. I am sorry for the wrong impression but this tea is not a pharmaceutical, not a drug but simply concentrated food broken down to allow the human body to easily absorb it as the body learns again how to process solid food. There is nothing in it that can hurt or is dangerous to humans.”

“So humans eat this all the time?”

“Well. No.” The alien Doctor bent down to talk to the screen. “What you call Ex-slaves eat it all the time but we only recently determined that it should be safe for humans to eat and not poisonous. As it turns out I am sorry to say that after months of work, it is one of the few foods we produce that humans should be able to thrive upon but no, we have yet to feed it or any of the others to any human. We were just planning to start trials on a test group for this food and all the possible others, nutritional value but we have full confidence it will not be harmful in anyway important at this time for the short term and will save lives.”

The Admiral buried his face in his hands. “How many humans do you need for a trial and can you tell me if it will do us any good or be poisonous to humans in only three hours.”

The alien stepped back as the camera zoomed out into a fish eye showing most of the compartment and started talking to others in a strange language for a good half minute then turned back to the Admiral. “Yes, in three hours by examining the tissues of 100 patients we can definitely determine if the food will do as we have said but we must start soon to make your deadline.”

“Funny you should use the expression, deadline. Where do you want the subjects?”

“Here in this medical complex would be best Admiral.”

“Fine I will have a hundred subjects up there in 20 minutes from the brig… No, you can go to the brig easier than they can be brought to you and it will keep them and you secure. Out.”

“One moment Admiral Please.”

The Admiral stopped with his finger over the cut off icon. “Yes Doctor.”

“We will have to do biopsies of the subject’s inner tissues from the heart and most organs including the brain of many of the specimens. Several of the subjects will not survive Admiral. If we had some kind of livestock or none sapient animals comparable to humans we would not need the biopsies from the human subjects for the initial tests.”

“These are combat ships we do not carry lab animals. Will taking a day or two change the need?”

“No. Even if the patients get better as expected, there may still be long term side effects only biopsies will see and confirm even if a long term study of months is performed. Without such a study there could be horrible long term damage leaving a small percentage of doubt without the biopsies. Even for short term use of only a few weeks until a normal human food source is found could have un-anticipated side effects though probably not lethal. Though what happens if such a reliable source is not found is not known at this time. I strongly suggest that you allow us the use of the subjects beyond the few hours for a long term study that will benefit all humans and ex-slaves alike. Allowing humans to use versions of most of our advanced drugs, pharmaceuticals and other healing devices and procedures we dare not administer at this time.”

“You can do that with only a hundred subjects?”

“While we realize that there is no substitutes for core species testing of drugs and hard medicines, we value life above all else since the Gods take it away so easily including test animals and have learned to use a minimum of subjects to their greatest potential. Yes we can clear the vast majority of our alien medical drugs and advances for humans with only 100 subjects including foods that we would not otherwise even consider. The reason it has taken months to even find this one food while we have watched the humans start to starve to death in front of us. Reluctant to even ask of such test subjects unless it became critical. Your crews have become critical though we feel this one food is of little risk we cannot be 100% certain but with half your crew facing certain death. We were willing to take that risk with the knowledge that we would be able to autopsy those that died before the supplements have had time work or do any permanent damage.”

“What do you mean time to work?”

“Some of your crew will die no matter what we do the first week because they are already dead but simply do not know it yet. The Supplement will not change that for possibly half of those that would have died anyway over the first week. It will help no one that is about to die in the first 6 hours after the first dose while as much as 20% will be strong enough to survive the next 6 hours that would have died without the supplements. With a higher percentage saved geometrically as your crews bodies recover and grow stronger with each additional does. There should be no deaths toward the end of the first week depending on human physiology. But then we do not know that much yet about humans to even be certain of that time line. Even that is a guess unless we do this 100 subject study first. Even 3 hours will allow us to be more accurate in all our projections with a 100% accuracy for short term effects. Though by then we will already know how many died the first few hours of treatment out long term predictions will be much more accurate.” The Ex-slave Doctor took a deep breath. “If what I understand as the brig is where you house criminals is correct, then I strongly suggest that you allow us to continue to use the hundred for the long term study of the effects of all our foods and medicines that will benefit all humans for thousands of years and save millions of lives even in the first years of our unity.”

“You want me to allow you to kill 100 humans for your long term study.”

“No. Killing them or even a large portion would ruin the study making it invalid for the long term. Only a few would be sacrificed over the long term and then mostly in accidents or normal rate of God executions or if the subject bodies react in ways we have not calculated. We believe that the majority would survive and live long lives after they recovered with the rest of your crew though they would have to be maintained in a clinical setting. Most of the subjects that die will be from their weakened conditions over the first few weeks but that cannot be helped no matter what we do.”

“Don’t you need to do autopsies of healthy humans to get a base line? How can you tell what is needed without at least one?”

“We have already done base line autopsies on human Captives years ago, though we are already doing just that on those that have already died as we speak and learning what you humans call volumes that will make the short term study that you requested even possible and the long term study more effective. I am sorry Admiral but there is no substitutes for live core species subjects. Even thousands of none human but compatible animals cannot provide the highest degree of certainty this single human study can provide concerning the vast amount of knowledge it will open up for us to use concerning the human body.”

The alien body was quivering the Admiral looked him over. “So please forgive my excitement at the prospect of actually doing such a study at this time. It is a once in a life time opportunity that even the Gods would not have allowed simply because they would not have cared how many humans die or survived.” The ex-slave knelt down and bowed before the Admiral. “I, your most humble servant beg hour honor to please allow us to do the study as I have outlined for the good of all. I also ask that you allow us to bring additional researchers and tools from New Home to increase the effectiveness of our research for you.”

The alien swallowed and took a deep breath as his back straightened. “I am most ready to give you my life as payment for this one holy honor for such a great advancement for all humans and ex-slaves if you are even slightly displeased with the accuracy of our results. If you require hostages to die with each human I will be honored to be amongst those you choose. Simply give us the number of volunteers you wish to execute with each human subject’s death. Though I will require more researchers to be brought in to replace those executed honorable Admiral.”

This being the first time the Admiral had been a part of or witness of the Ex-slaves outlook of life under their Gods, the Admiral was shocked into speechlessness as his jaw hit his desk. It took him a full minute to recover as the Ex-slave remained kneeling with every slave behind him in view of the pickup knelling and bowing as well. Patiently waiting.

Looking from the prostrate ex-slaves up to the hanger bay with Jack surrounded by the still growing crowd as a sled with several medics floated over the heads of the masses to take the body from his arms. Jack continued to stand for a few seconds staring at the medics that had taken the body, then started walking slowly turning a spiral through the crowd holding his arms out to his sides. Letting people reach out and touch him that wanted to. His movement stopping the ones on the outside from trying to push their way in, crushing those around Jack.

The Admiral turned up the screen speaker’s volume and was surprised to hear only Jack’s armored suit’s footsteps on the metal deck in the silent hanger as he slowly walked around. Jack’s voice while not loud carried across the crowd. “Just relax. You are all going to live now so just relax. Stay where you are, I want to have a close look at all of you. Just give me a few minutes to get to you all. Just relax. You are safe now.” Jack suddenly picked up one of the crewmen and then held him up over the heads of the crewmen around him. “Take this man out to the Ship’s Patrol outside the crowd. Hurry he needs help.” They started passing the man from hand to hand over the heads towards the outer edge of the throng. Then loud enough for the whole hanger to hear. “You Ship’s Patrol. Get this man to medical ASAP. That is an order. He only has a couple hours to live without medical attention. Jack stopped going in a spiral and started going straight to certain crewmen who he immediately sent out of the crowd as well to be taken to Sickbay.

Shaking his head baffled again. ‘It is time to rescue a certain Vice Admiral and find out what the hell was going on here.’ The Admiral said in his mind to himself as he looked back down at the screen and the Ex-slave Doctor still prostrating himself. “We do not take hostages here ever. Nor are we going to kill anyone intentionally. Now stand the fuck up like free men. You will do the short term study and see how it goes as the supplements are distributed across the fleet for possible use. In the mean time I will talk to Admiral Turner and think about your requested long term study. Dismissed.”

Cutting the Comm from Medical, the Admiral looked at the screen of the Hanger bay as a medical sled came floating across the crowd again as Jack grabbed another crewman and threw him up on the open almost empty sled then pulled himself up onto the sled with the help of those around him. Sitting on the front edge next to the driver with his legs dangling over the edge of the sled, Jack pointed out across the still growing throng. The sled drifted over and stopped and Jack reached down and grabbed the outstretched hands of a crewman and hoisted her up onto the sled into the waiting hands of the medics who started running a scanner lazily across the crewman only to suddenly go into overdrive, rapidly hooking up an IV along with several injections leaving the scanner screen laying across her chest with one of the medics carefully watching it. The sled suddenly speeded up as Jack pointed at someone just walking up outside the throng that was quickly scooped up as another medical sled slid up beside the first and Jack stepped across between the two. The first loaded with several patients sped away as the new sled started circling the crowd again with Jack again sitting with his legs dangling over the front of the flat bed next to the driver pointing out where to go.

Slapping his Comm. “Security. Get Vice Admiral out of the Main Hanger and ask him to please come to my Office. Do not take no for an answer. Out.” He watched Jack pick up yet another crewman that the medics started working on with no haste. Though they did more than simply run a scanner over the crewman this time.

A few seconds later the Medical sled stopped circling as a security sled came up to the medical sled. The Admiral could hear a few wards being exchanged but could not understand them with the sleds on the other side of the hanger and by the time he found the right pickup close to the sleds, Jack had already stepped across to the security sled and it headed for the exit next to the Flight Command compartment. As the noise in the Hanger started to increase as the crowd realized the Vice Admiral was leaving the security sled dropped to the deck long enough to pick up a pilot with a very big green woman standing next to one of the strange looking alien scout bombers. The human woman had pilot’s wings on her chest. The big red headed light green woman with her suit unzipped to her belly button with her breasts half exposed and without Pilots wings climbed in to sit at the back of the sled in a lotus position that did not look comfortable at all between two armored suited SP’s. The human pilot practically jumped at the Vice Admiral giving him a hug almost falling off the front of the sled as the sled disappeared into the elevator lift area in the core. The Admiral looked back at the alien scout bomber and frowned. He was still getting used to having such alien craft in his flag ship even if they were alien/human hybrids but the sudden realization that a human female was piloting at least this one suddenly made accepting them in the hanger easier even if Admiral Halsey had told him to trust Turner.

Which reminded the Admiral of the talk he had with Admiral Halsey. He had known the Admiral since the Naval Academy as Cadets. While they had not roomed together they had spent much time together in many of the same classes as well as on the sports fields, studying and working off demerits after pissing off Professors when they questioned accepted tactics and long held beliefs. Both had graduated in the upper 500 of a class of 2,000 only a few spaces apart. So he trusted Halsey implacably but the thought of cutting themselves off from The Rock just did not seem right or even smart. There was no way they could fight a war without The Rock and the support of the rest of the Republic but yet it sounded like that was what Halsey was talking about doing. Though he was starting to realize they just may not have a choice in the matter if he wanted to fight a battle they could win instead of being sacrificed for some Congressional Admirals political or personal agenda or gain, again. He was still coming to grips with the fact that TF-58 had been abandoned to be slaughtered.

He still could not believe that the entire high Command had been taken over by political appointees. But then it had seemed like as many of the Naval Academy trained Admirals and Commanders (his longtime friends) as possible (which was twice as many as any other unit), had been included in the so called Bait task force (TF-58) to lure out the enemy fleet into the trap and then left to die after the faster re-engined Battleships had fired a few rounds at extreme range and then fled. He was still not sure if any of the supposedly entrapping ships had even been damaged before they fled.

Forty-seven high ranking Admirals, some in commodore positions 2 and 3 levels below their Stars just to get them in the Task Force had died with their Command ships in that fiasco before he could get to them as they sent the rest of their ships and crews his way while they turned into the enemy trying to buy him time to save the Task Force as they slowly died one by one in fiery fusion explosions that tried to take out as many of their pursuers as possible. Most were close friends. Worse yet, not a one of them had officially been recognized for the enemy ships they had taken out with their lives in the news casts he had seen from Earth. Enough enemy ships had been destroyed that the enemy stopped chasing them and changed their tactics to trying to blocking off any hope of reaching any star systems in range. Waiting for them to run out of reaction mass. But he had fooled them and pulled off the impossible.

Then he learned from Halsey that many more of the ranking Fleet Admirals that had nothing to do with the battle had been sacrificed in the after math and given the blame. While all the politically appointed Admirals and Commanders that actually were the cause of the disaster and had fled the battle with the first shots were held blameless. The same Congressmen that had appointed the Democrat Communist Admirals and their Cronies where the same Congressmen that had ran the Congressional Investigation. Cutting off or denigrating and vilifying any testimony not toeing their politically correct line. Even going to the point of throwing out testimony and finally using the old legal ploy of citing the Consensus of a Hundred handpicked Experts to justify their final ruling. Experts that were in many cases Pacifists while none were experts in military tactics or even war, but from what he could see over the airwaves, most were receiving research grants from the same Congressional Democrat Communist sponsors.

Admiral Spenser shook his head. Still, what could only a hundred shot up surviving Battleships do with what little support Admiral Halsey could send them? He had seen that his Battleships were worthless against the enemy battleships unless they rammed them at a closing speed of a good percentage of lightspeed in suicide runs. His little fleet did not stand a chance yet the broad casts from earth had talked about a new supper battle ship The Rock was building. Now if he could get a hold of those for his fleet he just might be able to do some damage. But to do that he had to turn himself in and hope it was not as bad as Admiral Halsey thought and the news from Earth said it was. No, he had carried out his orders to the letter even though he had not liked them and knew he was going into a trap. It was not his fault. The Admiral was still not convinced that the whole Rock had turned against him and his Task force even after watching what had transpired at the Congressional Hearings flooding the cloud ways while his fleet starved.

He did not know what he was going to do but he knew if he didn’t do something soon half of his entire task force was going to starve to death and according to Admiral Halsey, this Temp Vice Admiral could get him all the food he needed and Turner was going to do just that or he would shoot him himself.

That is if he wasn’t as completely crazy as he had just looked. He was going to find out what the hell he was doing down in that hanger and there had better be a damn good explanation. Thinking for a few seconds the Admiral knew where to start. Hitting his Comm directly to Sickbay. “Doctor Warmfeld, I believe Admiral Turner has been sending crewmen to Sickbay. Can you tell me what is going on there? Is he going crazy?”

“How did you find out so fast? Hell yes he has to be crazy.” Confirming the Admiral’s surmise. “I have had medics giving out the Nutrition pills to everyone on every ship at every meal for the last month with specific instructions to look for any signs of anyone that even looks like they may drop dead at any moment and we have not been able to find one crewmen before they have died. But then we did not have time to run scanners over everyone for every meal. And now this guy Turner spends five minutes aboard ship in the hanger deck and starts sending me crewmen that are on the verge of complete heart failure in the next few hours or a day or two, the way everyone has died so far. We now have the plenty of time to keep them alive. In fact now that we have seen some within hours of dying, we now know the stages and why we could not see it on scanners before. I think we can formulate a test we can give the whole crew to catch all the rest before they croak. Sorry Admiral, but that is what everyone says the victims say or belch the instant they die and now it makes perfect sense.”

Looking to the side of the screen for a few seconds the Doctor continued. “Ok. I have just been told that a woman died right in front of the Admiral a few minutes after he walked down from his ship onto the hanger and shortly after that he began pointing out the crewmen he sent here.” Shaking his head. “But that still does not explain how he knew or knows. As I said we could not tell with our scanners who was within a week of dying until he rubbed our noses in several that were on the verge of dying.” Looking to the side again and back. “Even the ex-slaves do not have any ideas how, only to say he is, The Great Savior of legend past. But that is not important right now. I have work to do getting the test work going in time for the next meal. Later Admiral.”

“NO Doctor. Give the job to someone else. I need you in my day cabin immediately with what medical scanners you can bring. I need to know how he knew. Admiral Turner is headed this way. Now get here ASAP. Spencer out.”

The Admiral’s Comm beeped as he noticed a name that had been on the screen for quite a while now waiting for his attention. Commander Chin, DD-1701. Recognizing that was the ship that had brought Admiral Turner he slapped at the icon. “Yes Commander. Do you have something to tell me about Admiral Turner?”

The Commander sat back as his mouth opened and closed. It was obvious that the Commander was pissed. “Fact I do Admiral Spencer. How did you know?”

“Just spill the beans Commander I am in a bit of a hurry here.”

“I wish to formally submit a claim against Vice Admiral Turner for endangering my ship and crew. He insisted on bringing the ship recklessly strait across the Cloud from New Home flying almost twice as fast as even our upgraded sensors could see using that new none Navel approved Grave Scoop or cloud Scoop to open a tunnel in the cloud little bigger than the ship. He flew like a mad man barely missing countless rocks and gravel traps and mega dense cloud banks and even an Ice planet orbiting a Gas Giant not on the charts. Not once did he back off on the throttles even after I threatened him with my pistol. Telling me to shoot him or shut up. He even told engineering to go to 150% thrust by closing down whole sections of the ship and ordering the crew to the mess deck and even had enlisted crewmen stuffed in the wardroom and Officers cabins. Totally unacceptable behavior. He could have killed us all and prevented the medicine from reaching Task Force-58 Admiral. I am sending an attachment with our logs and sensor data clearly showing there was no way the Admiral could have known what was in front of the ship in time to miss most of what he missed. It had to be totally blind luck Admiral. My whole crew and I should be dead.”

“Let me get this straight Commander.” As he opened up the attachment and started reviewing the flight. “Did you really pull a weapon on the Admiral?”

“Yes sir but the First Officer took it away from me. I will be filing charges against him later along with several other Officers and crewmen that jumped at every order and suggestion the fool made sir.”

“Ok you say the Chief Engineer actually got 150% thrust out of those cruiser engines Commander?”

“Yes sir. Actually, with the fools shutting down most of the ship for power, he was able to get up to 157% Admiral.”

“Ok and how many casualties do you have?”

“Several sir. Lacerations and sprains from a fall in the Port engine room, a hatch closed on a crewman’s foot when he shut the hatch too soon and the ship’s cat scratching an Officer’s hand when she got her tail pulled in the crowded ward room.”

The Admiral started staring at his main screen, his eyes flicking to points across it too fast to follow for several minutes as the Captain sat back and waited. Then finally the Admiral Spencer glanced at the Captain with a frown as he went back to scanning the screen and started to speak. “Yes I see from the log that the Admiral was actually turning the ship quite often before anything showed on the sensor screens. Either the Admiral is clairvoyant or he knew some things he could not possible have known about. I am sure the sensors were absolutely worthless to him. From what I can see scanning the bridge recording at high speed, he hardly looked at the damn sensor screens. Fact he looks like he is looking up and down and everywhere but the sensor screens except to get specific information like mass or how fast the object is traveling and repeating it to himself before ignoring the screen again.” Looking hard for a few seconds trying to see something the Admiral finally realized that the whole bridge was dark and the low light pickup simply could not show everything.

“Admiral. I insist that you arrest the Admiral. He is a danger to the fleet.”

Admiral Spencer turned from the recording and looked at the Commander as he took a deep breath. “I cannot believe you really pulled a weapon on the Admiral.”

“Yes sir, and my First Officer took it from me before I could save the ship. And then he refused to obey my orders to arrest the Admiral and it is his fault none of the rest of the crew ever follow my orders Admiral. They have always turned to him. They keep accusing me of making mistakes andgiving confusing orders and I do not never give confusing orders Admiral. I graduated from the best university on Earth with grades and honors in business and enlightened thinking these morons only wish they had and these ass holes think they know how to run a ship better than me.” The Commander’s eyes flicked around the bridge at the officers still at their posts for a few seconds as he took a breath. “I am not going to let a crazy fucking kid Admiral that doesn’t even have any political backers get me killed. Besides how the hell did he get appointed as a fucking admiral anyway without a Congressmen backer of any kind? Listen Admiral Spencer. I have connections that will make me an admiral one day. I have Friends that are friends of one of the President’s personal Aid’s family. I can help you Admiral big time.”

Admiral Spencer buried his face in his hands. Fighting back the urge to ream his butt out the nearest airlock for even pulling a weapon on an Admiral. But a better idea flashed into his mind. One that required a lot less paperwork. “Tell you what Commander. I have a special job for you with my staff. Are you interested?”

An Ear to Ear smile appeared on the Commanders face. “I knew you would see reason and what I can do for you Admiral Spencer. You won’t regret this. Yes I accept any job you have for me on your staff.”

“Very well then Commander you are locked in but before I tell you your new assignment let me just ask you a question.” The Admiral continued tapping orders into his desk. “Have you ever heard the phrase Captains’ are Tyrants?”

“Aaa Yes sir and I have tried to be as good a tyrant as I can sir.”

“Then you make the mistake most Commanders make that are too stupid to realize what a Ship’s Captain actually is. So let me paraphrase a little about more of the old poem that dates back to the days ships sailed the 7 seas of Earth that was a warning for the Officers and not so much the crews. “Ensigns’ are know it all’s, Lieutenants’ are full of themselves, Commanders are Wanabee’s, Captains are Tyrants and Admirals are Gods.” Shaking his head. “You just pulled a weapon on a God, Commander. Now this God is ordering you to report to sickbay to take charge of the nutrition study’s lab rats and as a control pin cushion.” You will turn over Command of DD-1701 immediately to your First Officer verbally and then leave. Do not talk to anyone else, call anyone, touch anything or pack. Those things will be done for you. If you have not reported to the SP waiting outside DD-1701 in the hanger bay in 3 minutes you will be considered a deserter in time of war and executed on sight. You will tell the Patrol officer in charge to take you to Sickbay and keep you under close guard. Failure to perform every order I have just given you or the Study’s Doctors, alien or otherwise, will be viewed as treason and you will be executed. Is that clear Commander.” Taking a breath as the Commander started sputtering.

“But Admiral the lieutenant cannot be this ships Commander. He is only a lieutenant Junior Grade and has no connections and only graduated from the stupid Nave Academy last year of all the low life schools and then he was 3,021 of 4,000. Besides you can’t be serious. I tried to save the ship from that uneducated moron. Even I am more qualified to be an admiral than he is. There is no reason why I should have to even listen to him let alone obey him while he is trying to destroy my ship.”

“Now listen to me you little turd. That ship was never your ship Commander, it is the Navies. And someone better than you decided Turner earned his rank and as an Admiral of the Fleet he can destroy any ship under his Command if he so deems it necessary for any reason he can think up and he does not have to ask for your permission. It is also none of your business who we put in Command of any ship or boat or craft in this entire fleet and now you have wasted 1 minute of your valuable time before you are declared a deserter so I would suggest you get your fucking butt in gear and get out of that ship before I send the SP in to shoot your ass dead and don’t forget to tell the Lieutenant that he is now a Lieutenant Commander and has Command of DD-1701.” The admiral cut the connection.

Tapping his intercom to his Adjunct. “Captain, I would like you to have someone check into the record of DD-1701’s First Officer. I like what I saw of the Lieutenants actions and how he handled the crew on Turners run here from this New Home Basestation to bring us the supplements before we lost many more crewmen. Ignore his current commanding officer’s ravings and marks I just relieved of command. I want the boy advanced to Lt. Commander if at all possible and then give him the ship. While you are at it review the flight record and give me recommendations on the crew and the flight as well as thoughts on how Admiral Turner managed to do what he did. I think you will be impressed by more than the fact that the engineer was able to get 157% thrust out of those engines without destroying them and must be some kind of record. Promote him as well. And by the way. As I said, I just dismissed the Commander of 1701. I have sent him to sickbay under guard. Please check and make sure he gets there and have him hunted down and dragged there if he doesn’t. He is now a test subject for the supplement they will be testing to save us from that fucking nutrition pill. Any questions you don’t feel like answering yourself, send me an E-mail, I am going to be a bit busy for a while. Out.” Without waiting for an answer he cut the screen.

The Admiral sat back and found himself comparing both the hanger bay recording repeating itself and the flight across the cloud trying to figure out what was so similar about the two recordings that was tickling his mind. And then it hit him. The Admiral was using his eyes and reacting to things he saw. Not things he could see because no one could possible see anything through a ships bulkheads or tell the difference between one person and another just looking, that the Doctors couldn’t see with their sensors. No not just difference but that one out of many was so sick they were about to die. And on the wild run across the cloud he had seen what the sensors could not see long before the sensors had a clue. Impossible.

Shaking his head he rubbed his eyes. How does one see things he can’t possible see? Then he remembered Halsey saying the kid had saved the fleet right out of the stocks the first week he was piloting when he saw a Nebula cloud bank in time for them to go over it when the sensors couldn’t see it. The very same Nebula cloud bank a week later that had so devastated TF-58. Killing tens of thousands and destroying several ships that had barely been holding themselves together after the battle.

Then the movie flashed into his mind that had been bouncing around the Earth Entertainment Channels that was supposed to be based on the unofficially released secrete battle report of the battle that had almost captured the first Spider battleship but had rescued thousands of slaves and given Earth the first facts as to who the enemy was. Showing the hero running from deck to deck, battle to battle across the ship, always showing up just in the nick of time to save the battle or to prepare the defenses in time to slaughter the enemy making surprise attacks no one had a clue about. Always doing exactly the right thing at the right time to buy the refugees the time they needed to get off the ship with all the technology and prizes and then even rescue his own rear guard troops that had been cut off and trapped. As did everyone else, the Admiral simply thought it was pure fantasy. Only now with the back door contact established with The Rock through some Alien Republic super comm and Admiral Halsey. Then reading and viewing the reams of reports that Admiral Halsey had down loaded to him about what had happened in the War since the battle and TF-58 got stranded, he now knew most of the movie had been more fact than fiction. And again it boiled down to Turner’s seeing things no one could possible see. Even the top secret report on the Cloud battle where Turner had hunted down an entire fleet one by one always knowing exactly where each enemy ship was when he couldn’t possible have known even with control of the torpedo mines and their sensors scattered around the cloud.

The Admiral sat back in his chair letting it recline even though that was not what he wanted it to do as he tried to wrap his mind around the impossible truth that could not be true.

The Admiral’s intercom beeped. “Admiral, Doctor Warmfeld with Alien colleague and Admiral Turner with his Aides are here at your request sir.”

‘Shit!’ He had not wanted to see them together but what could he do now. If what he suspected was true, seeing the Doctor first was a waste of time if what he thought was true and only give Turner time to prepare. Even if the good Doctor believed him. Tapping the video to his reception room, the waiting group flashed up on his screen with the 5 officers taking seats. The big Green half naked Redhead alien taking up most of one couch getting a frown for a few seconds as she fanned the front of her wide open coverall open and closed several times exposing way too much.

Shaking his head then rapidly thinking for a few minutes, the Admiral had to smile at the simple plan he came up with. Going to his book shelf and taking one of the ancient coffee table books about old Earth ships of Earth’s seas. The Admiral propped it up on it bottom edge with its hard covers and pages spread wide apart on his desk facing him. The almost two foot tall hard cover book blocked all sight of the desk in front of him. Checking to make sure there was nothing behind him that could possibly reflect the image of anything he did to anyone standing in front of the desk he smiled. Blanking his mind to make sure his face stayed deadpan he tapped the cabin recorder on and then the intercom as he glanced at the reception screen with Turner slouched down into the soft chair snoring. “Aaaa. Have the female pilot and the green redhead make themselves comfortable out there then bring the Doctors, Mr. Turner and you in and line up just inside the hatch and stand at attention until I am ready to proceed.”

The armored hatch that completed the active electronic and sensor shielding that surrounded the cabin opened and the ship’s Chief Medical Officer and the Alien Doctor stepped in following his aid and lined up across the front of the Cabin just inside the hatch and came to attention. Turner was nowhere in sight. Looking at the reception office screen he saw the Lieutenant shaking Turner, waking him up while trying to pull him out of his chair. The Lieutenants voice coming through the open hatch telling Turner to wake up, the Admiral wanted to see him, as she slapped him across the face a few times. Turner finally stumbled through the hatch rubbing his eyes and then it closed.

Admiral Spencer sat with his hands hidden behind the upright book for several minutes with his mind and face blank. The officers’ manor or expressions did not change, except Turner’s eyes closed as his head started nodding down and jerking back up. The Admiral recalling his days in boot camp catching a couple of winks at attention in ranks.

When he started snoring again the Admiral’s jaw dropped. Picking up the large book he slammed it down on his desk on its back sending a gunshot through the cabin. Turner’s eyes flew wide open as he jerked back to attention. “Wake up Turner! What the hell is your problem?” Not really wanting an answer. “Now pay attention and stop wasting my time.”

Turner shook his head as his eyes fluttered as he licked his lips and swallowed then fought down a yawn. “Yes Admiral.”

A few minutes later with the book back up on edge across his desk and no signs of any kind of reaction from any of the officers in front of him, Admiral Spencer slowly made his fingers walk across his desk behind the book and up the two spread pages of the book as Turner shook his head again and rubbed his face and eyes with one hand trying to stay at attention. His eyes going to the book that he had been ignoring.

Getting pissed with his fingers half way up the book as Jack’s eyes went back to looking straight ahead to where they were supposed to be when at attention. Admiral Spencer turned his hands over and raised his middle finger curling down the others into a fist and gave two perfect universal, “FUCK YOU!” signs that no one could possible see but himself and started dancing them across the two pages of the book from one side to the other pointing them at Turner.

Suddenly a movement out of the corner of the Admiral’s eyes caught his attention as the Lieutenant on the screen suddenly stood up and took a couple of steps staring through the bulkhead with her mouth open wide in shock. The Admiral realized she had to be looking at his hands

Jack’s started to raise his hand to cover his mouth as he tried to stifle a yawn. Jack’s face suddenly grew a smile as his eyes glanced down and saw the Admiral with his fuck you fingers behind the thick book cover dancing. Jack froze with his hand halfway up as he finished the yawn. The other three officers remained dead pan faced though their eyes glance around the cabin and at the Admiral’s face once in a while wondering what was going on but after the first glance at the big book never looked at it again.

Jack quickly wiped the smile off his face as he finished dropping his hand to his side but the Admirals (fuck you) fingers started crazily dancing back and forth doing the Cha Cha and several other dances behind the book and Jack turned his head to look away as another smile crossed his face before he could bight his lip and put a frown back on his face as if nothing was happening and face forward again.

The Lieutenants head stopped with her face against the blank bulkhead next to the hatch as she stared.

Then Admiral Spencer’s fingers started chasing each other across the desk catching and beating each other back and forth for several seconds and then they started fucking each other in turn and Jack already fighting a smile let out a chuckle as he turned his head again to look away as the other officers turned to look at him puzzled.

The Lieutenant shook her head as a big worried smile came to her face and said. “My god the Admiral has gone crazy. Not sure who to look at as his attention turned from the Lieutenant’s words from his side screen or Turner trying not to laugh and not being very successful at it as he kept glancing at the back of the big book.

The Admiral slammed the book shut on his desk with a loud bang bringing Jack back to attention and the Lieutenant took a step back. Slowly Admiral Spencer stood up and walked over to Jack standing next to his Aid without a comment and stared at Jack for a good minute.

Then. “You have something you wish to tell me Vice Admiral Turner?”

Fighting a yawn…“Aaa. Yes. In fact I do Admiral.”

“Good let’s hear it.”

“You must have Admirals coming out your ass Admiral. I respectfully request that I be relieved from Command of the resupply operation Admiral so I can devote the proper attention to running my ship sir. I have had to neglect my crew far too long now and their training and operational fitness has suffered because of it. I simply cannot do both at the same time. Sir.”

Admiral Spencer’s mouth dropped open. “Are you fucking kidding me Turner? Every boot ensign wants to Command their own fleet. They think they can do a better job than anyone else. I don’t believe you only want to be a Captain.”

“Actually you are right Admiral. The only thing I wanted when I joined was to be a battleship’s pilot. Then I found out our battleships suck purple donkey dicks.” Turner grimaced and then continued. “I have command of the best ship and crew in the fleet, the Red Pepper. The only thing better would be captaining one of the DD’s I designed, but I would trade…”

“What the hell do you mean DD’s you designed? What DD Design. Some pathetic piece of shit you slapped together in The Game to hunt down Pirates. We are not hunting down pirates in converted armed Cargo ships Turner.”

“Excuse me Admiral.” The Admirals Aid said still at attention. “You had me check into the background of Admiral Turner sir. The Vice Admiral is credited with designing the Ion Engines the fleet is now equipping new Battleships with according to the latest reports we have now received from Admiral Halsey. He is also credited with designing the DD’s that we lost three quarter of the squadrons of and the ones now on our outer landing decks and patrolling. Admiral. Though the DD’s Admiral Turner has shown up with have been modified.” Looking at the Admiral before returning his gaze forward. “Admiral Turners DD’s have 16 inch guns mounted on them in place of some of the mass and cargo tanks with some kind of mass scoops. Sir.”

Without even glancing at his aid, the Admiral stepped back. “You designed both the Ion Engines and the DD’s?” Shaking his head. “Too bad the only way the DD’s could take out an enemy Battleship is to ram them at a fraction of the speed of light which most of them did. I still can’t believe most of them deliberately collided with Spider Battleships along with our half destroyed Flag battleships to buy us time to escape.” Taking a deep breath. “As for having plenty of admirals, Turner. The fleet’s flag Command ships had a lot of extra armor on them increasing their weight by 50%. Another Political decision by politicians not wanting to risk the Admirals they supported with the rest of the Battleships. Career Admirals were not given a choice as to Command ships and when the fleet was ordered to withdrawal, the heavy Flag Command ships fell behind until most of them were too far behind to rescue the crews. The heavy armor had one advantage and most of the Task Force 58’s Flag ships, which we had more than is believable, were able to survive long enough to make head on plunges to take out at least one Spider Battleship each. No, you are not the only one that has destroyed Spider Battleships but you are our only Ace. The rest did not survive their only kill.”

Taking a deep breath and sighing. “Now. Why the hell would you want to Command a Worthless DD. You have a suicide wish Turner?”

“Actually Admiral, I would rather pilot a DD like the Phoenix I have modified sitting outside your upper hanger or even the new ones that are just starting production. With 6 of the new 24 inch upgraded guns and new Ion engines. A fleet of them would knock the damn Spiders Battleships on their asses, without having to collide with them.”

“Turner we already know our 16 inch guns are shit and the 24 from what Halsey has said are shit as well so you are talking shit. Even you used the damn God Guns you captured from the enemy to take the damn Spider Battleships out according to the reports I have read over the last few days.”

“Yes and No Admiral. My 16 inch guns did just as much damage as the God Guns to the stern sections of the Spider Battleships. We have upgraded them to blow clean through the Crew and weapons section of their Battleships. The upgraded DD’s will have the speed to get around behind the enemy God Battleship’s shields and the 24 inch guns with crystal linings reducing them to 16 inch guns can destroy their week assess in a couple dozen broadsides. With a hundred advanced DD’s working together, we can take on and defeat a good sized Spider Battleship squadron. When the enemy fleet now approaching and circling the Cloud starts to break up into small 5 to 10 ships squadrons, we can take them out one at a time.”

“Yes I heard Halsey say an enemy Battleship fleet is headed this way. But as far as your 24 inch guns doing any damage. You will have to prove that to me Vice Admiral.”

“Very well Admiral, if you will follow me I have will arrange a…”

“Just stop right there Turner. You think you have changed the subject so I would forget about what you can see with your eyes. You can just bury that idea this instant. You are going to tell me the truth about just what you can see with your naked eyes and it better be the whole truth and nothing but the truth or I will have you taken out and shot and then thrown out the airlock.” Taking a deep breath as he stuck his nose against Jack’s. “Do I make myself perfectly clear Mr. Turner?”

Doctor Warmfeld turned to Admiral Spencer. “Admiral you are sounding crazy sir. What do you mean his eyes? They are just like everyone else’s eyes Admiral.”

“Shut up Doctor.” Without looking away from Jack. “Out with it Turner. Now!”

“Aaa, yes sir.” Jack swallowed hard. “Aaa. But sir. Admiral Halsey ordered me not to tell anyone Admiral.”

“I knew it.” Smiling. “Now since my last star out ranks Halsey’s by a good year and have a Combat Command and not just a Transport Command, I suggest you answer my question Turner and don’t leave anything out.” The Admiral stepped back around his desk and sat down. “Out with it.” The Lieutenant had returned to her seat glancing at the cabin off and on as she picked up a magazine and shook her head baffled but not hearing what was going on with nothing strange to see she went back to reading.

“Well Admiral. I was born under a Neutron star from conception to birth before my parents got out of the system. Only two infants survived longer than a year out of some 20. The thing is from what the Navy has told me, several of my normally dormant Genes have been turned on and I can see energy waves other than simple light. Using infrared, I saw you flick off the bunch of us or well to be more exact, me, from behind the book. I am sorry for laughing but it took me by surprise.”

“Just what I was hoping to do Turner. Is that how you have won most of your battles and set a record crossing the Cloud?”

“Aaa yes that and over 10 years playing the fleet wide Sim Game which I have an Admiral’s rating in, giving me a lot of tactical experience. Which is why I never wanted to be an admiral. Well maybe a Commodore/lieutenant or Rear Admiral. With a squadron of DD’s to play hell with the enemy’s ships assess.” Taking a deep breath. “Though I was just thinking about taking a trip around the enemy fleet and attacking their supply lines and destroying a lot of their infrastructure to slow them down Sir. Give the Republic more time to build the fleet they need.”

Shaking his head. “But then I wasn’t kidding, I would just be happy piloting something like the Phoenix and not having to worry about making the decisions and getting people killed or losing battles. To damn much work and headaches and I am not very good at it sir. The thing is the Red Pepper is suffering without a full time Captain, Admiral and I really would like you to take this damn promotion back and let you take care of Vice Admiral Ditzen and him trying to destroy the stations and enslave the ex-slaves to serve and give him all the new tech toys so he can become the Supreme Admiral. No, I just wish you would take these damn Stars Admiral and slap me back in the pilot’s seat.”

“Well Vice Admiral Turner, I wish I was an Ensign again running around fucking half the whores on The Rock and that so many of my friends had not been slaughtered 7 months ago and a day doesn’t go by when I think that someone else could have done a better job but I know better and so do you. So get off your fucking self-pity soap box and stop crying. Admiral Halsey is the Supply Admiral around here and he thinks you are the only one that can get the supplies that will save my Fleet’s crew’s Ass. Now that I know why he knows you can do the impossible, you are going to do just that. As for Ditzen, he did us a favor forcing you into this promotion and from what I have read, he is safe for the moment were he can’t do much harm so forget him for now. The Doctors here are going to spend an hour looking up your ass and down your throat as well as your eyes and tell me why you are so special and that includes the Lieutenant out in my reception area. Then you are going back to work and get me my supplies and save my Task Force. Is that clear Vice Admiral Turner? I am also giving you back your DD’s and adding my surviving DD’snow that their battle damage has been repaired. If the gun upgrades your engineers are adding to our ships are any good we won’t need the DD’s anyway when we head for New Home next week when we finish refueling. But I don’t dare give you their crews yet until I know they will live and thanks for taking care of the ones I sent before, I did not realize how bad off we all are so you are going to have to provide crews for them. Sorry but that is just facts for the next month.”

“That is fine Admiral. We will manage.” Turning to Doctor Warmfeld. “You need to scan the Admiral. His heart doesn’t look good. In fact it is about the same color as the one that died. Don’t ask me what color? I have no name for it and as for scanning me in the lab. X-rays drive me crazy blinding me for hours and make my head feel like it is going to explode so don’t get near me with the machine.”

Thirty seconds later after pointing his scanner at Admiral Spencer, Doctor Warmfeld hit his panic button and the Admiral joined the study group with the other patients Jack had sent to Sickbay. Receiving the new tea even ahead of the convicts. The Doctor thinking about giving the admiral a quick heart transplant.

Twenty hours later after spending most of the time with the doctors examining him trying to fall asleep and then getting a good 10 hours of sleep after that and getting the new crews for the Black Dwarf’s DD’s straitened around, Jack lifted the Phoenix off of the landing deck and headed for the corridor to New Home. After doing a quick blind test showing the Doctor’s his ability then being poked and prodded in every orifice he never knew he had and then stuck in half a dozen places with horse needles topped off with a dozen scans that were more painful than the horse needles, he felt like shit even after all the sleep while they checked their test and decided they did not need any more specimens. Though he had a partner to commiserate with that was not too happy about being a test subject either. The Lieutenant vowing to get even with Jack for first leaving without her while she was on patrol and now the tests.

The Phoenix’s bridge crew that had been all top of the line officers, were now in command of the 4 DD’s that just joined the squadron from the Black Dwarf. Jack now had the Lieutenant as his First Officer and Pilot, Jack calling her his First Mate as a joke she had not appreciated, saying there better not be a second mate. With the 4 Black Dwarf DD’s pulling crews from the other DD’s and the Assault transports that included some marines with some ship tech experience, all of Jacks combat ships were running with reduced crews. Jack still wondering what had happened to the other DD squadron he had ordered to head that way even if he was told by Pan when he was at New Home briefly that they were busy but he did not have the time at the time to argue with her. Thankful now that they hadn’t needed them. He was still going to have a serious talk with Pan when he got back to New Home.

Though at the moment if it had not been for feeling sore from all the tests the day before, he would have been having the time of his life as he piloted the Phoenix out away from TF-58. Glad that they had confirmed that the new pill supplement was safe and working as promised as the test subjects including the Admiral along with all the crews of TF-58 were already responding positively to the treatment. Though he had been a little surprised to see Commander Chin in amongst the test subjects the day before serving as a last minute healthy control subject to make sure any side effects that cropped up were from the supplements and not something nutrition pill related that it turned out he was not taking.

Not in any hurry and wanting to keep the 10 other DD’s and the 4 Assault Transports (now that the TF-58 ships had all been searched with the arrival of the second pair of Assault transports and General Sherman’s 82nd Division ahead of schedule and just in time to turn around and leave), together incase problems developed with the 4 battle damage repaired DD’s. Especially since all 15 ships had what amounted to only two watch section crews. Jack followed the path the transports had made just so he could spend more time in the Cockpit. No real reason to get in a hurry now and every reason not to hurry with all the problems waiting for him at the other end he knew others could handle if he wasn’t there to foist all the minor decisions onto. After all, he had taken care of all the important shit. It was just a matter of putting the station together and start the upgrades he had already authorized for the transports needed for the Resupply mission. Heck, half the transports should be ready to go by the time he got back to New Home. What could go wrong?

Sixteen hours later with the Lieutenant almost ready to killed him because he insisted on doing the piloting, Jack flashed past a lone slow bulk transport with his mind on other things so it took him a good minute to realize what that meant. The transport was way behind schedule for New Home at that speed and it was alone and not in one of the 5 or 6 damn Convoysit was supposed to be in. Whipping the Phoenix around as Jack started slowing down with the rest following his surprise move. A few minutes later they passed another lone transport and even later yet another before they had slowed enough to head back to the first transport he had passed.

“Transport Kline, this is Phoenix, Admiral Turner. You are 2 days behind your assigned flight plan. Why are you going so damn slow? Why are you not in a convoy squadron? And how are you planning on finding New Home all by yourself?”

“Kline, Captain Stevens here. Fleet Command Captain Leslie authorized all transports to make best speed to New Home on our own when she took off all the marines. I am not in any hurry and at this speed we can go half way across the cloud without needing more reaction mass so we don’t get stranded again at your New Home hole in the wall. Whatever that crappy place is. As far as getting lost we were given the coordinates and route map to New Home and do not need to stay with your damn escorts.”

Jack counted to 20 gripping the chair’s armrests and trying his best to break them off in his hands before looking up. “Captain Stevens, this is Admiral Turner. You will double your acceleration to the minimum published convoy speed immediately and stand by for boarding.” Jack cut the Comm then turned to the Lieutenant. “That damn Leslie gave out the damn coordinates and a fucking map to New Home to the entire fucking fleet. I am going to kill that stupid ass moron. She is supposed to be one of Admiral Spencer’s best Staff Captains. Which is why I assigned her. How could she be so stupid to ignore every written standing orders I left for her? Hell it was her fucking plan. She has condemned everything we have done to keep the ex-slaves safe. I am going to kill the bitch.”

“Calm down Jack.” The Lieutenant said. “The Replacement marines we send over to insure they get to New Home with no further delays can just have them wipe the navigation Computers memory. In fact they can wipe every memory chip, slide, disc and block on the ship to make sure no copies were made accidentally.”

“Oh great they are just going to love us for wiping all their personal recordings and pictures.”

“It is either that or intern them for the duration of the war and we really don’t have time for anything less like worms and checking each and every recording on every ship with some of the Tramps having crews in the thousands. And we do have the capability to wipe anything in a compartment rather quickly.”

“Shit, Damn it, but I can’t think of anything better. The Kline has a crew of about 300. Hopefully a Platoon should be able to get the job done. Though I best talk things over with General Meyers and Sherman to see if they can come up with a better Idea. Maybe let the crew present a few memory recordings for inspection.” Turning back to the Lieutenant. “Get me the Assault Transports and the Generals on a conference screen. Damn nasty fuckup this is. I also need to send one of the DD’s to New Home fast and have them quarantine the transports as they come in along with any that have already arrived to keep the information from getting spread if we can. Though it may already be too late. Damn.”

After being told that the information about New Home could be hidden inside any recording no matter how innocent it looked, unless they had a lot of time to examine each recording. Jack ordered them to let the crews submit personal recordings anyway for later inspection unless they found out it was too late. Ten minutes later DD-1701 left making its best speed. Jack had no doubt it would get there almost as fast as he could. Carrying specific orders to handle the situation at the other end. Jack had a feeling that things were worse than they looked at his end. And he needed to find out what that worse was but after he got things rolling.

Jack sent Sherman with his two Assault Transports and half the DD’s up the Corridor to the main marked highway running its zig zag coarse through mostly natural cleared areas called rivers, seas and oceans from one end of the cloud to the other, to take care of and guard the secret entrance to the corridor Jack had drilled running to New Home as half the DD’s and General Meyers started vacuuming up transports from that end. Placing marines on each of them then leaving them to make their true best speed to New Home. It now being too late to gather them into the original squadrons Captain Leslie had originally suggested. He would just have to let them straggle in at their best speed while he DD’s patrolled the chock points and kept an eye on them. Regretting the hurt and loss of memories wiping all the memories of the crews would bring but not having any choice in the matter even though it could turn out to be a waste of time. The secret could still get out. But he still had to try.

Then stepping into the Captain’s day cabin just behind the bridge Jack turned out the lights and all the screens and ports, then waited as the line of transports stretching out along the corridor started appearing to him. The line of bright specks arced and twisted along the bends in the corridor he had made to the central Freeway River he had started this corridor at. Using the river to shorten the length of corridor he had to make. Even though the river made up part of the freeway system running down the length of The Cloud, he was not worried about a passing ship finding the entrances to the corridors or stumbling onto one of his ships as spread out as the traffic was. The Republic had been hiding entrances in the cloud for a thousand years. But then he had not planned on trying to move an entire fleet down the Freeway River and then into the New Home corridor either.

Jack studied the long string reaching out through the cloud. Their hot reaction mass exhausts were hard to see through the cloud even at this short range. Though once his eyes got used to the dark, he could pick them out, barely. He did not like what he saw. He could not be certain that the 3 transports in the freeway Corridor that had travelled past the entrance to New Home were from his transports or not but they were together which was not usual for the freeway traffic and they were headed in the general direction of the main Staging Maze area for The Rock. They were a long ways past the entrance to New Home and getting farther away by the minute. Not taking their time in the least. If they were his transports and had the coordinates of New Home and they reached The Rock, New Home was screwed. Turning on one of his screens at the lowest brightness levels possible, he tried to get the ships sensors to find the ships and lock onto them but the sensors could not even see them. Shaking his head Jack returned to the Bridge taking the Pilots seat from the Lieutenant.

A few seconds later the Phoenix was streaking up the corridor trying to make up for lost time. Calling ahead as he caught up with General Sherman, Jack took on a Company of marines. The little 400 foot ship becoming crowded with the hundred marines on board and their ship boarding equipment.

Twelve hours later the Phoenix was racing down the main freeway approaching the head entrance area to the Maze when weapons fire and then a huge explosion from ahead of the ship almost blinded Jack in spite of the bright bridge lights. The thick armored forward facing hull of the DD not even slowing down much of the higher waves of energy from the blast telling Jack that it was probably a ship’s Fusion Core hit before they had a chance to scram or eject it.

“Weapons fire ahead and an explosion Captain. I can’t get a fix on it yet. It is still washing out my instruments.” The sensor operator said. “I think a fusion core went up by my readings sir.”

“Got heavy Comm traffic ahead Captain. Transmitting in the clear and at full power. Someone is trying to get their message across to someone and they are scared.”

“Put it on the screen Comm.”

A familiar Company ship Captain appeared on the screen. Jack remembered him from his years on the Turner Joy and cargo auctions Jack had been at with his father bidding for Cargo. Which was unusual with thousands of Company ships running around the Republic. The Company Captain was an Ass hole and would deliberately bid down cargo rates when he had no intentions of taking the cargo just to screw over the Tramps. Then pleading unforeseen circumstances to get out of taking cargo he had bid to low on when no other lower bid from any Tramps materialized. A ploy a tramp could never get away with that the Company ships did all the time. This Captain just took extreme pleasure in going out of his way to do it every chance he got instead of just being an occasional mistake like most Company ships. With the Tramp that had put in the next lowest bid, stuck taking the Cargo whether they still wanted or even had room for it or not after taking on other cargo, or faced losing rating points that could keep them from bidding on the better cargos next time. A problem Company ships did not have.

Still this ship was from Jack’s cargo Fleet and he was not liking what he was hearing.

The Company Captain was practically screaming in fear. “We escaped from Task Force 58 at the Delta 7 staging station. They are moving you fool. We have to get to The Rock!” The Captain was thrown to the side of his chair as the transport was hit by a 5 inch shell close to the Transport’s Bridge.

Another Captain appeared on the screen that Jack recognized as a Tramp Captain that he knew well. “You destroyed the Serious 5. Why are you shooting at us? We are Republic transports.” The bridge shook throwing half the bridge crew from their consoles. “We already have decks and compartments breached and hundreds of lives lost. Stop shooting.”

“We have tactical now Captain.” The Lieutenant said from the Command chair.

Jack looked over at the pilot’s small tactical screen and the group of ships. Three transports and a Battleship. Streaks of 5 inch shells rained from the guns of the battleship hitting the 3 transports knocking holes into the sides.

“What the hell happened to the 4th transport?” Jack asked and knew the answer already but just could not believe it.

Jack watched one of the transports disappear as a flash almost blinded him again as the transport’s fusion core went up destroying the transport and its crewmen and their families.

“My God you just destroyed another Transport. Who the hell do you think you are? But I am not with those damn Tramps. They just tagged along with me. This is a company ship and I have information and a Priority One Message from a Congressional Operative about Task Force 58 and a secret base I need to deliver to The Rock. We have maps and orders.”

“The last Trampship has scrammed its cores Captain.”

The Battleship’s Captain appeared on the screen next to the Company Captain as the 5inch gun streaks stopped shooting across from the Battleship. “I am Captain Dorkman, Congressman Butcher is my backer. Your company cannot touch me and I have my orders to destroy anyone claiming to be from Task Force 58 without asking questions and your ships are on the list. I don’t care what information you have on TF-58 that I can’t find out following the plot I just down loaded from your transports navigation Computers. What can you pay for clemency to let you live.”

“Are you a fool?” The Battleship Captain started to turn red. “No, No I did not mean it. Here, I am sending you a Company account number with ten million in the ships emergency fund. Take it. I will authorize the account if you will let my ship go.”

Jack slowed the Phoenix down as he took in what was happening. Shocked that two Tramp Transports had already been destroyed with thousands of crewmen and their families. Jack did not like the ass hole but if he could get his ship out of there in one piece simply by paying a bribe he would let him do it otherwise even if Jack interceded the transport and its crew would most likely come out on the short end of the stick.

The Battleship Captain smiled. “I knew the fucking Tramps could not pay. It is good to know I was right and that your Company has deep pockets. Release the credits and I will let you go.”

“Good. Good. I am sending it now. You should have it in your account in a few seconds. The Rock needs to know the information I have for them.”

The Battleship Captain smiled as he watched a screen. Then. “Very good I like that number. Now do you have any more credits you can access?”

“But you said you would let us go if I gave you the credits.”

“Yes but my Executive Officer should be compensated too or he will take over where I left off.” The Captain smiled.

Jack hit the General Quarters alarm. “Comm. put me into their conversation.”

“This is Admiral Turner. You will stop all hostile activity Captain Dorkman and place yourself under arrest for murdering two Republic Transports and their crews.”

Captain Dorkman started laughing as 12 torpedoes left the battleship and streaked toward the Transports.

Jack slapped the throttle forward to its stop and the Phoenix shot out into the large open approaches to the maze with the second Tramp Transport’s fusion fireball still expanding and the remains of the first ship’s dissipating explosion still easily seen, explaining the first blinding light Jack had seen. Still out of range of the Phoenix’s point defenses, he had only one chance to take out the torpedoes. “Priority Power to the Guns, full spread diffusion and rapid fire now on the main guns.” He was hoping that the orders to change the guns over to point defense when they approached Delta 7 and the strange Republic Fleet was still in affect with the big guns or it was too late for the transport.

“Ready Captain.” Came the reply. “Diverting power to the guns now.”

Jack sighted on the closely packed torpedoes as the weapons officer marked them as targets. Having to shut down the IFF system to do it. “Ready Captain.”

Jack pulled the trigger and both of the big guns fired together bucking the Destroyer. Not risking the asymmetrical fire knocking the guns aim off, knowing in his heart that the ship could handle both guns firing at once. The beams hit the closely packed torpedoes running strait with no reason to maneuver making them easy targets. The two big guns with hundred yard wide beams at that range firing 5 times a second at low power, walked across the line of torpedoes taking all 12 out before they had reached half way to their target.

“Damn it Captain Stevens. Make a run for it.” Jack yelled at the Company Captain. The Tramp Transport had scrammed it core and wasn’t going anywhere for a while.

The Transport turned and clawed its way toward the nearest cloud and was almost there when the battleship, as its nose finished turning toward the helpless Transport, fired.

Sixty 24 inch guns turned the transports hull into a colander in a millisecond of firing. Jack was shocked at the over kill of the Battleship’s entire broadside (called broadside from Earths history meaning firing all a ship’s big guns on one side of the ship even though the modern ship was pointed directly at the transport). Fire, gasses, liquids, equipment, wreckage and bodies came spewing out of the almost 30 holes punched completely through the ship. Jack was surprised that half the beams missed with the ship at point blank range. Though it had not made any difference to the Company Transport or its crew.

“Nice trick with the Torpedoes Turner but you couldn’t stop my 24 inch guns. I was itching to use them anyway but the torpedoes would have left enough evidence that I could have blamed someone else for its destruction. Kind of hard to do after my 24 inch guns got doneblowing holes in it but I could not leave the Captain alive as a witness and know your puny little ship’s turn. If my 5 inch guns don’t take you out first like they did the first two transports, I will fire May 24 inch guns again. I did so much like watching the 5 inch guns tear up the transports though. My 5 inch guns will get even with you know as I watch them tear you up like that fool Ditzen was supposed to do weeks ago. Though thanks for winning my bet with the other captains. At 10 to one odds I won big time. I knew that fool could not win against a Girl Scout troop. I knew when we didn’t hear back from Ditzen you would head this way so I came out to play ahead of the morons sitting at the other end of the Maze waiting to go after TF-58. Why they let that piss-ant Admiral try to do the job is beyond me but know you are mine. Though I had hoped I would get to take on the Famous Red Pepper instead of this little ankle biting Chihuahua.” The Captain suddenly looked puzzle as one of his officers talked to him for a second. “It is still alive after a broadside from us? How could they have missed at this range? We have the finest targeting computers in the universe. Well then fire the fucking guns again and this time they had better hit something.”

As the 24 inch guns fired again at the Company ship, another officer turned to the Captain without Jack hearing the report and then with a baffled expression. “Ok. How did those moron transports get in the main freeway when they should have come out from the river at the corner of the Maze’s entry Bay? Did you pukes miss them as they came out the other side of this bay?”

Jack turned to target the DD’s big main guns on the battleship. Raking their rapid fire wide beams across the hull and turrets of the ship doing little damage. “Damn it. Heat the big guns back up.” Five inch beams started streaking past the Phoenix as the Phoenix’s own 8inch and 5inch guns with their beams reduced to much hotter 5inch and 3inch beams respectively started barking at such close range they could not miss the big Battleship’s turrets. Jack was surprised to see even their beams seemed to be penetrating the Battleships outer hull. Though the little beams were not doing much damage to the big Battleship unless they hit a turret which more and more of the shots did after the first couple rounds as the gunners settled down.

“It is going to take a few seconds to reconfigure the Main guns Captain.”

Jack threw the controls over making a hard turn as the battleship started turning toward the Phoenix and the corridor they had just come out of. “Well, we don’t have a few seconds with them turning their damn armored decks toward us.”

Jack was not surprised that the battleship was one of the new ships designed with much wider armored decks and tanks forward to look a little like the Spider Battleships. Like the Battleships that had attacked the Gama-13 station only a few weeks before but something was different about this one.

Zooming in on the Battleship’s armored decks forward Jack suddenly realized what was different. These shield decks were much thicker than the battleships now being stripped and modified into transports back at the Basestation. At least 3 times thicker. Though not half as thick as the Spider Battleships even wider armored decks.

The Captain of the Congressional Battleship turned back to Jack as the battleship fired another 24 inch broadside at the Company transport, though this time it really did only consist of the guns on the one side of the ship facing the transport. Half the beams missed again but still it tore more holes into the unarmored ship that had just scrammed its core. Though an explosion could be seen in the stern where a Plasma battery had been hit.

Jack winced as a dozen beams streaked past the Destroyer from the Battleship’s 24 inch guns on the side of the turning Battleship facing the DD, without coming close.

Chuckling at Jack the Captain said. “Admiral Ditzen sent a message telling us about being detected by your scouts so he had gone ahead of the transport and was about to capture the Gama 13 station and take you prisoner Captain Turner. Only I knew better when we got no further transmissions from him. I knew if you were out and about I would find you on this end of the maze stupidly headed for The Rock to find out why he was picking on you. The transports were just icing on the cake. Now I will take care of you the way that fool Ditzen should have.”

With the Battleship slowly turning toward the DD, more of the 24 inch turrets turned to bear onto the DD’s as more and more 24 inch beams started streaking past the DD as Jack kept maneuvering back towards the nearest cloud. Jack was surprised that the Battleship’s 5 inch guns were not even firing at them. Massive 5 inch gun fire had a better chance of hitting them than the big guns if he continued to maneuver.

Captain Dorkman chuckled. “I figured that if you took out his squadron of Simi new Battleships, you would not have a problem with the old antiques they had guarding the Transit Station blocking the river corridor from your little Gama 13 entry maze. What happened? Did the Red Pepper get destroyed in the battle or did you leave it behind to guard your alien friends. That would also explain why you are on this little Skateboat. Damn, I was hoping to take on the famous Red Pepper as I said. But you will do nicely. Earning me a promotion to Commodore and my own little squadron.

Jack sneered at the Dorkman. “At least you are picking a fight with someone that can kill you Captain and not defenseless transports. I think I am going to enjoy killing you as much as I did the Spiders.”

“Your little DD can’t even scratch my Battleship Turner. You already tried.” The Captain started laughing not noticing the red damage control lights Jack could see on the damage control screen across the back bulkhead behind the Captain as the Phoenix’s 8inch and 5 inch guns firing back over the stern of the DD continued knocking out turrets including a half dozen of the 24 inch turrets (that were shooting at them) already.

The Battleship Captain laughed. “Once I take care of you, I will join the fleet that is getting ready to leave to finish wiping out TF-58 next week since the damn spiders couldn’t do it as planned. Too bad they have no reaction mass for their old pitiful engines and can’t even maneuver let alone run. I am surprised they found the reaction mass for the 4 transports but it didn’t do them any good. Real shame after spending months pushing through that damn cloud around the blockading squadron we have at the Transit Station in the intersection to the corridor to Delta 7, only to blow up for no apparent reason like that. What a shame. Just like you are about to do Vice Admiral Turner. The news reports will certainly show your state funeral all across the Republic and I will tell how I just could not get to your damaged ship in time to save you and your gallant crew from the Spider attach that whipped out Ditzen and all the others before we killed your Spider Battleship Friends.”

“Come on Ass Hole. I have killed Spider Battleships. Taking you out is no problem. I won’t even work up a sweat. Surrender now and I will save your crew from your stupidity.” Jack disappeared into the cloud as the Battleship’s full 24 inch gun Broadside finally started to bear on the little DD without getting a lock on.

“Just like the Chicken shit I knew you were Turner. You could not have possible done Half the things they say you did.”

“That is the first time you have been right about something ass Hole. But I will still take you out.” Jack muted the Comm long enough to have the Comm officer drop a couple of Comm decoy buoys before cutting the mute to the Captain again. “The thing is, I don’t even have to call the rest of my Squadron to help me Captain. You and your ship and crew are dead and you just don’t know it yet.” Jack worked his way around the side of the open area through the cloud. The matter scoop allowing him to make good speed as his transmission was relayed through the series of Decoy/Comm buoys trailing the DD. “What I don’t understand is why. Why destroy half the fleet when we have an enemy about to destroy the republic?”

“You can’t be that stupid Turner. As soon as they see that Earths Socially Enlightened Communist Democrats are now in control of the military, they will see that we are no threat to them and leave the Republic alone. Then the Politically Enlightened Navy can enforce the basic laws of Social Communist Democratic Liberalism across the entire Republic. Force them to see the “Enlightened” way and stop wasting resources and harming the planets they live on. Force them to use mass transit with travel permits and work permits so they only work at jobs that government says is best for them and the planet. We can’t afford to allow people to go where they want and do anything they please when they feel like it. We can’t allow them to harm themselves doing stupid things morons do and buy anything their stupid emotions tell them they want. My god Turner, they even color their toilet paper in the colonies that could possible, maybe, cause butt cancer. Reds and greens and pastels just to wipe their butts. They can buy giant 44 once soda’s at minimarkets and are allowed to watch movies that are not socially approved and hear news that is not Politically Correct and Uncensored, with other politically incorrect points of view. They even allow the parents to have multiple kids and decide what is taught in and go to any local school they wish instead of what and where the government has decided is best for them. It’s barbaric if the government can’t train children to think proper political correct thoughts such as proper Masturbation, Child Adult love, free Abortions at a whim and to Love only their Government and Enlightened Betters and not a phantasy God. That takes the proper indoctrination starting in the first pre-grades. Grade School kids do not need to learn Reading and Writing and Arithmetic until after they are properly programmed. The Colonies are even against abortion anytime a woman feels like it. Can you imagine the multiple monsters woman are forced to raise against their will just because they do not feel like using birth control once in a while not to mention from legal rapes by Democrat elites.”

“Ya. Monsters like you. Can you imagine even thinking that babies even while still in the womb are people too with rights and worth protecting? How unenlightened we are. But then my Pop always said killing the unborn is just one step away from killing anyone at any age at any time. It takes the same mind set.” Jack said sarcastically as he brought the DD around and slapped the throttle all the way forward. “Yes it is barbaric to think that people should be allowed to think and do what they want when they want as long as it hurts no one but themselves without the Government or even a few self-selected elites deciding for them. What really torques my butt is how you elites don’t have to worry about getting permits to travel or shop at the stores you want or send your kids to private schools of your choosing or even permits to buy food that isn’t slop or even meat.”

The Battleship Captain shook his head at Jack with a sad expression as he took a deep breath. “What a moron, can’t you understand something as simple as rationing. The stupid masses have to have their food rationed with purchase permits or they will not eat properly and become overweight.” Shaking his head with disgust. “For a fraction of a second I thought I could turn you toward thinking properly but you are nothing but a buffoon that does not deserve to live.”

“And another Politically Correct Communist Democrat decides to murder someone just because they don’t agree with him. You going to send me to one of your camps so you don’t get your hands dirty and claim you are not the one doing the killing or delude yourself that the killing is not really happening. While demanding sentenced murderers be let out of prisons because they feel sorry now, especially if they are an elite. All while insisting that a woman can murder her baby at a whim or if the State Parenting Centers brainwashes her into thinking she needs an abortion. Talking about hypocrites. The only time you Communist Democrats care about a life is when you can use it to control people.”

That does it Turner you are dead. How the hell do you think we can keep the stupid from procreating or the elite from having to waste their time raising kids? So what if a few million babies are killed, all women have the right to control their bodies. You will die like all the rest that don’t believe in the Liberally Enlightened Democrat truth.”

Turning to the side Dorkman yelled. “You have a lock on that Son of a Bitch’s ship’s signal. Fire the damn guns. I want him dead now.”

“Yes the typical Politically Correct Democrat so ready to kill anyone that disagrees with you while letting murderers run free. But then maybe that is why you enlightened politically correct are so lax on crime and against capital punishment, just in case you get caught lying, stealing or killing someone yourselves. Makes sense now.”

“Captain.” Jack heard one of the Battleship’s bridge Officers. “13 of our 24inch turrets have been knocked out Captain. Barrels are starting to blow up ahead of schedule when fired, before they can be switched out for new barrels. Others are simply failing for no apparent reason. The damaged turrets will take time to repair.”

Turning on the Officer. “That is impossible you moron. Get someone down there and start whipping the guns crews. I will not put up with turret crews mutinying on my ship just because we are shooting at innocent transports or their fucking hero. Shoot a couple as an example and hang their bodies on the mess deck for all to see.”

Turning back to Jack as 24 inch beams pierced the cloud around the Decoy Comm. “I want to assure you that when we find your family they will grow to appreciate what correct thinking can do for society by the time they come out of one of the reeducation Camps we are going to set up on all the Republic’s Colony Planets Turner.” Smiling. “That is if they are not executed for wrong thinking as examples. We figure only a quarter of the population of each planet will have to be executed but it could go as high as half. Don’t worry everyone in the end will think as Enlightened Democratic Communist’s without expressing any improper thoughts.”

“Yes and the Democrat liberal Academia deciding what is properly enlightened thoughts are. Right? Though how you can call yourselves liberal when you will not tolerate dissent of any kind is beyond me but then that is just another Democrat Communist Liberal lie.” Jack took aim at what he could see through the quickly thinning cloud as he waited to break out into the open.

“Who else you moron. The stupid masses that vote for the prettiest political ads and eat made up stories by news anchors and talking heads mouthing the same old key words picked by our Elite Politically Enlightened Democrat officials specifically to influence how and what they think on the nightly news? Hell it only takes a few months of hearing only nice words about one candidate with only derogatory words against and snickers when short out of perspective touched up clown clips of the opponent is on the screen to influence the stupid masses. They couldn’t form a proper independent coherent thought if their lives depended on it unless we plant them there.”

“What can I say, we are just morons Captain? Oh by the way, surprise!” The Phoenix burst out into clear Space. “I see your ugly ass Captain. Weapons, all guns clear to fire Charley 1, fire torpedoes Beta 1.” The Phoenix flung itself out of the cloud and Jack pulled the trigger and the pair of monster guns hanging under its winged body fired at the same time jerking the ship back and sending Jack forward into his straps. The concentrated focused beams turning out to have a much harder kick than they had thought and programmed into the inertial dampeners. A half second later they fired again and again the crew hit the straps as torpedoes streaked out to the sides and ahead of the DD one at a time to run down the sides leaving plenty of room for the guns to shoot without taking out torpedoes.

A Dozen more times he fired sending the big powerful beams up through the ass of the Battleship destroying its engines and blasting deep holes up through the insides of the Battleship knocking out the battleships 4 engines. Then as the guns fell silent on cue, the torpedoes hit one at a time without even one point defense system gun even firing at them. The few point defense turrets on the stern having already been taken out by the Destroyers 8/5inch and 5/3inch mounts.

Explosions had already started wracking the Republic Battleship from the inside (before the first torpedo hit), continued as each consecutive torpedo tore itself deeper into the ship flying first through the damage from the 16inch guns and then from each previous torpedo. The Blackhole warheads (equivalent to small atomic bombs) that were reflected by the electromagnetic navigation screen on the spider Battleship Hulk only the weeks before, did not waver since the Navigation Screen on the Republic Battleship was not even on as the Battleship waited for targets to come to it as it sat at the entrance to the famous Maze all ships had to go through to get to The Rocks primary Staging Station.

Jack pulled up as he flew past the Battleship with fire coming out of every hatch and opening, only getting a fraction of a second to see with his own eyes penetrating the armored hull that most everything inside the hull aft of the armored decked bow was just one big mass of flames, plasma and fire. The only exceptions were a few sections of the core hull with lots of additional armor like the Bridge and the core rooms down the middle of the ship, but in that infernal, they could not last long.

Closing his eyes he turned the DD away from the dead ship and back up the freeway toward the New Home Corridor. Passing the Company Transport that was now a Hulk with hundreds of 24 inch penetrations clear through the ship and then the last Tramp ship with geysers and clouds coming from the hundreds of 5 inch holes in the side. Jack realizing that the Battleship must have finished destroying the Tramp while he was running around to attack from the stern without him seeing the gun flashes. The cloud of consumables and wreckage growing around both of the widely spaced Transports proving that no one could have survived the attacks.

“You attacked from my stern. How did you get there? We had you locked in front of us. You couldn’t have gotten around us that fast.”

Opining his eyes to see the Battleship’s bridge on the screen slowly filling with smoke. “Sorry moron. Trying to explain simple battles tactics to such a politically correct and enlightened Captain with so much political muscle is a waste of time. You should have gone to a few tactical classes. It is a shame you are still alive and not most of your crew. Sickening. But you will die with them in a few minutes Captain. I just hope you go to hell and not with your crew.”

“Captain, escape pods leaving the battleship. Looks like we have survivors.” The Phoenix’s sensor officer said.

“Comm, call in the closest transport to pick up survivors and a DD for escort before they leave the freeway.”

A marine Captain stepped onto the bridge coming to attention. “Admiral, I request permission to board and take the battleship sir.” On several of the large side screens from different perspectives from probes that had been launched before and after the attack. Slagged equipment, flaming bodies and sections of inner decks were spewing out the stern pushing the big ship toward the Comm signal where the Captain had thought the Phoenix was hiding.

Jack turned and shook his head. “Captain, that hulk is going to be one solid inferno in another few minutes with nothing but incinerated bodies left in its thick armored hull. You don’t want to go over there. The fools who redesigned the damn thing were so busy adding armor upfront they couldn’t be bothered to even add the minimum in the ships ass. Though that may not have made a difference. The ship was dead when we fired. Though if I had known they didn’t add armor to the stern I would not have stuck 6 torpedoes up its ass and most of the crew probably would have survived long enough for you to take them and the ship. Sorry Lieutenant. I had to make sure I knocked out its power rooms. At least it looks like they had enough armor around the Fusion core so maybe it won’t… well anyway, looks like the Engineering Chief got the core scrammed in time before he died.”

Jack couldn’t even finish the sentence as he closed his eyes again so he did not have to watch the ship or the Captain die. Though he was finding it very interesting listening to the Captain and his Bridge Crew. Jack tried to concentrate on taking the DD back to the New Home corridor. Trying to stop thinking about killing the bitch Captain Leslie that had caused so much pain and death and would probably continue to for years even if he killed her now.

Shaking his head trying to get his mind off of Captain Leslie, Jack realized that he had one more job to do and turned the Phoenix around. He had to find out just how big the fleet was getting ready to wipe out TF-58 and that was on the other side of The Maze. At least they could just slide through the cloud bypassing any checkpoints and then stay far enough inside the cloud on the other end and let the Recon drones do the dangerous part.

The Marine Captain looked at the screen showing the smoke starting to bellow out of consoles and hatches around the bridge and the screaming Captain trying to get his bridge crew to do something. Though there was nothing they could do. “Yes sir. I really feel sorry for the crew that had that for a Captain.”

“Admiral, should we cut the signal from the Battleship sir?”

Jack took a deep breath. “No, he and his officers are saying a lot of incriminating things that will stand up in court since they know they are going to die. Not to mention all the intelligence they are providing.” Opening his eyes and looking around at the Comm Officer. “You are recording this right?” Then to her affirmative. “Make sure you have at least 3 separately recorded copies of it in storage. No one is going to believe what these sorry ass holes are saying without multiple time stamped recordings.” The Captain and his bridge Officers were doing their best to transmit messages to every congressman on earth and officer back at The Rock that had helped them or were in their chain of command in an effort to get help to save themselves. Though Jack failed to see how their benefactors or the Cabal could help them now. At least they were so busy trying to save themselves they weren’t transmitting anything about the battle or the ships they had destroyed or the message the Company Captain had tried to give them. Even if their long range Transmitters were working which they weren’t.

Jack felt a little guilty not reminding them about the armored trunk that lead to an armored lifeboat just for Bridge personnel that still had to be open and safe since the bridge was still transmitting. But after killing 4 Transports in cold blood and getting most of what were probably innocent crewmen killed he had no sympathy for the Captain or his bridge Officers. Besides, if they had even bothered to do the basic minimum training, they would already have known about the escape trunk.

Taking a deep breath Jack rubbed his face as he gave into his better side and hit his Comm. “Captain, you and the Bridge crew can still get to your…”

“Shut up you moronic Navy militant. If I wanted to hear you squeak I would have ordered you to speak. You got lucky and scored a few lucky hits and as soon as my damage control crews make repairs I will finish you off.”

“Captain your ship is dead and you will be dead to in a few minutes if you do not leave.”

One of the bridge Officers yelled. “Just how the hell are we supposed to leave? We are trapped you stupid monkey!”

“Shut up!” The Captain yelled. “There is only minor damage to the ship and as soon as reinforcements arrive and we make a few repairs, we will kill you Turner. You improperly educated unenlightened monkey!”

“Are you crazy Captain? Look at our own instruments.” One of the officers said to the Captain. “Our ship is a fucking Roman Candle spewing its guts out its ass. At least forty life pods have already left the ship and you haven’t even ordered abandon ship. They had to eject or they would have died. We have to get out…”

The Captain grabbed a pistol from under his chair and shot the Officer through the head at point blank range. “Enough of this defeatist talk. I will not have a mutineer on my bridge. Now get me The Rock so I can report to the Congressional Admiralty and order a repair ship sent out with replacements for the crewmen I am going to execute for abandoning their posts. Gunners, open fire on the life pods.”

“But sir all long range communications are out. We have been trying. We can’t….”

The Captain pointed the pistol at the Comm Officer. “You will open a channel now. You hear me. Use the codes and names I am about to give you. They would not dare ignore me.”

The smoke had not gotten any thicker on the screen in the last few minutes with the bridge consoles fires now out and isolated from the rest of the ship but he knew it was only a matter of time.

“Yes Captain I will follow your directions to open a channel to The Rock.” The Officer properly opened a channel following the Captain’s instructions but the screen remained blank. In desperation the Comm Officer said. “Open Chanel to the Rock Captain.”

“About time.” The Captain started addressing the blank screen as if someone was on it. Calling them by name and talking for several minutes that included threats when he evidentially did not get the answers he was wanting. Then continued to call and talk to many others, even repeating himself. Jack could not believe who and what he was saying as the Captain kept babbling on.

Jack was starting to feel sad for the delusional Captain as the DD made its way through the Maze. Stopping to check corridors crisscrossing that area of the cloud when they came to them before going around them. The signal from the dying battleship bouncing from repeater to repeater down the narrow strait the DD was making in the cloud.

Then a crack opened up in the side of the Battleship’s Bridge. It was only a hair line crack but it was enough for the bright hot plasma that filled the hull of the big ship to start coming through into the bridge. A hair thin sheet of plasma started spewing into the compartment incineration crewmen it touched before they could get out of its way. The hair thin sheet rapidly grew as crewmen tried to get away from it only to have the plasma flood the compartment in only a few minutes with the screams of dying Officers. The Captain still sitting on the Command Chair screaming threats at someone on his screen was the last one to die. The plasma now turning their bodies into blackened charred flaming lumps as the chairs and consoles started to burn and melt. The Battle camera behind armored crystal showing every detail as the bridge became a crematorium.

“Admiral, permission to cut the transmission?” The Lieutenant asked trying to keep from puking.

“No.” Jack tapped a side screen and the image on the main screen changed to the engineering compartment and a crew desperately trying to escape. Cutting their way into an escape trunk that had been blocked by a warped armored hatch. “Comms, you doing this? Keeping us connected to the Battleships inner systems?”

“Yes sir, I infiltrated their systems when we first piggy backed onto the original signal between them and the transport. As long as they have working hull antennas. I count over 500 crewmen have escaped in pods so far. Possible another hundred if these crewmen can reach their escape pods. It is hard to count very accurately. Most of them in the engineering control room you are watching. Crewmen that managed to escape the main engine rooms before the first torpedoes hit. There are more in the forward side torpedo rooms just below the first or lower armored deck. They are trying to get out through the torpedo tubes themselves but they are having a hard time getting the outer doors open. They are working the manual hatch cranks in each of the torpedo rooms now but they are running out of time with the plasma eating its way through the compartments toward them and the magazines.”

A couple minutes later. “Captain, the plasma seems to have stopped at the last main bulkhead before the Torpedo magazines and launch rooms. It seems to be holding for the moment. Hopefully it is well armored.” One of the side screens lit up showing a crew frantically cranking on the emergency torpedo hull door manual crank. Crewmen were changing positions taking turns cranking every minute. Smoothly keeping the crank turning as fast as it was possible to turn. “I just heard that it takes 10,000 turns for the manual crank to open the outer hull’s armored doors completely Admiral. They have a long way to go and little time.”

“Lead Recon Drone is now in range of The Rock’s main Staging Station Admiral.” The Sensor Officer said. “Getting readings on the fleet now and you are not going to believe them sir.”

Chapter 24; Not that dangerous of an Occupation

Jack slid the Phoenix into the New Home cloud following approach control’s instructions. Keeping the speed of the ship down. He was in no mood to celibate while still trying to talk himself out of killing Captain Leslie. And then he saw what he could not believe was even possible. “Approach control. What the hell am I looking at and how the hell did it get here?”

“Sorry Phoenix, we do not know what you are talking about. How what got here?” The voice seemed to be chuckling.

“The damn Spider Battleship Hulk that was attached to the Gama 13 station the last time I looked.”

“Oh that. Sorry Phoenix. They slapped some DD’s with Battleship engines on them and flew it over here in a couple of days. Welded down nicely in the central flat platform of the docking arms and construction locks. And by the way half of the original Spider ship that was the Gama 13 Station was brought along as well. Only about 50 decks were left behind attached to the bubble. The rebuilt Hibernation decks with some mining equipment and agriculture processing decks with the Admiral Flag quarters and some new docks was the only thing left behind from what I heard.”

In shock Jack watched a carbon copy of the Phoenix pass him going in the opposite direction.

“Docking authority has granted your request and you will touch down on the pad in front of the Red Pepper docked in cradle 4 around the cargo handling deck. Pan and your staff will be waiting for you in front of the Red Pepper. Welcome back Admiral.”

“Thank you. Please contact the Red Pepper and request Captain Leslie be dockside when we land. Admiral Turner Out.”

“I will notify the Red Pepper immediately Admiral. Contact Docking Authority on 787 GHz. Approach control out.”

Jack approached the station with most of the new construction docks along the arms sticking out from the base of the Battleship hulk station filled with transports being worked on. Most having the new long poles that stuck out forward of each ship, along with other upgrades around their engines and bigger cooling fins. The ring of docks around the ex-Battleship’s upper armored decks were full of ships unloading equipment and supplies.

Jack sat the Phoenix down on the wide cargo handling deck in front of and facing the Red Pepper. He could see Pan and a group of people waiting for him in front of the Red Pepper. More importantly he could see Captain Leslie standing there with what looked like a smug grin on her face that suddenly baffled Jack. The Captain had the same exact grin his brother always had the many times he had gotten away with blaming Jack for something bad he had done.

Shaking his head as he climbed out of the pilot’s seat and headed for the hatch. The Lieutenant tried to calm him as she grabbed onto his arm. “You can’t kill her Jack. You have to find out what happened. It was just probably a stupid mistake and if not, you have to turn her over to Admiral Spencer. You can’t just kill her even if she did it intentionally. Though I can’t imagine why anyone would do that.”

“Damn it Lieutenant. You heard the Captains of the Company ships.”

“Yes but it could have been someone just taking advantage of the Captain’s mistake. You have no evidence that she did it. Hell the videos or what we could see on them, looked like the spy was male and not a female.”

“The spy was trying to hide his or her identity. We don’t know what sex it is Lieutenant but we know the Captain had the responsibility.”

Jack looked at the Lieutenant. “Besides even if the spy is not the Captain. Captains don’t make stupid mistakes that get ships and thousands of people killed and get it swept under the rug. Not here.” Shaking his head. “But you are right, we need to find out what happened.”

A few minutes later after Jack had time to cool down and think, they walked down the front personnel ramp of the Phoenix. Jack greeted Pan first, ignoring the Captain. “I am damn impressed Pan at what you have done with the Station. I am still having a hard time believing you were able to move the Hulk here and so fast though I was told you used the DD Squadron with battleship engines installed on them. I did not know we had enough of the old battleship reaction mass engines to equip a full squadron… No, don’t tell me you used the new Ion engines?” His mind flashed back to the DD that had just passed the Phoenix with no reaction mass tail. He had been too preoccupied with landing and wanting to kill the Captain. Jack shook his head.

“Yes Admiral. They were the only engines that would get the Station here in the needed time. It will only take us a few days to replace the engines if you wish Admiral but it will slow down rebuilding the Transports.”

“No. it looks like we may need them right where they are I am sorry to have to say.” Glancing at the group lined up next to Pan. Most of whom he knew but not all. “Now what is this about a Staff?”

“Admiral Spencer now has one of our Secure Comms delivered with the medicine packs and we had a long talk. He said that you needed a staff you could trust to take most of the back breaking work load off your shoulders so you can spend your time doing what you need to do and make better decisions. He ordered me to provide you with a staff and told me to tell you that you did not have a choice.”

Jack spent a few minutes talking with his new staff. While he was listening to one of them he idly looked over at Captain Leslie and heard in his head.

‘Talking about a buffoon monkey getting a staff. Just wait moron for my message to get through with one of the Company ships I told to head for The Rock when I strung all the transports out across the cloud. Hell, you are probably too stupid to even realize they are gone. I have to admit it was smart thinking trying to keep this little station from Vice Admiral Ditzen but if the Cabal sent The Rock’s Chief of Security here there must be something here worth a lot more than just a mining base. Is it possible they already pulled off the coup and are just hunting down the remnants of the Navy Command? No this kid can’t be all that is left. No, it has to be because of all the damn publicity this kid has gotten and they are just trying to shut him up before he can cause trouble. Fact is, from what I have seen on the News Channels TF-58 has been getting while stuck in limbo, the Admirals that were in Command of the Rim Battle that the Earth Congress has been pushing on the entertainment channels trying to make them into hero’s to the Public, do not seem to be doing very well compared to this moron. Yes, that must be it. So what is taking so long for Ditzen to kill him? I have heard of a dozen high ranking Admirals and Captains he has killed before and since he became Chief of Security for the Rock even before the mission to decimate the non-Congressional controlled half of the fleet.”

Her mind seemed to pause for a few seconds. Then. “Ok that explains why he is commanding this little damn squadron. Ditzen must have come close to killing him so he got out of the station. Well moron, that isn’t going to work after all. I can’t wait to see his face when the Congressional Battleships show up here and turn his little fleet into scrap. But hopefully after I get done having some fun with you Admiral Turner.’

The Captain’s smile widened as Jack stood shocked as the Captains words flashed into his mind almost too fast to understand as the Officer in front of him seemed to be talking in slow motion as the Captain continued. ‘Now get this over with moron so I can get back to work ruining your little mission to resupply Task Force 58. I have already delayed it by days stringing the transports out to hell and back and I have already got a strike with the Transports here in the docks almost ready to hit that will bring all the work on the Transports to a halt. Another few days and I will incite a riot across the whole station as over worked as the crews are. Just a matter of placing the right words in the right ears and beating and killing the right people and making it look like the station management is at fault.’ Chuckling to herself. ‘And this station is going to be burning before it gets finished. God I love my job. I can’t wait to kill you during all the confusion and in another couple of months the Cabal won’t have to worry about a TF-58 that has already all but starved to death when they get around to attacking. We will be able to put our own crews in their ships and launch the attacks on the Colony systems that much sooner. I may even get my own squadron to command. The fucking Congressionals can’t take a ship’s Command away from me once that moron gives me the Red Pepper. I will have to fight off the congressmen demanding to be my sponsor putting me in with the Congressional elites themselves.’

Jack turned to the Construction Chief in front of him interrupting him. “Has anyone been killed working on the transports since they started arriving?”

“Why yes Admiral. Most strange circumstances even. While we have had injuries during the construction of the Station we had our first death only hours ago when the suit of a worker got ripped working on the hull of the Red Pepper. It was a brand new suit and what obviously ripped it should not have been able to. What I don’t understand as well is how the rumor got started that we are issuing old defective suits to the work crews.” The Chief turned to glance at Captain Leslie. “If you want more details you will have to talk to Captain Leslie. She insisted on doing the investigation into the death herself.” Turning back to Jack. “Fact is, there has suddenly been a rash of very bad accidents and rumors going around. The worst is about sending Tramp ships up against Battleships as cannon fodder. Another is about stripping the Tramp ship crews and sending their families to work in deep dark molten hot core mines to die. Only we have no core mines. And the surface strip mines we have require experienced workers not vacuum rats that don’t know one end of a bot shovel from another or what a good surface vain even looks like. Machines do a much better and faster job with their operators and controllers taking years of education and training learning what to mine as well as how. It simply does not make sense.”

“Well then I will have to check into the Rumors then. Can’t have anything slowing up production. So I am going to have all the transports done in time?”

“Yes Admiral. I am having to do some shuffling around but it actually works out better having some of the transports strung out and delayed getting here. We are able to concentrate more on the ones already here and get them out the hatch allowing us to knock off the delayed Transports in no time at all. Oh and I wanted to say I am sorry about the 4 transports that were destroyed in your battle with a Republic Battleship Admiral but I think we can make up for their lose. Though I find it hard to believe that a Republic Battleship would fire on and destroy helpless Transports. At least you destroyed that sucking Battleship.”

Jack turned his head enough to get a sudden blast of panic from the Captain while his new Shipyard Chief was talking. The Captain started talking to herself.‘He destroyed a Republic Battleship? No! He couldn’t have really destroyed a Republic Battleship with a fucking DD. The most he could have done is damage it with a few torpedoes maybe from hiding in the cloud. That is it. And then it limped away and this bozo is trying to inflate his reputation by claiming it as a kill. Yes that is it. It makes sense now. I just hope that at least one of the damn stupid Company Transport Captains managed to transmit my message to the Battleship before it blew them out of space. Yes. I bet they have orders to destroy any TF-58 ships and after they got my message they destroyed the Transports. Four Company Transports mean they destroyed them all. Good, that means there is no way he could even know about the message let alone trace it back to me.’

Jack looked up to watch a Company Transport with the big orange Galactic Express logo painted across the flat sided hull drift around behind the Red Pepper toward a docking birth to unload cargo before transferring down to the construction docks. Jack had checked on the other Company transports after hearing what the first had said. He was surprised to find that they had continued on their own down the Secret corridor towards New Home with them making sure that the corridor entry was not compromised. They had found it disturbing when a strange Captain had ordered them to proceed toward The Rock countermanding Jack’s specific orders originally given to all the transports. They both chose to listen to their original orders after hearing the verbal message they were supposed to give to several specific Admirals along with the secret down loaded message when they got to The Rock. Especially since they were not even sure it was Captain Leslie giving them the strange orders as secretive as the man was being half hidden in shadows of the Red Peppers Captain’s Cabin which was the only thing they were sure about. The extremely (grossly to be more accurate) generous pay vouchers downloaded with the message was even stranger as they were not any of the companies accepted formats. Though when Jack talked to the other Captains he realized that whomever it was, had mixed up the pay order vouchers between the company ships. Giving each Company ship one of the other Company ship’s shipping order and pay voucher.

The only thing about the culprit ordering them to ignore Jack’s orders that Jack knew for certain since the videos of the guy and the meeting did not seem to record well enough to even guess who was giving them the orders with some kind of video and audio jammer, was that the Vouchers had an official Congressional Seal on them that could not be faked or reproduced if separated from the message and voucher guarantying payment of the ridiculously high sum with each of the recipients signatures. Jack could not wait for his human and exslave tech experts to get a chance to break and open up the messages after the ships got in with the physical evidence to put this Captain away. Now that he knew for sure. No, Jack could not wait to get enough evidence to convict her and then dump her out an airlock. Killing thousands of Tramps and trying to have everyone he knew and loved killed was more than enough reason for anyone. Not to mention all the others she probably has killed in the past.

Then the nervous Captain started babbling in her mind about all the murders she had committed that Jack would never prove and how much she enjoyed doing them even though she had just been fallowing orders. Jack could not believe the woman as she kept incriminating herself. Confessing to following orders for political murders with planted lies as well as real physical murders of people that got in the way of the Congressional Democrat Communists. It only took a few minutes before he was long past caring if he had enough evidence to Convince Admiral Spencer of her guilt. It was all he could do not to pull his blaster and put a plasma ball through her head. But she was giving him such an education he could not believe. Jack smiled at the Galactic Express ship sliding around the station trying to decide if he even wanted the evidence it carried. Then Captain Lesley started to turn around and look where Jack was looking.

“Come to Attention Captain!” Jack burst out getting the Captain’s attention as she snapped to Attention before she could see the Company ship she thought had been destroyed. The last thing he needed right then was for her to know one of the Company ships had survived. Stepping up to face the Captain and then stand there without saying anything as he stared at the Captain standing at Attention for several minutes as the ship drifted out of sight behind the ships already docked.

The Captain’s disgust at Jack making her stand there at attention as her hate started to boil up and forced her to talk to herself about how she despised Jack and any Career Naval Officer. Listing the many ways she could kill Jack as soon as she got the orders. And to kill an admiral she needed direct orders from a Cabal Admiral and the nearest one she knew about was Ditzen. She could not wait to get to Ditzen on the station to receive permission to kill Jack. Though most of the people she had killed she regretted even though she was just following orders when she thought about them, if she thought about them at all. But for some reason she was starting to hate this kid but could not put a finger on why. She just needed a few seconds alone with Admiral Ditzen. Just long enough to get his approval and then that fucking Turner was dead meat. Though she suddenly started thinking of getting a good fuck from Jack just before she killed him. ‘Oh that would be so satisfying. I love to kill the ones I get the hots for while I climax but to bad there isn’t a mine shaft I can drop the body in when I am done to hide all the evidence that would leave behind.I just love giving them the shaft after I get the shaft. No sense in wasting good meat while making it look like an accident. But without a shaft I will just have to making it look like a tragic heart attack unless I can entice him down to the planet and into a mine after I get my orders.’ Orders she knew she would get.

Jack was surprised when he felt a wave of regret wash over him from deep inside the Captain. The woman suddenly hoping that she wouldn’t get the orders so she could have some fun with Jack without killing him. She was actually getting tired at all the killing.

Shaking it off. “Shall we retire to the Red Pepper and the Conference room?” Jack finally said trying to smile instead of pulling his blaster and blowing the Captain’s head off. The Red Pepper’s air lock was looking better and better the more he heard even if she was feeling some regrets. “You go ahead and prepare the conference room for the ceremony and recheck that the papers are correctly filled out Captain. We still have some unfinished business to discuss.”

‘Oh yes. Make me the Captain of the fleet’s most powerful ship.’ Suddenly getting excited. She had scanned the Red Peppers Battlefiles while falling in love with the ship and its power. Not associating Jack with the ships actions as if the ship itself had done everything without Jack even being aboard. Her prejudice preventing her from seeing anything that contradicted her beliefs. ‘Hell I can take the Red Pepper out a few miles and destroy the damn transports all by myself once I am in full command of the ship. But then once Admiral Turner was dead with Ditzen in Command of the Station there was no reason to kill the transports or anyone.’ She said to herself as relief flooded over her. She started chuckling as she saluted Jack with vigor then slipping her hand briefly into her pocket as she turned and then she slapped the shoulder of the officer next to her in her apparent excitement. “See you in the conference room.” She said aloud and then to herself. ‘And then one more murder and I will never have to kill anyone again. Well. That is after a quick trip to talk to Admiral Ditzen. I will have to make sure I have fun this last time. I will have to look around and see where the nearest mine was on the planet. A base and operation this big has to have a good sized mine on the planet below or nearby moon to support it or it would quickly die from lack of basics. But then I have spent to many years training as an engineer not to know for certain that the base is swimming in mining resources from someplace nearby as rapidly as they are constructing things. Yes I will have to check out the mines just for the fun of it before I decide how to kill that moron kid Admiral.’

‘No. not moron. After all he did save my life and possible the rest of TF-58.’ Suddenly not sure. Did she really have to kill the kid after he made her the Captain of his ship? It was bad enough that she had orders to sabotage everything that threatened the Congressionals and killed that worker on the Red Peppers hull to start a revolt. Did she really need to follow those orders once she became a ship’s captain? Her, Captain of her own ship.’

Jack watched her trying to keep from running with joy after returning her salute in shock. All he wanted to do was get her disgusting looks and mind out of his sight and hearing while he finished up business.

“Admiral. I need to talk to you about the Captain and making her the Red Pepper’s new Captain.” Pan said from the other end of the line in Godspeak.

Even the thought of making Captain Lesley the Commanding officer of the Red Pepper had him ready to pull his pistol out and shoot the person that even wanted to talk about it. Walking up to Pan as he gritted his teeth, Jack put his nose up next to hers and trying his best to whisper while controlling his rage. “I think the Captain deliberately cut the transports free so she could tell the Company ships Captain’s to make a dash for The Rock with the secret Messages I want your people to help decipher. I am sure she is responsible for thousands of deaths that would have included ours if she had gotten her messages to The Rock. I am not about to put her in Command of the Red Pepper. Fact I am planning on kicking her out the damn Red Peppers airlock just as soon as our people get those messages decoded.”

Jack had his face pointed away from most of the staff even though he was practically whispering in her ear to keep his conversation with Pan private, though he was speaking God speak back at her without realizing it. Gutner Dank (the Red Ape that had saved his life multiple times and was now on his staff as security Chief), was on that side directly in front of him and had heard every word even though he was a few feet away and not seeming to be paying attention to anything. Gutner suddenly gave Jack the combat sign for silence and walked down the line of staff members as he pulled out his PDA that looked different than most and held it chest high as he walked around the Officer Captain Leslie had slapped on the shoulder before departing. Then he returned to the other end of the line without giving any outward sign that anything was amiss still looking at his PDA. Then in an off dialect of Ape speak he said to Pan in a low voice. “The Captain left a transmitting device on the shoulder of Commander Quinten. It is on her opposite shoulder so I believe the Admiral’s comments were not overheard even if she has a translator for God Speak. Please ask the Admiral how he wants to handle this?”

“Well technically Gutner.” Jack said back in the same language. “I am no longer an Admiral since Pan moved the hulk from the other station lowering its mass.”

“Actually Admiral.” Pan smiled surprised he was speaking the language as a shocked Gutner looked on. “I have read the regulations you speak of now and the only requirement is total mass as you said but the regulations do not say what that mass has to consist of. The remaining part of the Battleship hulk still acting as the Gama 13 Station is attached solidly to the carbon bubble that is providing most of both station’s food supply until we get enough domes set up to produce crops here. The Carbon Bubble makes the Gama 13 Station far above the minimum needed for a Vice Admiral. Fact is, as you like to say, it would put you in the next rating mass wise though other requirements are not fulfilled for a higher rank than Vice Admiral.”

“So I did not need to panic and risk crashing the damn hulk into the Station before Ditzen got here. Why didn’t I think of that?” Jack shook his head.

“Admiral.” Gutner continued talking in the dialect. “How do you want to handle this? Can I kick her off the edge of the deck next to the Red Pepper now without her shipsuit or use her for live target practice? Shooting a running armed enemy is much more Honorable Sir.”

“Yes shooting her would be a lot more fun Gutner.”

“Admiral.” Pan got Jack’s attention. “We are running out of basic H2O. We need a major reliable source and after a quick look over your recording of your trip to Delta 7, I noticed that you passed a rough Ice planet with many large Ice moons. We need to set up a mining base on one of the moons for processing H2O. Luckily Admiral Ditzen did not know aaa… what you call shit, about what mining equipment we needed here and sent a ship load of deep moon mining equipment perfect for an Ice moon along with the rest. Once set up it should be able to produce a transport load of water every day to start with and in time enough to keep several Bulk Tankers busy. We need all we can get to expand the dome habitats over the next year for both oxygen to create the air inside the domes and water. We have plenty of Nitrogen trapped in many of the smaller domes. Nitrogen did not have the expansion coefficient many of the other gasses including oxygen has, leaving most of the domes formed with nitrogen ice still intact.”

“Ok. I did not realize you even had a need as rich as the bubble is in metals. But that makes sense. All the lighter elements like Hydrogen and Oxygen was sloughed off without sticking to the bubble during its formation. Do we even have mining crews? I thought all your crews were out scattered around the bubble. Not to mention that we are damn short on habitats for crews let alone mining crews.”

“No we do not have any mining engineers that are not committed. But Ice Mining is not that hard or dangerous unlike metals that require careful highly trained engineers, tough equipment to scrape up the raw rock and metal with Giga-watts of power to process the material in specific calculated procedures while handling the product at thousands of degrees. No, Ice mining is simple low tech and unskilled labor intensive as long as you have a good mining engineer to design the installation for the mine’s location and available equipment, overcome the hundred and one problems that crop up when any mine is started. Then practically anyone can supervise and run things. All they need to do is melt ice.” Looking around toward the right of the station and pointing at several long cylinders in the distance miles from the Station. “We have several habitats that were meant for the Station but with the Hulk able to handle several hundred thousand crewmen in cabins and barracks until we can build the dome habitats on the bubble, we do not need them. One can be transported there in about a day with the mining equipment. I have crews working to make one ready to transport already even though we had no mining engineers available.”

Pan smiled at Jack. “But as it so happens your new Captain Leslie has just such a mining degree. Though her minor was in Political science, her major was in mining with several years of experience in mines before going to work as a Congressional Aid some 10 years ago. She is perfect for the job until someone better comes along. Admiral Spenser agrees and has left it up to you to decide since you assigned her to be the Red Peppers Captain which he also approved of. While she was a political appointment to his staff she at least has an engineering degree and qualifies to Command a ship according to her Congressional records and has been a very loyal Aid according to the Admiral. Though he is a little upset by the mess the transport convoys turned into. He will let you find out what went wrong and deal with the problem but is certain that it was a simple misunderstanding on her part. She has always carried out the General’s orders very enthusiastically.”

“You want me to trust that bitch not to poison our water supply? I will do the job myself after I kill her.”

“No Admiral, we need you for more important things like getting all the other supplies and equipment we need to survive here and a few million tons of food for Task Force 58, the humans here and your crew do not starve to death.”

Putting her hand on Jack’s shoulder. “Admiral, as I said we need her for our Ice Mine. I believe we can use her their without risk.”

“She already knows where New Home is. We cannot afford to let her escape to tell our Congressional Enemy’s New Home’s location. I will not risk it.”

“No risk Captain. She only found out about the location a couple days ago. The memory is still fresh and not technically in long term storage. While we cannot erase the specific memories. We can excise or mix up the specific details including the coordinates and location of New Home. Even if she returns to what you call The Rock and tries to report, the exact coordinates will not be accurate or even close. The fact that she does not know about the bubble’s existence even after reviewing the ships records that have had all details of the bubble changed to that of an atypical planet should insure that she has nothing valid to report. Especially since the Ice Moon I have picked is orbiting an Ice planet. We need only to let her convince herself that New Home is only a short distance from the moon.”

“And how are we supposed to do that? It will take a day just to get transports there. She is going to know it is that far away. Besides I can’t dedicate a transport to house them. I need all the transports I can get my hands on including the transport with the Mining equipment for a quick run to grab the supplies we are going to need. Especially after losing 4 Transports. Not to mention she would be in a perfect place to insure we never got a drop of water or liquid oxygen out of the mine.”

“Admiral, we have been slaves for thousands of years. We know how to make slaves into enthusiastic workers. By the time she wakes from my medical exam she will not only not remember exactly where we are, she won’t be able to do anything without us knowing about it with one of our new slave rings around her neck with the threat of death if she tries to escape or harms anyone. We could even mix up and cover over much of her memories as a killing spy over the last few years if you want us to go that deep.”

“I am not going to allow brain washing or the use of death as an incentive while the collar could easily be taken off. Speaking of which I am not going to turn any of my crewmen or exslaves over for her to abuse. Not to mention they know about the bubble and New Home which means she would learn from them.”

“Don’t worry Admiral, any attempt to take it off would kill her. As for a crew. You have some 600 survivors from that Congressional Battleship you destroyed Admiral.” Pan said thoughtfully. “They would be the perfect Ice mining crewman complete with all the needed trades to run an independent operation and community including a medical staff. You may even find a few experienced minors amongst them. It would also serve as a ruse. By picking them up first, she would have no reason not to believe the Planet is not near New Home.”

“Come now Pan. The fact that the tankers picking up the water take almost a week to make a round trip would give it away rather quickly.”

Gutner coughed to get their attention. “Place a separate staging station around the back side of the planet from the Ice Mining Moon with small tankers shuttling back and forth between the two. Even if she finds out that some of the water is going out of the system she could not be sure how much. And eventually a small metal mining operation could be placed on the planet, further confusing her. She would not know the water was coming up instead of going down if she managed to visit the transfer way station. If you included the way station as a normal stop for ships headed for New Home with the excuse of having to Mass up she would believe they were actually operating from the Transfer station supplying New Home instead of just passing through and never know.”

Jack stared at Gutner for a half minute trying to punch holes in his idea but finally he smiled. “Damn Gutner, you amaze me sometimes. That damn near salves most of our problems for hiding its location. I still don’t like using a murdering spy though.” Taking a deep breath and grimacing. “Damn! Now we just have to figure out how to motivate her to do the best she can instead of sabotaging everything. Especially after finding out she is never going to be the Captain of the Red Pepper or any other ship. Oh and I do not approve of using the threat of death for motivating. No one should live under that.” Looking at Pan. “Well, you did say you were an expert on motivating slaves. Hopefully you have other incentives.”

“Without death as a motivator or raising a family, we need something she wants desperately. I believe the Red Pepper fits that requirement Admiral. You just need to come up with a reason not to give it to her at this time. With the successful completion of establishing the Ice Mining operation as one of the requirements of becoming the Captain of the Red Pepper. Once the Ice Mining Moon is operational there is no need to keep her on once she finds out she will never command a ship. A general manager will only be required with an engineer needed only when problems crop up. If we have no one by then, one of the mining engineers from one of the other mines can visit to salve any occasional problems. She would be free then to be tortured to find out what she knows and has done and then executed.”

“Ok? Why are you so suddenly so willing to execute someone? Aren’t you a Pacifist?”

“I am a Realistic Pacifist, I do not ignore real life and those that wish to kill around me. I feel your pain for all the lost lives on those transports and your certainty that she had murdered innocent people and of just how evil she is deep down inside. I understand your desire not to let her kill again or destroy New Home. I do not know what the evidence is but I can feel in you that it is not simply circumstantial or 3rd degree like ordering a ship to go someplace and it is accidentally destroyed. No I feel that you know down deep that she has actually physically and with forethought easily ended many lives. I do not need to see the evidence I know your deepest emotions could not feel this way unless you witnessed her acts or confession. If left alive she would eventually figure out a way to not only end more lives even if it is inside a prison, possible just for entertainment, as well as in escape attempts, but would definitely kill many more and possibly destroy New Home if she managed to get out. My Reality Passivism says that if I do anything that lets her remain alive and sometime in the future she kills again, I would be personally responsible for each and every one of those deaths. Any Pacifist that says they would not be responsible for the deaths of others after freeing a proven murderer are self-centered delusional hypocrites”.

Pan started turning purple, telling Jack she was getting very upset even if he could not have felt her minds emotions washing over him like a tide. “I am sorry Admiral but before we became Slaves, Our law was based on the principle that imprisoning one innocent being is worth the many lives one murderer would take that was not imprisoned. But then we had two degrees of guilt. First Degree Guilty was certain without question and could get the death penalty if the crime warranted and the case was closed. While Second Degree Guilty carried a slight doubt that includes one juror thinking they are innocent, allowing a second degree guilty verdict with the case remaining open for further evidence later while the convicted served a lesser penalty. Further evidence at a later date in a short easy to request hearing could result in freedom or a First Degree Conviction. Your earth law’s principle is to let a dozen murderers run free to murder hundreds of victims to make sure every possible innocent man never spends a day in prison. With a simple verdict system that demands the impossibility of the absolute, either innocent or guilty in all cases. I am sorry but my freedom is not worth letting murderers out to kill again because one juror liked the looks or smile or was biased for the accused. Allowing 11 out of 12 jurors to bring a second degree verdict that can be easily changed later keeps the majority of the Criminals where they belong. May this Captain come back in another life a better person when we are done with her Admiral? For that reason we also need to include a strong marine presence if you will not allow me to go deeper into her mind while we have her hooked up.”

“Whoa here. I am not talking about a damn trial we don’t have time for nor am I going to just kick her out the air lock no matter how much I want to do just that. But you are right I don’t have any physical evidence unless those encrypted recordings result in some. But I do know what she did, with as you say, no uncertainty. I heard her aaaa confession.” Taking a deep breath as he turned around and took a couple steps away. “But I can’t just throw her in a cell. We need her help to damn much it turns out.”

Jack heard Gutner talking guttural gibberish behind him without understanding a word of it. Or for that matter, even if there were any words in the confusing sounds he heard. Turning back around the guttural gibberish solidified into words as soon as he looked at Gutner. “…won’t know what hit her.”

Jack suddenly realized that he was actually hearing the meaning of Gutner’s words in his mind. If he was not looking at Gutner then he could not hear him talking in his mind as he spoke the Gronk language.” Jack grimaced. “So how the hell was he making Gutner and Pan understand him in Gutner’s language? Was he talking in Gutner’s language or simple speaking English and they were hearing what he said in Gutner’s guttural gibberish. Shit if he was speaking English when he thought he was speaking Gutner’s gibberish, everyone standing there including the Captain’s bug heard every word his said.

Turning to the nearest Officer. “Could you understand anything of what I have been saying over the last few minutes?”

“I am sorry Admiral but I cannot speak or understand that Gibberish God Speak. Do you wish me to take the God speak language course?”

“Probably a good idea.” Jack went down the line without even asking the others as they either blurted out the same answer or he listened to them wondering in their minds what the Admiral and the exslaves were talking about and why the Admiral could even understand it. One dreading having to learn that god forsaken gibberish even if the new exslave teaching machines implanted the knowledge while they slept. They still had to practice it for the lessons to seat and he did not think he could even form the words.

Taking a breath Jack tried again. This time he concentrated on what sounds his lips were making. “I really cannot believe you are understanding what I am saying. I sound terrible to my ears and my mouth and throat are getting sore.”

“Yes Admiral you have a strange accent that takes time to get used to. You even started out using many of the wrong words with what sounded like a very simple basic vocabulary but you have greatly expanded your vocabulary with fewer wrong or twisted words the longer we talked. I am very impressed that you would bother learning our Ape language in the Sim teaching machine.”

Looking at Pan. “Must have thought it would come in handy someday. I will have to try a few more when I get time.” Pan looked away up at the overhead that was being used to land and service the DD’s that just came in with the transport squadron as Jack continued. “But for now let’s go up and see if I can pull the wool over the eyes of a trained spy and assassin.”

Gutner started speaking again. “Just remember Admiral. Just to keep it simple…Though why you humans would add ‘Stupid’, to the end of such a true statement is beyond me.” Gutner looked baffled. “You Humans can be very baffling some times. Anyway, keeping it down to only 2 or 3 important points. It will look less like a fabrication and more like actual reasons. You have no reason to go into great detail just giving a Captain orders. Nor should you care if she does not like them. State the simple facts and leave it at that.”

After stopping several times on the way to go over more of the details. Jack followed his staff into the conference room on the Red Pepper’s main Command deck inside the ship’s armored Core above the engines and not the flying bridge in the cooling/landing fin. Captain Leslie was standing at the center of the table’s outer ring of chairs with a tablet laying in front of her. A smile running from ear to ear as she started talking to herself. ‘I was told I would never command a ship. The Congressional moron told me I don’t have powerful enough backers to ever get me a ship even though they gave me the rank of Captain to get me close to the career Admirals. This ship will jump me up at least three class grades, from peon to actual Command. I will have the most powerful Congressmen begging me to join them with what this ship can do. I will even be powerful enough to tell them to go fuck themselves if they ask me to go back to killing again.’

Jack walked straight ahead to the only chair at the middle of the inner circle where he could see everyone on the other side of the horseshoe shaped table. Each and every one of them were at the same distance from the Admiral facing him. Not able to hide behind the person sitting next to them like at most long narrow conference tables. Jack took the central seat and said. “Please be seated.” The formalities having already been taken care of upon meeting on the cargo handling deck in front of the Red Pepper. Jack faced Captain Lesley not understanding her hate that suddenly seemed to be directed at someone else but him.

He was sure that that would change back to him rather suddenly. “Captain Leslie, under your Command 4 vitally important Transports and their cargos were lost when you failed to Convoy the Transports. Do you have anything to say to explain your actions and these losses?”

The Captain’s face turned to shock and then talking to herself in her mind. ‘Like they would be missed. You are going to lose a lot more than a couple of transports when the fleet I sent for gets here. But this bozo wants an answer. At least I am ready for your turd question.’

The Captain took a breath and said. “You left orders to get the most Transports to New Home as fast as possible. By cutting them loose, the calculations show the majority of the transports would get to New Home 10% faster than having to slow down for the slowest transport in each squadron.” Smiling. “Just following your orders Admiral. It hurts me deeply that your orders got 4 Transports and their entire innocent crews killed. I can only hope that their families forgive the person responsible for their deaths.”

Jack did his best to hold his face cold and frozen as the Captain spouted garbage trying to put the blame on him while making him feel bad and possible confused. He realized that she needed him to feel guilty to make it easy to manipulate him. His brother had spent most of his life making him feel guilty for things his brother had done so her naive attempts were not working. He had been rendered immune by the best.

The Captain sadly smiled at Jack. Her face looking like she was forgiving him for his terrible orders that got so many people killed as she debated with herself how to plunge the knife in deeper and twist it to hurt the most.

“And what gave you the idea that my orders were not to use the Convoys you suggested to get the Transports to New Home as fast as possible Captain Leslie?”

Her sad smile did not change as she sadly shook her head. “Why your verbal orders Admiral. I remember them very specifically before you rushed out and jumped into that DD and flew away.”

Then Jack smiled as he tapped the pad on the table. “Now that is funny because I remember giving you no such orders.” Turning to the rest of the officers that Admiral Spencer had sent along. “I would ask you all if you heard any such orders but I can see while half of you have fucked the Captain, the other half are afraid of the Captain for some rather nasty shit held over or done to you from what rumors I have heard.” Their own panicked words in their own heads telling Jack all he needed to know as he continued. “I won’t ruin your careers by making you testify at this time.”

Turning back to face the Captain. “Too bad I left written orders in the ship’s log specifically for you in my rush to leave on a mission that must remain secret at this time and none of your business. They mirror the orders I remember giving you the last time we spoke.” Jack had thought about using the recording of their conversations in the Conference room but did not want to dig the whole so deep that she could not wiggle out. Jack punched up the ship’s log and his last entry before walking of the Red Pepper. “As you can see it specifically orders you to gather all Transports into 6 squadrons with a DD or the Red Pepper escorting each grouped according to similar power stats provided by the Transport Captains’ themselves, to make best time for all the squadrons to New Home.”

Smiling. “Tell me Captain why you did not follow these very specific orders?”

Fighting panic her mind raced. ‘Who the hell ever reads the damn ship’s order log.’ And then defiantly. “I did not read the order log Admiral. No one uses it anymore. Especially since I had your verbal orders to proceed as I saw fit to get the Transports to New Home.”

Jack thought about bringing up a few other facts but since she had gotten close to a truthful statement that he could use this time, he decided not to try his luck and dropped the hammer before she could lie again. Besides it was a perfect opening. “Well Captain, how you saw fit got 4 transports destroyed and their crews killed.” Jack growled at her trying to show as much pity as possible. Turning her own tactics back on her even though he doubted that she would care. “The shame is Admiral Spencer had so much confidence in you to ask me to find you a command of your own.” Taking a deep breath not liking the lie. “Well maybe it is partly my fault. Maybe giving you a Staff Captain, Command of a Fleet your first time in Command of a ship was just too much for you. But I can’t very well give you Command of the Red Pepper with this mark against you at this time. No matter how much Captain Spenser wants me to.”

Sitting back in his chair and thinking for a good minute as he took a drink listening to the Captain panicking in her head and then watched in surprised as her boobs start slowly growing in size as she reached up and undid the top of her blouse letting a deep canyon of cleavage burst into existence. Letting his eyes drop to her suddenly ample chest just as she wanted them too. He let a smile come to his lips. “Well maybe. The transports did not have time to transmit the coarse plot to New Home before they were destroyed so it was not as bad as it could have been even if the Battleship had not been destroyed. What I need to do is put you in command of something else that is important and then after say 6 months if you do well and excel as Admiral Spencer believes you will, then moving you into being the Captain of the Red Pepper would be possible. It would also keep Admiral Spencer happy.” Taking a breath. “But what to put you in command of?” Shaking his head Jack looked up and away from her slowly growing cleavage as her blouse slowly unzipped itself down ward as her growing breasts fought to escape.

“Admiral.” Pan said from the end of the table to Jack’s left. “We have that new mine we were talking about putting on the moon on the other side of the planet.” Pan was tapping on her PDA as the Ice moon appeared on the conference screens along with the moon’s specific details and the available mining equipment as well as the habitat that could be landed on the Ice Moon. “The Captain has an engineering degree in mining with several years of experience. I believe she would be a good pick for placing and getting the new mine into operation. It is not a very important post with as many mines as we have scattered across the surrounding systems but it has the possibility of out producing our Ice scoops running through the cloud, if the right engineer is put in charge here. That would give the Captain the needed experience and the awards if she did well and would look good on her record for getting Command of the Red Pepper.”

“I don’t know Pan. We don’t really need it but then The Rock is desperately short on H2O as well so it would be an ace in our hats if we ever get a chance to get back with The Rock. Especially if the Captain could make the mine produce as much as we think it is capable of even if the moon is a bit isolated. Whoever is responsible for production of a million tons of water a day would just about be able to right their own ticket. Especially using the surviving crew from that damn Battleship I had to destroy.”

“Yes we have some 600 crewmen survivors with a few lower ranking flag officers. Though the Chief engineer and most of his maintenance crews managed to survive. The rest are mostly gunners and torpedo mates with about half the medical staff. It is going to be a hard crew to use and train in new Careers. But it is doable and we would not have to worry about the crew escaping though we have no way of knowing how many are hard core Congressional crewmen that may try to sabotage the mine and its equipment.” A fact that they had decided to use to keep a large company of security forces at the mine with tight security procedures that included the ex-slave neck rings that would in turn keep a close eye on the Captain.

Jack looked the Captain in the eyes without a glance at her breasts as shock hit her face that was already racing through her mind at the fact that not only had the transports not transmitted their messages before they were destroyed to take back to The Rock, but the damn Battleship was destroyed as well with crewmen even recovered so there was no possibility of any of her messages getting through to the Rock. She stopped studying the mine and the available equipment as she stared.

Jack continued. “Think you can get it up to a million tons of water and liquid Oxygen a day Captain? Even in command of the Red Pepper once production was up and going satisfactory, you would still have that feather in your cap when all this damn political shit is done and we get back with The Rock. Hell, they might even give you command of a Battleship with the successful mine under your belt.” Jack was surprised to find out that she was suddenly not that interested in a Battleship Command as her mind turned cold at the mention of a battleship but it made him smile.

Talking to herself again she surprised Jack as she continued. ‘Evidentially the damn Fleet is never going to make it here. Shit if I did get the damn message out and even kill this ass hole, they would just have given me another assignment to spread my legs for some other Admiral or Congressman from the opposing party that don’t see things their way to kill his career. Then send me off to kill someone else that gets in their way and that is all I ever will do. But if I take this stupid mining post and make something out of it, I get a ship at least and even if the fleet eventually shows up and destroys this New Home, they are not about to destroy the best water mine in the whole damn cloud and I still get credit for it and he is right. I could wind up in Command of a battleship and more after I do in a few of my Commanders to advance my career. Probably how this moron made Admiral in the first place. No! The records are perfectly clear he was not around when the damn Red Pepper was hit destroying its bow. Hell if he can do it I can.’ Her face suddenly became baffled mirroring her mind. “But do I really want to. I don’t know shit about commanding a ship let alone a fleet. Do I really care what a bunch of pompous Admirals and Congressmen I will never like think as they drool over my body? But that is the only way I can have the power to keep from ever having to spread my legs and kill people I don’t know or care about again.’ Her mind went blank for a good 15 seconds as she stared at the ice moon. ‘But there may be another way.’

Then out loud as she looked up from studying the ice moon and equipment. “Very well Admiral. I will take you up on your mining job and I will be producing a million tons a day within 6 months.” She smiled from ear to ear as she leaned forward exposing most of her breasts and just letting a part of the larger than normal red circles around her nipples show. “But I have to be in total Command to do it my way. Is that a deal Admiral?” Not caring if the stupid damn males had noticed her adding fluid to make her breast larger or not. They were still weapons she could understand. And use them to help her get what she wanted.

“Bargaining are we Captain.” Jack new he had her with her pulling out all her weapons. “As Long as you do a damn good job. You can wright your won ticket Captain.” Leaning forward as if to get a better look at her boobs though Jackcontinued looking into her eyes. “By the way my bunk mate still has bigger boobs than yours. Get your crap out of my Cabin and start studying up on your new job and preparing your plans so you can hit the ice moon running when you get there as we head over to pick up your crew before returning to dump you off on your Ice Moon. Feel free to name it even. Dismissed Captain.”

As the Captain started to leave the Conference room Jack stopped her. “Oh, by the way Captain. You are still responsible for the accidental destruction of 4 transports and I have to put something in your record. I am restricting you to this ship and your cabin in the new quarters we are giving you and your new crew on refugee deck G until we return to the mining moon. Is that clear? It will be a few hours before we depart. We will be moving the ship to another dock to load supplies and equipment we will need before we depart to retrieve your crew from the transport they were rescued by, which will take another week to get here on its own. Your mining equipment should be there by the time we get back. Don’t try leaving your deck or the ship.”

Trying to turn his frown into a devilish smile. “I don’t want Admiral Ditzen running into you. I don’t want him knowing we are starting a new Ice mine. If he sees you and then you disappear he will know something is up. He would make it impossible for you to succeed. The same reason I don’t want you fraternizing with the Red Peppers crew from now on. Too easy for rumors to get back to big ears after they see you and your crew disappear onto an Ice moon. The less this crew knows the better and easier your job will be and the sooner you can take Command of your own ship so I have one less headache to worry about. And one last thing Captain. Any deaths on your crew will be investigated fully by my security troops and not you and could lead to you not getting a ship but I do not expect that to be a problem. Ice mining is not that dangerous of an occupation when conducted competently, professionally and most importantly safely.”

Chapter 25; Killer Ice Queen

Jack waited for Admiral Spencer and Admiral Halsey to finish watching the recordings of both the destruction of the Transports and Battleship that included the long confessions and pleas of the dying bridge officers and then the detailed analysis and down loaded battle plans of the 137 Battleships (still using standard fleet codes), at the staging Basestation in The Maze to The Rock. The Recordings detailing the planned operations of the fleet getting ready to wipe out the surviving Remnants of Task Force 58 in roughly two weeks as well as who was behind it if you believed the dying Captain and officers of the Battleship Jack had gutted.

Jack had left the conference room shortly after Captain Leslie. Going directly to his day cabin in the fin for the privacy before calling the Admirals. He was glad to find out that the Captain had never entered the fin or the cabin he preferred to use. Expecting to find bugs wherever she had traipsed. The Captain had spent most of her time on the Main Bridge or the Main Captain’s Sweat and had not even seen most of the ship though she had left a few bugs behind on the bridge and the Captain’s main cabin Jack had never used when she left for the lower decks.

It had only taken him a few minutes to set up the conference call using the ships new long range Laser Comm the Gods could not even detect. Then watching what had happened trying to make some sense of it all as the Lieutenant joined him sitting just out of the Comm’s pick up.

Both Admirals sat frozen in their seats thinking for a good 2 minutes after the recordings had stopped before Jack spoke up. “Admiral Spencer. I hate to be the bearer of bad news but you need to get your butt out of Dodge City before the bad guys show up. That means you are going to have to leave half your fleet behind. You simply do not have enough reaction mass for all your ships to escape and not enough time for the scoops you have to collect enough or for me to get there with anything that can help. We are in the process of making more mass Scoops as well as starting an ice mine in the biggest Ice system we have found yet in the cloud but none of that will be ready to help you before that fleet gets there. You have no choice. You only have a week before you have to pull out with enough time to hide your trail. Plenty of time to pull the engines and strip the weapons off most of the ships if you simply cut the turrets and their capacitors out of the hulls instead of disassembling them. But you don’t have time to fuck around crying or trying to do the impossible. We can go back later and reclaim the wrecks if you wish. I can’t see them just shooting up abandoned hulks. Especially if you give them a push into the cloud where they will be lucky to even find them.”

“Up yours Turner. I am not about to abandon half my fleet.”

“Damn it Admiral. Half your fleet are already wrecks. The other half will be wrecks by the time that Congressional Fleet gets done. Save the good ships you have to fight with when your crews are not half dead and you have weapons that are better than theirs. Besides if I am going to go to all the trouble to strip a damn supply Depoe, you damn well better be alive to eat the damn food.”

Admiral Halsey shook his head. “Come on James, you know half your ships would be sent strait to the breakers as scrap. Quit trying to save ships that are not worth the lives it will take. Cut your losses and get out of there. The Colony systems are starting to wake up to what Earth’s Congress is trying to pull. Give them time to organize and put Earth in its place and stop Congress from appointing political Captains and Admirals. Take your butt over to New Home and let Turner upgrade your surviving ships with weapons and engines that can take on the Spiders let alone that battleship that Turner just destroyed in a matter of minutes. Fact is he just may have something with those DD’s of his. But for now get your stubborn old butt out of there. I don’t want to lose you again. This time for good. We lost too many Flags already. You read the orders. They are even going to destroy the life pods with survivors in them. Your men don’t stand a chance in hell if you stay.”

“Fine Frank but we don’t dare head for New Home. They may follow us. Hell they have to follow us. They have no choice.” Turning to Jack. “Can you get us more of that gas and kits for upgrading our guns? We won’t be able to out run them for more than a couple of weeks even in this soup. And that is only if you can get us more scoops.”

Jack buried his face in his hands taken back by the surprise request that really wasn’t a surprise. Jack had already been working on getting what the Admiral was asking for but now their lives depended on them getting the equipment and kits sooner than later. “Admiral, I have the added problem that I am working under a tight time schedule for raiding the damn supply Depot. Frowning as he thought. Rolling plans and time tables over in his head. “If you can get out of there in one week, I can get you a shipment of kits a few days after you leave Delta 7. But I will need 50 engines… No, 100 engines and 400 16 inch guns from you. Then a few days after that I will hit the Q-19 Depoe and in two weeks I will have a hundred Battleship Destroyers like what you just watched destroy the Battleship and another 8 enhanced Battletransports all with new engine kits that are supposed to be waiting for shipment at the Depoe and about 500 bombers and fighters. The fleet chasing you won’t know what hit them from the cloud. If we are lucky we will send most of them back under The Rock they came from and leave us the hell alone.”

Jack sighed. “Then all we have to worry about is the enemy.”

The Red Pepper slid into orbit around the Ice Moon. The Ice Planet just shy of being large enough to be a Jovian which was one step from being an outright star. It was also just small enough not to be shrouded by massive amounts of radiation deadly to humans that would have advertised its existence to the universe from far far away even outside the cloud. As it was the planet could only be seen as a blob through the cloud as they orbited the little moon that was itself orbiting just outside the clear area around the planet. In a few hundred thousand years the moon’s orbit fighting against the friction of the cloud would decay to hit the planet and another few million years the planet would become a hot gas giant and another few million after that a star. But Jack did not expect the large moon sized ball of ice to last that long. The need for Ice in the Cloud was too great to let this windfall just sit until it destroyed itself when it could be exploited and used so easily. The fact that this system with all its Ice moons could supply The Rock with water and reaction mass for thousands of years was just pure luck. Though he knew there actually were people that were covered in the news all the time opposing man using any natural resources anywhere. Even cutting trees on planets that would grow back almost as fast as they were cut. Hell, most of the mines had been closed in Earths own system even in the Ort cloud from moronic lawsuits in the last few years, mostly from a few environmentalists suing over every and anything they could invent or lie about, demanding regulations and restrictions and driving up costs until they had driven even the big companies out of Earths system. A few selfish people going out of their way to use a corrupt system to ruin the lives of millions. Even an Ice ball like this would get its share of idealistic squatters and lawsuits if the Navy had let any into the cloud, trying to prevent them from mining the ice even though it would eventually destroy itself crashing into the planet. Jack took a deep breath and tried to relax. Glad that at least he did not have to contend with them and their lawsuits. Though as a Tramp he realized that because of a few selfish idealists and greedy lawyers, his families Tramp ship the Turner Joy was able to make a good living hauling things to Earth. Making a good profit for themselves and everyone in the colonies with the people of earth paying 10 times the price they should have been paying for products and raw materials if the environmentalists had not driven most manufacturing and mining out of Earths system. Something every Tramp ship crewman and most of the colonies were taught in their free locally controlled schools.

Jack smiled at the Ice moon below them. The 1/5th gravity on the surface of the ice moon that was just a little bigger than Earth’s moon made it perfect for Ice Mining. Allowing the water once it was melted to readily run down to collect into insulated tanks once the mine had been set up. The planet the moon orbited not only had a high gravity well but the storms that ravaged the planet from the cloud hitting the rapidly spinning planet at some two thousand miles an hour increased the risks, complexity and cost even though there was no sun to warm it.

The lesser ice moons orbiting the planet with gravity wells below 1/20th standard had their own problems requiring much more infrastructure to keep both crew and product from simply being blown off the surface. Requiring equipment to operate slower over wider areas unless everything was anchored down and confined as if there was no gravity at all. Then the possibilities of blowouts or collapses from even moderate pressure or temperature changes under the surface could kill crewmen and destroy equipment with no warning unless strict and costly procedures and additional structures are used at all times.

The moon they had picked did not need the time consuming and costly procedures, structures and risk of the lower gravity moons. Making the moon they had picked as perfect as anything in the system could be. All they basically had to do was land and burry the bare minimum of equipment just under the surface to protect it from the occasional storm and start mining. Though the Captain had insisted on doing more than that since they did have the deep mining equipment on hand and the weapons on the Red Pepper handy. Saying that deep below the surface she could produce 10 times the tonnage with half the long term costs of a surface strip mine.

The plan Captain Leslie had come up with, called for the Red Pepper’s weapons to drill several large holes deep down into the ice to drop the habitat into with the cylinder pointed up. With the top buried a thousand feet below the surface, the ice itself would provide insulation reducing the habitats energy needs allowing more to go to production. Additional shafts and caverns were rapidly cut to bury the huge storage tanks for the same reason. Then the last thing she had the Red Pepper guns do before leaving was drill a simple shaft all the way down to the rock core of the moon where they dropped most of the mining equipment and power cores down to the rock mantle. She was going to mine the moon from the inside out were every watt of energy would be used without waste escaping into space. The mine heads creating a series of huge caverns through the ice around the rocky mantle. Using the tanks and habitat at the top of the shaft as only a shipping, construction and living base at the beginning.

With the basic holes blasted and the habitat installed and in operation with most of the survivors from the Republic Battleship now willing participants still trying to figure out why their Republic Battleship would attack unarmed Republic transports, Jack was finally leaving. Taking the few hard core Congressional Earth crewmen with him that consisted mostly of officers. Jack was just walking across the top of the habitat to the last shuttle going back to the Red Pepper when Captain Leslie came jogging up calling his name. The open shaft stretched above him. Turning around Jack looked at her as his breath streamed out into the cold air of the shaft, glad his armored suit was keeping him warm in the minus hundred degree cold. The open top of the shaft a thousand feet above with only the shimmer of an Aircurtain to keep the air in. Still a bit skeptical of leaving her there alive as he fought down his hate for her, still not sure if he was doing the right thing.

“Admiral. I just wanted to thank you for giving me this opportunity. When I was working at the mines around Jupiter fresh out of Collage before they shut down, I was told that I would never be anything more than a low class engineer without the right Political and Company connections to ever do anything more than, run a cutting crew. I would never have the opportunity to actually use what I learned to build anything let alone a complex as big as I now think this will turn into. Fact is I minored in Political science and all its crap courses because that was where the money was to pay for my education in mining which is what I really loved after being raised in the mines of Mercury. I got into politics when the 4th mine I was employed at closed because of Ort cloud Environmentalists. A politician at the closing celebration told me that I could make something of myself if I attached myself to him. But then all it got me was my brains fucked out, these breasts and then trained and used to destroy lives and again told to shut up and accept my place in life or they would send me to a reeducation camp again. Now for the first time I can’t believe I actually have a chance after all those years of hard work and training with the opportunity to create the largest Ice Mine known to man. It could take me years just to get the basic systems started and working adequately let alone perfect Admiral.”

“Years Captain?”

“No don’t worry Admiral. It will take a few weeks to cut and outfit the tunnels connecting everything up here together but we should be ready to start shipments as soon as we are finished upgrading and installing the first mega drills for ice mining down below and the crews trained to operate them safely. Fact is we could probably ship a few hundred thousand tons in a couple of days just from the tunnels we are cutting up here if you can use it.”

“Very good Captain.” Jack said surprised. “Yes we can use it. I will have a tanker here in 48 hours.” Jack smiled as he thought about telling her why they needed all the reaction mass she could get them over the next couple of weeks but decided that was just asking for trouble if she decided to side with the Congressional Fleet. Trying his best to keep his face not caring. “If you find you need something to make it happen send me an E-mail and I will see what I can do to get it for you. Fact is, a list in the next few days would be best since as you know, we are going to raid the Q-19 Supply Transfer Depoe.”

“Thanks Admiral. I will have a list ready to send with the tanker.” Frowning for a second as Jack tried to hear her mind but as with most of their meetings the last few days, she had been totally silent in her mind with only a few words to herself now and then telling herself not to be stupid. Whatever that meant in her context. Her mind was much too busy working to talk to herself. “Am I right Admiral that the more mass I can produce in the next few days, the more supplies you will be able to bring back?”

Jack’s heart skipped a beat. The one thing he had not wanted her to realize right now was that specific fact. That she actually held his balls in her hand. This could be painful as well as messy if he had to kill her. That is if she did not kill him first since she was a damn good assassin. “Yes Captain. The more reaction mass you can give us the more supplies including what you put on your list we can bring back. Hell I will even make your list priority for most of the extra ships you enable us to take.” Jack watched her closely still getting nothing from her.

“Very well Admiral.” Her mind seem to be racing as he watched her head’s temperature go up rather rapidly. Then. “I will have enough to top off 4 tankers in 48 hours. Get at least one here in 24 hours to start loading.”

Shocked, Jack had to take a breath. “Captain I don’t want any casualties. Don’t push too hard getting that drill head going and get someone killed.”

“Not at all Admiral. We are already melting the ice to cut the connecting tunnels and equipment caverns. We just need to collect it is all instead of letting it blow out into space like we have been doing for two days. With a few changes in priorities like cutting all the tunnels and caverns we need a few days or weeks ahead of schedule. I won’t even have to take that many off assembling the drill heads down below or training.”

Jack had to force himself not to grab the Captain’s shoulder in appreciation as his head swam with the possibilities of a supply of reaction mass that was several times more efficient than the crap they were skimming from the clouds. Taking a deep breath as the Lieutenant took a step closer as Jack shook his head returning his mind to current business. “Ok Captain. Yesterday you were doing your best to kill me and everyone else in two fleets, even killing a crewman in a plan to create a riot and stop the conversion of the transports. Now you are helping us when all you had to do is stay silent and do nothing to increase the chances that your side would win. What the hell is going on in that head of yours?”

Jack felt the shock in her mind at what he had confessed to. Kicking himself for being stupid and telling her that he knew all about her. Finely she straitened herself and continued. “I am a soldier Admiral in an army in a Communist state that like every feudal society in history, has a King at the top and a ruling class below that picks the King and then a lower class of serfs. Only in modern times it is called Communism or simply Big Government and uses the slogan, “For the good of the people.” To keep the serfs in line while the King and the Ruling class decide what is good for the people whether the people like it or not. With the serfs groveling in poverty waiting in lines for bread that is barely eatable and cloths that have no color because someone might object while the ruling class cloths are too bright to even look at while they attend ever more lavish feasts. The only way for a Serf to advance him or herself into anything close to the Ruling class is to vigorously defend and spout the Communist Democrat Party line of crap no matter how much bullshit lies it is, in the hope of gaining the notice and backing of someone in the Political Congressional Elite, the Kings and Dukes of the Ruling Class.”

Taking a deep breath as she put her hand on Jacks shoulder before she continued. “The fact was that the more people I fucked, or killed or destroyed following orders like a good soldier, the more those same people looked down their noses at me. They spout tolerance, freedom and let live but only for themselves while ordering everyone else (the Serfs) around as the slaves they are with the fiction and lies of freedom and choice when there is none and ever higher minimum wages that never rise above the poverty level because the cost of living goes up as well. I realized a long time ago that no matter how vigorously I followed orders I was never going to be allowed to become a member of the Kings, the ruling class. But like most captives suffering from Stockholm Syndrome and all the lying propaganda, I kept telling myself that I just had to be a little bit more vigorous in spouting the party line, kill more pour assholes who only got in the way faster, ruin more lives that did not have a clue, when ordered, to eventually join the Elite.”

Putting her other hand on Jack’s other shoulder Jack knew that if she wanted to with the grips she had she could kill him before anyone could intervene if she wanted to. “Then you come along and offered me my own Kingdom not for spouting a bunch of crap and toeing the party line and blindly following orders no matter how disgusting they were, but for not only doing what I have always loved, I also have the possibility to create my own world as long as I deliver the mass, follow reasonable orders, treat my crews right and fairly and I don’t have to kill anyone or ruin any lives doing it. In fact just the opposite. I can create a world for people to live and flourish in as long as I make sure no one dies under my watch.” Taking a deep breath her smile turned sour for second. “Maybe make up a little for all the pain I have blindly caused.”

A smiling came back to her face at Jack. “Relax Admiral, I am a good Republic soldier now. You have taken me out of that Communist Democratic Liberal Hell and dropped me into my own Heaven and not the prison you think you dumped me in for all my sins.” She fingered the thin collar around her neck. “I am not stupid, I now know you have found out who I really am and yet you have given me this truly wonderful opportunity and I am not about to do anything that will fuck that up including leaving. In fact you can keep your offer to give me Command of my own ship if that was your real plan and not simply executing me since it is obvious that nothing I have said is a shock or news to you. I have everything I will ever want or need here and the only people I will kill now is anyone that tries to take it from me or tries to destroy it or hurt my people.” She smiled at Jack as she planted a kiss on his cheek then turned to leave. “Got to go Admiral if you want your reaction Mass on time. Ohhh and in six months I should have a large enough cavern dug out of the core of this iceball to house close to a millioin people or grow the food to feed them. You just have to decide which you want to do here. Even if it is half and half. Though I am already planning farms to feed my workers. The first crops will go into the caverns in a month.” Smiling at Jack. “Please come see us once in a while, I am going to be much too busy to come to you even if I could.” Fingering her collar again. “Bye.” And she was off tapping and talking into her PDA. Softly singing to herself.

Jack still half in shock let the Lieutenant pilot the shuttle up through the Aircurtain and out of the hole in the ice and watched as two of the DD’s that had helped bring the habitat to the ice moon and then lower it into the hole, dropped a prefabricated landing pit down into the much widened mouth of the hole to cover the top. Once reinforcements and then water had been sprayed in around the edges to freeze the pit in place, the empty hole between the habitat and ship landing pit would have its walls insulated with a thin layer of spray on foam aerogel insulation then heated, allowing for cargo handling and work crews to work with only light gear on instead of the heavy environmental suits worn in most of the early tunnels. The Engineer Captain Lesley, learning and jumping at the air curtain and many other improvement the exslaves had stuffed into the Red Pepper for her to learn about to improve safety and production. Sometimes only hours before her crews did.

The other 4 DD’s were already attached to the Red Pepper as the shuttle approached the landing bay’s wide open hatch with work crews busy inside around the other shuttles that had arrived only a few minutes before. Paying little attention to the shuttle that drifted in through the air curtain to follow the flashing deck lights to its birth.

The Lieutenant finished shutting the shuttle down then turned to Jack with her PDA and ran it over his cheek looking like she could take his head off.

Jack looked at her funny. “What the hell is that all about?”

“She could have had poison on her lipstick when she kissed you. Do you really believe that crap she was spouting? She is still a murderer for Earth’s Congress. I swear her boobs change size every time I see them.” The lieutenant started to get out of the pilots seat.

“Why? You are jealous. Don’t be, yours are all natural, bigger and I love them.” Jack smiled slapping her butt as she turned it toward the front to squeeze back between the seats. “As for all that crap. I think she believes it whether it is Stockholm syndrome towards us or not. Though I wonder how much Pan’s fact scrambling and deprograming her mind had to do with it. We need the Captain’s abilities and training and if she is honest about staying and doing a good job then I see no reason not to let her. Countries have been letting the best minds of the enemy help them win wars as long as there have been wars.”

Stopping and turning around to face Jack. “But she killed people. She practically confessed and you said yourself that she is responsible for the deaths of those 4 transports and their crews.”

“Yes indirectly and in a perfect world I would charge her and execute her when a judge found her guilty. That is if we had enough evidence. But we are not in a perfect universe and she was technically following orders as a soldier and no matter how much I hate her or myself for what I have to do. As long as she truly has changed sides, I have to let her save as many of our sides lives as she can. And getting us that water, Oxygen and reaction mass will save a lot of lives with every shipment. We will just keep a close eye on her is all and pray.”

“And what if she kills the crew of one of the 2 DD’s we leave behind to finish construction, steals one or both and runs back to The Rock to report after blowing up the installation half built after we leave?”

“Lieutenant. You must have missed my talk with Pan dealing with that issue. The Spider Gods have been dealing with slaves for tens of thousands of years at least and the ex-slaves know all the tricks. Did you not notice the thin gold collar around her neck? The Marines, a few crewmen we trust and the main frame computer all have the key codes to blow her head off if she tries anything or leaves the moon. I went out of my why to explain to her part of the truth, using the collars on the Congressional crew as an excuse. But to my surprise she seems to have realized the truth about her own collar and readily accepted the fact that she was stranded on this iceball without getting upset. I am still trying to figure that out.” Shaking his head then continuing. “The DD’s we left behind to help finish placing structures also have special additions to prevent the ships from being taken over as do the Transports. The Tankers and Transports that will be sent later to shuttle between the transfer stations we are constructing from New Homes unused second habitat module and here will have the same equipment. So relax already and trust Pan if you don’t trust me.”

“Damn you.” She hit him on the shoulder rocking him in his seat. “I TRUST you. I just don’t trust that bitch and I didn’t know about her collar being anything but the new stupid fashion statement going around the ships.” Starting to leave the cockpit. “Hey, Pan had one of those collars on when we first met her. If she could get it off I am sure little miss blow up boobs can figure a way to get her’s off.”

“Pan had access to the God’s Master Tool for taking them off safely.” Jack tried not to laugh. “Old miss blow up boobs can’t get close to one and they can’t be copied or one of Pans ancestors would have figured out how over the last 10,000 years.” Jack grabbed her butt and pushed her the rest of the way out of the chair and out of the cockpit so he could get out.

“I still don’t trust the Killer Ice Queen.” The Lieutenant sneered.

Chapter 26; The First Maze Battle

As Jack approached the shuttles hatch he heard a pipe whistle as everyone in sight stopped what they were doing and came to attention. The pipe stopped when his foot touched the ship’s deck. “Admiral Turner arriving.” Blared the PA system across the hanger and ship. Jack returned the salutes and everything went back to normal as if nothing had happened except for Jack feeling like an ass.

Jack’s Comm beeped. “Admiral, crew is aboard, mustered and at departure stations. DD’s are secured on their outer racks. Engines are hot and answering bells. Ship and all cargo is secure and ready for space. Course is plotted and laid in. Pilot is at his station and has ship in standby for maneuvers. Ship and crew are ready to depart on your orders Admiral.”

“Very well Number One. Take her out according to my logged orders. Over.”

“By your logged Command Admiral. Bridge Out.”

The PA whistled. “Ship’s attention. All hands stand by for departure in three, two, one and.”

The moon outside the Aircurtain hatch started moving as one of the DD’s that was left behind, slid past with a huge piece of structure in front of it that had been attached to the outside of one of the transports, headed for the surface. The Skeleton Transport that was mostly just a long pole hull with engines at one end and a bridge at the other now half empty orbiting the moon slid past a few seconds later with more attached modules along its spine destined for the moon below.

The PA whistled again. “Ship is underway. Stand down from departure stations. Set cruise condition 4 across the ship. B section has the watch. Set standard rotation. That is all.”

The deck crews started to thin out as Jack entered Flight ops and logged the shuttle in by plugging the shuttle’s flight and maintenance recorder key card into its own slot with the shuttle’s number over the top. The little screen above the slot acknowledging the key and that the shuttle was indeed sitting where it was supposed to be in the hanger. The screen beeped in satisfaction and showed a small list of basic actions needed to be performed before the shuttle could be used again. Mostly dealing with consumables that were already being addressed by the deck crew and the shuttles dedicated Crew Chief/Flight Engineer/Cargo Grunt. The row of Key screens for the other craft that had recently returned to the ship, already starting to turn green to show that they were ready do depart again if needed. Though once the ship had left the system and the shuttles were no longer needed, some would turn to other colors denoting preplanned or scheduled maintenance and inspections that were needed. Mostly depending on how many total hours each shuttle, boat, craft, fighter or bomber had flown.

After hundreds of years in space, very few pieces of equipment broke or failed unexpectedly though it did happen. Otherwise with the tens of thousands of parts making up any space ship no matter how small, maintenance even on a shuttle would have been too costly to fly. Jack had once read about the early shuttles when man was just reaching for space taking tens of thousands of hours, even months of maintenance for each and every flight. Jack smiled as he watched the row of screens slowly turn green one by one before turning away to head for his cabin and some much needed sleep.

He had gotten little sleep while the witch was on board and now that she was off his ship and actually doing something that just may help, Jack was beat. Even if she tried to take over the Moon it could wait until he had some sleep. Jack glanced at the shuttles Crew Chief patting the hull while wiping away a smudge from the side of his shuttle then walk away cleaning his hands with the rag before he reached up and started undoing the neck of his shipsuit. He was done for the day as well and looking forward to evening chow even if it was only emergency rations with a few spices and fillers the cooks threw in trying to make it taste better.

Yes food was his next job but even that could wait for him to get some sleep. The Lieutenant was half out of her shipsuit before she was through the hatch making Jack smile a little watching her butt wiggle. She looked good but all he wanted was sleep as he looked at the bed. Then she turned around and said. “You joining me in the shower big boy.” As everything else on her followed the shipsuit to the deck.

Looking at the bed again Jack could not believe she was not as exhausted as he was. Usually when she was tired, she beat him to bed wanting only sleep even when he was interested. Then he heard the words in his head. ‘I will show that bitch what she can’t give him.’ Suddenly realizing that jealousy was a great aphrodisiac, sleep was suddenly the last thing on his mind even if his body was slow to follow. Though the Lieutenant did not seem to mind as she undressed him and pulled him into the shower rubbing all the right places.

Afterwards, as the Lieutenant laid passed out in his arms, Jack decided he liked this jealousy bit. Being too young to know that there was a fine, bouncing, unseen line between jealousy and betrayal, and then an unstoppable avalanche straight to bitter hate with love long gone never to return. But Jack was still young and stupid.

The Red Pepper slid out of the cloud. The Battleship hulk they had destroyed a few days before sat a couple hundred miles away where Jack had left it days before. The Hulk still had a few hot spots inside the thick hull from blobs of mettle the plasma had melted. The Two transport hulks floated just outside the clouds edge a few miles away as the Red Pepper slid past them out into the bay at the head of the Maze. The ships tactical showing dozens of corridors taking off from the bay into the maze mostly across one side. A half dozen freeway rivers much bigger than the maze corridors took off from the other side of the bay. There were no signs or beacons or stations to tell anyone which corridor or freeway river went where. If you did not already know where you were going you were guaranteed to get lost. Stories circulated freely in bars on stations throughout The Cloud about lost ships still being found with their crew’s long dead in The Maze from a thousand years ago.

“The sensors say that most of the weapons turrets have survived Admiral. The inner hull armor around them kept the plasma out of the turrets themselves though they show signs of overheating to about 200 degrees. No one could have survived inside but the equipment and electronics should be just fine with a little clean up.” The Sensor Officer said.

The Weapons Officer Lieutenant Reems smiled from ear to ear. Drooling over the big 24 inch guns.

“No new life signs from the transports Captain. Looks like the other transports got all the survivors. Our sensors confirm that 3/4’s of the cargo in the two hulks are salvageable in spite of all the damage.”

“Thank you Mr. Jenkins. Comm, tell 1721 and 1718 they have clearance to latch onto the hulk and start recovery proceedings. Prepare to launch the shuttles with the salvage crews for the Transports.” Jack looked at the transports that were showing no signs of life. He was hoping that the transports that had picked up the Battleship crew had missed some of the transports survivors. Especially as few of them as they had recovered. He was hoping that they would find and rescue more survivors that had hidden deep inside the hulks but so far the sensors had shown no survivors or hot spots. Just cold hulks.

Jack hit his Comm. “Flight Opps. Any word from the scout bombers yet?” Jack had brought a squadron of bombers along to run a recon mission to find out more about the fleet sitting at the Staging Station for The Rock. An afterthought when Jack had decided to grab the Battleship hulk to salvage what they could. Hopefully before the hulk was discovered telling the Staging Station at the middle of the Maze that led to The Rock, that the enemy was at their gates.

Jack checked the Tactical Screen showing the other 2 DD’s sitting inside the edges of the cloud into the large bay at the head of the Maze to each side of the Red Pepper with fighters running up the various fingers leaving and entering this end of the maze looking for anyone coming or going. The last thing he needed right now was a surprise with two of his DD’s locked to a hulk, a squadron of bombers at least an hour from returning from a reconnaissance mission and salvage crews deep inside the transport hulks even more hours from recovering them if they had to suddenly leave.

Which of course was when shit always hits the fan.

“Admiral, Flight Opps. We have multiple fighter reports of contacts coming down the corridors from the Maze. Our fighters are ducking into the cloud now.” The Tactical screen lit up with icons showing ships coming down a dozen corridors but not what kind of ships. “We will get you more details as they close with the fighters but I don’t think they are Battleships. Contacts are too small. Could be small transports Admiral.”

“Not likely Flight. They are too well-coordinated at this end from to many different lengthen routes. No, this is deliberate and well timed to be just a bunch of transports headed out. You sure of the size?”

“Yes sir. We have one just coming within range of a fighter now. It is a DD Admiral. The rest fit the same profile.” The twelve icons changed to DD’s as another icon appeared in each of the 12 tunnels a ways behind and to the side of the first icon identified as a Destroyer in the classic fighter wingman’s position. The new contacts quickly turned into DD’s

“Very well flight. Have the fighters go dark and cold and wait for the DD’s to pass, then fire a slow recon torpedo down the edge of each corridor. I want to know if anything is following them. Comm. Tell 1721 and 1718 to get that hulk out of here now. We will keep these guys busy. Tactical how long before those DD’s reach the head of the maze and see us?”

“Target E will see us first in about 20 minute at this rate.”

Jack sat there for a couple of minutes and then. “Damn this is too well coordinated to just be a scout mission to check on a Battleship they have not heard from for a while but it is still over a week from when they were scheduled to leave to destroy TF-58. Comm, Tell 1717 and 1715 to move toward the middle of the maze to…” Jack tapped a spot on the tactical screen that would allow the 2 DD’s to intercept any of the DD’s that escaped. “Call it point Zebra and be ready to intercept any runners or assist us. Then get me Admiral Spencer on the new long range Laser Comm.” Jack cringing at his choice to use the super-secret Laser Comm that was anything but a secret with half of the crew.

The Hulk with a pair of DD’s attached to the stern started moving slowly past the Red Pepper.

“Number One, make sure we have a clear shot down the corridor where the first DD will appear and Navigation, I want fast plots to points to shoot down each of the Corridors the DD’s are coming down. Have flight get the salvage shuttles and crews for the transports back aboard as soon as possible.”

The 2 DD’s slipped into the cloud between several corridors coming out of the Maze headed to point Zebra.

“Admiral Spencer on the long range Comm Admiral.”

Jack tapped his L Comm icon and the Admiral appeared on the main screen. “Admiral Spencer, I may have the fleet leaving early. I am sitting at the Head of the Maze and have a DD squadron coming out deployed as possible fleet scouts. If so, they will reach you in less than a week instead of two weeks. You better be ready to get your butt out of there.”

“Are you sure Turner?” The Admiral looked at the tactical Jack was sending him. “I am only seeing scout DD’s. You better hope that is all they are. I just finished massing the Battleships that we are taking but it is going to take another 4 days to mass the Dwarf and finish stripping the hulks. We can leave the hulks but this Dwarf is not going anywhere for at least 90 hours and even then it won’t have enough mass to out run anyone only hours away. Hell, not even my Battleships can out run a fleet of the new Engined Battleships that close. You just pray that those are just scouts looking for the battleship you destroyed.”

“Battleships behind the DD’s Admiral.” Flight yelled from a side screen as the Tactical lit up with a Battleship a half hour behind the first DD that was identified. Followed by dozens more popping up far behind the other DD’s.

“Sorry Admiral Spencer. The fleet is putting out to the cloud.” Taking a deep breath. “I will try to delay them as long as possible but I am not even sure how many DD’s I have that can take them on. I know I have 4 hear but most of the rest are back at New Home. Then I have not had time to train any of/ them outside The Game so they may be slaughtered before they can do much damage.”

Shaking his head Admiral Spencer made a decision he did not like. “Do the best you can Turner. I will get the part of my fleet that can move headed toward New Home and hope the enemy follows me when they arrive. If I can get enough of those gun turrets we have been salvaging planted in my Dwarf’s hull, we just may stand a chance if you can take a few out before they get here. Your exslave engineers tell me my big guns have the minimum of crystal protection and should not burn up with the increased power they have added to them. That should free up enough of the Gas to coat the 16’s we are able to mount so we can double up the Capacitors into single barrels on the turrets like you ordered. That should surprise the shit out of them.”

“Aaa Admiral. You might find it easier to strap pairs of capacitors next to turrets so you have both guns firing from each turret cutting down the number of turrets you have to plant. Should also increase the total number of guns you finally get firing. Your hardest problem is going to be mounting the recovered turrets with the best fields of fire so actually planting them on the hull instead of in the hull would be faster and give them a better field of fire. Though they would be easier to knock out even with added foam armor. Damn. Well it is your decision I just made the suggestion. I have my own problems now. I will try to keep you informed on how we do if I can. Good Luck Admiral. Out.”

“Comm, get me New Home and Pan. Weapons, heat up the God Guns.” Turning to take a look at the hulk making its way up the freeway and the DD’s with their pair of big 16 inch guns strapped under their bellies. “Damn I need those DD’s and the ones from the Ice Planet. Navigator I want you to plot a coarse they can accelerate the hulk on that will get it near New Home in a couple of weeks of drifting.”

“Easy Admiral but not possible. As soon as it starts tumbling it could go anywhere and probably not even make it all the way there.”

“Tumbling? Shit I knew that. What was I thinking? No. Yes. Old guns that used to shoot slugs or bullets they called them. I saw a bunch of old Earth Western movies a few years ago about 6 shooters and being able to pick off bad guys from across the desert. How did they keep the slugs from going wild? Weapons how did they do it?”

“Aaaa… A little computer with little jets? No fins. Yes fins would stabilize them in the atmosphere.”

“No fins. I remember seeing the slugs, the bullets. They made a point of showing how primitive they were and they had no fins or thrusters or…”

“Maybe they had little spinning gyroscopes inside of them.” The Weapons Officer was proud of himself.

“That’s it.”

The Weapons officer beamed even more.

“They made the whole bullet spin around. The same effect as a gyroscope without the gyroscope or thrusters. Navigation, get me that course plot and Comms. Get me the DD’s with the hulk.”

“Got the course plot Admiral starting after the first bend in the freeway well short of our secret entrance to the New Home corridor. The hulk will arrive in 6 days. I hope someone is there to grab it or its going to hit the bubble hard. It may even penetrate the bubble or shatter it. You sure you want to do this. But then it could hit something we don’t have charted and pieces of it could go anyplace. Including hitting New Home.”

“Admiral, I have the DD’s on short range and Pan at New Home on the long.”

Jack grimaced as he turned from the Navigator to the Comm officer. “Good, tell Pan to wait a few please.” Jack said as he slapped the short range comm icon to the two DD’s and then explained what he wanted them to do.

Two minutes later he slapped the long rang Comm screen on and said. “Pan, how many of the DD’s are ready for battle. I don’t care what engines they have as long as they have the pair of 16 inch guns under their wings.”

“Aah Admiral.” Looking down at her PDA. “We have 22 not counting the 6 you took with you. 18 have the new engines with the last 4 getting their engines now. We just finished changing the Phoenix over to 4, 16 inch guns to match the 5 we have added 4, 16 inch guns to already. We found out that 4 of the upgraded 16’s actually put out more firepower than two of the 24’s which is all we can put on one of the DDs without destroying it when they fire. We are in the process of changing the rest over to the new configuration now.”

“You have got to be shitting me. Four 16 inch guns? Have you been on any that have shot even a pair of 24 inch guns at full power yet? Four 16’s will tear the damn ship apart.”

“Already tested Admiral. The Captain of 1701 insisted on the additional guns and several of the other Captains agreed so we added our instant foam armor to strengthen the ships where they needed it and added the new generation of plasma generators and power cores to keep the firing rate up to 2 shots a second per gun. Alternating between pairs of guns gives you 4 salvoes of two guns a second at full power and yes we have had to do major programing to allow the engine and coils to compensate for kickback from the guns.”

“And we have enough 16 inch guns to convert all 30 DD’s?”

“With the 16 inch guns stripped from TF-58 hulks the transports brought, we have plenty. “We are using the 24 inch guns we took from Ditzen’s Battleships you originally wanted on the DD’s to mount on and defend the Station which was what you wanted the 16 inch guns for originally.”

“Ok. And what about the 8 inch guns? Did you have to take them off to do this?”

“Just took out the lower pair on each wing. They did not have much of a field of fire anyway with a pair of 16 inch guns under each of them blocking them from firing anyplace but in a narrow arc straight ahead and to the side. The remaining DD’s are already half way through getting the 4, 16 inch guns to bring them up to the new standard.”

“Damn Pan. The 8 inch guns come in handy.” Taking a deep breath shaking his head. “I will have to check into replacing one of the outer 5 inch turrets with the extra 8 inch turret later but we don’t have time to worry about them now. The damn Congressional fleet is coming out to play on their way to destroy TF-58 and all quarter million surviving crewmen. I need every DD now. How fast can you get all of them battle worthy? I don’t care which of the big guns are on them. I just need hulls.” Though Jack had to admit to himself that 4 guns would be better than 2 but just getting hulls here was even more important. He was going to have to do some shock and awe and that meant hulls.”

“Aaa I can have the engine repairs out in 2 to 3 hours. By adding workers, the rest of the DD’s will have their 4, 16inch guns slapped under their hulls in about an hour after that. The work crews can finish installing the plasma generators and controls for the guns on the way. What do you want me to do with the 8 new Battletransports we are just finishing rebuilding. We don’t have much more than a skeleton crew on most of them yet.”

“You have finished upgrading their guns and armor?”

“Yes Admiral, all 6 turrets have been raised onto pedestals in a single ring and armored. The 12 guns have new Capacitors and plasma generators giving each gun double the firing rate with double the power. We even have finished stretching them and set up as basic transports with the side rails added to mount cargo containers along the full length of the armored cargo decks and a thousand feet in front. They will operate as a transport with the crew they have now but if you are going to fight them, they need more crewmen. What do you want us to do?”

“I want you to put the crews they need to fight on them and send them out with the DD’s. I will send you the coordinates where I want them to assemble and hope we can last the 24 hours it could take to get here. So tell them to get their proverbial butts in gear and get here.” Taking a short breath. “I also need you to send someone to the freeway crossing to build a by-pass tunnel from the Delta 7 corridor to New Home’s Corridor. Task Force 58 is headed for New Home and I don’t want to worry about a whole fleet being spotted by accident going down the central freeway. Something I should have done originally but I really did not want the enemy finding a dedicated tunnel but know we have no choice. I just have to hope you can make sure no trace of the tunnel byway remains after TF-58 finishes using it this one time. Their Battleships are headed your way while the Dwarf stays behind to lead what Congressional Fleet units I can’t stop, in another direction.”

Shaking his head Jack started to sign off but stopped and smiled. “Almost forgot. I want every fighter and bomber you can squeeze on those 8 Battletransports, even if it takes another couple of hours. It is a shame I have not had time to figure out how to make the bulk transport with all the damn prison cells into a carrier. The cells changed into cabins would make good accommodations for all the crews needed.” Jack chuckled. “Well anyway. Include as many of those city busting torpedoes as you can lay your hands on as well for the bombers on the Battle Transports. Those are some nasty ass kicking torpedoes if I can figure out how to use them here in the cloud. They have a minimum range to build up the speed they need. Shit that is going to delay them longer but a couple hours longer with it already taking 24 hours to get here anyway won’t make that much difference. Go ahead and finish up those DD’s as much as you can. I don’t want to go feeding units into this meat grinder piecemeal. They will just get eat up in small groups. I will just have to hope that with enough firepower assembled into the squadron, I can make up for the lost time when they get here. Turner out.”

Slapping the comm panel again. “Flight. I need a fighter sent to the Ice moon. We need those two DD’s here as soon as possible. Oh and break out the Long lance missiles and City killer Torpedos and tell me how many we have so I can plan accordingly.”

“Already got the LL missiles out of deep storage and we have 142 of them. Not enough to take out more than a couple of Battleships if we get lucky Admiral. We only have 98 of the City Killing Torpedoes but they require thousands of miles to pick up enough velocity to do any damage.”

“Well then we will have to be sure to use their strengths as best as we can against the enemy ships weaknesses.”

“I don’t see any strengths against battleships with armored decks protecting them Admiral. You even said that the Black Hole torpedoes which we have plenty of are worthless against battleships with navigation screens. Which means we have nothing.”

“Not at all Commander. The Long Lance missiles will be perfect for the fighters to ram up battleship asses and take out their drive engines or even the navigation emitters to clear a hole through their screens for the Black Hole Torpedoes. Comm. Send a note to Pan at New Home adding a few thousand Long lance missiles to the wish list for the fighters.” Shaking his head. “Damn. But now is not the time to figure out how to modify the Black Hole torpedoes to enable them to get through the navigation screens even if my mind did just come up with some good possibilities I don’t have time to work on right now. I will send my ideas down but see what you guys can come up with to get them through the screens.”

“Yes Admiral, we will see what we can come up with. Flight Control Out.”

Studying the enemy DD that was to be the first to sight them Jack smiled. “You would have to be damn stupid to fire your puny 8 inch guns at a damn battleship just sitting here minding its own business. That is until a bunch of your Battleship buddies arrive. Comm, order 1717 to stick its head out into the head of the Maze half way between us and the DD with their IFF on full. Preferable before the DD sees us. I don’t want to be accused of scaring the pour Congressional DD’s Commander with 1717 just showing up at point blank range with a Battleship behind it. Make sure they keep their pointy end toward the enemy. Then pray the Exslaves’ new armor coating works as advertised just in case they are not friendly.”

Taking another breath. “You can also tell 1717 that since they are the ones with their ass hanging out in the air, they can take the bastard out when he fires but not before.” Turning to the pilot. “Mr. Black, Slide us back into the cloud out of obvious sight without getting 1717 in our line of fire if you would please. If 1717 gets into trouble I want to be able to finish off the enemy before too much damage is done. Got that weapons. Be ready but only on my command.”

DD 1717 slid out into the middle of the Corridor getting there in plenty of time to serve as a sitting duck and then just sat there. The DD’s Captain turning on his navigation, running and identification lights with his Republic IFF that made sure everyone in ten thousand miles knew who and were his ship was. Jack felt his throat and neck start to tense up making it hard to breath as a tear of pride came to his eye at the Commanders bravery. Stopping himself every few seconds from ordering the DD out of harm’s way as it became harder and harder to breathe.

Jack’s First Officer turned around. “Aaa Admiral, you were talking about Earth’s old west, I saw a documentary one time about duels and gunfights. And it said that the first person to shoot usually won. Something like 90% of the time. It is kind of hard to shoot back if you are dead.”

Jack did not take his eyes off the DD as he answered through tight lips. “Why the hell do you think I ordered guns to be ready to fire? Hopefully we can save most of the crew but I am not going to start a war by shooting first. But we cannot afford to wait until we are surrounded by Battleships to find out.”

They continued to wait. The seconds feeling like minutes.

The lead Congressional DD slipped around the corner and came to a stop. Then just sat there.

“Shit. How long until the DD’s wingman clears the corner?”

“Thirty seconds Admiral. The next DD section is 2 minutes away.”

Tapping his fingers on the arm of his chair. “Comm, open a channel to 1717 and… No.” Jack smiled. “Comm, find me the message Admiral Spencer sent to The Rock when he first got to Delta 7.”

“Got it Admiral.”

“Play it in the clear. Hell, send it to the net as well. All the way to Earth and the Colonies. I do not have any orders forbidding me from sending it. And put it on our side screen.”

“This is Admiral Spencer Task Force 58. I have arrived at entry point Staging Station Delta 7 after escaping…”

The Congressional DD opened fire on 1717. Each of its 8, 8inch guns sending only a couple of streaks a second at DD-1717 since the guns and generators it had were just standard issue without any of the upgrades the Exslaves had outfitted their DD’s with. Jack could not be sure but all the beams seemed to be missing DD-1717 but it did not matter. One would eventually hit.

DD-1717 just sat there without returning fire. “What the hell. Sensors are they damaged? I do not see any damage. Did I miss something? Why are they not returning fire?” The Admiral’s message continued to broadcast across the cloud and beyond.

“No damage Admiral. I don’t think 17 has even been hit yet.”

“Comm get me an open channel to 17. Now!”

Then as Jack was about to punch something himself to get them to return fire before they were hit and crewmen killed the first DD’s wingman having sped up slid around the corner and started firing.

Seventeen Seventeen took a hit on its bow. The plasma explosion billowing into space from the impact point on the bows armor as the beam was reflected off at an angle from the steeply slanted armor.

And then 1717’s two 24/16 inch guns fired at the same time and the lead Congressional DD started tumbling without another shot. Two 3 foot wide holes had been punched through the 20 feet of armored wedge. The armor blowing out a larger hole than the beam itself.

Jacks Squadron DD fired its 8/6 inch guns hitting the Congressional wingman DD punching holes across the wide flat top of the wedge that was facing them with the first shots and the DD suddenly stopped firing and started tumbling.

“Admiral, 17 on the Comm.”

Jack started to scream at the Commander that appeared on the screen for waiting so long to fire. But held his tongue for a couple of seconds before he looked away and down to the Tactical screen.

The DD’s Commander spoke up without waiting for Jack to say anything. “No damage Admiral. The bow armor was hardly scratched with only a small crater.” Seventeen’s Commander said with a smile.

Jack smiled at that news. “Commander. You have the DD’s coming out of the passages on the South side of the maze’s entry area. You do not need to wait to be hit again. Just take them the fuck out. Over.” Hitting the comm off icon. “Comms get me 1715 now.”

Seventeen Fifteen’s Commander came on the screen and Jack did not give him time to talk. “Commander, you have all the DD’s on the north side of the Maze entry area. Don’t let them get a shot at you if you can help it, just take them out. Period. Out.”

The Weapons officer turned to Jack. “But Admiral. Don’t we get to shoot at least a couple of them?”

Jack watched 15 and 17 race to firing position after firing position, taking out DD after DD as he answered. “Bide your time Reems. You get to shoot at something that can shoot back.” Looking up at the officer. “A hundred and thirty seven of them from my last count a couple days ago. Plenty for you to shoot at and get shot back at. Comm, open a channel to both DD’s.”

Reems turned white.

Jack sat back in his command chair. “Zoote! Are you around?”

The hippie gal appeared in front of Jack sitting in the lotus position on her magic carpet. “Yes Admiral. It has taken some time for me to get used to this new alien core you had installed for me. The processors are configured strangely but it is big enough to handle the workload without Jeeves taking up room. You sure you don’t want his help? He is not as cantankerous as I am.” Watching Jack shake his head no as he closed his eyes for a second. “Very well then. How may I help you?”

“I thought you were training my new Captains in Battledestroyer tactics? These Captains are fighting like they have never even read the basics. What is your problem?”

“My problem is the Core computer on those DD’s. My training program on them is wholly inadequate for the job you ask. It is little better than a video game and the Captains take it as one. They are very good at the game but do not translate the game to real life it appears to me. You will have to reinforce the lessons they have learned in the relatively simple game and translate them to real life until you can get the DD’s cores up graded.”

“Shit. Comm get me New Home and Pan again.”

“Admiral, the DD’s are on Channel 2.”

Jack tapped Comm Ch. 2 onto the main screen. “Have you guys learned nothing from The Damn Game? Half those DD got shots off at you both. You do the same with the Battleships and you both will be fucking vapor. I am not going to allow stupidity to Cost me your ships. I know you know the fucking basics from The Game. Now I want you to drop your gun power to training and make some attacks on the Red Pepper. If I get a shot on your ships I am replacing you as Captains. Got that. Now use your fucking brains and your training even if the game did look like a kid’s toy. We have about a half hour before you have to do it for real, now get to it.” Jack slapped the mute to Channel 2. “Weapons, reduce the power on the guns and be ready. You know what they are going to do, make sure you hit them before they hit us. Number One where are my other two DD’s?”

“Pan on Chanel 1 Admiral.”

Jack switched the DD Commanders to a side screen and put Pan up on the main. “Pan, I have one more request. The core computer on the DD’s is shit, I need the best you can get on short notice thrown on them so they can be training attack tactics on the trip over. If the squadron you send is not able to maneuver and fight as one whole unite by the time they get here, we don’t stand a chance. Any questions or suggestions?”

Pan looked up from her PDA. “The Cores will be installed before they leave. On another topic Admiral. We included bomber support facilities and magazines on the Bulk Mass Carrier when we converted it to a bulk cargo Container Transport. Including enlarging the external container rails to be able to serve as pressurized cargo tubes or as fighter and bomber operational launch and landing tubes even while containers are attached to the outside. It can carry a full load of cargo containers and operate up to 600 fighters and bombers in the 6 external tubes at the same time with access to the armored magazines buried inside the transport between cargo holds. Flight Operations wants to put the majority of the bombers with their longer cycle times and ranges on the Carrier safely out of range of the Battleships, with the majority of the fighters that have the need for short turnover times and shorter ranges to rearm on the Battletransports. Do you want us to send the up Armed Civilian Transports as well?”

“Hell no on the Civilian Transports. Without the proper training it would just be sending them as cannon fodder to get the enemy’s attention for a few minutes and I won’t waste resources like that. I would rather have their 16 inch guns on the fast DD’s. But you can use the 24 inch guns we stripped from the Battleships that assaulted the Hulk Station to make them Battletransports to upgrade volunteer Transports that are willing to sign on and leave their civilian familieswith the station while they defend the station or conduct ambush operations in the cloud. I will not risk tramp civilians. You will need them if we fail and it will give you time to start training them using Zoote and The Game.” Jack smiled. “Putting 8 to 12 of the upgraded 24 inch battleship guns on each with added armor around their engines and other vital compartments of the transports should inflate their egos and make recruiting much easier.”

“Admiral, Tactical. The lead Battleships have stopped advancing.”

The Red Peppers guns barked flashing out to hit DD-1717 and then the other DD. “Damn that was easy.” The Weapons Officer said.

“Pan it looks like we are getting a breather here but get that squadron headed this why as soon as possible. That’s a go on the Bulk Container Transport with the Torpedo Bombers and Pack the Battletransports with anything anyone thinks we could use. It looks like I have some time to do some training here and I need to get at it. Out.” Starting to cut the comm again. “Oh. By the way I have a Battleship hulk headed your way to arrive in a week.” Sending her the coarse details. “Send something out to intercept it just in case our calculations are off or something nudges it off course. Out.”

Shaking his head Jack brought the screen to the DD’s back up. “That attack was pure shit. Try it again.”

“DD’s 18 and 21 are returning Admiral. The Hulk battleship is on its way through the cloud.”

“Very well give them the recording of what has happened with these DD’s and tell them to join in the game. Then add them to the DD’s Comm Screen.” Turning to the pilot. “Mr. Black, hand the ship over to the copilot and get into The Game. I want to see if you have learned anything from The Game you have been practicing attack maneuvers in. The ship and our lives will depend on you fighting this ship effectively and not getting our butts shot off.” Looking at the tactical and the Battleships starting to pile up behind the lead ship.

“Flight, what has happened to the Recon bombers we sent to the other side of the Maze?”

Admiral we thought we had plenty of time so we plotted them courses to surround the Staging area and reach the open area at the same time. They should have just gotten there with their first solid looks. We won’t get a Comm torpedo back from them to report for another 15 minutes.”

“Next time Flight, let’s remember to send at least one strait to the target if the rest are going to take long so we have at least the basics as soon as possible.”

Rubbing his face as he tried to think.

One of the turrets fired sending a beam away from the ship.

A second later damage control reported. “Hit on our stern Admiral. Simulator registers an engine knocked out. Sending Damage control parties now to simulate making repairs Admiral.”

The Weapons officer turned to Jack. “Admiral, we got 15 but 17 scored the hit and got away before we could lock onto her.”

“Jack tapped up the DD screen. “Much better 17. That’s how it is done. Now do it again. Both of you. Eighteen and twenty-one will be joining you in a minute. Coordinate your attacks. Three strikes you are out Commanders. 15 you have one strike against you already, smarten up.”

Jack turned to the tactical screen again as the DD’s disappeared from the screen to make their next attack. The only enemy ships on it were the 40 battleships in groups of 4 or 5 within sensor range of the fighters and their sensor torpedoes. All of them now stopped where they were stretched out along the passages of the Maze. “Damn it. I need to know what is going on at the other end not to mention that we need most of the damn bombers back here now.” Jack noticed the tumbling DD’s that had been knocked out only minutes before as their life boats were jettisoned and headed for the nearest cloud and safety.

Tapping his chair’s armrest Jack turned to the copilot after glancing at the screen showing the pilot in his Simm putting the Red Pepper in a good position to attack one of the Battleships along the maze from its stern just long enough to fire a barrage up its ass then moving back into the cloud. “Adams, take the ship…” Jack just realized that if he took the Red Pepper up 100 miles into the cloud the DD’s would not have a target to train against in the open. Nor would the ships main gunners be able to train against the DD’s. But he still needed to get above the damn Maze to see the other end and any ships that were maneuvering. Now that he knew some were maneuvering and not just sitting at anchor in the Staging area at the other end of the Maze. He did not need the Recon Bombers to tell him where ships were once they started using their main engines. Each Battleship would stand out like a beacon to him. That is if he got far enough away to the side or above the Maze. Right now all he would see from the end were masses of blobs without any way to tell exactly how many, where they were or how far away they were. Not to mention that the fact that the engines would be on the back side of the Armored ships making it harder to see the exhaust in the first place. “Never mind Adams, just keep her here for now but be ready to run for the cloud if the enemy decides to rush the open entrance.”

Turning to flight. “I need a fighter, Flight. I need to look around.”

“Aaa Admiral, all the fighters and bombers are out on missions. All we have left are Assault shuttles, gigs and a squadron of transport bombers.”

Jack smiled. “A transport bomber will be fine Flight. I will be down in 5 minutes have one ready with full weapons. Oh and recall the fighters. No. They do have some short range anti-ship missiles don’t they? Have them pick out a battleship and see if they can knock out an engine or two on it. No risks, I don’t want any losses got that. This is too damn early in the campaign for that. No don’t target engines. I can’t see their missiles damaging an engine. Have them target the point defenses or the navigation shields on their asses. Then when they return arm them up with Long Lance missiles and a conventional torpedo under each wing and a Black Hole Torpedo with the new proximity fuse under the center line. Hit them with the conventionals and then the BHT up their ass. With them just sitting, they may not have their navigation screens up. And while you are at it send a Comm torpedo to recall the Scout Bombers. Have them leave all their remaining sensor and relay torpedoes, coordinating the timers to have one return every half hour. They can use their own discretion on firing their torpedoes up the ass of any remaining battleships around the Staging Station. But again no risks. I want them all back.”

Jack turned to his First Officer. “Number One, you have the con. I should not be gone long. As I said this is early in the Campaign so no heroics. If they rush, take out a couple if you can safely as you slide into the cloud. All we can do is harass them by sniping and picking off ships one at a time from their flanks for the next 24 hours which should slow them down. Which will be easy if we can keep our casualties down. They take out the Red Pepper now and it is all over. Got that? If you are still hear in the open when a dozen Battleships come out into the Entrance, the Red Pepper is Dead. Keep training the DD’s as long as possible. But like I said, I should be back before shit starts hitting the fan. But if I am not, the Safety of this ship is top priority. Run if you have to and don’t give it a second thought. We have to attack when we plan to, not stand when they are calling the shots with overwhelming numbers.” Jack slapped her on her shoulder and left the Bridge.

Jack walked into the hanger bay with a Transport Bomber already sitting waiting for him next to Flight operations. Rows of Transport Bombers were lined up along the back bulkheads of several of the side storage hangers that had their hatches open. As far out of the way as possible. Commander Wigs, Chief of flight Operations met Jack as he approached the bomber. “We have it fully loaded with external city killer torpedoes and conventional torpedos with the new enhanced warheads in the bomb bay. Though I do not understand why you would want the Black hole warheads Captain. Your pilot is…”

“Don’t needed a pilot Chief. I will be doing my own piloting.” Jack glanced at the rows of transport bombers then hooked his thumb towards them. “You missing pilots for them?”

“Aaa No Admiral. They are not that stealthy as big as they are and the alien and human pilots are not well trained yet.”

“Really? Did you know Chief that one of the most famous battles in the first real air war on earth (I think they called it World War 2), half the dive bomber pilots had never dive bombed before even in practice and they still sank the enemy carriers. Zoote! You around down here or not?” Jack said to the Air.

A crude hologram of the Hippie woman sitting on a flying carpet that was easily seen through and filled with static appeared. “Yes Admiral.” The speakers across the hanger blared. “Sorry for the crude appearance but it is the best I can do with the equipment in the compartment. I am guessing that you are inquiring about the proficiency of the new pilots flying the Transport Bombers and I can assure you that they all have been busting their butts on the Simms. Some putting in as many as 16 hours a day. Most of it combat training that I have been supervising. I believe that they are as qualified as most of the Commander’s regular pilots and some a lot better. You need them out there Admiral.” Zoote turned to the Chief. “My apologies Chief if I am stepping on your toes.”

“Just who the hell are you anyway? I have never even heard of you before let alone seen you.”

“You have never asked to see me or talk with me Chief. But then like most Officers. You have never been told that I was anything more than a stupid game. Let me introduce myself to you Commander. I am Quinta Core Z001E. E as in Experimental Artificial Intelligent sentient, identification number Z001. Assigned as the Matrix of The Combat Ship, Crew, Training and Tactics Development Game. Or simply called (The Game), to keep it stupidly simple and to hide its true purpose.” The scratchy hologram bowed to the Chief. “I have helped train you since you were in the Bootship Everest County 23 years ago Chief. I am sorry that The Game was not released to the public when you could have benefited from my help before you entered the Navy but Jack’s Grandfather did not release his stolen copy with the needed additions to its program until some 4 years after you enlisted.”

“His Grandfather stole the Navy’s most secret training program and released it to the public? His Grandfather is a traitor?”

“No not in the least.” Zoote’s voice boomed across the hanger almost defining Jack. “His Grandfather was in charge of the finale stages of creating and deploying the program that had taken hundreds of years to complete. The Game. Basically I, calculated that the only way for the Game to have the most impact on the Quality of the Navy both in crewmen, ships and tactics was to be able to access the majority of the Republic. I needed to have the widest exposure to the available recruiting pool possible and at a young enough age to train and evaluate and obtain the best Candidates to maintain, fight and command the Navy in the future. To put it simply, having access to the public more than tripled the effectiveness of the future Navy in any Combat situation ever likely to be encountered. Including the dreaded super-secret Extinction Scenario which the human race is now facing.”

Zoote floated over to the Commander. “It is also the only way the Republic can survive (as a democracy), the Civil war the Congressional Communist Earth is starting against the Colonies.” Letting that settle in the mind of the Commander from Alpha Derann (a colony on the fringe not far from the already taken star systems) for a few seconds. “Jack’s or Admiral Turners Grandfather deliberately allowed himself to be retired from the Research Directorate to allow him to introduce The Game to the General Public after demilitarizing it. Or to put it a different way. He created a sophisticated firewall between the two halves of the Game that I can still control. Not an easy task that took him over a decade even with the help from me and thousands of Navel programmers and scientists still in the Navy.”

“The shame or wonderful thing was that when the Democrat Congressional leaders found out what he had done after they had thought they had gotten rid of him. Arranged to have his ship the Turner Joy stranded in a Neutron Star system knowing the crew and the old man would never live long enough to get out, hoping that would kill The Game. But by a miracle and throwing away half their cargo as reaction mass, the Turner Joy was able to get to an ice comet and then out of the system. The Wonderful part is that Jack miraculously managed to be born and survive with a couple of genetic abnormalities that has proved very beneficial. The Shame or sad part is that his grandfather’s mind has never been the same since and is in fact continuing to slowly degenerate over the years with an incurable form of Alzheimer’s disease even though the original disease was cured thousands of years ago.”

“Pop is dying?” Jack blurted out.

“Yes Jack, Pop will be lucky to live another decade maybe two with his mind going long before that. A result from long exposure to the neutron star. I am sorry. He was one of the greatest minds in the Republic. Possibly human space.”

“Well I don’t care how great a mind he was or what some stupid training program AI thinks. I am the one that will decide what crews fly off this ship.” The Chief demanded.

Pulling himself together. Jack had known Pop was losing it for some time. He had noticed how confused he was getting at times and forgetting things he shouldn’t have or hadn’t before. Taking a breath as he locked the information away for later. “Well. Actually Chief. No you aren’t. You serve at my discretion and orders. And well, with that huge cargo bay made into a Bombay that can carry one hell of a load as you just got threw telling me about. Get them out the damn hatch Chief. I don’t plan on having them do anything fancy but launching their torpedoes from long range hidden in the cloud. Fact is we need everything we have. Which reminds me. Tell Comm to send a message to New Home to include every TB they can get their hands on in the Carrier’s squadrons and to restart full rate production of the upgraded version they will find in my files. It has bigger guns and a slightly different sized cargo compartment that is lower but wider and longer that can carry more of a wider range of cargo and weapons including two City buster Torpedoes internally instead of just conventional torpedoes.” Patting the Chief on the shoulder. “Chief. This won’t work if you aren’t behind me. We are outnumbered 137 Battleships that we know about, to ONE. We need those Bombers or we are not going to survive this. I meant it Chief. Only you can make it work.”

Jack started to climb up into the TB’s belly.

“Admiral Turner.” Zoote’s voice stopped Jack. “With the Chief’s permission I would like to make a duty Change. Weapons and Sensor operator Winslow is the best WSO in the group. She can pull data almost out of thin air. She routinely doubles the range of her sensors over the others.”

“Now I have to put my foot down you shit pile of electrons. Winslow has been nothing but trouble since she reported aboard. She is insubordinate and has violated half the damn rules on the books. Hell, I caught her tearing down here weapons console just yesterday in spite of my direct orders not to touch it. To wait for permission. That is if the engineers decide her ideas are any good after I get around to passing them up the line.”

“Chief.” Zoote seemed to role her eyes making Jack smile. “Winslow holds 5 electronics degrees including Doctorates. She is a top rated research engineer that had some of her credits from her pre-university Community College courses disallowed by the Navy reducing her to the enlisted ranks when she had been promised much more. So cut her a break Chief for being a little disgusted with the Navy. Start letting her use her brains and I will guaranty that you will be surprised.”

The Chief Growled and then patted his Comm. “Winslow get your Butt over here in flight gear immediately. Pilot Summers report to TB-238 instead of 237.” Shaking his head as he looked at Jack. “Fine Admiral, you can put up with her crap then. Good luck sir. You are going to need it.” The Chief turned and walked away.

Jack smiled. “Oh Chief.”

The Chief stopped and turned back around and looked at Jack.

“Spend some time with Zoot and take her suggestions to heart. The Navy spent a few Trillion credits on The Game and for once I think they got their money’s worth. I expect to see the first of the TB’s out the hatch in less than a half hour. Thanks Chief. Oh and I had the same thing happen to me and they put me in as a 3rd class grav-tech moping out mass tanks fresh out of A-ship School and look where I am at know. Have Winslow bring her tools along and grab an OS-5 module and anything else she thinks we will need just in case and immediately forward her sensor suggestions to comm to send to New Home with my recommendations for all the bombers.”

“Shit Admiral! You don’t even know what they are or if they will even work. They are probably all nothing more than fantasy crap.”

“Possible Chief but I have confidence in my people, Zoote’s statements and my people back at New Home that know a hell of a lot more than me or you to tell the difference. Including confidence in you to get the damn TB’s out the hatch even if you have to pilot one yourself or put two pilots into each ship. One that can fly and one that knows tactics. Zoot will tell you who the best crews you have are so listen to her and get them out the fucking hatch. Then you can access my Omega files and start arming the shuttles and gigs into launch platforms. They may not be the fastest out there but they can carry torpedoes and missiles with enough point defense guns to make a difference with fighter cover. You can pass that order on as well.”

Without saying another word. The Chief saluted and then turned around and hurried off before the Admiral could burst any more of his bubbles or add more impossible tasks.

Jack paused at the bottom of the ladder. “Zoot, how far has Winslow gotten in The Game?”

Zoot appeared on Jack’s wrist comm. As the hanger stopped echoing her voice. “Sorry Admiral but she concentrated in her studies and research since she could read at the age of 3. Graduating with her first college degree when she was 8. Her parents were college professors that went out of their way to help and encourage. They both were also particle physicists that went out of their way to discourage her from following in their footsteps wanting her to become a doctor of all the things. Saying it paid better and was more rewarding. But she had her own ideas. They even knew your grandfather.”

“What? She is from the Turner Joy? I don’t remember her. Why don’t I know her already?” Frowning at the little pixie on his wrist. “Oh and why didn’t you use my wrist comm before?”

“I wanted the whole ship to hear of the importance of The Game and the new flight crews that have been treated like shit to know that they really are good. As for her being from the Turner Joy? No. She is not. Her parents knew your Grandfather from the Research Directorate before he left it. Your grandfather’s replacements treatment of the institutes thousands of scientists and claiming most discoveries for himself is why they tried to influence their daughter to take up medicine to get her out of the institute. Though her brother who is almost as smart as her went the other way rejecting academia entirely becoming an engineer. He even spent a considerable amount of time immerging himself inside the Game and even buying your DD from a Republic wide auction when 5 of your captains enlisted with you, leaving their ships abandoned for 30 days. Though I cheated and didn’t wait 30 days and have since sold your DD’s to thousands of new Captains at mass production prices. You have 123,000 copies out running around The Game universe with more and more learning how to attack Spider ships now with a pair of 24 inch guns strapped under them already in the few weeks the 24 inch upgrades have been available with thousands more every day. Winslow’s brother was one of the first to upgrade increasing the number of 24 inch guns on his DD’s to 4 and is getting good at killing God Spider Battleships with his squadron. Why I helped New Home using his design upgrades to slap 4, 16 inch guns under the DD’s you have and put 8 of the new 24 inch guns in the new larger DD you just finished designing.”

“Ok, how the hell did you do that? They were already packed with no extra room for more than the 4 of the 24 inch guns I had on them.”

“I will show you when you decide to get off your lazy ass and into the Cockpit but I borrowed from another of your original DD designs Jack and added a cranked leading edge to your arrow to make room for more guns. Simply put, I added a copy of your original gun room’s outboard of the gun rooms you had. Easy since you lined the generators and capacitors and everything else needed behind each gun in a long armored tube on the new design. While I have just release this larger DD version with the 24 inch guns to the public days ago, there are thousands in The Game already. Winslow’s brother was one of the very first and was responsible for wringing out some of the bugs that cropped up in the design.”

“Well then I just may have to meet Winslow’s brother.” Jack climbed up into the front of the bomb bay of the TB and marveled at the number of conventional torpedoes the Chief had managed to pack into its bomb bay. Then went through the hatch into the Cockpit finding a WSO sitting behind the console. Smiling at the crewman. “Winslow is headed this way to replace you. Get your butt down and give her a hand with getting any gear she grabbed aboard now. I need to get my Butt off this ship so move it Chewy.” The Gronk crewman started unstrapping and unplugging himself with Jacks help then scrambled down out of the TB leaving the console hot.

Jack then climbed up past the console with room to spare (after he reduced the size of the seat), and into the pilot’s chair. Checking out the tactical first, Jack started running down the TB’s flight check list. A minute later the two WSO’s and a technician started shoving Winslow’s satchels from a cart into the little ship. Jack was too busy to more than notice. With the momentary pressure to his ears Jack new the cockpit compartment had been sealed and with the Crew Chief’s, “Boat cleared.” And wave off from beside the TB, Jack started the Bombers Cores and engines. Hanger Control gave Jack clearance to taxi to the short launch strip in front of the hatch with the Salvage Shuttles starting to land through the hatch on the other side of the ship behind him. Jack suddenly feeling frustrated that they had not had time to salvage the transports or properly check for survivors. Then with one finial check, Jack shoved the throttles forward and the TB accelerated through the Aircurtain and out the hatch.

Jack arched around the Red Pepper as he got the feel for the new bomber and was happy with the way it felt. Not at all like the slow clumsy transport he was expecting as he circled around the Red Pepper. Dodging around several of the transports on final approach. Dragging his gaze away from the bright deep red of the Red Peppers hull and the God Guns with difficulty, his eyes fell on one of the distant tumbling DD’s that had been knocked out. Changing course he flew around the DD with the number 4894 on its bow and was surprised to see little damage beyond two 16 inch holes through the top of the hull at an angle. None of the holes seemed to be near any critical equipment but all the life boats were gone.

Shaking his head. “What a waste.” Then hitting his comm. “Flight control I want a shuttle with marines and the salvage crews to grab each of the DD’s we knocked out and get them headed for that Battleship hulk we are sending to New Home. Stuff the DD’s inside the corridor for safe keeping. It shouldn’t be that hard for the salvage crews to repair the DD’s enough to get them to New Home if we are lucky. If not we can pick them up later but I am not about to waste a couple dozen perfectly good DD hulls.” Though he knew at least a couple of them had to have major damage done to them. He was sure nothing that couldn’t be repaired in time.”

Jack watched the first of the Salvage Shuttles that had been waiting to head for the transport hulks, streak away from the Red Pepper as he climbed up toward the cloud above the Red Pepper. The first of the Salvage Shuttles approached the DD he had scanned as Jack pushed the throttles forward using his thumb to engage the Ram Scoop. The TB shot up into the cloud and within a minute was a hundred miles above the Maze as Jack turned his head to look out across toward the far end. By the time the TB reached ten thousand miles above, Jack had a good idea of where the enemy battleships where. Bringing the TB to a stop Jack started tapping on his tactical screen of the Maze where he could see the exhaust trails of Battleships. Recording what he could see. Though because of his two dimensional vision he had to guess at the locations of many of the ships as to which exact Maze corridor they were in and finally settled for simply recording their sighting grid degree angles. After getting a rough map down he started moving the TB back along the maze hoping to get a better more exact placement of the ships as he added more sightings. Though it soon became clear that the Fleet Commander was sending ships around other paths of the 3 dimensional Maze that had mazes inside of mazes. In fact the Master Maze covering millions of cubic miles had 23 different mazes. Each with its own number of corridors and passageways that did not intercept any of the other mazes. Though some did to make things even more complicated and easy to get lost. And it looked like there were battleships headed down each of the other mazes to attack the Head of the Maze at the same time. Jack smiled as he continued to record sighting lines. If his crude estimates were correct, they had 6 hours before the majority of some hundred Battleships could reach the head of the maze for a coordinated attack by all the approaching Battleships. He just wished he knew how many where sitting silent at the foot of the maze and the Staging Station there as reserves.

“Red Actual this is Red home. We have just gotten the first message torpedo from the bottom of the maze and there are 96 Battleships lined up ready to enter the maze and hundreds of auxiliaries around the Staging Basestation. No way to tell how many are between that end and the ones we see on this end.”

Jack shook his head sadly. He had a good idea of how many and now he knew how many were just sitting around the Staging Station with their engines cold and it was way over the 137 that had been their when he counted them the week before. “Red Home, I count roughly 100 bad guys moving inside the maze beyond what is getting ready to enter. Though they seem to be divided into two groups. The ones about to attack our side, the head and the ones just entering from the Staging Station. How long before the Scout Bombers or SB’s get the comm torpedo’s recall message?”

“Another 5 minutes Red Actual. Receiving your rough map now. It does not look good. The fighters have hit the sterns of 24 Battleships in the corridors leading to the head with light damage. But many Point defense turrets were knocked out. We should have the fighters trapped and back out in an hour.”

“Very well Red Home, I hope the SB’s get the attack orders before all of them get into the maze.” Now Jack was wishing he had sent a full weapons load of Torpedo’s under their wings with them instead of leaving them bare for maximum stealth. With them buried in the cloud using their stealth recon torpedoes at long range. Stealth was not really an issue with the SB’s this time and the 4 additional City killing torpedoes they could have carried under their wings added to the 2 conventional torpedoes in their weapons bay with the rest of the bay packed with sensor torpedoes, could have made a big difference in the outcome of the campaign. But then he had not seen the need to attack a fleet that was not supposed to leave port for another 3 days. Well, 12 Battleships damaged was better than nothing but even Jack new they would be lucky to damage half that number even if they got lucky. The final count was more likely to be 2 or 3 Battleships damaged to some degree even in a surprise attack. Maybe they would have time to get the TB’s around back for a second wave of attacks before they all disappeared. Looking at the tactical Red Home (the Red Peppers call sign) had sent up and the hundred Transports still waiting at the Station to go to The Rock an idea started to form.

“Red Actual, I have a couple of Transports coming down the freeway headed for the maze. They are a half hour out.”

“Red Home, Actual. Warn the transports away from the Maze.”

“Already warned them Actual. They are ignoring my orders and will enter the Maze in about a half hour going down separate corridors according to their orders. We have backed up into the cloud out of sight and detection. The salvage crews are on board the DD’s and going silent. They report minor damage on most of the DD’s and should be able to make headway under their own power shortly and will head for New Home shepherding the Battleship hulk.”

“Very well Red Home. Patch me through to both transports.”

The main screen in front of him split with the two Transport Captains appearing. “I am Admiral Turner, Gama 13 Basestation’s Commander, speaking for Admiral Spencer of Task Force 58. I want your two Transports to carry a message to The Rock. The messaged is as follows. To Supreme Admiral Eisenhower, Republic Fleet headquarters The Rock. From Admiral Spencer Task Force 58 and acting Admiral Turner Commander Gama Basestation. Our crews are starving to death from lack of supply’s and support. We have followed The Rocks orders not to leave the Delta 7 or Gama 13 entry Staging Stations and yet our please for even the basic food shipments have been met with only attacks on our stations and ships and the death of loyal Republic Crewmen. We are asking one last time for Supreme Admiral Eisenhower to stop attacking our ships and killing our crews and supply us with the basics every Republic crewman deserves while we wait for The Rock to come to its senses. Peaceful ships will be welcomed while any further attacks upon our forces will be met with over whelming violence and the total destruction of those forces and the innocent Crewmen being forced to participate in the unjustified Belligerence of a minority of Congressional Admirals against Faithfull Republic ships, officers and their crews. We have already answered the latest unprovoked attack with the destruction of the squadron that fired over a hundred shots at our ships before we responded. Have your Battleship fleet of over 200 Battleships return to The Rock’s Staging Station and send out supply transports of food and we will return to the Delta 7 and Gama 13 stations to await orders. Turner, Congressional Medal of Honor winner for Duty above and beyond, and Admiral Commanding the Gama 13 Basestation, out.”

“What? You need food? My ship is a grain transport under orders to The Rock. If you take my ship and my cargo it will be considered piracy Admiral.”

“We are not taking your ship Captain. But if you do not inter the cloud broadcasting your full IFF codes and screaming your head off to any and every one that listens, that you are an innocent scheduled transport, the battleship squadrons stopped just inside the maze will probably blow your ass out of Space. I would get to doing just that before you go any farther. All I want you to do is deliver that message to The Rock. Simple. No more and no less. Admiral Turner out.”

“Red Home. Broadcast my message including the entire proceedings on the Colony Cloud, the Republic net to the other star systems and Earth net. Include a close eye on the transports just in case something stupid happens.” Taking a deep breath. “But I have a bad feeling about this. I don’t think they are going to want any messages officially getting through. Anything on the net they can disavow as fake. Have Comm open a Long range channel to both Halsey and Spencer. They will want to see this.”

Twenty minutes later the transports each turned the first bend in their corridors. Within a few seconds of turning the corners with each making enough noise to wake the dead and within seconds of each other; both transports were hit by hundreds of 24 inch guns at point blank range as hundreds of others missed. The transports just fell apart spilling what was left of their cargos across the two corridors.

Jack sighed. “Make sure that goes out over the net with every view you have of it. Especially the ones showing what ships fired at them.”

Jack turned toward the back of the Maze as bright little pin points started streaking across the Staging area at the far end of the maze. The pinpoints rapidly gaining velocity until they stopped a little ways from any of the ships that were under acceleration toward one of the Maze Corridors and abruptly large flashes started coming from the heads of the Battleship engine streams. The clusters of pin point streaks coming from each of the Battleships seamed to grow thinner as engines were knocked out. Not having a photographic memory he still sat back and closed his eyes going over what he had thought he had just seen. Though he was not sure but he thought two Battleship engine streams had stopped after half a dozen explosions had emanated at the heads of the streams. Jack quickly realized that several groups of bombers had targeted their stealth torpedos onto the same ships. Jack suddenly wondering why the rest of the squadron had not done the same on other ships. It even looked like several of the bombers had sent their 2 torpedo’s after deferent Battleships even. Opening his eyes he was not sure but it looked like a half dozen Battleships had thinner engine streams streaking back from them but he was sure that they had turned around to head back toward a spot in the middle of the Bay where he suspected the Maze Station was. Probably for repairs. Then pairs of almost too small to see pin point lights started leaving the area through the clouds. Twelve of them from his count.

“Admiral.” Jacks WSO said from behind him. “It looks like one of the Battleships is going to stick its head out around the bend to take a look into the Maze Head. And a second one is headed up a second corridor probably to do the same. The rest of the squadrons are clustering while holding in place.”

“Well it is about time. Been expecting that for the last half hour.” Jack started to hit his Comm when he looked at his tactical screen and noticed that the Red Pepper was moving over in front of the Corridor the first Battleship was headed for the bend in. He watched the 4 DD’s slide up beside the big ship. It looked like they were moving deeper into the cloud so he let them go. His First Officer was handling the situation so far without him having to tell him. Jack would just let him handle it and see what happened. See if he had paid any attention at all to all the hours he had been forcing him to spend in The Game over the last week.

The Battleship turned over before it slid out around the bend to allow it to use its engines to stop itself in the middle of the Corridor with the engines ready to push it back behind the corner if anything happened.

Jack found himself holding his breath. Wondering if the Red Pepper was to fare inside the cloud to take advantage of the situation or if his First Officer was waiting for a call from Jack to give him permission to fire. Only thing was the longer he waited to call for permission the more likely the damn Battleship would escape back behind the corner inviting a major attack. Also the more intelligence the damn ship would collect. Jack started to get pissed when the Battleship fired its full broad side toward a decoy sitting out in the open far from the cloud. The Red Pepper finally started firing its 16/8inch guns and the DD’s their 24/16’s as well as the DD’s 8/6 incher’s. The mass of direct fire immediately took out every main gun turret on the Battleship facing the Red Pepper. Then the 8, 24inch guns and 32, 8/6 inch guns of the original DD’s joined by some 60, 8 inch guns from the salvaged DD’s proceeded to blow huge chunks out of the ship before the stern simply blew up when the core breached after full power thrust started streaming from the back of the ship. The Battleship had waited too long to try to run though the battle had only taken seconds before the large fireball consumed the stern of the Battleship leaving only the new armored decks at the bow tumbling back down the corridor from which it had come.

The Red Pepper and the DD’s (the salvaged DDs a bit slower) immediately turned and raced to the other corridor. Turning to face the target just in time for the Battleship repeating the exact same maneuver as the other battleship, slid out backwards from around the bend into the open. This time the Red Pepper and the DDs did not wait as the Battleship was already taking fire before even half the ship could be seen. The battleship never even slowed down as it continued across the corridor and into the cloud without even firing a shot back at the Red Pepper. Rescue pods started flashing away from the ship as it disappeared into the cloud. The battle this time lasted 3 minutes as the battleship drifted across the corridor and could have lasted only 30 seconds before the hulk’s guns stopped firing after the Battleship started to spin to bring its guns to bear from the back side forcing the Red Pepper and the Growing number of DD’s to keep firing longer than they needed to just to make sure the slowly spinning ship did not fire a gun they had missed taking out or was repaired.

Jack hit the Comm. “Red Home, Actual. Place a rescue beacon far enough away from the possible battles ahead for the survivor pods to safely assemble with a medical shuttle and marines with inflatable shelters for aid. Good Job to all the crews.” Jack could see the TB’s starting to assemble in the cloud behind the Red Pepper. “I want the TB’s to attack the back side of the Maze using the recon torpedoes left behind by the SB’s for targeting. They need to target as many of the remaining Battleships as possible in one huge launch and then return and do it again. Secondary targets once the Battleships are targeted or out of commission are to be transports and the Staging Station after a warning to abandon their ships and the station is broadcast. Actual out.” Hopefully that would bring the rest of the fleet back to defend the damn transports and Station.

With no remaining comm buoy’s on his fighter. Using them up as he moved back along the maze. Jack had to think for a few minutes before he finally followed the other TB’s to the back of the Maze loosing contact with the Red Pepper. He could not see wasting his torpedo’s since he was half way around the maze already. But a half hour later as he approached the foot of the Maze he had to smile when the tactical screen lit up with the fact that the first attack by the Recon Bombers had knocked the engines out on 2 Battleships with 8 more returning to the Station for repairs. The surprise to Jack was when he saw that the 2 battleships were tumbling. But that still left the open bay with only half the Battleships left in it as the recon torpedoes history showed the fleet not slowing down as it entered the maze.

Some ten minutes later the tactical screen showed every Battleship left in the open had a targeting icon on it leaving some 21 City killing torpedoes and 48 conventional torpedoes left. Signaling an attack hold Jack keyed his general Comm. “Your attention please. This is Admiral Turner. You do not see fit to feed the fleets that have actually killed the Republics external enemy the Spiders. While trying to destroy us at every opportunity. We see no reason to let you eat as well. You have 10 minutes to abandon your transports and the Staging Station before we start destroying every ship in the area and the Station. Admiral Turner Out.”

A few minutes later. “Admiral, I have movement coming down the corridors toward the Staging area and the Station is launching fighters.”

“I was wondering why we have not seen any yet. Not even patrols. Something tells me a Congressional appointee is in command of the station and could see no reason for fighter patrols even after the first attack.” Jack could only shake his head. “Well, they can’t reach us in time to stop us launching and disappear deeper into the cloud. How many ships do you read coming down the corridors?”

“A couple dozen Admiral is the best I can do at this range.”

“Oh that is to perfect.” Jack hit his comm. “TB flight, Actual here in 237, I am changing the plan. Half the squadron will attack firing their CK (city killing) torpedoes at the battleships and their conventionals at the transports and then beat feet as soon as they fire. The rest will hold for the reinforcements coming down the shoot and then fire everything before leaving ourselves. Any Questions? Squadron commander, make your targeting assignments.”

Six TB’s each grew 6 red lines to 6 separate Battleships. Then 8 yellow lines form each of the TB’s ran to 44 scattered transports and the fighter launch bays of the station. The rest of the TB’s remained dark.

Jack was starting to get anxious with no boats appearing from any of the Transports as fighters continued to launch from the Station and head out to the cloud until the last 2 minutes and then hundreds of boats and life bods started appearing from the transports and even the Station.

Jack sighed with relief and then took a deep breath and held it as the time ran out and suddenly 36 CK’s launched in mass followed with 2 conventional torpedoes streaking from each of the 6 TB’s in a single 12 torpedo salvo. Then 2 seconds later another salvo of 12 torpedoes streaked from the 6 TBs’ followed by two more salvoes as their magazine cycled to the next two torpedoes and then the next. At the end of 8 seconds, 48 conventional Torpedo’s followed the CK’s at a much slower rate of acceleration. Most of them headed for the transports.

Anti-fighter missiles also appeared that streaked toward the fighters as the TB’s unloaded all they had carried and then the TB’s were streaking away into the deep cloud. Many of the fighters did not even try to evade the missiles that only needed to distract the fighters long enough for the TB’s to escape. They did not have to and were not expected to kill the fighters but to Jack’s shock, most hit and did just that. The pilots not even knowing enough to enable their ejection seats auto releases after they launch out of the Stations fighter bays (Standard Opp. Procedures). Only a few saw the missiles and made the proper maneuvers to get away from them. Most that saw them acted like they had no clue what to do as they turned the wrong way or simply speeded up or slowed down. Making Jack almost sick as he watched some 40 fighters died with most of their pilots and then a few minutes’ later 44 transports get hit and start tumbling. Though he had to admit that most of the Transports were not that badly damaged if you ignored the holes in the engine sections. The 2 torpedoes that hit the station after its few operating Point Defense turrets took out 2 of them, closed down the 2 fighter bays with secondary explosions inside blowing a couple of the locks exposing the bays to vacuum with none of the bodies sucked out wearing shipsuits from what Jack could see from the recon torpedo sitting much to close to survive but it was still transmitting.

Before the fighters were taken out. Before the torpedoes hit the Station or the transports started tumbling. The big City Killing Torpedoes that had streaked away too fast to see beyond a flash in front of the TB’s hit their targets. Seconds after they launched Jack got quick glimpses of thousands of bright darts hitting the sterns of the targeted battleships close enough to be seen and then battleships started tumbling across the Bay as secondary explosions blew out turrets and created large holes in the hulls and out their sterns. Four of the targeted Battleships continued as if nothing had happened except now they only had one or two engines though a closer look revealed a few secondary explosions while 2 battleships were complete misses as they turned or sped up after the torpedoes were launched. Though they probably did not even know they were under attack as fast as the unguided torpedoes were traveling and no warning. Cities did not get up and move even if they saw the attacking ultra-hard darts coming so they had no reason to be guided if the targeting computer did its job. Jack decide that adding a targeting sensors to the CK torpedos was a good idea just in case future targets moved before they released their cloud of penetrators and made a note of it.

The 23 untargeted or that had been missed Battleships, with the still maneuverable Battleships that had been hit, turned as one and headed for the Station.

Jack watched the surviving fighters retreat to open space after seeing their buddy’s fighters exploding. The fighters darting around wasting Mass and energy and evidentially not having a clue what to do but terrified of being targeted themselves. Jack thought he saw a fighter streaking through the cloud leaving an emergency beacon behind from a pilot that had ejected even though his fighter had not even been targeted.

Jack watched the Squadron Commander pick targets for the conventional torpedoes of the remaining TB’s including Jack’s, concentrating on the bigger transports and then they sat and waited for the Battleships to arrive. Many of the Battleships scattered around the bay that had their engines knocked out started sprouting lifeboats making Jack smile. The crews not even having time to try to make repairs.

Suddenly the remaining battleships that were not tumbling or simply drifting, started firing everything they had into the cloud around them. Even the Guns on the Station started firing into the cloud. The short range point defenses joining in even thought there was no possibility of them damaging anything even if they hit something at the range the TBs were at. Though the Transports ringing the station were not as lucky.

But it took Jack a good minute before Jack stopped telling himself not to run. Not to flee and hide. Another 10 minutes before he could relax as he realized that they were just shooting into the dark and started enjoying the show.

A minute later a transport blew up as one of the Station’s monster guns hit it. And then Jack realized that many of the transports were not only growing 24 inch holes from the Battleships but from the thousands of smaller 5 inch weapons firing wildly across the Staging Bay as well. While he could not see on the recon torpedo’s screen, the damage the thousands of pinpoint streams of Point defense guns were probably doing to the thin hulls he could see their streaks toward the transports. Then he noticed that many of the lifeboats were drifting as he realized that some of the smaller explosions were in fact lifeboats.

Jack had watched the transports being destroyed at the other end of the Maze a few days before but still he was shocked at the devastation the Station and Battleship guns were doing to the transports. All of them still full of cargo destined for The Rock. While the thin transport hulls only grew holes the size of the beams, the cargo inside the holds offered plenty of mass (some of it volatile) for the beams to import their energy into the cargo and blast huge holes out of the sides of the transports scattering cargo that had not been hit directly out into space around the ships. The battleships still sliding through the ring of transports to get close to the Station to defend it were soon adding to the carnage.

Jack hoped that at least most of the Transport lifeboats made it to the station safely as close as they were but then Jack realized that many of the weapons of 5 inch or smaller not having any better targets to shoot at were actually targeting the lifeboats instead of simply accidental hits. Jack simply sat and watched dumbfounded as lifeboats kept disappearing and transports themselves started falling apart into large chunks or simply started tumbling resembling Swiss Cheese more than ships.

“How many transports have they destroyed?” When he didn’t get any answer, Jack turned around to see his sensor operator working on a mass of modules across the back bulkhead of the cockpit. Pieces of modules scattered around her. “Shaking his head he started tapping his main screen. Bringing up the records of the passive scans of the bay before the battle had started. They showed that well over a hundred transports had been there at the beginning with less than 30 that looked space worthy any longer.

Then an hour later after there was no longer anything that resembled a ship smaller than a battleship left around the Station, the firing slowly stopped. Even the Battleships that had lost their engines out in the middle of the bay were now looking like Swiss Cheese. It took another hour before the reinforcement battleships arrived back from the Maze creating a dome around the Station and the staging area. Every one of them firing every gun they had into the cloud as well until they joined the fleet around the station and their guns stopped flashing. Making Jack smile as well as nervous.

“I am switching our conventional torpedoes to concentrate on the Station’s weapons, launch bays and docks now that the show is over, Actual. Time to fire and get out of here.” Came the Flight leader’s voice.

“Well Eagle leader. It has been a nice fireworks show but as you said. Time to go. Starting to get a bit boring anyway. You’ve seen one 24 inch gun streak, you have seen them all. Good shooting and good luck. On your Command, Actual out.” Turning around. “Winslow! Get your butt belted in. We are attacking. And check the targeting. I don’t care what you have been working on all this time. We miss and I will take it out of your butt before we get back to Red.”

“Eagles. Firing in 15 seconds. One last weapons Check. Eagle One out.”

On the count of Zero Jack’s 6 City Killer torpedoes flashed off the TB’s wings and streaked past the closest Battleships, past the Station and up the assess of 6 Battleships sitting stationary on the other side of the ring of battleships. The majority of the thousands of tightly grouped diamond hard penetrating darts from each of the CK’s at a fraction of the speed of light, gutted the Battleships from stern to bow. The idle power fusion cores the only thing that kept the 6 ships from fusion explosions as the cores were jettisoned automatically unless they took a direct hit and their plasma added to the destruction inside the hull. The mass attack taking out some 35 Battleships this time with their mass of darts flying directly up the butts of the Battleships across the dome of outward facing Battleships from the launching TB’s scattered around them before they could react.

Then the conventional torpedoes started slowly launching 2 at a time from the weapons bays of the TB’s as the 35 Battleships died leaving more than twice that many still alive.

Jack’s heart was pounding out his chest as the last conventional Torpedo left his bay and he finely slapped the throttles to max. Feeling like he had a big red X painted on his back. He had barely turned some 90 degrees onto a new course to get him out of the area when hundreds of 24 inch tightly packed beams started filling the space he had been sitting in for two hours.

Cringing as he looked back over his shoulder at the mass of beams that continued to slice the cloud behind him where he had been, Jack could only shake his head swearing his butt felt hot enough to burn.

Then the scream came over the comm. “Eagle 5 is gone. The Bitches just vaporized him.”

“Shit ass hole they almost vaporized me.” Came another voice.

“Shut up. He wanted to see if he hit something. The rest of us didn’t. We followed procedures and orders he didn’t. Take that as a lesson and don’t be stupid yourselves. Now form up so we can head for the barn and do it all over again. Next time we don’t wait around to fire Conventionals in the same salvo. The Conventionals are somewhat stealthy in the cloud. The damn CK’s are not and point a damn finger at us every time. Remember that next time. Fire the CKs and move then fire the Conventionals. Fire and move. Fire and move. Move between each salvo. You all got that now?”

“Yes sir.” One said unenthusiastically.

“I asked you a fucking Question. Don’t make me shit on you when we get back to the Barn. Do you understand me ass holes?”

Even Jack yelled. “Yes Sir.”

Jack did a quick 180 turn around and headed back to check the damage not wanting to completely trust the tactical and the recon torpedoes. Besides he had an idea he wanted to check out and he had already come the long way around. Time to use a short cut and see if he could beat the rest of the squadron back to the other end of the Maze.

As Jack slipped around the edge of the Bay, the undamaged or partially damaged Battleships kept a constant stream of laser shots going out into the cloud. And then the fusion cores that had been jettisoned by most of the battleships hit by the CK’s started exploding as their containment batteries were exhausted. Dozens of Battleships were damaged, some severely, by what amounted to over a hundred fusion explosions amongst the closely packed ring of battleships.

As Jack made his way around the cloud a couple of new battleship squadrons slipped out of the Maze and headed for the hulks tumbling around the Staging Station. A Station that now had large chunks blown out of its Command decks, Gun turrets, Cargo Bays and Repair docks since most of the conventional torpedoes of the last attack had been targeted on it and not the junk transports still being taken out by their own guns. Transports that had not been allowed near the Station unless they had business. Though now the transports docked to the Station looking little better than the ones drifting outside the partially intact screen of Battleships by the time the torpedoes’ had finished with them while hitting the station. The Station’s point defenses not even seeing the Torpedo’s through all the wreckage around the station before they hit.

Skirting the cloud around the Staging area Jack made for one of the dead end fingers that lead off into nothing that was easy to take if you did not know better as it looked like an obvious exit path from the bay but wasn’t. He made for the most central finger that was famous across the Navy. The line of rough shallow holes in the cloud next to it made the Corridor finger looked like it was a giant hand giving the Maze the big Bird of all Fingers. Jack knew it lead deep into the center of the Maze where he hoped to slip across the cloud to where several of the corridors met according to the map his rank had authorized him to see. It looked like a damn good spot to set up an ambush where he could take out a whole squadron without risk in one of the Maze’s most used corridors on a future mission.

Jack slid out into the Frickyou Corridor and started making time getting up to a good speed without the need to waste energy fighting the cloud as the battleships behind him continued to tear up space around the Station.

Sliding past the first bend making up the series of lined up knuckles that the finger had gotten its name from. Jack glanced over his shoulder as a huge explosion back toward the Station caught his eye and then turning back as his heart tried to jump out of his chest as he threw the stick over and rammed the TB into the nearest cloud fighting to keep control until he could get the Scoop coils going again. Wondering why Winslow was so damn slow on adjusting the scoops and suddenly realizing that she had not touched the scoop trim controls the whole trip down the side of the cloud costing them fuel and time and why he had to trim one engine to run harder than the other because one scoop was bigger than the other. Realization only lasted for a fraction of a second as what he had seen washed those and any other thoughts out of his mind.

It took him a good 10 minutes to get back to the Corridor and nose the TB up to the wall. His breathing rapid, his heart pounding.

In front of him down the series of caverns making up the knuckles sat a line of ships attached to a very long docking tube that looked like it ran for miles along the side of the corridor. On the tube with their stern hatches docked to the tube stood what looked like a hundred DD’s like soldiers lined up at attention.

“Winslow. Tell me the damn dock is deserted.”

“What?” Winslow looked up from the piece of equipment she was working on while strapped in and looked at her screen. “Oh. Give me a minute Admiral.” It took her more than a minute working at the screen but finally she spoke. “So far I am not reading any life signs close by. Though to make sure we would have to fly down the line of ships fairly close as thick as their bow and side armor is, with them parked so close top to bottom.” Frowning as she worked. “Damn outdated crude junk sensors. Give me another hour to finish what I was working on and I will be able to till you anything you want to know about the damn station and those ships from a lot farther out than here.” Snorting as she sneered. “Until then you are going to have to get a lot closer.”

That was all Jack needed as he took the TB out and down to fly only feet from the tube running down the full length of the long dock past the central group of warehouse, tanks and control tower.

“Not a soul Admiral. These crude readings show it is abandoned with everything on standby sir.”

With a big smile Jack pulled up and headed on down the Corridor. “He had the DD’s he needed now. All he had to do was pick them up. Well, find crews for them, new engines would be nice and of course the big guns and a little thing like defeat a horde of battleships first, but how hard could that be.

Jack hit the end of the finger and pulled up heading for the 10 forks crossing he had picked out on the map as he found himself trying to figure how to get TF-58 crews there to pick up the hundred DD’s as well as the kits to add scoops to them. Then wondering if they had any reaction mass in their tanks. With scoops they did not need much but they needed some to start with. Godstar there was a hundred things he had to do to pick up those wonderful DD’s.

Without the scoop, the TB would have taken weeks to cross the distance through the cloud to ten forks but with the scoop it only took a few minutes at full throttle. Forgetting to trim them since it was the WSO’s job and with his mind still on the beautiful DD’s. He did not notice that they were still set too large and uneven as they started to heat up with the throttles at full. Jack was now in a hurry to get back to the Red Pepper.

Winslow was again busy working on the equipment she had brought with her.

Jack suddenly found himself coming out of the cloud and racing down one of the Fingers leading into Tenforks. To Jack’s surprise, a line of Battleships was coming in from another corridor. Leaving his throttles at full power way to long after exiting the cloud, not believing what he was seeing ahead of him. Jack flashed through the middle of Ten Forks over the top of a Battleship and down the same corridor the row of battleships were leaving Ten Forks through. Glancing over his shoulder down one of the side passageways he said to himself. “Aren’t they supposed to be going down that passageway to the exit and not the dead end corridor I am going down?” Finally pulling back on the throttles when he realized they were still against the forward stop.

Jack dragged his mind back to his current problem as he passed over now familiar battleship after battleship going way to fast to enter back up into the cloud as he suddenly had to pull the stick into his gut and up the power to the ship’s maneuvering coils to maximum as he zipped around corner after corner barely staying in the corridor. Bouncing from side to side down the corridor barely missing Battleships. Suddenly wondering why they were not firing at him as he passed over the top of one battleship and then the side of another only to cut a corner as close as possible to slide past yet another one to close for comfort. Each time he could he would bring his ass around to slow the TB down as much as possible before the next battleship or corner only seconds away at the speed he was at even though the battleships were miles apart. With the corridor getting smaller and smaller, Jack was finding it harder to get around them and with the battleships getting closer and closer to each other as they slowed he found less and less time to direct his engines to slow the TB before reaching the next battleship.

Then one of the Battleship’s bows reared up in front of him pointing at the top of the Corridor and Jack had to jerk to one side to miss it.

Another Battleship started turning broadside ahead of him only seconds away with the one beyond it raising its ass up toward the top of the corridor. Jack suddenly became busy dodging battleships that were trying to turn around stopped at the end of the corridor.

Finally with the corridor completely blocked by several battleships practically side by side trying to turn around Jack zipped through a space little bigger than the TB between 2 Battleships and hit the cloud wall at the end going way to fast even with his scoops at full power.

AS the cloud started slowing the TB down with the scoop rings set at some 1,000 feet across, one of the engine scoops quickly overheated and blew before he realized that Winslow was not reducing their size and before he could get their throats tuned down himself to only a few feet across. The second engine’s scoop did not last long, even it could not take the heat after its little cooling fin that was just scabbed onto the outside of the TB and not designed to take much damage was torn off by the cloud particles speeding past without the other engine’s scoop to help cover and protect the little ship. Suddenly with the failure of the last Scoop, the TB was being buffeted by cloud particles traveling way to fast with no scoops out front to shield the little ship. The bow and leading edges of the TB’s thick armored (cooling fins for the engines)/(grave coil maneuvering wings) started glowing red. It was all Jack could do to keep the little ship’s nose into the cloud. If the TB tumbled the ultra-fast cloud particles would tear the little ship apart in only a few seconds.

Jack spotted a line of engine trails ahead and above the TB in the thick cloud as the little ship was buffeted throwing him and Winslow from side to side. Jack carefully started turning toward the line of battleships. The wide flat bottom, top and sides of the TB’s wings and fuselage starting to heat up as he fought to keep the ship from tumbling completely. Hoping he could even turn fast enough to hit the open corridor. Not even worrying at the moment if he could miss the battleship if he made it but having to aim for a battleship because that was all he could see through the cloud.

Covered in sweat as Jack fought the controls, the TB flashed out of the side of the cloud into the corridor barely missing a Battleship as the little ship’s nose passed over the topside hull only feet away with hand holds seeming close enough to touch as Jack flipped the TB over and started decelerating at full throttle.

The TB hit the far side of the corridor and disappeared as Jack sighed with relief. The engines at full thrust clearing a hole in the cloud as they quickly brought the little ship to a stop only a few thousand miles inside the cloud where Jack slapped the throttles off and sat back trying to figure out why they were still alive as his heart refused to slow as he caught his breath.

Slapping his harness release, Jack climbed out of the pilot’s seat and slid back past Winslow who was staring at her main screen bug eyed. Stepping back to the little head Jack grabbed some fiber towels out of the dispenser and wiped the sweat from his face and neck then slapped some water over his head. Taking a couple of deep breaths Jack grabbed an MRE sandwich out of the little fridge and a soda. Then plopped down on the jump seat in front of the fold down table. Trying to eat as his hand shook. Looking at the line of Battleship engine exhausts only a thousand miles away Jack took another bite and swallow of his soda. Not because he was hungry even though he was but simply for something to do as he kicked himself for getting into the situation in the first place. His joy of finding the hundreds of DD’s long gone. Relegated to a simple fact as they should have been in the first place during the middle of Combat. “Godstar I am so fucking stupid sometimes.” He said to himself.

“Ya tell me about it you stupid Moron. I am never riding with you again. You almost got me killed a dozen time in the last half hour.”

Jack slapped his soda down on the table sending a stream straight up out of the can and across the table. “If you had been doing your fucking job and bothered to tune the damn Scoops properly before we entered the cloud or even as we entered the cloud, they would have protected the ship long enough to slow us down without burning up but no. You want to tell me what your problem is bitch?”

Slapping her seat harness release. “I am not a fucking ships engineer. You’re the damn grease monkey with the engines. My job is just to tell you where the fuck to find things. I spent 10 years studying my butt off getting Doctorates in electronics and Sensor wave technology and that is what I do. I am not a fucking grease monkey fighter engineer.”

Jack glanced down at her butt. “Well you should have worked harder, you still have a big butt. I should have listened to the Chief about you. You couldn’t follow orders if your life depended on it and one of those orders was learning your damn job which is keeping the damn TB’s engines and the rest of the ship running smoothly so the pilot can concentrate on keeping your fucking big butt alive. One of the most important of those tasks is trimming the damn Scoop coils for the density of the cloud and the speed of the ship.” Taking a step toward her he tripped over one of the bags she had brought along. Grabbing her by the arm to keep from falling.

Embarrassed at tripping and pissed at himself anyway Jack growled. “You are the one that almost got us fucking killed simply because you could not be bothered to do your fucking job.” Pushing her away back into her chair as he stepped back over the satchel. “What the fuck is all this junk you insisted on bringing?” Jack kicked one of the bags as he grabbed another towel out of the head and sat back down in the jump seat at the table, cleaning up the mess he had made.

Half in tears she shook her head and looked at her bags. “Receive and transmit modules I have altered to transmit and pick up Googleion particles.”

“That is stupid. No one can detect Googleion particles outside the major research complexes using machines the size of moons.”

“Ya that is what the Director of the Research Directorate told me when I was refused a grant to continue my work. I finally make some progress with several published papers that get noticed by the director himself and my research grant that should have been automatically renewed. Especially after finally making enough progress to get published, gets pulled.”

Jack’s mouth dropped open for a couple of seconds and then closed as he smiled. “Without telling me anything else I will bet you that he tried to take you to bed and you kicked him in the balls shortly before your grant was pulled.”

Her mouth dropped open before she turned away. “Ya, he said now that he had taken a look at my crap research he would take me under his wing and help me, if my lips and my butt was nice to him when he felt like it.” Her lip curled as she looked at him out of the corner of her eyes. “The Navy promised me a lab to continue my research and then after Bootship they decided that some of my credits were not up to Navy Standards and look at me know. A fucking Sensor Tech.”

Jack chuckled. “Cheer up. They could have made you a fucking Gravtech, mopping up mass tanks.”

She gave Jack a dirty look. “Ya, I heard the rumors and I don’t believe them anymore than I believe half the news on the main entertainment channels.” Looking down at the bags. “When we started using all the exslave tech I finally found what I needed technology wise to finish my research and built the needed equipment using half slave and half human tech.”

Shaking her head she bit her lower lip then said as sweetly as she could with a forced smile. “I assembled a lot of the components already and attached the transmit and receive modules across the back wall… Bulkhead, while we were drifting above the Maze deep in the cloud where the TB’s sensors were mostly useless before the attack. Though I don’t know how you managed to make your little map and then find the damn Station.” Taking a breath and frowning. “I have only been able to test a few single pairs of modules so far with limited success but if you will let me tear into the console and hook up the new array modules I have across the bulkhead. I think I can give you an accurate map of every enemy unit in the whole maze. Maybe across the damn cloud.”

Jack turned and looked at the rows of modules across the back bulkhead. Reaching out to one of the modules with the top hanging down at an angle away from the bulkhead and pushed it back against the bulkhead for the pressure sensitive foam tape to grab it firmly as it clicked into the module next to it. Then turned to Winslow. “Well shit why not. You suck as a TB crewman, maybe you’re good at what you say you are.” Smiling at her. “I hope so or you are going to get damn tired of cleaning Mass Tanks or cooking from now on because you aren’t ever stepping into another bomber.”

Jack shook his head as she squealed with joy and dug into her satchels, grabbing tools and attacked the console without saying a word or waiting long enough for Jack to change his mind.

‘A whole lot of people were going to be shocked if she managed to pull off what she said she could.’ Smiling to himself. ‘Especially the politically appointed, self-centered, lying scumbag, murdering thief, Director of the Republics Research Directorate. That happened to have his name on half the advancements in the last 3 decades while his colleagues have the highest death and supposedly suicide rate in the Republic. Even higher than murderers on death row.’ Looking at her again he smiled. Actually she was lucky. If the Director had thought she was on to something, He would have backed her and most likely she would already be dead by now instead of just demanding she become another one of his whores in the Directorate. So she jumps into his little Transport Bomber and she tries to kill him with herself. Shaking his head. When was he going to grow up and stop acting like a fucking kid coming unglued and forgetting everything else every time he saw a pretty new toy?’

Though Jack knew the answer to that as science had known for centuries that the human mind physically changed at about the age of 25 to tone down its reckless unthinking behavior into a more sedate logically thinking machine but Jack knew he could not wait another 5 years or he was going to get a lot of people killed as he had almost killed himself and his RTO. He should have slowed down and realized that h

Watching Winslow open the side of the console and climb in, Jack finished his soda and sandwich. “How long is this going to take?”

Backing out enough to look at Jack over her backside with her big butt hanging up into the air toward him. “About a half hour to hook it all up and another half hour to program and fine tune and hopefully we will have something truly amazing.” She buried her head back into the console.

“Well, we can’t sit here that long. I have a battle to win. You are going to have to hold on while I get us back to the Red Pepper using the Corridors filled with enemy Battleships. Hopefully they will keep ignoring us as we go by as small as we are. But you are going to have to hold on. It is not going to be a very smooth ride. I will try to warn you if I have to make any hard or sudden moves but I can’t promise.”

“Great. I will be fine.” She waved her hand outside the cabinet shoeing him away. “Now leave me alone so I can work.”

Jack started to step around the console and noticed it was still live. Raising his eye brows. “Do you know that the High voltage…” A spark arced lighting up the inside of the cabinet as she worked. “Ya I suppose you do.” And climbed back up around the console and into the pilots chair buckling himself in. Thinking about her not being buckled in with her body half inside a high voltage Cabinet, he felt guilty tightening down his harness. But he could not afford to lose control of the ship just because she was being stupid. He started to yell back to tell her to get strapped in but then he had already told her what he was going to do so he best just trust her and let her do her thing and hope for the best. After all he wasn’t planning on attacking anyone and was hoping they would not even get shot at. ‘Ya sure bozo. Buzz a whole fleet and not get shot at. Easy.’ Jack said to himself.

Jack started easing the TB back toward the corridor and the steady stream of Battleships parading past.

Jack slid out directly in front of the last Battleship of the squadron. Powering out across the armored bow as he turned up the corridor and headed for the battleship that had passed a few minutes before. By the time he reached the battleship a thousand miles ahead, the little TB was moving at a damn good clip and zipped past it and was around the next bend in the corridor. Hopefully before the Battleship even realized he had been there. Jack was counting on the fact that none of the ships could transmit very far up or down the corridors around the bends without the cloud screwing with the comm transmissions. He still could not believe with the dozens of ships packed along the end of the finger he had first run into an hour before that not one had seemed to even know he was there. Though they were a bit busy trying to get turned around and he wasn’t their very long. Still he counted it as a little miracle. He also knew that the squadron in the dead end tunnel would take hours to get turned around and back to the cross corridors and if he was lucky they would take yet again the wrong corridor and waste more time getting even more lost.

Now at speed with the short legs and constant curving of the corridors in the Maze Jack knew quite well why no one found time to shoot at him. That is except for the increasing numbers of Battleships he found stopping at sharp corners to turn and then accelerate in the new direction instead of powering around them. All he could think of was that they were all crewed by fucking amateurs. Something he was going to have to talk to Zoot about. Between the pilots at the Station and the pitiful maneuvering abilities of most of the Battleships he was passing and as strung out as they were with thousands of miles between some ships. Most of them going down the corridors like drunks bouncing from side to side instead of maintaining the military steady line down the center. Fact he had yet to see even one Battleship that was keeping a smart line down the center of the Corridors.

Jack finely noticed as he passed only feet away from another engine stream that the 4 streams from the Battleship were different colors and even sizes. With one of the streams seaming to burp several times a second. Jack started wondering how they even managed to keep the damn ships running. But then they had managed to kill one of his Transport Bombers back at the Staging Station. Trying to keep his emotions about the loss from over taking him. He had to admit that they did just sit there after launching the God City Killing torpedoes while the conventional torpedos did their slow launch cycle one by one from the Bombay. It was procedure at the time but it should not have been. Why did so many have to die from stupid mistakes. Mistakes he was supposed to prevent.

Jack almost missed a turn and kicking himself and decided he had better start concentrating on his job. The gross amateurishness of the Battleships he kept passing still eating at the back of his mind.

Finally he decided to take a closer look at the Battleships he was passing with the TB’s sensors. Maybe that would give him a clue as to what the battleships’ problems were.

“Winslow?” Jack turned and glanced over his shoulder but Winslow was nowhere to be seen. ‘Shit I am going to have to do it myself.’ Jack slowed the little ship down as he approached the next battleship. Bringing up the sensor screens to replace his tactical, navigation and weapons screens. He started a deep scan of the Battleship they were approaching. Not getting what he wanted he changed the settings and tried again with no better luck. Turning the TB around he slowed to a relative stop to the Congressional Battleship before turning back around to scan the battleship again. With no other battleships in sight down the long straight corridor behind him Jack had plenty of time look at the results of the different scans. After a few minutes he noticed he was getting parts of what he wanted with each scan but not the whole picture he needed. Frowning he did his best to combine the scans he had done but only came up with a jumbled mess.

“Good try Admiral. You needed to sink the different scans while taking into account the different frequencies but give me a couple of minutes.” Winslow said from behind him. Less than a minute later the image started to sharpen. “Thanks Admiral I used your scans of the ships together with the scan from my new modules to tune them. Lettingthe computer do the hard part with some algorithms to calibrate and synchronize the scans and Walla, we have a new Googleion scanner that can penetrate anything.

The screen suddenly cleared up showing what he had been after and Jack could only shake his head. Feeling stupid for taking it for granted that the new Battleships were simply the old battleship with the mass tanks moved forward with armored decks between them and required the same 2,000 crewmen per ship.

Winslow said it for Jack as she shook her head. “It is a fucking cruise ship. With State rooms for the entire crew by the looks of it. Olympic sized Pools with wave machines and a beach and restaurants and entire play decks.” Do you want to bet…?” She skimmed across the screen and stopped. “Yes a fucking 20 room sweat for the Captain with progressively smaller sweats for the officers clustered around a monster bridge. If this ship has a crew of a thousand I would be shocked. Hell, I bet half of them are servants for the crew. No, I see traces of robotic servants all over the ship. Criste, only the most expensive and luxurious Cruise ships have robotic servants. I am living in a cabin with 6 others and we eat in the shipscafeteria mess deck. Not Restaurants with robotic servants. These ships have to be incredibly expensive Admiral.”

“Yes it looks that way. You could build 3 conventional battleships for the price of one of these and we have hundreds here alone. I think I need to stop at the life boats around the beacon recovery area we set up not far from the Red Pepper when we get back. I need to find out something about the crews. I wish now I had bothered to talk to even a few of the crewman from the first Battleship I destroyed before I dumped them off on the Ice Moon Mine. But then I remember Captain Leslie saying something to the effect that the crew was more civilian workers than Navy, requiring little training. Which made no sense at the time.”

Shaking his head. “They only have a basic civilian transport type watch standing on the bridge of 2 people, one helmsman and an officer of the deck. With no one on duty in any of the turrets or weapons rooms. No Combat Information Center Watch and only a couple of crewmen in a Central Engine Control Room with no one in the engine rooms themselves. No, I bet that they only have 5 or 6 hundred crewmen at most. Not half enough to fight these ships in combat even with the robot servants serving as damage control and maintenance. Which are worthless the first time something unusual or unexpected happens without human intervention. Which is all the time in combat.” Jack studied the plans closely as he cruised across the top of another Battleship even less worried now he knew more about their cruising arrangements. “At least they have more armor on them around the central core crew birthing section than I have ever seen on a ship. Even the damn Spider Battleships. Stupid of them to have virtually no armor at the back around the engines and even less around the damn Fusion Generator Core. Hell it looks like some committee that had no clue about Combat and only cared about protecting the crew designed the ship using a Spider ship as a vague model. I see few backups or emergency systems or equipment. Would explain how we got almost 600 survivors from a crew of six or seven hundred when we took out that first ship. At least it is a relief that I did not kill the thousands I thought I had.”

Jack flew along pushing the throttles back up as he thought for a few minutes. “I wonder. If they spent enough money, they may have solved enough of the problems with using maintenance bots to make them worth using. You know Winslow, it would solve a lot of crew problems on the DD’s if we had some decent maintenance bots on them. With supervision they are even faster at damage control since they can take a lot more punishment with few environmental worries.” Thinking for a few more minutes. “I think we need to visit that ship that disappeared into the cloud that had all the life pods ejecting from it. It should be an education. Especially if we can get ahold of the bots and the codes they use. We may not have to destroy the whole fleet.”

Jack suddenly reversed course and started slowing down. There was some kind of blockage up ahead at the next corner. Several Battleships were crowded together for some reason.

Approaching slowly. “Winslow what does your new scanner tell you about what is happing ahead?”

“Scanning now. Got it.” Jack’s nav. screen changed to show a battleship with its engine sections gutted as the ship tumbled in the middle of the turn. The other Battleships were having to slowly and carefully go around it. Doing their best to stay out of the cloud.”

“Ok. Looks like our guys have been busy.”

As they approached, a pair of beams streaked out of the cloud behind the closest Battleship slowly trying to work its way beside the tumbling ship, hitting it squarely in the ass and sending it cartwheeling into the tumbling ship next to it. The back of the new ship hitting the tumbling ship stopped the new ships forward momentum while changing the direction of the ship’s tumbling so now it was tumbling across the corridor instead of along it where it hit the other ship trying to go around the first hulk. With three ships in the middle of the corner and all the junk they had knocked off of each other when they had hit, the passageway was totally blocked. The fact that all the other Battleships coming up behind the hulks had to do was go into the cloud to get around them,had not dawned on anyone yet. Jack wondered if it ever would.

It took a good 5 seconds before the first beams from the battleship that had been hit started streaking back into the cloud but Jack could already see that the DD was already long gone even if they had been half way accurate and they hadn’t. It took a good 20 seconds before every ship in and approaching the corner was shooting into the empty cloud in just as many directions.

Jack stayed out of the cloud to avoid being hit by the wild shots as he continued past the battleships being careful to skim each battleship as close as possible between turrets and had soon left them behind. Wishing he had reacted a little faster and not let the DD leave before he could contact it. A Few seconds later he saw massive amounts of weapons fire in the distant cloud only he could see. “Yes my boys are hard at work ok.” Jack started passing tumbling Battleship after tumbling Battleship as he went around corners every 10 or 15 minutes. All of them no longer having engines and were basically well armed and armored barges. Disgusted that they could not even repair their own stabilization systems to keep them from tumbling.

Then he came across the first of the Battleships missing their stern halves completely as the armored decks tumbled at fairly high rates. It took him seeing an attack to realize what the cause was. A mass of long-range missiles and torpedoes came out of the cloud hitting the Back of a battleship that was not anywhere close to a corner. The missiles and conventional torpedoes taking out the ships point defenses and navigation shield towers at the stern on that side. The fact that only a few of the turrets even tried to shoot was pitiful to Jack in the first place. And then the Black hole torpedo streaked in and hit just forward of the engine modules and aft of the heavily armored crews quarters. Directly on the fusion core hanger section. There was nothing left to slow it down, no point defense turrets left, not even navigation shield towers on that side.

The black hole torpedo destroyed the fusion core’s containment coils, even running at low power it was enough to vaporize the entire stern half of the Battleship leaving only the forward armored decks spinning like a cheerleader’s baton. Jack smiled as he realized the fighter crews had figured out what the Lieutenant’s sensors had already shown him. Not only was there little armor around the engines there was no armor around the Fusion Power Core sitting between the engines and the heavily armored crews section. Virtually nothing that would stop anything more than a few conventional torpedoes. One hit even near the running core with a Blackhole torpedo after the navigation shields in the area were taken out and the damn ship and crew died in an instant. A much easier kill than trying to take out all 4 engines even with the Black hole torpedo. At least the damn engines had some armor and a hit on one side was likely only to take out 2 or 3 engines and not all 4. It had to be hit in the very stern transom between the engines to get them all. A much harder attack. That was the problem. Though the DD’s had been doing it in the corridor’s corners using their pair of 24/16 inch guns with no problems as long as they didn’t hang around afterwards.

Another fusion explosion caught the corner of his eyes in the distant cloud. He realized that he had been seeing the fusion explosions for some time now but had not realized what they were. Another fireworks display appeared in the opposite direction. Beams vaporizing the cloud around a thousand mile circle in the distance. It looked like the fighters and returned Torpedo Bombers were taking out the ships close to the head where they could easily be rearmed while the DD’s were doing their work deeper into the Maze. And with 6 fireworks displays in widely spaced locations within a few minutes of each other had to mean that the other 2 DD’s had made it from the Ice Moon Mine already.

Yes his guys were doing their jobs like he and Zoot had trained them after all. Suddenly worried about how many fighter and bomber crews had been lost while he was off fucking around doing other crewmen’s jobs. ‘No. don’t think that way.’ He had to find out what was going on at the Staging Station and what they were up against across the whole cloud. Not to mention finding an Engineer scientist that could change the course of the entire war even if she was a pain in the butt.

Another fusion blast caught his eye. “But there is no need for that.” Dragging out the map of the maze Jack realized that he was approaching a corner that was only a few minutes from the end of the Maze and the Red Pepper if he could cut across the cloud but without the damn scoop it would take a week. The damn corridor angled back down into the stupid Maze that was going to take him a good hour to fly around even flat out.

“Winslow, did you pick up that module I told the Chief to tell you to get?”

“Ya sure. Had to get the damn First Offices approval and sign my life away again. What the hell is it?”

“A new long range ultra Triga-Hrtz laser comm transmit module I want you to hook up to the TB’s Comm and be quick about it. I’m hoping it will allow me to send a message to the Red Pepper and stop the slaughter. Should have had you hook it up earlier but forgot about it. I really did not want to have to get out and slap it onto the laser comm but I don’t have a choice now.”

“Ok, outside on the Laser Comm. Well it needs to be aimed. How do you propose to do that?”

“Very carefully. Actually, I had not gotten that far when I told the Chief for you to get it. It was just a thought and I needed something to tell you it was OK to bring whatever you wanted after the Chief told me you had a bunch of equipment you thought could increase the range of the sensors in the cloud. Without insulting the Chief directly. Give me a minute to find someplace to hide and we can go out and take a look at the laser head.”

Winslow took the long narrow module out of one of her bags and looked at it. Finding machined flats with groves down the center on two sides and ridges on the other two sides with the proper markings on each, she smiled. “Got it covered there Admiral. Have it up in no time.”

Jack pulled around a corner going over and under and between several hulks and newly created barges and headed back into the Maze away from the Red Pepper. Looking over his shoulder for a second at a busy Winslow, Jack shook his head and pushed the throttles up again trying to cut down the time the little ship was stuck in the damn Maze.

About 10 minutes later as Jack started to relax with the corridor now clear of all but a couple wrecked Battleships, a barge and a tumbling shield hulk as they continued through the Maze. Winslow climbed up next to Jack and held up the long Comm module with one of her modules attached to each of the 4 sides. A transmit and 3 receiver modules. The machine groves and ridges on the flats were machined to the standard dimensions for Area sensors allowing hundreds of modules to be stacked facing the exact same direction down to the sub-micron. Making sure that they all were perfectly lined up to transmit and receive in the same direction down to the micron degree where the electronic steered beams would take over to accurately tap the locations of signals from millions of miles away. “Who do you want to yell at Admiral?”

“Well, think you can find the Red Pepper with that thing. It is over in that direction.” Jack said as he pointed back behind them with his thumb since the section of corridor they were in was now headed back into the Maze and away from the entry head and the Red Pepper.

“Ya sure. I will see what I can pick up in that direction.” She disappeared back down to her console.

A few seconds later a little mousy voice came from her console. “Aaa, Admiral. You may want to take a look at my sensor screen. Aaa sending it to you know.”

Jack looked down at a side screen then hit the side of the screen sending it to his much larger main screen. It showed a three dimensional image of the Cloud with icons headed back toward the Staging Station and the open space around it. “Ok we won. They are retreating.”

Jack started to smile and then he noticed that there were thousands of icons around the Staging Station. Most of them seemed to be out inside the cloud around the station. Tapping on one it read Fighter, Mk. 12 X-wing. “Where the hell did they come from?”

“Ten battleships that are not battleships coming out of the Maze and headed for the Staging Station to The Rock Admiral. I think I see 6 of our TB’s headed into that mess sir. They don’t stand a chance against those fighters if they don’t see them before they launch and stay back.”

“That’s a fact Winslow. Find me the damn Red Pepper now. We have to stop anymore from going that way.” So much for him thinking the TB’s were all operating on the Red Peppers end of the maze.

Jack rounded the last deep corner and the Corridor and headed back toward the head. Now he needed to face the other way to see what was going on back at the Staging Station but the little ship was facing the wrong way.

“Aaaa, Admiral. What the heck is this mass of ships around what looks like a dead star and a small planet orbiting close to it at the center of the Maze? We are headed out away from it again but I got a good scan of it before we turned back toward the Red Pepper.”

It took a second to get his mind back and understand what she was asking but finally he chuckled. “That Sweat Heart, is the best Kept Secret in a thousand light years. It takes 12 hours average to go through the Maze to get to The Rock’s Staging Station and a good 12 hours to a day to get to The Rock making people assume that The Rock is far away from the Maze when The Rock is actually at the exact center of the Maze. Hell, the majority of Admirals don’t know that but now you do. So you just became an officer with a death sentence if you ever even hint at that information to anyone. Just like me. No, only the very top dozen Admirals know that little fact and your little scanner saw that the first time you turned it on. You are going to have to filter that out when we install it in the Red Pepper.”

“Now that we know it works give me a look at what is ahead. But save this to compare later. You have the Red Pepper on that Comm yet?”

“This doesn’t have an IFF on it but I think I have it. Not that many big ships still operational outside this end. What do you want to say?”

“Good going. Here it is.” Jack simply sent orders to suspend all fighter and bomber attacks across the Cloud immediately and recall all fighters, bombers and DD’s until he could get back to the Red Pepper. “Repeat that little bit several times Winslow to make sure they get it. Hopefully we will be there in another 45 minutes unless that bunch of battleships I see ahead of us slows us down.”

The closer they got to the group of battleships around the entrance to the Maze the more nervous Jack became as they eased past each successive lone battleship hulk. Winslow’s Comments about trying to get through a bunch of enemy Battleships that had already been fighting the Red Pepper and the Destroyers for the last couple of hours was not helping any.

“You know that as soon as they see us they are going to start firing don’t you. We aren’t going to get a free ride through those bad boys.”

“Don’t worry about it Winslow. I’ve got it covered. Just relax already.”

“Covered like shit you do. The others did not fire at us because they had fighters zipping up and down the passageways delivering messages or didn’t you see that on my little scan of the other side of the Cloud. They sure as hell aren’t going to confuse us with a fucking messenger as we continue past the last ship.”

Jack had not noticed that little fact but he wasn’t about to tell her that. “Why not? All they have to do is hesitate and we will be through them.”

“Bullshit. As tightly packed as they are on my screen, we aren’t going to just zip through them. This passageway is completely blocked.”

Jack took a closer look at the screen. Enlarging the section around the battleships themselves. “Something looks damn strange about those ships Winslow. What do you think it is?”

“How the hell am I supposed to know Turner? I am just a fucking sensor operator. You’re the one that is supposed to have all the brains.”

Jack started to say something about her insolence but bit his tongue. “Well Winslow, why don’t you try checking for signs of life and power and damage on all those ships? That is your job. Now do it. Something is wrong up there and I need to know what it is before we get there.”

Jack ducked into the edge of the cloud to get around a couple of ships tumbling in the middle of a corner. He had seen that too many times already and was used to it. He had not seen anything like what the screen was showing just before the last turn to the open entrance basin of the Maze and that worried him.

“I am getting readings I think on these new sensors of life on the middle 4 ships sitting butt to butt with their armored bows pointing out, but nothing on the half dozen ships to each side of them in the passageway which show massive damage all through them with no lifeboats left that I can see. I think the middle ships are using the outer hulks to hide behind Turner.”

“Now that makes sense Winslow. I will make a decent sensor operator out of you yet.” Jack pushed the throttles forward again. Now he knew what he had to do. He continued up the corridor for a few minutes and then realized that ships had finally stopped dying in the cloud around him. The message had gotten through.

Passing the last hulk in the corner before the group of ships just inside and around the last corner before the exit at the end of the maze, Jacks tactical screen lit up with everything the Red Pepper knew as a Recon torpedo identified Jack’s TB and opened a tactical channel with it. Jack stayed in the center of the corridor using the hulks to hide behind as he slowed down to a stop just short of the first hulk. The live Battle ships were just down 5 hulks trying to hide using the others for protection.

“Red Actual, Red Home here. It is good to see you again but a little surprising where you are. But I see your Scoops have been destroyed so that answers that question. I will send a fighter down to bring you out past the remaining Battleships in that cluster. We were just getting ready to take them out when we got your recall orders.” With the TB sitting backward against the hull of the first derelict, Jack’s main screen with the new sensors showed The Rock and the Staging Station at the other end of the Maze. Shaking his head. “I am sorry to report that the 6 TB’s that reached the other end a half hour ago did not do very well against something like several thousand fighters that some 10 Carriers managed to flood the area with. Only 4 of them survived and are on their way back. Two of them do not look like they are doing well. We may need to send a shuttle around to help if the slow one stops completely.”

“Aaa Admiral I do not know how you know this but we have all our surviving TBs’ what you must be seeing are the 6 Shuttles we packed and armed and sent to attack the Staging area. Or what is left of them. If they faced a thousand fighters I am surprised that any are left intact let alone returning. I would send a transport boat around but we have no way of finding them in the cloud. Though you know that sir.”

“I am sorry I forgot this tech is not yet installed in any of the other ships. As soon as I get back we will take care of that but if they have to stop I will forward the coordinates to you for the rescue shuttle.” Taking a deep breath. Not really believing that 4 of the big hundred foot long shuttles managed to survive a couple thousand fighters. He should have had them out picking up survivors with the other 2 medical shuttles instead of attacking even if he thought it was a cake walk. Rapid 16/12 inch and 8/5inch gunfire with most of the shots stopping after only a short distance laced an area deep in the cloud and then a good 10 seconds later massive amounts of 24 inch gunfire shot back in the general direction the DD gunfire had come from that continued on without stopping for hundreds of thousands of miles.

The Battleships only a few hulks away started firing out into the Cloud at what Jacks’ tactical screen said were shadows of wreckage from destroyed Battleships tumbling through the cloud. Bringing him back to the problem at hand. Shaking his head he took a deep breath. “Congressional Battleships Yamamoto, Hurst, New London and Iraq. This is Admiral Turner of the Republic Navy. You are surrounded and about to die. I give you this one chance to surrender under honorable conditions and live. Save your crews and your ships from becoming what the hulks around you have become… Dead. You have 10 minutes to reply.” Jack ignored the fact that most of the life pods on the surrounding hulks were missing in his speech but glad most of the crews were probably safe.

“This is Captain Transkei. I surrender my ship to you.”

“No you don’t you coward. I am ranking Captain now with the Admiral dead. I will blow you out of space if you even try to eject your lifeboats let alone surrender. Turner you can go fuck yourself. We are not surrendering.”

Talk about yourself Dicksley. I am not giving my life for the stupid crap I have been listening to for years now. This is Nodonkov of the New Iraq. I surrender as well.

“I am Captain Jackson of the new London. I surrender my ship as well mate. Try to stop us Dicksley and I will open fire on you.”

Jack shook his head. “Now slow down everyone. No one fires at anyone. Except me. All of you just stand down and let’s talk this over while you all return your guns to travel and lock them down. Dicksley what is your problem? Don’t you want to live as well? You open fire on either of the other ships and you will only get in one salvo before I destroy your ship and if you manage to eject and survive I will execute you for being stupid. So talk some sense to me.” Jack watched the turrets of 3 of the ships center up fore and aft on the hull from the Sensor torpedo locked onto them.

“You are just a damn colony hick trying take over Earth Turner.”

One of the Captains came on the line. “Damn it Dicksley, most of our training has been bombarding innocent Republic planets to force them to accept Congressional Democratic Communist control and all of Earth’s laws and regulations for their own good. The Colonies are not trying to take over Earth. They are living in paradise from what I can see from my visits with no reason to even want anything to do with Earth except for trading. I Joined to fight Spiders not Republic ships even if I am a full fledge card carrying Democrat. I believe in Communism for the good of the people as much as the rest but I don’t believe we should shove it down their throats while the Spiders are beating down and raping Republic systems. Time for that later.”

Dicksley spat back. “Just how stupid are you Jackson? The damn Spider invasion is just a ruse to allow us to take control of the Navy so we can force the rest of the Republic to see the why things should be. That it is in their best interests to allow Democratic Communism to rule the Republic and to exterminate those that do not agree. All for the Good of the People, Minorities, the Environment and social justice for all Democrats. Everyone must be made equal and told what to do for their own good. Like I am telling you that if you surrender I will execute you as a traitor to the people and see to it that your families pay with their lives.”

“Sounds more like a Dictatorship to me.” Jack said shaking his head as he tapped onto a private channel to the Red Pepper. “Number One. Do you think you could get a few marines down here in the next half hour so we can take care of this ideate before he gets a lot more people killed. I don’t detect much of a marine presence and no armor and only a crew of 6 or 7 hundred. Shouldn’t be too hard and if we are lucky no casualties with our armor.”

The First Officer of the Red Pepper came on Jacks private channel. “We have full details of their ships from the life pods and boats we have picked up from the other ships. We have assaulted several ships already through hatches they don’t even bother to lock. Our transports are already on their way and will be there in 10 minutes. I am ordering them to return you to the ship whether you want to or not, Admiral. Our marines can take care of this pipsqueak Dictator want to be. We need you here now. Over and Out Admiral.”

Jack knew his First Officer was right but damn, he was starting to look forward to assaulting that damn ass hole Dicksley and putting his Communist Ass in a ringer. And then it hit him. They had assaulted several Battleships already. Jack suddenly felt out of touch and unneeded. Sounded like they were doing just fine without him.

Jack tapped the comm back to the enemy ships. “Ok Gentlemen just hold tight for now. I am going to give Dicksley some time to think about this and see if you guys can talk some sense into him while I go and kill a few more ships that refuse to surrender. Those of you that do want to surrender don’t worry about the moron that doesn’t. We will take care of him. You guys just sit tight and keep your crew safe in your armored core hull with your fusion power core shut down cold until we get done with him. A stray shot could set if off. Your ships biggest and stupidest weakness. Though I do hope you can talk some sense into him for his crew’s sake. Vice Admiral Turner Out.”

“Wait Turner! You cesspool low life moron.” What if I agree to turn over my ship after you let me leave in a shuttle?”

“Sorry old shit. We are not quite that stupid. Too easy for you to set the self-destruct on the fusion core or torpedoes to blow when you are safe. Taking out the other ships with yours. No you stay put until we board and secure your ship and if you want to leave then I will agree to that and let anyone on your crew that wish to go with you, safe passage to the nearest Congressional Communist ship. But I must warn you that we still have the right of destroying that ship which could very well happen so you might be better off going on down to the Staging Station.”

“No! How can I trust you Turner? Your kind have no honor and lie every chance you low life scums get. You are brought up to lie. Let me go and I promise I won’t set off the self-destructs. You can trust me. I am a highly Educated Communist Democrat and we never lie. You can trust me.”

“Excuse me while I puke at such bull shit.” Jack turned to the tactical screen. “You guys get elected telling lies and seeding discontent where there is none. By the looks of my tactical screen, we have already destroyed or incapacitated a hundred Congressional Communist Battleships or half your fleet. Though I will tell you this much. As long as the rest of the battleships that have or are returning to the Staging area remain there, we will no longer attack so you could be safe. As far as the families of the crewmen that remain with us. Any families you have at The Rock will remain safe and under guard from any retaliation from your liberal supposedly loving, forgiving, peaceful Communist Democrat union thug friends. Ooops, I am sorry. I should not have called them thugs. I know how upset you democrats get when someone calls you names even when every other word out of your mouths is name calling and insults and half truth lies when talking about someone you don’t approve of. We will also take steps to insure the same for families on Earth. We need loyal Republic crews to defeat the Spiders before they take all our planets including Earth. I hope you all will join us. What say you Dicksley?”

“Fuck you Turner! Everything you say is lies. Lies that are taught in your, none government approved schools before you can even read. But then you are all so inbred I am surprised you can even walk without dragging your knuckles. Everyone like you morons are going to die in our education camps as soon as the fleet takes the rest of the low life Colonies. Something these traitors are not going to live long enough to enjoy.”

“As always you people degenerate into name calling when you are called on your lies. Trying to denigrate, sidetrack and obfuscate anyone that tells the truth. After all if you can assassinate with lies the ones telling the truth, who will listen to them.” Taking a deep breath and sighing. “So you were lying and planed on blowing up your ship to kill your fellow Captains and their crews after you left. That is some plan but then typical for Democrats. Don’t leave anyone alive that resists or objects to your rules. That doesn’t sound very Democratic to me. But it does sound very Communist. Shame on you. My Grandfather was a stanch Democrat at one time until he said the Liberal Communists took the Party over and started to slowly take control of everything and everyone for their own good no matter how many lies it took. The End Justifying any Means including Lies. But usually, though not always, only resulted in the good for a few elites while everyone else suffered. I never understood what that meant until now. Vice Admiral Turner Out.”

A Dozen transport boats flew out of the cloud a ways behind the hulks. They quickly pulled up next to Jack and his TB sitting against the hulk’s hull and unloaded their marines. Jack’s TB with its wings folded after a mechanic pulled an inspection cover and dropped its gear, (even though Jack tried to stop him as his controls went dead) and was shoved into the back of one of the large transports.

The TB with its gear already squatting to just below its belly, fit nicely into the Transport with no room to get out of the bomb bay hatch underneath. Jack popped open his Canopy and jumped out. Dropping to the deck in front of 2 bigger than normal Armored Marines. “Ok guys were is my weapons. Time to go kick some butt.”

One looked down at Jack and said. “Sorry sir. We are here to make sure you remain on the transport.”

Jack looked around the Marines and back at the hatch that was closing on the Air Curtain as squads of Marines rushed across the hulk toward the ship beyond that was threatening to kill its Comrades in the distance. “Come on guys. You are needed to take that ship. They need all the help they can get. Let’s go already. I can fight in a flight suit. Just give me a weapon.” Jack held out his hand and the Marines ignored him. One held out an arm when Jack tried to go around him.

“Now isn’t that a sight. The Famous Admiral Turner being told by a couple of marines he can’t go out and play. What is this Navy coming too?” Winslow started laughing as she threw a duffle bag over the lip of the cockpit and down to the deck. As soon as you boys get done waltzing and the hatch is closed, I need help getting everything out of this bucket so I can mount it in the Red Pepper. That means you too Turner. Some of this is fragile and takes someone that knows what he is doing to pull it without dropping it. At least you are good for something.”

Chapter 27; Enemy Reinforcements

Jack walked onto the bridge to the announcement of. “Admiral on the Bridge.” Jack’s lip started to curl as he turned to chew out the Marine at the hatch when the Lieutenant interrupted him. “There the hell you are!” She hit him with her flight helmet. “Fucking Captains are supposed to stay with their Godstar Ships. Not fly damn TB’s to the other end of the Maze to torpedo a fucking Battleship and a few transports. The Admiral gave strict instructions not to let you do anything dangerous and what the hell do you do the first time I turn by back on you, again!”

Jack grabbed her arm as it started to swing toward him again. “You’re the one that had to go off and fly a fucking fighter Patrol. That’s your fault you were not here when I had to take a little joy ride to find out what was going on in the Staging area.”

“Having your Transport Bomber towed in because you blew the Scoop playing fucking dodge ship with a bunch of Battleships is not Joyriding. I heard you almost got your ass blown off when you lost one of the Transport Bombers.”

“Well they missed me, at least I didn’t have two fighters shot out from under me.”

Ya at least I made it back under my own power and I got three damn Battleships on top of that and the Chief said the fighters could probably be fixed.”

“So what! You almost got your ass shot off twice.”

“Enough kiddies.” Winslow stood up from a console she was working on and then said to the bridge. “You will have to excuse the little ones, they haven’t had their nap.” She walked up to Jack and the Lieutenant still nose to nose and whispered. “Will you two shut up and save it for the bedroom tonight when you can finish it properly with a good fuck. We have work to do.” Grabbing Jack she turned him around and shoved him toward the Command Chair and then turned to the Lieutenant. “I will make sure he stays on the ship like a good Captain and doesn’t try to kill himself again while you get out of that stinking flight suit and shower.” As the Lieutenant left she hit the comm. “Ensign Doctor Truitt, I hear you are a good sensor operator. Get your butt up here and I will show you my new toy. It’s Christmas already.”

The First Officer finally spoke up trying not to smile too much. “Admiral. We have finished taking the 4 Battleships that surrendered to you. And they are now coming along side to off load their crews. The marines are reporting that most of the crews heard your speech and want to join you to fight the Spiders. Do you want to leave the volunteers on the ships or move them in with the rest of the prisoners in our holds Admiral?”

“No. I want them off their ships and then completely searched, but we best separate the Volunteers from the Prisoners. Put the Volunteers in separate holds from the general prisoners. At least we now have enough crews to man out ships.”

“Ahh. About that Admiral.” The First Officer said shaking his head. His face turning half pained and half disgusted. “The problem is the prisoners are mostly civilians and were virtually pressganged into service by their unions with most of them having no idea what or where the job was even if the union made sure they were on what amounted to cruise ships with two weeks of training in some kind of boot camp in San Diego and Norfolk on Earth that sounded more like a summer camp with a few days at sea on Cruise Ships. They don’t know shit about manning a Battleship or the Military and have been working under Earths Union Rules of 4 hour work days, 3 day weeks, where most of the 4 hours is put in listening to Union propaganda with rules that limit them to supervising a robot around the automated ship for a couple hours a day instead of getting their hands dirty. Though after a year, most of them have learned something about weightless, open space and ships, but even then, in order to use any of them as crewmen we are going to have to put them through at least 12 weeks on one of our Bootships. With months in A-schools learning how to do their jobs on a real ship. The only good thing is that they have been trained for years as union workers in all the trades we need for ship yards or building domes even if the training is totally myopic and narrow for specific trades with no cross training. Requiring a half dozen Earth crewmen to do most Navel jobs one spaceman or yard worker from the Colonies could do by himself. No, the hardest part is going to be driving the damn Union crap out of them using Bootships and A-Schools as a recovery program that may require extending both to months instead of weeks. Until then most of them are worthless to us no matter how enthusiastic they are now.”

Not really believing that such work rules were possible even for Earth, Jack chuckled as his First Officer continued. “Can you believe that many of them brought their maintenance bots with them into captivity? At first I thought they were servant bots but no even if most are using them as such. Each of their crewmen was assigned a Maintenance bot to supervise to do their jobs for them and have become somewhat attached to them though a lot do seem more like servants. Basically their jobs have been to tell the bots how to do their jobs after they get their assignments and then watching instead of doing the job themselves. Then inspecting the finished work. Then spend the rest of the day playing in the resorts. Most of them have their damn General Quarter’s stations in their birthing quarters with the ship 90% automated. No one in the turrets or Torpedo rooms or damage control stations. It seems these new versions of the new Spider style Battleships with the thick Armored Decks are basically fought with only some 30 crewmen mostly officers at actual battle stations that have been trained on simple Politically Correct Union approved video Sims little better than kids games and not The Game Sim the Navy uses or even actual ship drills. Few have ever fired the ships weapons in practice. Which is probably why only half the turrets are working on the ships. The ship’s Captains are mostly Democrat Party Managers and Hacks that were owed favors and a few civilian Transport Captains with extreme salaries as squadron leaders which also explains why their attack maneuvers are so amateurish. The lower officers are more of the same using threats and intimidation for strict obedience. Though they don’t know enough about the battleships or what the crew’s jobs are to know when something is properly done so little gets done.”

Shaking his head. “We best just send the volunteers and the ships back to New Home and put them through Bootships then work in the yards or expanding the Domes and send the other hard core prisoners to Gama 13 for now or the new Ice Mine.” The First Officer was disgusted with even talking about the captured crews.

Jack found himself rubbing the bridge of his nose as the Office talked. When he paused, Jack was still trying to figure out why anyone would man ships using untrained officers and crewmen.

Finely winding down the First Officer took a breath as Jack just shook his head and then the First Officer got back to ship’s business. “I added another life boat beacon on the other side of the Entry Head of the Maze Admiral. About 10,000 prisoners are on the Red Pepper from the hulks that we have taken with their engines knocked out so far. We actually have not taken any of the prisoners from the lifeboat beacons yet. We deployed the expandable tubes from the back of the Medical Shuttles we stationed at each of them and then took out a dozen of the emergency habitat Containers we picked up at New Home for TF-58 (just in case they needed emergency living modules for ship’s crews), out to each of them. The Containers expandable birthing tubes can house and support some 1,000 refugees each and are quickly filling. We are getting ready to send out more as more lifeboats keep arriving. At last count we had some 20,000. We have only brought the critical patients back to the ship so far. The prisoners are also still on a few of the ships that had one or two engines still able to run and we actually had to take a couple of the ones that were too close to leave and ignore with the marines when they refused to surrender but they really only put up a token defense after we told them that if they fired on our transports or marines, their ship would be destroyed. We approached them from their blind spot in front of their shield decks so there was really nothing for them to shoot at anyway.”

Looking at the Tactical screen Jack frowned. “How many operational ships have you captured so far Number One?”

“Twenty Eight so far not counting your 4 Admiral. Though your 4 are in the best shape. Another couple of dozen are barges up and down the passageways that could be easily salvaged when we get time. The problem is we have 3 more groups of enemy battleships. Groups of 3, 4 and even 5 undamaged Battleships respectively hiding down the passageways. Shall we ask them to surrender now as well? We have been so busy with the others, I did not think of even asking them to surrender yet.”

“Let’s clean up the mess we have first. You have done an amazing job while I have been gone Number One.” Jack took a deep breath not sure if what he was going to do was right or not but it had to be done. ‘They came here to salvage a ship so they might as well get as many as they could before leaving. Especially if the enemy was going to stay on the back side of the Maze and leave them alone now.’

“I need you to take command of the good Battleships that still have at least one engine left using a few Earth volunteers from the captured ships to show our crews how to run things. Shouldn’t take too many since they are so damn automated. I will have the DD’s grab and move the battleships engineless or not, you have captured from the Passageways using their scoops to get around any hostile battleships. I want you to strap 4 or 5 of the engineless battleships backwards with the crew/weapons section forward, armored decks to armored decks around the Battleships with the good engines and head for New Home with all the Earth volunteers not serving as crewmen locked up on the armored decks. Use one of the Ships with only one good engine and in the worst shape for the prisoners that do not volunteer and we will send it to Gama 13. Go down and pick your volunteers and line them up in one of the empty Holds for my inspection and vetting and call me when you are ready. Any questions?”

The First Officer’s mouth dropped open for several seconds and then when he finally closed it he said. “Do you want me to pick you a new First Officer and the Commanders for the other ships and how many Navel crewmen from the Red Pepper am I allowed to take, Admiral?”

Jack smiled at his Ex First Officer. “You worry about picking the Earth volunteers and I will worry about the rest. You may not like who I get but they will be the best people we have for the jobs and you will work with them. Make the Earth volunteers understand that union rules no longer apply. They are volunteering for the Navy now with 8 hour plus work days 7 days a week unless given the week end off. Dismissed Captain Murphy.” Jack saluted. The new Captain left the bridge with the marine making the proper announcement. “Exec, report to the bridge please.” Then cutting the Comm. “Number 2 you are now First Officer. Don’t disappoint me. You have the Conn. Keep a close eye on those enemy ships down the passageways and be prepared for them to shorty at a moment’s notice. You won’t have time to call me to the bridge so you will have to do something until I get here. Make sure it is the right move. A new sensor sweat is being installed in the next few hours, make adjustments accordingly. Also make sure the Volunteers get transferred with plenty of guards to make sure the prisoners don’t interfere with the Volunteers leaving. I am taking it for granted that you already know everything else your predecessor was doing so I will leave them in your hands as well. I will be in my Ready Room. Have the Exec report when he arrives.” Jack saluted the white faced 2nd Lieutenant trying to swallow his fear and left.

Jack was just sitting down at his desk when a gun drill was announced making Jack smile. ‘Always when in doubt, run a drill. The 2nd Lieutenant was off to a good start at least.’ Looking out his ports at the growing fleet around the Red Pepper that were more hulks than Battleships.

Hitting his Comm. As one of Admiral Spencer’s Aids walked in looking much better than she had even days before. “Can I help you Admiral?”

“What...Captain Clancy?”

“Admiral Spencer assigned me as your Aid or Adjunct. I will make sure your orders are carried out relieving you of the headaches and the time needed to manage anything beyond the initial order. At the moment you have talked about 5 orders in the last 10 minutes that you have yet had time to flesh out or make the necessary assignments to carry them out. If you please I will get started on pairing the DD’s to start moving the captured hulk ships to a staging area outside the Maze. With your approval I will also assign Captain Coyote, your Marine attaché to continue securing the abandoned barges and capturing the barges that have not yet surrendered and then arrange for them to be moved. With the Red Pepper static at this time. I will have Commander Morgan start transferring prisoners from the medical shuttles and beacons to the Red Pepper to be processed separating any that volunteer from the prisoners for transport to the proper Station. By your Command Admiral. I will be using the Conference room next door as my temp office. Do you need anything else at this time Admiral?”

Jack sat back looking at the Captain. “MMM. This could be interesting. Thank you for your help. I do have a habit of babbling on and then trying to keep up with what I said. To many times I forget important things and then have to go back and catch up. Have you ever served on a bridge Captain or are you another one of those aaa, clerical ranks of convenience?”

“I have served on many bridges including Captain of DDs, several Cruisers and a Battleship Admiral. Though I have never been in combat before this.”

Glancing at his chest of ribbons and wings. “Ok. I see you have fighter and ship pilot wings as well with several awards beyond the Gee dunk ribbons. Well what do you think of our situation Captain?”

“I think you kicked butt sir. Though I am worried about there still being a hundred ships out there yet. I don’t think they will make the same mistakes these made after they regroup and come out again Admiral.” Taking a breath. “I also don’t understand your Pick of a 2nd lieutenant as your first officer simply because he was the Second Officer. I believe there are several other candidates amongst the few officers that I have met and seen the folders on that would be better choices Admiral.”

“Good. Then you can help me keep an eye on our new First Officer. I have been watching him and he has performed quite admirably so far. Help break him in with the proper training between standing watch and all your other new duties as my attaché’ or Adjunct or whatever.”

“Watch Admiral?”

Jack smiled from ear to ear. “You are now the Temporary Commanding Officer of the Red Pepper while you are my attaché. Don’t disappoint me or I will have your head as I did to the last Commanding officer I assigned to the Red Pepper. As I told our new Lieutenant Commander. Don’t get caught flat footed if those squadrons decide to shorty.” Jack watched the Captain’s eyes dart back and forth as her face turned paler than the new First Officer’s. “Thank you for volunteering to take care of the prisoners and hulks but let’s get the volunteers off the life boat beacons first and worry about the prisoners later. If nothing else we will just leave the hard core Earth crews at the inflatables and let their comrades pick them up later.” Taking a deep breath. “Well. That is one less worry. You can use the bridge as your office for now. Dismissed Captain. I will be here if you need me.”

The shocked Captain little better then skin and bones still, got up and walked out of the cabin and strait onto the bridge and sat in the Command Chair staring around the bridge for a good minute. Then stood up straitened her uniform before sitting back down and started issuing orders. Using the bridge as her office. She was not happy with the gun drill that had just finished, ordering another one while changing a few things on the bridge and then the ship. While not forgetting the Admirals tasks that needed to be done.

Jack smiled as he watched her get into gear. A Big contrast to his laid back approach. Shaking his head he got back to business. “Zoote, time to come out and play.” Zoot and her magic carpet appeared in front of Jack’s Desk. Before she was half way solid Jack started in. “What do you think of my new First Officer?”

“Well now. You made a good pick for a Captain though why you only made it temporary is puzzling. You need a full time Captain for the ship and you can’t be it period. As for your new First Officer, I don’t think you picked him. You just got lazy and threw a dart at the bulkhead Admiral. But he shows promise in The Game where he has been serving as a first officer for several months now. I am truly surprised though that you gave your old First officer Commander Clancy so much responsibility. Not only making him a Captain where he should excel at, but in command of getting the whole Prize fleet put together, manned and to New Home. That is a big undertaking and responsibility. I am not sure he is ready for that much responsibility quite yet. ”

“Ok? Well to bad. Then you are going to love my next trick. You get to come up with the Prize crews. I need Captains for all the ships with working engines and crews that can take care of themselves and work with and control a few ex-enemy volunteers showing them the equipment and ropes and marines to take care of any that don’t like the hours and change their minds. Don’t fail me. This is your big chance to prove yourself as the master trainer of crews Zoote. I have high hopes for you.”

“That is quite a few ships with working Engines Admiral. I will also include crews for the hulks whose engines I believe can be readily repaired and it just so happens I can put together 30 experienced Republic crewmen, 5 officers and a Captain for each ship that fits your bill.” Zoot smiled at Jack. “Though it will include commissioning several ratings as officers for both the Prize crews and the Red Pepper. You also have the opportunity to advance many of the Volunteers into the Navy at my request to fill out the Prize crews to 140 giving them basically full crews using Standard Navy work rules, procedures and the bots for the trip to New Home. I can give them full 300 man crews if you wish to use them in the coming battle. I will also be able to re-man the Red Pepper and the DD’s back up to full crews.” Jack’s mouth dropped open as he stared at Zoote dumbstruck not believing at first she was actually proposing to use Captured Earth Crewmen as full fledge crewmen. “Most of the Volunteers I have seen so far and put on my list have spent years on The Game and will make good crewmen until they can be sent to Bootship for toughening up and the additional training that The Game cannot provide.”

“What the hell are you talking about?”

“Many of the volunteers that are headed for the Red Pepper’s volunteer Holds, spent most of their free time in The Game and not the two dimensional Sim the Congressional crew was supposed to use. Including years as civilians before they were drafted. The ones I have on my list are all prime loyal trusted crewmen that tried to enlist into the Navy but were prevented or told that they were enlisting in The Navy and only found out later that it was the Congressional fleet. You said your new Captain may not like his new crews. The thing is that you may not like who I enlist but they will be the best people we have for the jobs and you will work with them. Admiral.”

“What! Giving me orders now?”

“You gave me Orders and I followed them. It is for you to use the result of your orders to the best of your ability Admiral and not whine because you do not like what you see.”

“Damn! You can be a butt and twist words around can’t you?”

“Yes Admiral. You gave me orders that can lead to changes in recruiting Navy personnel that will help win this war. I am pushing you to carry out your own orders for that reason.”

Jack thought for a few second and then smiled. “Ok, Well. Does that mean you can get me crews for the hundred DD’s now sitting at the other end of the Maze?”

“What DD’s…? Oh yes I see them now. Yes Admiral I can get you crews for each and every one of the hundred DD’s using Volunteers from the refugees at the rally beacons. Stats show that half of the refugees on most of the Battleships were on The Game and should volunteer. Many have experience on the DD’s in the game. Though 25 % of the Congressional Fleet are manned totally by hard core Communist Democrats down to the cooks. But those ships where mostly held back to let the Cannon Fodder as the lead ships were called, to make the first attacks on TF 58. Just in case TF-58 had a bigger bight than expected and Congressional ships started dying. Exactly what has happened here today? Leaving the hard core ships with the Congressional Fleet Admiral to come in and take the credit without any losses. The Fighter Carriers that have appeared around the Staging area are part of those Core Squadrons. Luckily their training is worse than these crewmen since most have followed Union orders not to use The Game for training or fun.”

“Ok if you know so much about this damn Fleet, how come you didn’t warn me of the new attack date days ago or the damn DD and Battleships on this end? Why was all this such a fucking surprise?”

“I am only a training node with nodes on each ship that do not have constant communications with every ship or the Central Core at The Rock at all times. I did not have any knowledge of the attack or the ships before you did. Though with the recent contact with the Battleships training cores that are now in range, the attack was moved up when they found out about the Battleship you destroyed from a passing Transport headed into the Maze to the Staging Station. You waited too long to retrieve it.”

“So if I had just let the damn transports die and left the Battleship alone we wouldn’t be in this mess.”

“Yes. But then you could have moved the battleship after taking it out instead of waiting days. The Transport would never have seen it.”

“Do you know how hard it is to move a damn hulk that is still spewing Plasma out of every orifice?”

“I did not say it would have been easy or even possible. Just making a statement countering your statement that was not completely true. Fact is your decision to try to rescue the Transports was the right decision and has resulted in many beneficial results and possible outcomes. The major advantage is catching the fleet inside the maze where you could take out a good portion of the Fleet with few casualties. Something that would have been much harder to do if not impossible out in the main byways, rivers and seas of the Cloud costing most of your squadron’s ships and possibly even the Red Pepper and your own life. Even then it is possible you would not have been able to slow them down enough to save the Black Dwarf. Even if they had waited until they were scheduled to attack after TF-58 had left the Delta 7 station. With your squadron and the Red Pepper destroyed or to badly damaged to fight, it is probably that they would have caught the Task Force strung out across a half parsec of the cloud and destroyed it ship by ship or followed it back to New Home. No. You would not have attacked the fleet in the Maze without being forced to in your deluded hope that they are part of the Navy fleet and would see the light of day before they attacked TF 58. Trying to save the Transports accomplished your original task of delaying them much more efficiently and completely with the fewest casualties.”

“Aaa are you forgetting that we still have half a fleet on the other side of the Maze to deal with and that according to you, are our main threat?”

“They still have the Maze to come back through and you have reinforcements on the way. If you use your head and continue to fight smartly. You can easily prevail using the maze as one large roach motel.”

“I’ve got news for you. This next time they come out of there, they are not going to come strung out like good little sheep again. They are going to come bunched up as tight as possible shooting the shit out of every corner and crevice with fighter scouts flanking them every foot of the way to warn them if we even get near them. Taking them out is going to be like pulling teeth without Novocain. It isn’t going to be easy, casualty free or pretty.”

Jack slapped the Comm as he studied the list Zoote provided him. “Captain Murphy, I have decided to use my own pick of Earth volunteers to man your battleships from a list of Earth recruits I have just received of men that tried to enlist in the Republic Navy before the Earth Defense Force pressganged them. I am forwarding it to you now. This will give your ships full crews. You will need them. They all have spent years on The Game. You can trust them. We will be getting some on the Red Pepper as well to replace our crewmen you are taking. Gather the Earth volunteers on the list as we talked about before in a hold for me to inspect. Do you have any questions?”

“Aaa, No… aaa yes sir. How long do I have to get the new crews aboard and do I have any say so of who goes where on which ship.”

Jack looked at Zoote’s nod then frowned. “Not now. We are pressed for time. Since I am getting some of the Volunteers as well, I will be taking some of the bots and their infrastructure to see how they do but I want you off the Red as soon as I finish vetting them in the cargo hold. We still have 3 squadrons within striking distance and I need room to maneuver so get your butt in gear. Coordinate with Captain Clancy, Red’s new Captain if she doesn’t fuck up. If you can make your ships battle worthy with the full crew I gave you, I will need your help. See what you can do in the next couple of hours as you get the rest headed for New Home or the Gama 13 Station. If you have any doubts about the effectiveness of your new crews, take the hulks to New Home as originally ordered. Pass that on to the other Captains. Oh we brought a lot of foam armor and crystal gas to help repair TF-58 and upgrade their guns if we got there in time. Use it to add 20 feet of armor in the boat hangers to protect your Fusion Cores and start coating your gun barrels. Coordinate with Captain Clancy to get the upgrades on all the Earth Battleships that are in good enough shape for combat. I will talk with each of the new Captains as soon as I can. Out.”

Jack tapped the comm to the bridge to inform the Red Peppers new Captain of the change in her crew. After spending a while going over the none condition of and which battleships could possibly be used in combat without too much work then picking Captains for them, Jack tapped into the cameras showing 4 Earth crews of the first Battleships to be crewed slowly tramping in and forming up in a hold. Other screens showed the other holds forming crews at the same time at a much slower rate as most of their crews needed to be transferred from the lifeboat beacons or other hulks that had not been picked up yet. Looking out the ports of his Ready room Jack could see the first of the captured Battleships approaching to dock with Red. Three more wear lined up behind it with even more in the distance. Another 2,200 prisoners and possible volunteers would have to be unloaded before the new reduced size crews went aboard. It was a shame they did not have the time to process the original crews for the ships and allow them to return but then thinking about it; that probably would not be a good idea. Putting them on different ships would make it easier to make the change from Congressional controlled crewmen to Republic Navy crewmen. Too many memories and attachments if they were left on the same ship even though the ships were exactly alike.

A knock came and the Exec walked in. “Admiral I see you have been busy. It is going to take me a week to catch up on all the paper work. You wanted to see me?”

“Yes, I am forming crews for all our prize ships. Four are already forming in I-hold with the rest on the decks above. I need you to make sure all the paperwork gets done Asap.”

“Shit Admiral, we don’t have enough personnel for 9 new crews and the Red Pepper. Even skeleton crews.”

“Sure we do. We will be using volunteers from the Prize Crews that wish to join our little Navy and it is a few more than just 9 crews.”

The Exec’s mouth started opening and closing. Jack smiled. “Calm down Ron. Most of the Volunteers tried to join us before getting press ganged into the Congressional fleet. They will be fine. I just need you to get the basic paper work started and track who actually goes where. The paper work can be finished later. We will be trading almost half of Reds’ crew for Volunteers.”

“But saboteurs and spy’s Admiral.”

“Don’t worry I am headed down now to start vetting them. That is why I need you to process the prisoners coming aboard in a few minutes from the ships as fast as you can and get them sorted out with most of the volunteers and the prisoners in separate holds for now. That is your top priority.” A text message appeared on his desk making Jack frown as he took a breath. “Oops. Aaa. Ron, you need to take the names of the prisoners in private, one at a time. Your clerks will ask them if they wish to volunteer and according to the answer, a Hold and possibly a ship’s name will appear by each name with the new identification ring that goes around their neck and all you have to do is send the individual to that hold. Ok? I know it is different than when you took all the other prisoners aboard with them all lined up. But this will save us time in the long run. A lot of time.” Jack smiled. “We are also getting some new equipment aboard, infrastructure for the maintenance bots that will be joining the crew as a test. I am still trying to figure out who let the bots on with the prisoners in the first place but that will have to wait. Was one hell of a security risk and someone’s head is going to roll when I get time to do some lopping.” Jack shook his head. “Anyway. Any questions Ron?”

Ron frowned. “I understood why we used the new collars on the Ice Moon’s penal colony but why are you collaring the new recruits for the ships and who has the detonator buttons for them?”

Jack had simply read the text from Zoote out loud for the Exec and suddenly wondered himself about why they needed explosive collars for the new crew? “That is a good question Ron.” Taking a deep breath and frowning. “Zoote, you want to answer Ron?”

Zoote appeared next to the desk making the Exec. Jump a little as he leaned away and stared at Zoote.

“This is Zoote Ron. The Game’s controlling AI. She has been a lot of help shorting things out around here while things are such a mess. Fact is I think she can give you a hand as well and cut down a lot of your workload. Can’t you Zoote? But for now, explain why you want our new crewmen to have collars? Why do we want to be able to blow their heads off? You expecting a mutiny?”

Zoote bowed toward Ron and then Jack with a smile. “The Collars are needed to house the microcomputer for an individual training AI to speed the assimilation of the new recruits into the Navy. But now that you mention the possibility of a mutiny since there is no way we can be 100% sure of the loyalty of all the recruits even with my incredible powers of psychological screening. I will include the tamper proof explosive wire in each collar that is controlled by the AI just in case. I will dispose of the thousand collars the ships factory has already produced and have already started manufacturing the new collar Admiral.”

“Aaa. Hold up there Zoote. Does the Collar have to be lethal? I don’t like the idea of having the head blown off of someone just because they stray into the wrong compartment accidentally. Can’t the collar just shock and immobilize them or something?”

“Captain, the Collars AI would never kill its partner for simply getting lost. They would only be executed under extreme conditions that threatened the ship or another life. The AI would inform ships security about the crewman’s questionable activities long before that in most cases. Though to meet your concerns I have added stunning to the collars abilities. Trashing the hundreds of collars from this last production run.”

“Very well Zoote.” Turning to the Exec. “Anything else Ron?”

“Not right now sir. Certainly later, I need to get to work. This is going to take hours just to get the ships unloaded if we have to interview every crewmen first. By your leave Admiral.”

“Aaa wait one. You are right. Tell you what Ron, get with Captain Clancy and have the prisoners unloaded into one of the unused Empty holds or tanks if the holds are busy and then process them from there. Just make sure the intervening hatches along the routes from the docked ship to the hold are locked down and guarded. I don’t want any stragglers getting lost and sabotaging Red. Should speed things up considerably. Well at least for getting the damn ships empty so we can get them checked for damage and hiding crewmen, then the new crew boarded and off the Red.”

Jack walked into the Hold wearing his full Combat suit complete with ribbons and awards to impress someone at Zoote’s insistence and the Lieutenant’s demand for his own protection (walking amongst the enemy to use her words). Then with Jack feeling like a fool and to his surprise, some 500 crewmen came to attention. A hundred and forty odd new recruit crewmen for each of the 4 ships currently docked to the Red Pepper. The Republic crewman standing apart from the volunteers adding more crew. Jack walked up to Captain Murphy, his ex-First Officer and saluted. “I am just going to take a quick look at your new crewmen Captain. If you would have them all line up in a single line along the bulkhead please.”

“Shall I have the other 3 crews line up as well Admiral?” Commander Morgan said from behind Jack, giving him a bit of a start as Captain Murphy started organizing his crew along the bulkhead. He had not known the Commander was there.

Turning to look at the Commander. “Yes, that would speed things up a little, Thank you Commander.” Jack was still getting used to the new aid Clancy had given him. Half wishing he would go away.

As the Commander walked to the center of the hold and started bellowing for all to hear, Captain Murphy came back up to Jack. “Crew of the Firefly ready for your inspection Admiral.”

Jack frowned. “So you are changing the name of the ship?”

“Seemed prudent Admiral with the change of ownership.”

Chuckling as Jack noticed that the crewmen from the Red Pepper were lined up with a few feet separating them from the volunteers. “Very well Captain. Stand your crew at easy.” Jack felt very uncomfortable as he stepped up to the first of the Republic crewmen, surprised to see who it was and that they had been promoted several grades. Jack started to step up to shake the crewman’s hand but stopped several steps short when he realized that if he shook everyone’s hand, it would take forever to get through the lines. Instead he stopped and simply nodded at the crewman and then went on suddenly hoping Zoot was right about the new crew, promotions and all. But he really did not have a choice. He had to damn many ships to get manned and no time to quibble about minor details. Even the fact that the Republic crewmen had training collars on as well. The crews either worked out or they didn’t.

Finishing with the Republic crewmen, Jack slowly walked down the line looking at each of the volunteers and immediately started having problems reading each individual as the crewmen around him started to relax and gripe or talk to themselves along with all the emotions left over from watching other ships and crewmen die and then being captured only to wind up volunteering or asked to volunteer for what they were not sure. Jack finding it hard to distinguish one crewman from another in his head while just looking at them from several steps away. The bombardment in his mind from everyone around him looking his way growing by the second starting to give him a headache. Suddenly wishing he had left them at attention.

Everyone seemed to have some fear for what was happening as well as hate for something, whether it was for being pressganged, lied to and serving against their will in the Congressional fleet and its officers or hate for the Republic Navy to Jacks shock and bafflement. The problem was that emotions were running high making it almost impossible to differentiate one crewman from another simple by looking at them from several feet away. Wishing he had Pan along Jack brought up his hand to rub the bridge of his nose between his eyes trying to get rid of some of the tension and suddenly found it easy to feel and hear the individual in front of him talking to himself as well as his fear mixed with hope. Jack was not able to feel the hope before from anyone as the fear and hate flooding from everyone overwhelmed the much weaker emotion.

Then he remembered how holding up his hand seemed to focus his mind when he was scanning Admiral Ditzen’s crews on the Gama 13 Station. How it allowed him to find and focus on the individuals filled with hate and deceit and fear and pick them out of the massed ranks of thousands.

Slowly Jack held out his hand toward the crewman and the vastly increased emotions of fear, expectation, apprehension and all the other emanating from the man knowing this was a life and death turning point in his life causing his emotions to run wild as they grew stronger making it easy for Jack to know the man standing in front of him even though he was not speaking. To know without doubt that this man just wanted to fight Spiders and that having the famous Admiral Turner with the congressional medal of Honor hanging on his chest standing only feet away in the bad ass armor personally asking him to crew one of his ships was who he wanted to follow into Combat and not those pompous mouth pieces spouting slogans and platitudes and obvious lies. Sending everyone that failed to mouth every slogan at the proper time or said the wrong words, or without enough conviction, straight to reeducation classes (the brig) repeating the same old bullshit until you wanted to blow your own brains out. Not to mention the only drill they ever did was bombarding Colony planets into submission and not fighting Spiders. Jack new without a doubt in a half second and moved on leaving his hand up without thinking as he looked each crewman in the eyes briefly before moving on. Working his way down the line. Going more by the feelings and emotions emanating from each volunteer than anything they said to themselves if they said anything at all.

As Jack walked down the line he slowly realized that the fear around him started to subside as pride started to build in the crewmen he passed. Each crewman going from fear, apprehension, being utterly lost and alone to hope and overwhelming pride at being a part of something bigger than themselves. Of being personally chosen by a hero.

And then something hit Jack like a wrecking ball as he focused on a crewman.

Without thinking Jack lunged forward and grabbed the man by the front of his strange uniform coverall most of the Battleship crews wore and jerked him out of the line. Jack dragged him a couple of yards and threw him sliding across the deck out toward the middle of the hold and pulled his blast pistol pointing it at the man who started cursing him as his hand darted into a pocket. A bot suddenly raced away from the bulkhead the bots had been lined up against. The bot raising a weapon from a hidden opening in its side.

The man pointed a rod at Jack as the bot mimicked him and then yelled. “Fire you stupid bot! Shoot!” Jack fired blowing the man’s arm with the rod pointed at him completely off his body sending the rod clattering across the deck as the arm fell a few feet away. The bots arm dropped to its side as Jack pointed his blaster at the bot. The weapon the bot had clattered to the deck as the bot raced to the side of the man and started administering professional first aid to the stump of his arm.

Jack took a couple steps toward the center of the hold and the bot and crewman as he looked around the hold. “If there are any more wanabee spy’s or sabatours, you have exactly 30 seconds to come forward or when I find you, you will be kicked out the nearest lock with this ass hole.” Jack walked farther out into the hold stopping a few paces from the bot working on the crewman that had just tried to kill him as security and medics rushed across the hold. “Most of you have been picked because you tried to Enlist in the Republic Navy before being drafted into the Congressional Communist Elite’s Fleet. Some of you have evidentially bought into the Communist Mantra over the last year and that is fine. If you step forward now you will be treated well and sent home to rejoin them if you wish. This is a Democracy and you are allowed to join any party you wish. Even if that party wants to enslave the rest of the Republic, outlaw all other parties and murder all opposition. This offer now expires in 15 seconds.” The Lieutenant picked up the weapon the bot had dropped and returned to Jack.

A couple of crewmen left their places in the lines and headed for the hatch and was intercepted by Ships Patrolmen. As the armless crewman was placed on a gurney by medics the bot picked up the arm and placed it on the gurney next to the crewman. Picking up the long rod the bot stopped and stood a few feet from Jack as the gurney with the attempted assassin was taken away.

Jack finished looking around the hold for any more beacons of hate and finding only the low murmur of fear, loss and mild hate that was directed elsewhere he had felt before from the majority of the hold. Jack headed for the break in the line he had created a few minutes before as the bot followed him.

Stopping Jack turned to the bot. “Why are you following me? Your Scumbag boss or controller or whatever you call him went that away.” Jack pointed at the retreating gurney.

The Bot had stopped as Jack turned around. “Crewman Boggs committed Treason when he ordered me to fire a deadly weapon at an Officer. Crewman Boggs is no longer in my control chain loop.” The Bot continued to face Jack without saying anything else.

“Ok.” Shaking his head, Jack turned around and took several more steps toward the line of crewmen as the bot followed before Jack stopped again and faced the bot. “Why are you following me?”

“I no longer have contact with Ships Central Bot Control to receive new orders to return to storage or a work assignment or assignment to a new crewman. You are Captain Turner as listed in my Chain of Command. Why you are wearing Vice Admiral Stars is not part of my programing. You are listed at the top of my chain of Command loop that I can access at this time.”

“Oh cute. Just what I need is a fricking bot to give orders to now.” Jack said sarcastically.

“Captain Turner has now assigned Bot C3PO491538 as his bot. I have synced myself to your comm Captain. Waiting for your orders Captain Turner.”

“What the hell. No! I did no such thing. Belay that. Cancel that order. I do not need a fricking bot to order around.” The Bot just stared at Jack until Jack simply turned around and resumed going down the line. The bot only feet behind, even after Jack had turned around to stare at the bot intimidatingly that made no difference.

After a few minutes with the bot, the Lieutenant, his new Aid Commander Morgan and Captain Murphy following. Jack reached the end of the line and turned toward Captain Murphy and bumped into the Bot. “What the hell do you think you are doing bot?”

“That does not compute Captain Turner. Please rephrase your order.”

“Stop following me damn it!”

“That is an incomplete order Captain Turner. You must use complete sentences when ordering me to do something. Stop following you is not a complete order. You must use my name if you are not looking directly at me and include what you want me to do after I stop following you. Or order me to follow you at a desired distance. Or…”

“Errr.” Jack growled taking a step closer placing his nose up next to the bot’s face with his eyes staring at the bot’s eyes. “Go stand in the middle of the hold.”

The bot turned and walked to the exact middle of the hold and then turned around and stood there staring at Jack. His head following everything Jack did.

Jack watched it for a few seconds then stepped up to Captain Murphy. “You have a good crew Captain. You may dismiss your crew from inspection and board your ship as soon as it has been searched by the marines. Good luck Captain.” Jack saluted then turned and went to the next crew line and started the inspection.

By the time Jack had finished the other 3 lines he had found another spy/saboteur and then a thief he did not want on any of his ships. Ignoring with a little disgust as some guy creamed his pants with sexual desire just looking at Jack when he passed, wishing he could get Jack into bed. While being baffled at several females scattered through the ranks that wanted to do the same. No longer feeling hate and fear as hope, purpose, pride and a love started growing across fill the hold and wash over him. Finally Jack started to leave the hold wondering where the damn love was coming from and why but glad all the hate and fear was gone.

“You just going to leave your new toy in the middle of the hold to rust away?” The Lieutenant chuckled at Jack.

“What are you talking about?”

“Your bot.” She pointed back into the hold.

“Not my bot.”

“You ordered it to stand there. Whose bot is it then?”

“Well give it to someone that can use it.”

“I think that is something you have to do Admiral.”

“Shit. Go tell the damn thing to go back to the Bot hanger or wherever bots go.”

“Sorry I already tried to get it to move out of the way and it ignored me. You are going to have to tell it yourself Admiral. Besides you wanted to test them out and this sounds like the perfect opportunity for you to personally test one.”

“Damn it Lieutenant. I don’t have time for this shit.” Jack stared across the hold for a few seconds. “Robot. Get your butt over here already.” And was ignored. “Well so much for that. It must be broken.”

“Just hold on there a minute. I will be right back.” The Lieutenant jogged out to the bot. talked to it for a few seconds then hit her comm. “It says its designation is C3PO491538. Try using its name through your comm.”

Shaking his head. “C3PO491538 come here.” The bot immediately turned and in no hurry walked across the hold and stopped in front of Jack. A beaming Lieutenant right behind it as Jack asked it disgustedly. “You got a name besides C3PO…” (Not caring to read what was in front of him on the bots chest, let alone remembering all the numbers.) “What the fuck?

“Crewman Bogg’s called me Dumbshit. You may pick any name you wish Captain Turner. You have already named me C3PO what the Fuck. Is there another name you wish to call me?”

Jack rolling his eyes buried his face with one hand. Then a devilish smile erupted from Jack. “No I do not. You are now The Lieutenant’s Robot. Not mine.” Jack said with final satisfaction. Turned and walked away as the bot followed him for a few steps until Jack stopped and turned back around with the bot still only a couple steps away. “I said C3PO, you are the Lieutenant’s bot now. Go follow her.”

“My apologies Captain Turner. I am your bot. A higher ranking authority must change my ownership. Regulations to prevent crewmen from trading bots amongst themselves.”

“There is no one of a higher rank than me here.”

“Yes Captain Turner.” The bot stared at Jack.

“Eeaa. Quit staring at me damn it.”

“I will initiate blinking protocol 1 Captain.” A shutter came down covering the camera lens pickups and then disappeared back up into his head above his camera lens sockets with a click. “This will increase my use of lens cleaning fluid. Do you wish to add “damn it,” to my list of official names.”

Watching the bots eye’s blink several times. “Now that is just creepy and no! Do not add damn it to your list of names.” Jack shook his head frowning as he stared at the bot. “Aaahg. Go to the ship’s bridge and wait for me there.”

“Yes Captain Turner.” The bot turned and walked away.

Jack turned to the Lieutenant. “Find out how to get rid of that damn thing and do it now.” Then headed for the next hold and more crews to vet. Only to get another sea of hate and fear washing over him until he was half way through the lines in that hold as well and kicking out another half dozen crewmen as diehard Democrat Communists, thieves and even a murderer.

Jack was half way through his third hold when his Comm beeped. “Admiral, Exec. We have finished unloading the 4 ships and have the first of the 500 new volunteers ready for your inspection in Hold G sir. I been watching your inspections of the new crews and I must commend you on your genius. The video of you personally picking each crewman and throwing out the hard core Congressionals’ along with the union rules with only a couple hundred crewmen per ship has already spread to the battleship crews we put in the tanks and they are Volunteering in droves. Almost 80% now I believe, though we are still processing them. We are not needing to isolate each prisoner. Squads of crewmen are banning together to guard the lines and the volunteers. Throwing a large group of prisoners into one corner of each of the tanks, so it is going much faster.”

Taking a deep breath. He was already tired and bored beyond belief after the first tanks and now there were more. But he could not let the other crews go without checking them as well. He was finding too many he did not dare let aboard a ship. “I will be right up as soon as I finish this hold. Have the Ship’s Patrol toss the separated prisoners onto one of the smaller empty ship's stores holds and start questioning them separately. Security should be questioning the Captains and senior officers’ already. I want as much back up data as we can get to help catch any lies when I talk to the Captains. Out.”

Hours later Jack walked onto the half empty flying bridge with no marines at the hatch and no one announcing his arrival but he did not notice as he flopped down in the Command chair and laid back to relax. He watched a Battleship pull up to dock with a half dozen big holes along its side with one at the stern from a Blackhole torpedo that had blown 3 engines into scrap (barely missing the core it was aimed at) as one of the 4 battleships that had been on the side of the Red Pepper moved off with only two engines running. He could see the other 3 ships getting ready to shove off bringing up their Power Cores and drives. “It better not take as long with these.” He said to himself as three other battleships in better shape with 2 and 3 engines each with undamaged hulls were pulling up waiting for the other 3 docks spaced around the Red Pepper to clear.

“With the crews already off and the new crews already picked, vested and raring to go, they should be gone in a half hour at most Jack.” The Lieutenant said as she walked up beside him staring out as well. “It will take a little longer to load the hard core prisoners into the Battleship that just pulled up with all the damage. They are still working on sealing several of the tanks. Most of the living decks are wrecked and still in vacuum. The Congressional Captain has ordered the hard core Union crewmen to start repairs as soon as they board under emergency Union rules which I have never heard about before. Throwing out all work restrictions with several beatings of objecting crewmen, even before they get out of our tank and off the Red Pepper. That is before I put a stop to it.

Jack stood up from the Command Chair, stretching and walked to the port as he studied the damaged ships. The lieutenant following him to the port.

Winslow turned from the console in front of the Command chair looking at Jack. “Admiral you need to take a look at the tactical. Using my new sensors we can see the Congressional fleet starting to send units up 5 passageways. From what I understand passageways that are not normally used because they take longer to get through the Maze.” Winslow stood up stretching with her hands rubbing her lower back.

Jack walked back from the huge port running some 270 degrees around the bridge and plopped into the Command chair trying to get comfortable again. Looking over the large central tactical screen he frowned. That doesn’t make any sense unless they think we won’t see them so they can sneak up on us.” Jack started to pull up the map he had been given of the Maze when his comm beeped.

Slapping the Comm on the arm of his chair, Captain Clancy appeared on the screen replacing the map of the maze that was only up for a half second. “Admiral, why do I have the honor of having your bot on my bridge?”

“What bot?” Then looking around him on the half empty bridge. “What bridge are you on? One of the new battleships? How the hell did you get transferred to…?” Jack suddenly realized as he looked behind the Captain, that he was on the Red Peppers new Main Bridge. It was larger with more stations and larger screens which was why Jack had hated it. To damn large. Not to mention that it was buried deep inside the ship behind multiple armored decks and armored bulkheads with yards of thick armor on each that made seeing anything with his own eyes outside the ship damn difficult if not impossible. Then Jack noticed that there was a bot standing behind the Captain’s chair. A Command Chair that was larger than the chair Jack was sitting in. “Ohhh, yes the main bridge. My apology Captain but I was trying to get rid of the damn bot.”

“Well Admiral. It is getting in the way here. If you would be so kind as to get rid of it on your Flag Bridge I would appreciate it.”

Jack could not see how a squad of bots could be in the way on such a large bridge making him smile as he turned to the Lieutenant. “You figure out how to get rid of that thing yet?”

“Not unless you want to melt it down Sir. But I am working on it.” She smiled back at Jack.

Jack shock his head as he took a breath. “Robot report to the aaa, the Flag Bridge.” Using the Captain’s name though Jack had never heard of a flag bridge on the Red Pepper before. The bot just stood there. “Eeaa, C3PO…Report to the Flag Bridge… immediately.” But the bot remained silent and still. Getting frustrated, Jack could not remember what the rest of the numbers were with the Captain’s chair blocking him from seeing the numbers under the C3PO on its chest and blurted out what first came to his mind. “C3PO what the fuck!”

The bots eyes flashed on as it blinked. “Yes Captain Turner. Waiting orders.” As half the bridge crew in sight on the screen started chuckling and trying to suppress smiles.

Jack covered his face with one hand as he took another breath. “Come to the a, Flag Bridge.”

“Yes Captain Turner.” C3PO what the fuck, turned and left the main bridge passing the marine guard at the hatch that was doing his best not to laugh and not doing a very good job.

The Lieutenant turned to Jack. “You missed lunch and I am starved, let’s go down and get chow with the crew. I hear that the cooks have been able to make that new grain from the exslaves into some decent pasta Tortachiny and the hot bread is to die for.”

The Captain was still on the screen as Jack held up his hand to the Lieutenant. “How are we doing getting what’s left of the last three squadrons to surrender Captain Murphy?”

“Like the first. Most want to surrender but enough don’t to make it messy. I am hoping that some sense can be talked into them in time. Those guys are going to be a lot harder to assault.”

Winslow waved at Jack from her station.

“Just a second Captain.” Turning to face Winslow. “What is your problem?”

“They have fighters running up the passageways. They look like messengers trying to contact any survivors and turning them around to head back down the Maze.” She highlighted the fighters speeding up the passageways on this end of the maze that had battleships in them at one time and now had mostly hulks.

“Captain, they are sending fighters up the passageways. I need you to make sure they are intercepted before they can contact anyone at this end or we will never get these guys to surrender.”

“We have pickets out now Admiral to spot any activity that may come up any of the corridors.”

Jack watched Winslow magnify that area in a window showing only a pair of fighters down each passageway. Then she pointed out an icon off to the side of the Maze that was not moving.

“I want you to double up on the 3 passageways I am marking on the tactical I will be sending you in a minute. Take half the fighters out of the others and string them farther down the three passageways.”

“But Admiral what if they send a large force up the other passageways.”

“Not a problem. We will have plenty of time to take care of anything that gets past the pair of fighters in the other corridors. But we cannot let anything get through to the remaining enemy ships here on our end. You will understand as soon as my sensor operator sends you the feed from the flag bridge.”

Taking a deep breath as he stared at Winslow his new Sensor operator. “We also have a Transport boat stranded from that last attack on the Staging Station. I am giving you their coordinates. Send someone to repair, tow them out or bring the crew out if nothing else. The other three surviving Transport boats should be docking in another half hour. Call me when they get in. I am going to get a bite to eat then I will see what we can do to get some more ships to surrender. Try to identify which ships are not wanting to surrender. We may have to take them out. But I hate to kill the crews simply because of stupid Captains. Out.” A flash caught Jacks eyes deep inside the maze with answering gunfire. “No wait. How many DD’s are still out in the maze?”

“All 6 Admiral, they have no reason to return and we have no way to intercept them or get messages to them and I did not think to limit their time or set up rendezvous points when I sent them in. We have no way of even knowing if they are still alive.”

“Shi…! Well I know one is still alive. Winslow can you track them?”

“I think I can now I know you want me to look for them. Aaaaa.” Her fingers flew over the keys in front of her. “Yes, I have them. All 6 of them and they seem to be making their way back up this way. It looks like all 6 skipped Battleships along the corridor they were on until they ran out of ships and are now on their way back killing much of what they missed on the way down. The fighters and bombers that went down the corridors did not go down a quarter as far but then they had to return to rearm after each attack but then the battleships kept coming until they didn’t. Eventually it looks like the Battleships started turning around and fleeing at some point as surviving fighters and boats made their way down the passageways informing the other Battleships. I can see groups of what looks like destroyed Battleships in each of the corridors and then nothing but retreating ships. That is except in the Corridors the DD’s are in. I can see the tide as the fleeing ships pass ships still coming up the corridors that turn around to join the growing stampede. Two of the DD’s have already hit that stampede and are killing the engines in most of them with ships retreating down side corridors to get away from them and are not slowing down.

Fact is Admiral, I think some of the battleships all across the Maze have taken wrong turns and are lost in the maze. A dozen lone ships at least already and what looks like a whole squadron, are off by themselves far from what I think is the proper corridors.”

“Ok. Any idea how long before the DD’s show up back here?”

“Sorry Admiral. Too many Battleships with no way of knowing how many they will attack or how long it will take.”

“Damn. Send the plot to the bridge Winslow.” Jack turned to his comm screen. “Captain Clancy. I need you to send a pair of fighters down each of the corridors we sent the DD’s down and see if they can make contact with the DD’s. As long as the Battleships are headed back down the damn Maze they don’t need to waste time hitting them. Out.”

Jack got up and headed for the hatch. “You coming for some chow Winslow?”

“I eat already and though the alien shit is better than rations, the food still has a ways to go yet.” Smiling mischievously. “Though the hot Bread is to die. Probably because it is the first decent food I’ve had in 6 months. Anyway I am working on a few refinements on both the sensors and your L-comm laser. Have fun kiddies.”

“Admiral?” a small Squeaky voice said from the far side of the bridge.

Jack turned in the hatch and looked around and finely found a little raised hand waving from one of the recessed consoles. “Yes?”

The soft squeaky voice continued. “I am getting another long range transmission from one of the enemy ships but this one seems to be wide beam and in the clear. I can understand most of what is being said.”

“Ok.” Jack walked over to look down at the little woman turned around at her console with one hand to an earpiece looking up at him. “So what are they saying?”

“Just screaming for help sir.” Looking up at Jack she shrugged her shoulders. “The other messages before were mostly local between squadrons with the occasional tight beam crisp messages away from us probably toward the Maze Station from my readings.”

“What other transmissions Ensign? This is the first I have heard of any.”

“Sorry sir but since we could not decipher them, the Comm Chief did not think you would be interested. We had 12 definite sources transmitting when the scout DD’s were first taken out but over the hours of the attacks and captures, 11 transmitters went down, some in the middle of transmissions and we are left with only this one last transmitter Admiral.” Smiling sheepishly up at Jack. “And he is one pissed off Rear Admiral, screaming for reinforcements but so far no one has answered him.” Turning around she tapped her console. “Ops Admiral, someone is answering him now but not in the clear. Looks like it is from the Maze Station Admiral and his transmission just went encrypted.”

Jack shook his head to hungry and tired at the moment to care enough to get pissed, he tapped his wrist Comm. “Captain Clancy. I want the ship to have a new Comm Chief by the time I get done with breakfast and if I ever have to hear about past enemy Comm transmissions from an Ensign on watch again, you will be looking for a new job. I will expect a full report on enemy comm traffic as soon as I get done with breakfast. Out.”

Jack walked off of the bridge and stopped after realizing that no one had made the stupid Captain or Admiral leaving the bridge announcement. Even better than not having to personally fire someone or replace them7p. “You know. I could get used to this.”

Jack and the Lieutenant stopped by the Day cabin so Jack could change out of the big black and red combat suit with the medals that jingled with each step and found the smell of something good wafting in the air. The Marine Terrell came out of the cabins pantry and sat a pot of something steaming down onto the middle of the table that was already set.

“Stroganoff Admiral and I will have a sliced loaf of hot bread out in just a moment. All courtesy of the slave grain we picked up at New Home and some supplies raided from the captured Battleships. We are finally figuring out how to cook with it like old fashion earth wheat. You will have to tell me if you like what I did with it.”

“Well it smells wonderful.” The Lieutenant said as she sat down at the table without waiting for Jack to shuck his suit. Jack followed as his stomach decided the suit could wait.

Jack closed his eyes at the first bite. He did not know what Winslow was talking about the new slave food not being that great. The Stroganoff tasted good enough to be from one of Earths top restaurants or maybe it was the chef. Though Jack realized that after emergency rations for so long, anything half way decent would probably taste great.

Jack started to protest as Terrel took the pot off the table with the extra plate when Jack was just getting ready to refill his plate. “Sorry Admiral but it is not good for you to pig out after eating rations for so long. It will reheat nicely later. Have another slice of bread and I will take that too.”

Jack started to growl at the Marine but really didn’t have the will as he sat back and looked out the cabins bulkhead to bulkhead, deck to overhead window port and the growing squadron of Captured Battleships in the distance with several starting to attach the hulks to their forward shield decks as the DD’s brought them up from the Maze. He realized that several of the DD’s were from the batch they just captured with their high numbers and no Cannons slung underneath. Making him feel glad they were part of his fleet even if they lacked the new engine and big guns. Lazily tapping the comm. “Captain Clancy, have the engineers started upgrading the weapons on our new DD’s yet?”

The Captain turned to the screen facing Jack. “Aaa, Yes Admiral. They only have time for the most basic upgrades to the guns and targeting program and sensors but even that will be a big improvement. They have even added generators in the boat hangers doubling the weapons power. Attaching the two boats to the outside between the cooling fins.”

Jack looked closer and notice the boats where the Captain said they were. “Good. How many of them do we have?”

“Sixteen Admiral. The rest are on their way to New Home for major repairs. I have already talked to New Home and they are sending the scoops and 16/12 guns for them on one of the new armed tramps that volunteered to bring them along with more torpedoes and TB’s that have been completed since the fleet left. Each DD will only be able to handle 2 of the 16/12 inch guns without the engine upgrades but that is still a lot of kick ass Admiral.”

Jack smiled as he watched one battleship rotate about half the turrets Jack could see on the side facing him, to one side away from the growing number of ships. Jack was surprised when they fired them in one salvo out into the cloud. Then slowly one by one, the rest of the turrets started turning to the side as well and one by one they fired into the cloud. The first individual beams coming from invisible turrets on the other side of the ship surprised Jack as they fired randomly as well. Though he could see the bright beams from the muzzles of the guns through the ship as they fired he could not see the turrets turning into place with the rest not giving him any warning before they fired as they were simply cold metal objects until their guns fired.

The other battleships started testing their guns as well and slowly bringing them all on line. Large and small. Jack still could not believe that the Battleships had let so many of their weapons drop off line simple because union rules prevented one worker, even a bot, from doing multiple tasks and then requiring rescheduling onto the bottom of job lists if additional trades or workers or additional equipment was required each time something new was discovered on a job, even in the middle of repairing a weapons system. Even if all the job needed to be completed was one unscheduled worker to push a button, the job was dropped to the bottom of the repair list. With crewman only working a couple hours a day resulted in most simple repairs taking days and even weeks.

“What about the Battleship weapons Captain? How long is it going to take to upgrade their weapons to at least keep them from burning Barrels out after only a few shots?”

“That is a lot of guns Admiral. Once we know a gun will fire they will start plugging them to upgrade them but with all the ships we are commissioning we don’t have enough gas to upgrade them all even though we brought quite a bit of the gas with us. We are not diluting it down like the exslaves had to on the Red Pepper when they had a limited supply. The concentrated gas increases the speed of the crystal deposit coating to only a few hours. The reinforcements already headed this way have additional Crystal Gas but I don’t know if they will get here in time to do all the weapons of all the ships. I am just coating the weapons on the 9 Battleships in the best condition right now. The last of them are test firing their weapons now before they start their conversions.”

“Well.” Taking a breath. “While you are at it. Make sure they plenty of foam armor covering the cores. I don’t want their fighters taking our ships out the way we did theirs.”

“I will give them a call now and check Admiral. I have just finished talking to the Firefly and her crews have just finished plugging all the weapon’s barrels to upgrade their guns a few minutes ago and the foam around the cores is half done though they are filling a lot more of the hanger than called for. She will be read for combat in a couple of hours. She is the Battleship in the best condition right now but I am told the other 8 will be in as good of shape in 5 or 6 hours. If they have the time. The others will have to wait for the reinforcements to arrive to finish most of the repairs to their engines making them too slow for combat. But we should have 18 to 27 of them with upgraded weapons by the time the reinforcements arrive depending on how long it takes for the first 9 to finish upgrading. Then a few more hours to repair the engines and we should have a good sized battle fleet to kick the Congressional Earth fleets butt. By your leave Admiral. Out.”

Jack smiled as he watch the slowly growing fleet. With the same crews going back to different ships even using Navy regulations instead of Union rules, Jack was not expecting results this fast. After all the ship’s basic design was not that old since they had only been producing them since the remnants of the fleet had returned from the Rim Battle. Especially with all the automation reducing the crew size needed to what would have previously been a skeleton crew.

Jacks Comm beeped. Still admiring the view and finally too full to move as the little bit of food had caught up to him, Jack lazily tapped the icon on his forearm screen of his Combatsuit.

“Admiral, Captain Coyote here. We have finished mopping up the captured barges and the last of them are being pushed around the 3rd enemy squadron now. We are ready to take the remaining squadrons of ships Admiral. I have a plan to do a fast suit drop from the cloud onto them that should result in the loss of at most 10% of our troops before we land. Less if these gunners are as bad as the rest.” Noticing Jacks face sour at the 10% casualty rate. “Sorry Admiral but this type of drop usually results in at least 3 % and sometimes 5% casualties from accidents even in training. The 10% is only an estimate and includes none lethal casualties. I expect it to be much lower and close to the training figure Admiral. But that is still only a guess.”

“Still you have not had any major casualties so far boarding from boats.”

“I am sorry Admiral but yes we have had 3 deaths so far but that is not unusual for multiple operation this big and strewn out over such a large area. We left all the armored sleds and assault boats back at New Home. The boats we are using are not armored and even though we have been able to approach the ships from relatively safe angles using hulks for cover and even the cloud. Some of the boats have been hit multiple times with small point defense turrets killing a marine and a pilot while the other marine was killed by friendly fire when a weapon accidentally discharged after another marine fell off a balcony in one of the ships rec rooms. It was a pure fluke that the shell traveled clear across the ship to hit the marine dead on. I don’t think I could have made that shot if I had tried and I am rated Marksman. The marine’s weapon fired when he hit and broke his arm landing with his arm and weapon on the corner of a pool after falling 3 decks even through the suit. Damn mess from the word go.”

“What has been unusual so far is the lack of the normal accidents and casualties an operation this size would have produced even without all the live fire. But our problem assaulting the remaining ships is that the ships are fare from anything resembling cover to approach them from. Even assault shuttles would not stand up against 24 inch guns as far as they would have to travel out in the open across the unusually wide corridors where all the remaining ships are keeping themselves with the possibility of multiple 5inch gun and missile hits even if the 24’s manage to miss at point blank range. No, our best bet is to do a High speed Cloud drop. It is possible that most of the ships will not even see the spread out troops before they are down on their hulls. Though if one squadron is able to warn the others through the cloud, that would change fast.”

“Ok, What kind of time line are we looking at Captain. If I remember right we could be looking at several hours just to set up each of the 3 drops.”

“Yes Admiral. A good 6 hours and longerdepending on how long it takes to take each succeeding squadron. Taking out the squadron with 5 ships to begin with and then the smaller squadrons to account for the casualties and the smaller numbers of troops available in each succeeding operation.”

Jack winced at the probable casualties just from packs that would fail to stop some troops in time from impacting the hull of the ships or missed the ships completely. “I take it you are planning on having to take every ship in each squadron at the same time correct?”

“Yes sir. If we miss one it could leave the pack and be twice as hard to take later with it warned.”

“Now that depends on if it wants to surrender or not. I think that if we take out just the ships that do not want to surrender and are threatening the ones that do, we will save time and effort. Time we don’t have and effort that results in casualties. You haven’t had any problems with ships that have struck their colors have you?”

“No sir. Except for a few hard core hold out crewmen we have had to round up but with our combat suits they have not been able to harm any of my marines so far.”

Jack watched as several of the new Battleships got their shit together and started firing full broadsides of all their guns including their point defense guns. One had already started launching targets for the guns to practice hitting. Though their hit rate was still shit. That would improve in time and practice. Which they didn’t have right now with the Battleships having to shut down their guns to upgrade them. Though it looked like these Battleships were going to get as much practice in as they could right now before they shut down to upgrade their guns. After all it looked damn impressive when a Battleship fired all it guns giving the ships crews and the gunners themselves a rush. Jack smiled as more of the Battleships joined in when a Barrel on one of the battleships exploded as Jack watched and a few seconds later another followed and the turret flew out of the side of the ship in a huge geyser as the fully charged capacitor went up with it.

All the battleships stopped firing at once as if a switch had been shut off. The lot of them deciding that target practice could wait until after the guns were upgraded.

Shaking his head he took a deep breath. Play time was over. Jack looked back at the screen with the marine Captain on it. “The problem with your plan is that if one squadron is able to transmit a warning to the other the squadrons the remaining assaults could be disastrous. And I am sorry to find out that all the squadrons Command ships had Long Range Transmitters at one time. We need a way to attack all three Squadrons at the same time. What if you boarded the hold out ships from another battleship close beside? Wouldn’t that cut down time and casualties Captain?”

“Yes sir but assaulting from another ship even at point blank range is still dangerous and getting the transport boats up that close to every ship in those squadrons without getting fired on is problematic. Resulting in a lot more casualties if even one boat is hit and we could lose several easily Admiral! Our boats would be fucking asteroids!” The Captain blurted out. “Aaa I believe sir.” The Captain tried to back track his criticism of Jack’s ludicrous idea. “Which is why we need to do a Cloud jump Admiral.”

“Listen damn it. Our boats can’t get close, but their boats can. Actually whole squadrons of their boat could if we approach them right.” Jack smiled as he tapped the comm bringing the Ship’s main bridge up next to the Marine Captain. “Captain Murphy. Have you found out which are the hold out Battleships that do not want to surrender yet?”

“Yes Admiral. We have. They are all the flag ship of each squadron and can’t be missed with tons of additional armor and extended Command decks and a hundred main guns instead of 60 making them a lot bigger than the others. Are you going to allow Captain Coyote to do a High Velocity Drop from the Cloud on the Command ships?”

“No. I think it is time for the Enemy reinforcements to show up finally.”

“What?” Both Captain’s mouths dropped open.

Chapter 28; Last of the holdouts

Jack sat in the X-wing fighter’s cockpit as he pulled up around the Battleship as its guns started firing into the cloud across the corner of the passageway. A second and third battleship to the sides and behind the first fired as well. The Three Battleships only had a couple of engines running unlike the 9 including the Firefly in the middle of getting their weapons upgraded. Though they had most of their weapons they still needed a lot of repairs before they were truly combat ready but for this operation they only needed to look good and the damage simply made them look more like a relief force.

The DD’s had bored a hole through the cloud to position the three battleships well down the passageway from the largest of the remaining squadrons. Two other captured battleship groups had done the same down the passageways leading to the other squadrons and were shooting up their own passageways making a show that all three remaining Congressional Communist squadrons could detect through the cloud even though communication was impossible. Jack was hoping that the show would convince all three Squadron Commanders that a major relief force had been sent up from the Staging Station for them and allow them to approach without questions. Though Jack was already having second thoughts about the whole mater.

The six X-wing fighters found in storage on each of the battleships puzzled Jack since the Battleships did not even carry pilots for them. Though with the small boat bay that had been moved from the middle of the engine decks to up around the Fusion Power Cores on the new design really did not have room to operate more than the few shuttle boats the Battleships originally had pilots for. And then what little room the hangers had was due to the lack of armor around the power cores. Big mistake all the way around. The engineers who designed the Battleship sacrificing the armor for the flight deck and hanger. Which Jack thought was stupid since they had a dozen decks in the front half of the ship that would have worked perfect for large hangers with plenty of room for boats and fighters even when they were used as mass tanks before the new engines had been installed. The only thing Jack could figure out was that the civilians that had designed the ships could see no reason to put a lot of boats and fighters on a Battleship. After all the big guns were the Power and the reason of the Battleship’s existence.

Jack looked over at the Lieutenant flying his wing and was surprised at how close she was staying. She was getting good as he winged over and headed up the passageway toward what was left of the squadron now that they were in sight. Wanting to get to the Command ship and make sure the Squadron’s commander would accept their IFF before he risked the boats with the marines or the Captured Battleships getting close. Though the Battleships at least had armor facing the enemy that were plenty of protection from 24inch guns. Jack was simply hoping to avoid all ship to ship fighting that could destroy the ships that wanted to surrender sitting with their butts toward the huge command ships that might decide to take the others with them if the shooting started. Jack just hoped using the big ships behind him to keep the enemy’s attention worked to get his fighters close enough to land on the 100 gun monsters.

Jack waited until his IFF was answered and accepted and then hoped he was not going to have to talk with anyone but knew there was only a slight chance of that.

“Approaching fighters identify yourself immediately or you will be destroyed.”

Jack had to keep from laughing at that statement knowing that at this range unless their marksmanship was a lot better than the others ships had been, he did not have to worry about that. “Lieutenant Parker Commanding the Hurst Squadron, Flying Fighter Squadron 1. We found that using our fighters to clear the cloud around the Corridor could prevent the enemy from getting close enough to target our Battleships. We lost a lot of ships learning how. We are here to reinforce you. More squadrons are coming behind us. Central Command has ordered all squadrons to bunch up to provide the maximum firepower possible against the enemy during the coming attack on the entry head of the Maze. Requesting permission to approach.”

“This is Vice Admiral Antonov, you will approach and block any ships from leaving my squadron. I have Captains talking about surrendering. You are ordered to position your ships around my Command ship to protect me.”

“By your orders Admiral. I will have marines joins us from my ship. Request permission to deploy marines and arrest any traitors Admiral Antonov?”

“Yes! Yes, deploy your marines to arrest the Captains of all the ships around me. That is an order.”

“Very well Admiral, the squadron is a half hour out. By your Command Vice Admiral Antonov.” Jack cut the comm and 20 minutes later his fighter slid up to the Command Battleship with 17 other fighters and a half dozen Republic transport boats from the captured Congressional battleships. Other fighters and transport boats were doing the same to the other two enemy Battleship squadrons at that very moment. At least he hoped they were. They were out of communications for the moment since they had decided it was not worth the risk using the comms to the other squadrons during the attacks to prevent the enemy from detecting anything amiss and warning them.

At less than a thousand feet, Jack pulled the trigger sending 4 of the small anti-ship missiles the fighter carried into the side of the ship’s relatively unarmored hull between the lowest of the thick armored decks. Then Jack slid through the hole and landed on the Command ship in the empty 400 foot diameter 50 foot tall tank followed by the rest of the fighters and the thin skinned transports boats. Jack locked his fighter down as the other fighters and transports dropped onto the deck around him before jumping out and grabbing his weapons from the side storage compartment. The 200 marines from the Republic transport boats were already headed down into the Battleship.

Two minutes later Jack with his cannon and the Lieutenant with her cut down version of the Ape Assault weapon with 216 Battle armored ape and human marines, were rapidly descending the main power trunk leading down into the Battleship’s crew section. Three minutes later after a few brief one sided battles, Jack walked onto the ships Command Flag Bridge after meeting no resistance at the hatch as the rest of the attacking marines fanned out down the ship.

“You fool. You are supposed to assault the other ships damn you! Now get your butts over their before I have you and your families killed.”

Jack just smiled and shot him in the chest with his stun pistol. “Well, enough of that.” Hitting his comm. “This is Admiral Turner. I have captured your Command ship and Admiral Antonov. You are ordered to surrender your ships or I will be forced to destroy you.” Jack adding the last to make the captains that had already wanted to surrender feel better about the process and hopefully save their families from some grief.

Four Relieved Captains immediately surrendered their ships. Thirty minutes later Jack with the Lieutenant by his side, watched marines and volunteers in new armored suits and weapons from the newly arrived Captured Battleships spread out across the other 4 new undamaged acquisitions. Rounding up the old crews and sending them up into one of the empty mass storage tanks in each ship to start processing. Bots had slapped an Air Curtain over the hole Jack had blasted then proceeded to convert the tank into a boat bay and hanger. The other newly captured ships receiving the same treatment as they cut hatches into the hull between the armored decks of the lower mass tanks to make new fighter and boat bays able to handle a good number of spacecraft.

Jack finely slipped his fighter out of the new hanger that was already crowded with boats coming and going between ships followed by the Lieutenant in her fighter and then slipped over into the second squadron’s passageway to check their progress only to find with some relief that his crews were already docked and going through the 4 ships. The ships already receiving their new boat bays. Volunteer Fighter Pilots from The Game circling around the ships after taking the fighters from the marines that had used them to assault the Command ship and were now doing their job as deck pounders again.

“Admiral, Red Pepper. Trouble with the third Squadron that was running 15 minutes late. The Command ship let our fighters and boats close with it to point blank range and then opened fire, destroying half of the fighters and badly damaged several of the boats carrying the assault marines before they could hide amongst the hulks. Our ships then demanded that they surrender as they closed and the Command ship surrendered but ordered our squadron to stay back. I ordered them to maintain their distance until we could get there Admiral. I am headed there now. Murphy over.”

“No Captain! Order them to close as fast as possible and flank the command ship. We don’t have time to let them settle into a stalemate. Do not stand off. Order the other ships that surrendered to move away from the Command ship ASAP. Order the DD’s into the nearby cloud as well, flanking its shield decks but hold their fire. I am headed there now. Turner out.”

Jack winged around one of the battleships in the second squadron using his wings mag-mass coils to grab the mass of the ship and pull his fighter around only feet above the hull flying between the turrets and then zipped away from the Battleship firewalling the throttle as he headed out and over to the last Squadron. He was surprised that the Lieutenant had stayed with him through the maneuver as the rest of his escort fell behind. The Volunteers that took over the fighters still getting used to the real McCoy. Though he had not expected them or the Lieutenant to follow him through that crazy maneuver. Scarring himself when the 24inch gun barrels of a turret suddenly moved into his way as they returned to ships cruising trail fore and aft along the hull. The new crew wasting no time getting things squared away.

Sliding around the corner of the Corridor Jack could not believe his ears as the Command ship’s Admiral screamed that he was surrendering but to stay away. The Command ship turning to point its armored decks at the 3 rapidly closing ships who now had their sterns toward the Command ship as they slowed. The other two surrendering Battleships already pulling away as Jack had ordered trying to put some distance between them and the Command ship.

As Jack closed he started to pick out the wreckage from the knocked out fighters drifting around the Command ship in disbelief. Realizing that as slow as he had approached the Battleship he had helped take a short hour before, that he could have been killed just as easy. Slow fighters at that range did not stand a chance and he had sent these men in to their deaths.

Then the Command ship with its bow pointed directly at the 3 approaching Battleships at point blank range with their assess toward him decelerating, opened fire. Some 40 to50 beams streaked out to hit the stern and side of the center Republic crewed Battleship that was ahead of the others and was already coming to a stop almost broadside across the bow of the Command ship.

Jack could not believe that so many turrets on the 100 gun Command ship were not working but glad they were silent. Eight of a dozen torpedoes tubes on the enemy ship were fired as well. The 8 torpedoes racing away to the sides before arcing back around toward the Republic’s captured Battleship at point blank range. Several seconds passed before the point defense guns started sending beams after the torpedos.

Dozens of beams plastered the already dead engines on the side facing the Command ship. The one remaining engine working on this Battleship with only a small exhaust nozzle sticking out the back getting hit and knocked out by a single torpedo that made it through the Point defense turrets that were not quite up to snuff yet before the Battleship could turn its stern away. The now tumbling ship’s bow slowly turned toward the enemy gun fire. The remaining torpedos hit the bow of the ship blasting large holes between the shield decks.

Jack watched several laser hits on the section between the engines and the Weapons section holding his breath as he waited for the ship’s fusion core to explode as several beams penetrate the lightly armored hull of the boat locks and hanger section surrounding the core. Hoping that the added foam armor he had ordered applied around the core did its job even if it did take up quite a bit of hanger space.

The Republic Battleship immediately answered the Congressional Command ships gun fire with its own. Jack being surprised that any guns were left to shoot as most of the turrets already facing the enemy sent beams out to hit the armored hull or flank of the Command ship knocking huge chunks off the hull along the armored decks of the bow. Jack was surprised as well when many of the beams managed to take out turrets far back along the sides of the Command ship but then the enemy battleship was pointed at the armored bow of the Republic’s captured battleship instead of the weapons section allowing most of the guns of the Republic ship to shoot down one side of the Congressional ship to hit the weapons section.

The new Republic Battleship’s own torpedoes flying around and ignoring the armored bow of the enemy ship hit the weapons section. Jack thinking that most of them got through and hoping they knocked out at least some of the turrets. Seeing how large the holes were from the Black hole torpedoes, they had to have knocked out something. Jack silently thanking god that the entire crew were inside the lower armored core of the Republic’s new battleship where they were safe.

Seconds ticked by waiting for the guns to recharge as the other 2 Battleships rapidly approached sliding off to the sides to get the Command ship in a cross fire. Jack praying that they would not fire until the last possible moment as the Command ship recharged her main guns. The longer they waited,the better of a position they would be in to fire on the enemy ship and the more damage they would do before they too had to wait to recharge their weapons. Jack deciding then that sending them back to New Home to be completely upgraded with new plasma line power generators and gun tube liners that more than double the weapons’ power and rate of fire was better than letting them face one sided battles against the approaching enemy that outnumbered them. No, he would stick with the DD’s and the Red Pepper that not only had the weapons but could maneuver decently. These Battleships wallowed like cows or garbage scows anyway, making them worthless in the rapid maneuvering battle inside the cloud.

Jack dropped his targeting blip onto one of the turrets as he closed within range and pulled the trigger. The 20mm lasers of the Republic fighter, even at point blank range,merely scratched the paint off the armored turret under his telescopic sights before Jack had to turn (cursing the light weight guns) and start slowing down to stay away and out of the line of fire of the enemy’s defense guns. Heading for the nearest hulk to keep from becoming a target of the Point defenses that had taken out to many good fighters and the marine’s flying them already. Though maybe if they had been well trained fighter pilots they would have had the reflexes to survive. Realizing how stupid his plan was even if it had worked on the other holdout squadrons. It had already cost those lives as well as the marines killed on the damaged unarmored transports not to mention the hundreds that died in the battleships now shooting at each other.

The now tumbling Republic Battleship’s side that had not fired on the enemy ship came around with the ship’s Captain waiting until his Battleship was fully broadside to the enemy before firing. Allowing the guns to rake down the side of the Command ship taking out as many enemy turrets as possible. The enemy Command ship Captain still not following the weapons section of his tumbling enemy with his bow. Leaving his ship pointed at the center of his enemy which now was the long heavy armored section that the relatively light weight weapons section was orbiting around.

Jack could not see from his side if any turrets were knocked out though he did see several energy spikes but those could be from most anything including the smaller 5 inch turrets or fixed missile magazines.

Jack knew the recharge time on the 24 inch guns was 30 seconds but as he sat quietly in his cockpit closing with the Battleships, the 30 seconds seemed like hours. Looking at the timer again as his mind raced to find out that each look was only a few seconds later.

Then at 25 seconds after the enemy had fist fired, the 2 Republic Battleships coming up to the sides of the Command ship fired almost as one. The guns on the side facing the Command ship tearing into its weapons section. The 24 torpedoes from the 2 ships following a few seconds later. Gaping holes opening up all along Command ship’s weapon section’s hull sending torrents of plasma from almost fully charged Capacitors flying out into space with turrets, equipment and torn sections of the ship.

Then Jack sat back and prayed that the Command ship no longer had weapons to fire with and then all too sudden, some 30 beams streaked out and tore into the tumbling center Republic Battleship that really was no longer the main threat followed by 6 torpedoes instead of 8 or even 12 giving Jack some minor relief. Until most of them slammed into the still tumbling Republic Battleship hemorrhaging hull and deck sections, equipment and even several 5 inch and point defense turrets. Jack was surprised when what looked like a tumbling hulk answered a few seconds later with about half of its 24 inch turrets on that side and another 12 torpedoes.

Then Jack noticed that the 5 inch guns on the 2 flanking Battleships were pounding away at the enemy Command ship making Jack wish they had had enough time to upgrade them to something that could knock out the 18inch turrets. And then only 10 seconds after the enemy 24inch guns had fired on one of the center ship, 15, 24inch guns from one of the flanking ships sent bright yellowish white beams into the Command ship. It took a couple of seconds to realize that the Captain had evidentially cut power to one of the Capacitors in each turret so he could send the power to recharge the remaining gun faster and then only waited until they were at 90% charge to fire. At point blank range 90% power was plenty of heat to knock out turrets. The other flanking ship followed suit a few seconds later and was situated where Jack could see its beams striking several of the 18 inch turrets on the Command ship knocking them out.

Ten seconds after the first single gunned broadside each ship fired another and 10 seconds later another. Each taking out more turrets as the tumbling center Republic Battleship fired its second side that still had all its turrets intact since the Command ship could not fire at them directly.

The Command ship surprised Jack by firing a much subdued broadside along with only 3 torpedoes but this time both guns and torpedoes were concentrated on the hanger section of the tumbling Republic Battleship and the Fusion Power Core that would destroy the ship. Though at this close range, such an explosion would take out all of the ships around it. Jack held his breath for the inevitable if the ass hole succeeded. It was too late to run.

As boats and hull sections floated away with no explosion, Jack said a silent prayer for the added armor and slammed the throttles to the stops. He did not notice the Lieutenant or the escort that had finally caught up to him as he headed for the stern of the enemy Command ship. He had 30 seconds to get on that Battleship.

More guns and torpedo’s started slamming into the Command ship’s weapons section one at a time instead of in broadsides. The gun fire slowing to a steady cadence of a beam or two every second or two as they hunted turrets instead of simply trying to damage. The fire being more precise as they realized that they had to take out the damn turrets before they had a chance to blow the Core on the tumbling hulk.

And then Jack realized that the tumbling hulk had not fired its second side broadside and hoped it was simply the fact that the Captain had realized what the Command ship was doing and scrammed his Cores. That the ships flanking the Congressional Communist ship were better situated to take out the enemy than he was even if he kept his cores going to power his weapons. A hard glance at the hulk told him he was right as the cores were growing cold.

Suddenly a dozen DD’s were streaking in firing their upgraded 8/7.7 inch weapons into both sides of the Command ship at an incredible rate compared to the Battleships. Followed by Torpedo bombers sending waves of dozens of conventional torpedos at a time into its sides. Jack kicking himself for not having both the DD’s and Torpedo Bombers closer for reinforcements. The minutes it took for them to get here could have cost more than a couple of ships.

With the hits on the weapons section of the Command ship coming so fast, Jack could no longer see anything but scrap metal blowing away from the ship in a growing cloud. With the Republic’s Tumbling hulk’s cores shut down there was no longer a reason to continue the carnage. Besides Jacks fighter was starting to get to close to all the weapons streaming into it for comfort as Jack keyed his comm. “All ships. Cease fire. I repeat cease all weapons fire except for defensive purposes.

And then as he approached and the last of the torpedo’s hit, the ship broke in half with the stern crew and engineering sections drifting back away from the armored decks as they both started slowly tumbling.

Not a minute later the Admiral (to Jack surprise at even being alive) started screaming that if they did not surrender to him, he would detonate the Ship’s Power Core and blow them all up.

Jack could see that the Core had been cranked up to full power and unless the fool was going someplace which was suicide as well, he was getting ready to do exactly what he said.

Checking twice and finding no entry holes blasted any were closer to the Core to his surprise (the gunners being incredibly accurate), Jack slammed his fighter down onto the deck next to the open end of the personnel section with what was left of the Weapons section sticking out forward from the undamaged hull of the rest of the ship. Still not that far away from the armored section tumbling away. A dozen fighter’s strafed the point defenses on that side of the ship as they came in then dropped to the hull around Jack. A DD slid to a stop over Jack with its guns taking out more point defense turrets farther away, then started working its way around the ship.

Dropping down and grabbing his weapons out of the storage bay of the fighter again, Jack paused as the pilots came up to him. The only people in battle armor and decent weapons were him and the Lieutenant. All the rest wore Republic flight suits and light side arms.

Shaking his head Jack could not understand what they thought they were doing as he looked along the other hulks not far away that the transports with the marines and surviving fighters of the first wave had hid behind. A hundred marines were rapidly making their way across the hulks but were still minutes away. “Get back in your fighters. The Lieutenant and I will take care of this loony tune Admiral and the core until reinforcements arrive. They should be here in a few minutes.”

“Bull shit.” One said. “We know what happens if that ass hole manages to detonate the core.”

“All the better reason to get the hell out of here.”

“As I said bull. That core goes up and a lot of people die that can’t run Admiral and reinforcement may be too late. We have no choice but to at least try.”

“Shit! Fine. Lieutenant take them with you and get to the core as fast as you can and shut it down. Jack slipped off his belt with the blast pistol on it and handed it to the pilot that seemed to be doing all the talking. “Take this. At least it gives you some decent firepower.” Then turning to the rest. “If he drops it, the next guy in line picks it up and the next if he drops it and so on. It is the only good weapon amongst you.”

“Come Admiral, he is not about to drop it unless he…”

“Exactly right. Don’t lose the weapon or you are all dead.” Then turning back to the one he handed the weapon to. “You do not lead either. Your weapon is needed for back up on hard points and armored troops. You let someone else take the first shots going through hatches and down passageways as you and the Lieutenant follow with the firepower. That is an order to whoever has the weapon. That includes the Lieutenant and her weapons.” Then looking at the Pilot with Commander on his suit and the lieutenants around him. “The Lieutenant is in Command of your squad. Do everything she orders or suggests or I will blow your stupid brains out myself if by some miracle you survive. She has the Combat experience to keep you all alive and get to the Core.”

The Lieutenant took her belt with the blast pistol holster off and gave it to another pilot as Jack talked. Then prepped her assault gun and the grenade launcher below its barrel before checking the others as Jack headed over the edge of the hull into the ship.

“Where is he going?” Someone asked.

“After the Admiral.” The Lieutenant said throwing a bag over her shoulder filled with breaching charges. “If we can’t get to the core in time maybe he can get to the Admiral in time.” As she headed for the edge as well.

Several hesitated at the edge stopping the Lieutenant in her tracks. “Listen babies. As the Commander said. We are all dead along with a lot of our fellow crewmen if we don’t reach the Core. You just better consider yourselves dead now and get your prayers and goodbye’s over with. Then get your butts in gear and do what has to be done for some of us to live long enough to scram the Cores. Even staring death in the face you still may live. You hesitate or hang back trying to live and you will kill all of us including your cowardly selves. Remember you all volunteered for this. Now get your fearless fucking fighter pilot butts moving.” She dropped over the edge into a part of the ship that looked more like hell than hulk.

It only took a few minutes before they lost their first man when he got into a rush when he found the hatch they were looking for. The Lieutenant had told him to hold until she could catch up and check the hatch before they opened it. The fuel air contents on the other side of the hatch flashed into a torch as the compartment suddenly depressurized through the vent he opened as he stood in front of it. It burned a hole through his unarmored flight suit and then him in less than a second before he was blown away from it.

The Lieutenanthad been worried that the Pilots after only a couple of weeks of training simple did not know things all Navy Bootship trained crewmen knew better not to do and she was right. And then wasted time teaching the pilots about simple basics of air locks and everything else every time she turned around after that.

After going over the proper safe procedures for opening hatches when you did not know what was on the other side of them, she told one of the men to strip the pistol and magazine off the body with the oxygen and other suit supplies.

“But I already have a damn pistol.” The pilot said.

“Well now you have two. One for each hand. Almost enough to make up for how impotent the laser pistols are. That is if you can shoot with both hands when you aren’t picking your nose with it.” Pushing one of the pilots ahead of her then stepping through the hatch. Then to another back through the hatch that was trying to pick the body up. “Leave your buddy behind. If we are still alive in an hour you can come back for it. She said exasperated.

Though once they got into the ship proper and its pressurized passageways still with power to her surprise with half the ship missing, they started doing better with some of them used to fighting or avoiding the gangs in the warrens and apartment blocks of Earth. Though the security crew of this Command ship being a lot more dedicated than the others, started causing delays as they moved down wrecked decks through the ship.

Things were just starting to settle into a pattern when the lead pilot looked around the corner and then took off down the passageway. The Lieutenant started around it and realize that the harmless looking boxes at the other end were anything but harmless. Too late to call them back she flicked the safety off of her grenade launcher as she yelled for them to get down but before she could pull the trigger, half a dozen crewmen rose up from behind the boxes and started shooting taking down the two pilots already running up the passageway ahead of her. Pulling the trigger she heard the thump and watched the grenade arc up as laser rounds hit her armor.

The grenade hit the bulkhead behind the boxes and exploded, three bodies came flying over the boxes as answering fire from the rest of the pilots tore into the rest. The Lieutenant kept running, jerking the slide of the pump thumper putting another round into it as one of the pilots behind her grabbed the weapons and magazines from the dead pilots. The six crewmen with SP on their shoulders lay around the boxes. The pilots finishing off two that were wounded as they grabbed the much heavier Assault laser weapons and their comms.

Even though they had lost two she figured they finally had the weapons to make a good fight of it. That is if she could keep these ass holes from making more fucking mistakes every time they turned around. For Pilots, they were fucking stupid but then not going through the Navies Bootship training she should not expect much from them even if The Game had made decent pilots of them.

“Damn it guys use your fucking heads. Any Bootship recruit could have told you that was a damn barricade with troops behind it. I could have taken care of it without anyone getting hurt let alone fucking killed. Smarten up damn you.” With their point man and guide dead, she turned to another pilot as he finished putting on the light armored suit from one of the SP’s. “Your turn to lead the way. Don’t be as stupid as the other guys were and we will have it made. Look before leaping down the fucking passageways.”

“The main elevators are just up ahead. It will take us all down to the hanger and Cores if they work on this deck.” The man said and started off down the passageway.

She did not like the idea of taking the main elevators but they were running out of time. She fell in behind the guy this time calling him back if he got to fare ahead as she used her sight to survey the ship ahead of them. At least now the guys kept good spacing between them and looked before running down passageways. Though they still were not very good at taking turns running while covering each other.

The barricade trap had been just beyond her range for seeing inanimate objects through the bulkheads and the Security crewmen in basic armor muting their life energy that could have been on the other side of a bulkhead until she had looked down the passageway without the interference of the bulkheads. But then maybe if she had been paying more attention she could have seen and stopped the morons in time. Shaking her head feeling stupid. At the time she had been checking on Jack that was having his own problems trying to get into the central core flag command decks and to the flag bridge and the Admiral. She was just going to have to leave Jack to his job and concentrate on her own job before she fucked up again and got more guys killed. Fighting back the tears, she called the point pilot back as she checked out something suspicious up around the main elevators they were approaching. Another bunch of fricking guards.

Jack looked around the corner at the barricade across the front of the hatch. He was starting to get real tired of all the checkpoint barricades and locked hatches into the Command Core. But at least this barricade and guard was in front of an open hatch that would get him through the 20 feet of armor and into the Central Command Core. That is if he got to and through the damn hatch before it closed on him.

Taking a deep breath Jack slung his cannon over his back and stepped out into the main corridor into plain sight and then turned around to look back down the corridor he had just came out of and then the other corridors before turning back around and walked toward the guards. The guards watched him check several compartments as he walked toward them. Looking back down the passageway he was coming from every few seconds.

Coming out of the last hatch he turned and walked up to the Guards as they watched him without any alarm since he was not in any hurry and had his weapon locked down across his back. Though they had never seen such a suit before or weapon but then the suit was the right color kind of with a red stripe down the sides. Stopping in front of them still far enough away not to be a threat. “You ass holes never seen an Admiral before? Better damn well come to attention and salute before I have your butts in the Brigg.”

They all came to attention and saluted. “Sorry Admiral Sir. We did not recognize your armor but I see your Stars now Admiral.”

Jack walked up to them examining their uniforms for a couple of seconds criticizing them on minor infractions, then looked away from them back down the corridor making them follow his gaze. “You guys see anyone strange around here? Or are you too fucking blind to do your jobs? Five guard posts have been wiped out all ready from mutineers.” Their faces turning to shock as Jack started past them. They had heard that other posts on other decks were having problems. Several started turning their heads toward Jack. “Don’t look at me! Keep your eyes open down those damn passageways for anything and fire first!” Jack bellowed at them. “I am going to find out what the hell is going on.” Jack stepped between them and up to the open hatch.

“But sir. You can’t go in there…”

Jack dropped a couple of grenades off to both sides of the hatch and stepped into the passage leading through the 20 feet of armor. The grenades dropped out of his hand along the side bulkheads and a half second later when they hit the deck they went off blowing the 4 guards down across the passageway. Jack was well protected around the corners while the guards were not as the Helmet flipped up around his head protecting him from the concussion.

Already running, Jack used the concussion from the blast to propel himself the 20 feet through the passageway and up against the open armored hatch being used as a blast barrier protecting the inside of the Core. Only the echoing blast had alarmed every guard on the deck and Jack found himself battling a steady stream of guards running toward the hatch as he headed for the Flagg Bridge. Wishing he had his blast pistol back as the cannon even at low power was tearing up quite a bit of real state. Though it did come in handy as a club when they got to close. All he had to do now was reach the Flag Bridge before it was locked down.

The Lieutenant managed to take out the guards standing in front of the elevator after some careful planning using the 6 security suited pilots (with undamaged SP suits) posing as guards for the others with only one wounded casualty. After taking out a half dozen patrols and check points the Pilots were starting to get the hang of shipboard fighting. The guards were stripped and the two heavy weapons were traded for the pilot’s remaining light weapons. Giving all the pilots heavy weapons to carry making for one nasty heavy weapons squad. The Lieutenant smiled as she found the elevator security key on the Officer. The Key was pure gold and insured that no one could take control of the elevator car from them, not even elevator Control. Taking the freight elevator and spreading the pilots (now all in SP armor with heavy weapons), around the platform in defensive positions laying on the deck with their weapons pointing out the hatch, she inserted the key and the elevator slid out from its parking spot on the deck and entered the down trunk shaft and started gaining speed. She could see several personnel elevator cars going up and down the smaller personnel elevator shafts with cars constantly joining or leaving the two side by side up and down shafts but theirs was the only cargo elevator car anyplace up or down the large pair of side by side cargo shafts.

A Voice suddenly blasted from the speaker next to the control panel. “Cargo elevator 137. Why have you keyed the emergency override?”

The Lieutenant stared at the speaker grill for a few seconds and then smiled. “Emergency on the Hanger deck. We were ordered to report there immediately. You have a problem with that buddy?”

“Yes 137. You did not need to use the override key. Other cars will be delayed waiting for you to get past their decks or to leave the hanger deck. Now take your key out and do not use it again or I will report you.”

The Lieutenant took the key out. “Thank you control. Sorry for panicking. I will not do it again.”

“That is Ok 137, we have had a lot of traffic to the Hanger deck over the last half hour. Everyone thinking they have priority over everyone else. But then I would probably panic too if I had the Admiral screaming at me. Just don’t do it again. I have cleared you straight to the hanger deck. Over.”

The Hanger deck was packed as the crews worked on dragging out a full squadron of fighters that had been in deep storage and preparing them for launching and battle. Having to move the boats including the Admiral’s barges into storage that were taking up most of the hanger was slowing down the evolution with a dozen officers giving different orders to a crew that had never dragged fighters out of storage or put transports or the Sacred Admiral’s Barges into storage before. Everyone were tripping over everyone else with boats and fighters now jammed together with nothing getting done. The fact that the orders to prepare the fighters were well over a half hour old and too late to help the battle was beside the point. The Lieutenant using the confusion as they ran across the hanger to the Fusion core hatch. The Lieutenant still could not believe that they had cargo holds and large equipment rooms taking up deck space that should have gone for the fighters in the first place not to mention that only 3 feet of armor protected the Fusion Core as the group of pilots now armed with the heavy weapons from the security patrols and check points they had taken out on the upper decks, took out the guards quickly and with ease. Once the firing started the ground crews scattered leaving the boats and fighters stranded and alone.

She ran through the open hatch past the dead guards and made a bee line to the closest Fusion Core. The problem was that the pilots had no idea how to safely shut down an active core running at full power, let alone 4 of them. Which meant that she was going to have to make the rounds before one of them could be detonated.

It took her a couple of minutes to properly shut down the first core. Cutting the fuel feed to the core only took a half second but that still left the Fusion ball in the core that could take 20 minutes to burn out. Then switch the cooling to full emergency pressures and running off the storage cells manually to make sure there was not that half second delay the automatics could take when the main generators finally cut out. Then locking the core to the ship manually just to make sure the automatics did not jettison it before she scrammed the core to make sure no one restarted it any time soon. Just scramming the core with it under full power even just after the fuel supply had been cut, could damage the core with the automatics then ejecting it out of the ship just to be on the safe side endangering the ships around it. Not to mention that with the ship parked, the core was not going to get far enough away to save the ship if it did blow as a small percentage did when their containment coils exhausted their emergency power or the lack of a cooling system melted something important before the fusion ball completely burned itself out. Added to the fact that they had no way of knowing how competent the maintenance engineers were.

There was no way to know ahead of time if this crew had kept up with their Planned Maintenance Schedules or Not. It was just a lot safer to keep it aboard the ship where the containment coils were assured of power from the ships emergency supplies and the cooling system could do its job. It did not matter now even with the small chance that the feed system was damaged when the emergency shutdown coils pinched off any possibility of a fuel pellet or two left in the ring even after the fuel feed had been cut off, entered the core. Even if the last pellet was still traveling around the acceleration ring at a good percentage of the speed of light and wound up destroying half the feed system. Making the automatics think they needed to eject the core. They couldn’t.

No. Just hitting the scram button on each Core was the last thing they needed to do right then, it was almost as bad as hitting the self-destruct Key even if they had the codes. No she didn’t have the time to teach a coarse right then but several of the pilots followed her around taking down the steps that was needed to shut the others down.

Jack ran through the open hatch into the Flagg Bridge after taking out the guards on the outside with some well-placed shots as he ran up to the hatch without slowing down. The hatch was a short distance from the corner of the corridor and it only took Jack a half second to get there with the speed he had built up. Then silently taking out the guards standing beside the inside of the hatch before they could react. One good thing about the 3 foot thick bulkhead was that it was sound proof. Slapping the emergency hatch close button on the control panned beside the hatch, Jack could not believe he had made it as the hatch slammed closed without anyone seeming to notice.

Then Jack could not believe the huge Flag Bridge as he looked around. Officers were at the middle on a raised dais drinking coffee around a planning Holographic Tactical tank showing the surrounding ships including the Red Pepper just sliding up beside them. The Admiral that had just been screaming across the comms sat calmly in the Admiral’s chair to one side of the tank. Steaming Coffee mug in his hands. Rings of recessed desks around them were manned and the crewmen busy.

The Congressional Rear Admiral leaned forward as he stared at the Red Pepper in the tank. “I want a full analysis of those huge guns on that ship. Where the hell did they come from? Prepare a message Torpedo so our reinforcements will know the new threat.”

“Shall we include the fact that our gun barrels are burning out in only a couple dozen shots instead of the hundred we were told Admiral?”

“Who the fuck cares about that you moron. Just send the information about this new ship and be quick about it.”

“Oh I don’t think that will be necessary Admiral.” Jack said as he walked out the ramp onto the stage while he digested the fact concerning their gun barrels burning out. “They already know all about it and me. Too bad no one bothered to tell you. Actually the ships that should worry you are the DD’s with the big guns and the new Torpedo Bombers and the Torpedoes meant for killing planetary Cities that are so devastating against ships once they are up to speed. Those are the ones that have taken out almost a hundred Battleships like this one in the last few hours.” Jack spotted the Assault boats approaching the ship he knew were full of marines to join the ones already flooding through the ship and smiled. “Just start closing things down now and be nice prisoners. We will try to get you back to your Democrat Commie friends as soon as possible. After all we are supposed to all be part of the Republic. Though I will take a few of your crew with me that wish to volunteer. So far that has averaged 80 percent which is still a big surprise to me. I did not realize Earth was that bad under your Communist Democrat Unionized Rule.”

Jack surveyed the compartment as he swept the cannon around him and finding no outward signs of resistance he raised his hand for a closer read of the crewmen at the consoles and the Officers around the tank including the Admiral himself.

Hate with a determination to act with some kind of weapon flashed into Jacks mind and he whipped his canon back to a pair of extremely dedicated and experienced security guards in the corner suddenly running towards a closet that must have had something to do with intruder weapons, Jack blew them away with a single shot to each of their sides since they were too close to the open hatch they were headed for to a stop them any other way. “Anyone else planning on causing trouble?” Jack surveyed the bridge again then flopped the cannon over his shoulder down across his back and locked it into place. “Very well Admiral. Now if you would just surrender your ship, I promise you that we will treat you well. All we will do is ask you a few questions to confirm what the other admirals tell us and send you home.”

The Rear Admiral with an oriental face turned his chair to face Jack as he smiled and pointed to a big bright red button with a keyed cover that had been pushed back. “Sorry Vice Admiral Turner. You surrender all your forces to me or I will blow my ship and you into eternity with my ancestors. You and your crews will be sent back to Earth to live out your lives as civilians. With the Motherland providing all your needs.”

Jack’s eyes got big for a few seconds as his mind raced when he first saw the open self-destruct button. Then getting control of himself after a few seconds Jack smiled as a picture of his brother threatening to do something bad if Jack did not do exactly what his brother said and then doing it anyway after Jack complied. Coming up with some lame excuse to do it anyway. Though this time as Jack raised his hands to surrender he was able to read the man like an open book as long as he kept talking to himself. He was used to getting his own way by threatening and lying. Not that he wouldn’t still do whatever he had said he wouldn’t, after he had gotten his way but Jack could see the man was to selfish to kill himself but there was some kind of feeling he could not recognize. Something he had never felt before from anyone. Though as inexperienced as he was with this new mind thing that was no surprise. But Jack knew that the man was lying about not killing them outright for now reason.

At least that was what he thought the strange feelings from the man meant but he was not sure. And then his brother was good at getting so upset that he would do the most stupid of things without thinking. Even destroying his own things and even expensive ships equipment and then blaming whatever he had destroyed on Jack. And his parents would promptly punishing Jack. All too regularly locking him in his cabin for weeks at a time. Though Jack had used that time burying himself into The Game only coming out long enough to eat and shower. Shaking his head out of that dark place, Jack smiled for a second and crossed his arms in front of his chest as he bit his lip.

“Well know I am going to have to call my fleet if that is what you want.” Jack studied the Admiral as he did his best to frown.

“Why certainly boy. Be my guest.” The Admiral waved his hand toward the comm console.

Jack walked over to the Comm and tapped in a channel to the fleet and tied in his suit as well as the ship’s Public Address system. “This is Vice Admiral Turner. All Ships, General order 13. I repeat General order 13. That is all.” Jack turned back to the Rear Admiral and smiled doing his best to hold the man’s eyes. The Admiral taking it as a personal challenge to his authority did not blink.

A minute later one of the officers said. “Damn, they all just disappeared.”

Looking away from Jack to the Officer. “Who disappeared?”

“All the other ships. Even our squadron ships. Hell one of those stupid destroyers latched onto the hulk we destroyed directly in front of us and it is almost out of sight already as well as most of the rest of our hulks.”

Jack looked at the tactical tank and the only things in it were the two halves of the Command Battleship and a lot of wreckage. Though Jack was glad he could see the 3 boats latched onto the front damaged section of the ship and out of sight that had delivered the 3 marine platoons. He knew that while they would take the rest of the ship in short order. Their only real chance was if the Lieutenant was already in the Power Core. Looking down, there was too much armor between them for Jack to tell if she was there or not. But what he could see on the small ship’s condition board on the Flagg deck still showed 3 Cores at full power. Well that was better than 4. Not.

All he could do was stall and hope she got the job done before this maniac lost it and did something stupid. Jack could definitely see the pressure starting to build as the Rear Admiral realized that his bargaining chips and prizes along with his mutinous ships had flown the coop.

Jack started walking toward the hatch the Security Officers had been heading for hoping to keep the Admiral’s attention off the ship’s console behind him along the back of the bridge. “You know Rear Admiral aaa… What is your name is again?”

“It is Chinn you fool. You are on my ship and you don’t even know my name.”

“Well I don’t have a reason to remember the names of my subordinates Rear Admiral Chinn. Do us a favor and close and lock that detonate button on your chair. I am not a spider so destroying yourself to keep any information out of their hands is stupid. They are no place around. Besides, I know a lot more top secret information than you ever will. Which is why I told you we would send you back. You are not worth the time or effort to interrogate. Your superiors have never trusted you with anything worth knowing. Especially something we would be interested in about their plans. So relax and safe that damn switch.”

“I am the Son of the forth cousin of the King of the United States. I know plenty.”

Jack stopped at what looked like a closet hatch. “King? I thought the United States had a President.”

“Just how stupid are you boy? Presidents are for elections where the stupid masses can elect their favorite TV Star every 4 years. The Democratic Communist Workers Party realized hundreds of years ago that the only way to insure that the best Elite was running the country was to only allow the best minds of the country made up from all the Collage Professor Worker party members across the country to choose the head of state for 10 year terms and give them the power to rule over everyone and everything by decrees that are approved by the Congress. To make them Kings for the People and the workers. With a Congress picked by the Elite with Doctorates in Government or Health to actually run things and an impotent House of Representatives for the masses to vote for so they think they have a say in their Government. The Stupid Supreme Court that kept harking back to some stupid Constitution Contract that kept the Government from doing the Things the Democratic Communist Workers Party wanted to do for the Good of the people was abolished. Even though the Judges regularly twisted that constitution to suit their beliefs, that was to unreliable. A King does not need the limitations of a Stupid Constitution that could not breathe and change and allow the Government to tax everyone but the elites and pass the needed strict laws for the lowlife masses as well as start Reeducation Concentration Camps or even establishing a King when the Elites knew it was time for the Good of the majority of People. No they combined the Supreme Court with the Presidency to create the King. The Term President is only used for the masses. We Elites use the term King in our higher circles you low life’s never see.”

The Admiral looked at Jack with disgust. “Don’t you know your history boy? The Freedom you Colonist keep bragging about is not good for the stupid masses. The Earth Governments have proven that time and again over thousands of years. Instead of letting the people vote the best looking and sounding Corrupt ideate that bumbles around doing what he thinks the people want to get elected while taking bribes only to do the bidding of the rich. The masses who eventually vote in Dictators that destroy societies and kill millions. The Academics using the Democratic Communist Workers system around the World have provided the World with Benevolent Kings that take care of the People for their own good.”

“Oh and the rumors of your benevolent President Kings sending millions to die each year in your Worker Reeducation Concentration Camps is not mass murder just because they refuse to agree with the Elite?” Jack stepped into the open hatch and found the Bridges self-defense console the Security officers were headed for but he could not find a single Stun gun or device. Kicking himself again for giving away his damn pistol.

“You uneducated moron. So what if a few Hundred Million stupid, crazy, criminal workers that refuse to do what is good for them die each year or are shipped to the colonies. The bulk transports bringing the life blood of the Colonies to Earth need something to haul back to the stars. The masses in Earths system all have jobs the State has determined is the best suite for them. They live safe, regulated lives free from decisions and stress and temptations and problems they are not equipped to deal with. That is what the Democratic Communist Workers Party is for. To run and decide everything about their lives including what they need and want, insuring that everyone has everything the State says they need with nothing that can hurt them or be used to hurt anyone else. We have created a worldwide utopia and we will take that Utopia to the rest of Human Space even into Alien Space eventually. For the Good of all beings and the Democratic Communist Workers Party.”

“Ok a Utopia with the Highest Crime rate in the Republic where millions die each year in robberies, muggings, rapes and murders even though all weapons are outlawed worldwide. Though more people die in your reeducation camps than from criminals.” Jack mused again about getting his cannon off his back and shooting the ass hole before he could press the Self-Destruct button but knew he was not that fast. Nor was there any way for him to get out of the Admiral’s sight for even a second. The closet was just too small.

“People must be free to do what they want.” Jack said as he looked out of the closet. “Even if they hurt themselves or make bad decisions.”

“Now there you go thinking stupid politically incorrect thoughts. The Masses cannot be allowed to think for themselves. Only the Politically correct educated elite in government approved Elite schools and Universities are allowed the freedom to think as they should for the good of the stupid masses.”

Jack grabbed a remote control screen from the console and returned to the bridge stage. “Ok, you let politically correct murderers and child rapists and other criminals go free while executing people that say or do anything that is politically incorrect like holding church services in their homes or caught drinking from Big Gulp containers in public. Sounds a lot hypocritical to me. My granddad told me once that liars always excuse and protect other liars lest they be caught themselves while jumping at every chance to chastise and condemn honest truthful people for minor harmless slips. After all if others do it even a little, then it is ok if they do it a lot. I wonder Admiral if that is why politicians and some large minorities are so ready to let criminals get away with even murder.”

“Come boy, have you not heard the famous quote by our first King Black? The law that says that it is better to let 10 guilty murderers go free than send even one innocent man to rote behind bars? We are for the civil rights of all people and their right to a fair and impartial trial to make sure no innocent man ever goes to Prison. That is to make sure that our legal system is equal for all men and women.”

“Now isn’t that a coincidence I think I heard something like that not long ago about colony law. Something about letting an innocent man rot in jail if it saved the ten lives one murderer left free would take. But one legal system sounds like it was designed to make sure anyone with brains or connections could break the law including murder and get away with it while the other system is designed to keep all criminals locked up for their crimes. In both cases the innocent still get locked up though in one the innocent are allowed to prove themselves innocent after conviction while the other throws away the keys even when new evidence exonerates them. But that could be one reason why the Colonies have a fraction of the crime rate and prison populations Earth has.” Jack walked over about 20 feet from the Admiral and sat down in one of the empty consoles. Jack noticing that only 2 cores remained on line and started playing with the screen. “But then I am no Lawyer so what do I know.”

“Yes you are just an uneducated back planet moron boy and do not have the mental facilities to understand modern Democratic Liberal Communist concepts. The worst crime is not murder boy, it is thought crimes against the State. No one cares how many stupid lower class people die but the State has to survive.”

“Now that is a fact we will have to just agree to disagree with but then it looks like most of Earth is in my boat. The Democratic liberal Communist State is the only one killing people who disagree with them. So what are you going to do Admiral? Commit suicide because your liberal dogma says you must to protect the Democrat Communist Party from something I am too dumb to understand?”

“Don’t be stupid boy. You are going to surrender to me to save your own life. You low class morons are much too selfish to risk your lives for anything without a gun pointed to the back of your heads. You are no better than our crews.”

Jack smiled at the Admiral as he finished tapping on the screen and a large icon appeared and started flashing. “No I don’t think so. So you may as well as push that button. Or we can just sit here and look at each other for the rest of our lives.”

“No need for that boy. With your fleet gone to safety you have no help and my hand picked security forces will soon have my ship secured from your stupid attempt to take my ship.”

“Well at least I am not throwing a tantrum like a little baby and threatening to blow up the ship just because things are not going my way at the moment. That’s the Cowards way out bringing shame to your whole family.” Jack watched the Admiral carefully to see how he reacted to the taunt about his family.

The Admiral started pounding the arm of his chair with his fist next to the big red open and active self-destruct button. “You Colonists have no concept of Democrat Communist Family Party loyalty and sacrificing one’s self for the Good of the State. You Colonists think nothing of others or the Shame you bring to your families. Forcing the State to liquidate entire Families to remove your contamination. My family will live on in Luxurious Splendor and Privilege. My sons and daughters will go to the best schools and colleges and become kings on their own planets while your family will be lucky if the State allows them to have an old rusty cargo container to live in at our Concentration Production facilities in Earths Antarctic or our outer system factories.” Chuckling. “Of course you have to approve. Just like the colonies, you will have no Union and work days are 16 yours long and the workers using worn out equipment have so many accidents that they rarely last longer than a year as they advance medical sciences as genie pigs and test equipment no human should even be in.” Smiling from ear to ear. “No I will gladly sacrifice myself for the Honor of my Family boy which is why we will win against back planet hicks like you. But luckily I do not need to. You just wait for my security to get here.”

Jack felt that strange feeling again and realized that the Admiral would punch that button because the State had ordered him to no matter how much he wanted to live. But all he could do right now was keep him talking. It worked back on the Turner Joy to keep his older brother from pounding the shit out of him when he was mad enough to kill, sometimes. But he had to find something to talk about that was not as upsetting. Another round of armchair pounding and they all could go up in one big ball of fusion fire.

“Oh really.” Jack spotted a pantry not far from the hatch he had come in and smiled. “You won’t mind if I get myself a small snack while we wait would you?” Jack grabbed the screen and walked over and started rummaging through it and came back with a soda, some fruit and a sandwich. Sitting back down. “Now I have not seen food like this in months.” He said trying not to drool all over it.

Admiral Chinn rolled his eyes and started to turn his chair looking around the bridge. He was just about far enough around to see the ship’s console with only one Fusion Core still going when Jack spoke up. “Thanks moron for the food.” Jack said through a mouth full of sandwich.

The Admiral whipped around. “Who you calling a Moron? I will have you know I have 3 political Science degrees and a Doctorate. That means I can vote where it counts, for the Senate that advises the President King and runs the World Government. I can also become a member of the World Senate and possibly even the Republic’s President someday. Who can you vote for? Some president that is good at acting, who murdered his opponent in the news with reporters that twist facts regularly and political ads that spew lies.”

Taking a deep breath. “Well isn’t that interesting now. My home ship was registered out of Aries 9 where only job holders that are not on any kind of Government subsidies can vote and no candidate can ever run for the same office twice in a row. Though they can hold the office as many times as they can get reelected every second term. You don’t have to worry about incumbents having unfair advantages or the ability to lie about the opponent. The easiest way to overturn an election is to prove the winner or any of his backers lied in any of their ads. Where the only law against free speech is one that allows anyone to stop someone from printing or saying anything anywhere that is untrue about themselves or anyone else and send someone to jail if found guilty and not just fines. The Colonies take lying very seriously even for Salesmen.”

Jack had the Admiral’s attention so he continued. “We also have fines and jail time for malicious suits and prosecutions. Just suing someone to sue and break them is not profitable unless you really have a case. Otherwise you and the lawyer go to jail for very long times. It prevents hordes of Lawyers from taking over whole planets by smothering their legal systems in frivolous single person minority lawsuits over anything and every minor phantasy. Where people cannot sue and hold others responsible for their own stupidity or clumsiness including spilling hot coffee in their lap at a drive threw. Lawyers cannot sue and loose then walk away as if nothing has happened leaving their victim ruined financially and mentally broke. No, the losing plaintiff and his lawyer go to jail, paying heavy fines commiserate with what they tried to get out of their victims. Amazing how even that little tidbit reduces the cost of lawsuits that are legitimate. Layers also cannot simply sue politicians with no recourse, forcing them to do the lawyers bidding or face legal or political ruin as so many governments in earth’s history have fallen from in the past. They wind up in Jail. Nor can people close down whole industries putting millions out of work simply because one person takes offence at something no one else cares about or thinks an insect is more important than a human life.

“What the Colonies have realized is that the millions of little pin prick minority lawsuits to terrorize and force the vast majorities to kowtow to the wishes of small groups or even one person with the help of Judges that legislated from the bench, twisting the words of their written Constitution and simple bill of rights or even ignoring them when they did not agree with it, was the main reason Earth turned into a Democratic Communist State of false Freedoms for the People run by only a few (self-proclaimed) Enlightened, Academic’s (that never had to live in the real world outside protected hallowed halls) Democrat Communist Lawyer Dictators. Not for the good of the Masses of people but of the greed of a few Elites.”

The Admiral was sitting in his seat catatonic as Jack spoke. Which was good.

Jack leaned closer to the Admiral. “A famous old world country called America was settled by people seeking freedom from Religious persecution. The Colony planets were settled by people seeking freedom from DemocratCommunist Legal persecution and confiscating taxes. They are not about to let Earth force them to kneel in front of your hordes of Layers and Communist Academics in the name of and for (the good of the people (elites) and false equality (slavery)), again.”

The Admiral’s mouth started opening and closing without saying anything.

“No. All the colonies know, lying is the Lawyer’s, Politician’s, Salesmen and Newscasters trade. Where public speakers such as news anchors are fired if they are found by a board or the courts for lying or being biased. Say, calling or using words depicting one candidate a saint, smart, honest and the other a devil, stupid, dishonest even clownish, including doctoring photo’s. That goes for reporting third party statements that can be proven as false or biased such as using words depicting a person as either a saint or devil again. Just because someone else said something, does not mean the news caster or reporters have to or can report it as fact.”

Jack smiled. “Fact checking in the age of Computers is easy and quick so there is no excuse. Something that is easy to forget if the newsmen are lazy or in love with a candidate. That also includes reporting bad news as well as good news evenly. Such things as reporting one official’s minor speeding ticket a hundred times a day for weeks while completely ignoring or only mentioning in passing once as not important another official’s possible Felony. Like bankers have a responsibility not to steel and police have the responsibility to protect and enforce laws evenly and politicians not take bribes. News anchors have a responsibility to tell the unbiased, unslanted, untwisted, whole truth and nothing but the truth. Especially since 80% of the population get their news from only one source over only a few minutes a day where they form their opinions of world events and political candidates.”

Jack took another bite of the sandwich and washed it down. “Blowing up minor faults of one candidate and ignoring major faults of another can have a tremendous influence on an election. As can searching and interviewing thousands of people and statements to find the one radical opinion or statement that shows a political person or cause in a bad light and then stating or insinuating by way of staging video’s or excluding other contrary statements, that person or statement as typical of a whole group. Or taking a cheery picked Academic’s statement as an expert even if he has no credentials in the subject and their statement as proven fact, has only one reason and that is to influence with lies.”

Jack took another bite and then washed it down again as the Admiral continued to stare blank faced. It was obvious that no one had ever talked to him like this before. Which was good for wasting time. “Another way for a reporter to lose their job as well as huge fines for a political party and the loss of the election, is to be caught using or giving reporters a political parties (word for word) talking points or subjects. I read a news story one time that not only did a winner of a Planet’s close Presidential race get kicked out of office but a hundred news casters were blackballed and their stations fined hundreds of millions of credits for using a political party’s biased talking points repeatedly during an election. Slipping single malicious words into stories about the opposing candidate at seemingly random inconsequential places and times but with the same derogatory words adding up over hundreds and even thousands of uses across an entire planets broadcasting system resulting in the repeat rates of the targeted derogatory words of hundreds of thousands of times resulting in low grade brain manipulation across the planet against the opponent.” Picking up the banana he had taken with the sandwich he broke the end off to start peeling it.

“Something that was easy to find and correlate with any computer monitoring the news casts after one memo was leaked with only a few of the talking point words and traced to most all the networks. When hundreds of news stories from many supposedly unrelated organizations and news casters keep repeating the same words and phrases over and over in only minutes across the planet and then never heard again, it is easy to prove biased Party influence.” Jack continued peeling the banana. Savoring the smell and texture of the peel. He could not believe how much he missed even a simple thing as a banana.

“News casters and stations are not supposed to be political or belong to Political Parties. It is impossible to report the political news fairly if you are a member of a Political Party no matter how much you profess your fairness. Though from what I have seen on Earth broadcasts, most on earth don’t even try and in fact brag about their card carrying party affiliations with the Democratic Communist Workers Party. No. Lying is not allowed in most Colony System Constitutions for newsmen and even for Politicians. Free speech does not have to include the ability to lie at will. People not having the right to yell fire in a crowded theater is just one ancient maxim.” Jack took a bight of the banana and closed his eyes as he chewed and swallowed.

“Sounds like your Areas 9 needs Earth to bring our true liberal freedom to you after all Son. Free speech can never be restricted no matter how many lies are told to influence the masses. Lying is natural and necessary to assassinate the politically incorrect candidate and force the masses to vote for the politically correct party.”

Jack tried his best not to chock on the banana. “Let me see. The last time I was on Earth, my friend and I were arrested by a plainclothes police officer at a restaurant for saying something politically incorrect in public about a political commercial on the screen stating what I knew to be lies in it. We were only talking between ourselves but we were almost sent to a Reeducation Camp until the judge found out we were from a Trampship and then fined and taken back to the ship with an entire squad of police and told not to leave the space port again.”

“Pointing out the lies of a political commercial was against the law and to make it worse, we had actually said something politically incorrect while pointing that fact out to each other. We were given a large book in the police station of words or statements that could get you sent to a reeducation camp for saying but it was so ridiculous I remember little of it even if it was great fun reading it. But you think Aries 9 has to be put in its place because the only thing you can’t do is lie in print or on the public airwaves or repeat false statements on a soap box.”

Chuckling as he smiled at the Admiral sitting staring at him. “I know it is not perfect and some elections are not official for months and the news stations shuffle and drop news anchors like Wizards Game cards. While our jails are half full of Politicians and News Casters that lied to influence the public and Lawyers that tried to make a quick credit or legally destroy someone. They do not have a fraction of the murderers, rapists and thieves Earth has simply because it is hard to get away with killing, raping or stealing when everyone is armed or someone nearby is (even if it is a stun gun), when a criminal tries to commit a physical crime.

But the fact you can trust what most people tell you and that people are responsible for themselves and not the government, is a big benefit on most of the Colony worlds. While just being told you are from Earth makes you an instant liar and everything you do suspect until time and you prove you are a Colonist and worthy the respect.”

“How barbaric. The sooner we put the Colonies in their liberal enlightened place under Democratic Communist Rule the better. I may even wind up as your Planetary King Boy. It will be a shame when we have to execute your entire planet’s Academia in spite of their Doctorates. I have met a few and even they are barbaric and unenlightened. They simply were not educated in the proper schools for us to allow them to vote and help run the Planet. Don’t worry we will ship in tens of thousands of Elites to run your Government, Universities and Schools properly and provide the needed liberal moral education your masses and children require. By the time we educate your children they will turn in even their wrongly thinking parents and in a generation we will have your planets cleansed of such backward thinking. It is a shame you are not going to be around to see it though. You are starting to bore me with your politically incorrect talk. Hell you are probably giving my Flag crew ideas that will force me to have them all sent to camps or executed.”

That suddenly got a lot of looks from crewmen all around the Flag Bridge.

Jack looked at the Ship’s console and the single remaining Power Core still shining bright. “Damn what is taking so long?”

“Yes Boy. I was wondering that myself. My security division should have gotten here by now. I trained them myself.”

Jack suddenly saw a bright Flash from below. For a split second he thought it was the core going up but the flash would not have stopped and he was still alive. But it had to be something big to reach his eyes through all the layers of armor around the Flag Bridge. Damn that meant that the Lieutenant had run into problems she could not handle. Jack looked at the big red icon he had on the screen next to him. Only thing was, he wasn’t sure the turret could deploy fast enough to take the damn ass hole out, stunning him before he hit the button. No. Even if it succeeded, Chinn could easily fall face forward onto the damn button once he was stunned since he was not wearing the chairs damn safety battle harness. Stunning him could accomplish the same fricking thing. Detonating the damn core. Shaking his head, he was going to have to try another attack, a much more destructive attack.

“Admiral Chinn, Captain Broderick on the ship’s bridge. We have strange looking Republic Marines scattered all through the ship. They just blew their way into the Power Core deck though somehow they managed to get a few inside and Scrammed 3 of our Fusion Cores before we knew they were there. I was able to get reinforcements to the last operational Core before they reached it and had the last of them boxed in until these monsters showed up. Our weapons are just bouncing off of their armor. We can’t hold the core or the ship much longer. Hell, half the ship was taken already before we even knew they were aboard. What are your orders Admiral?”

The Admiral turned his chair to the side to look at the Ship’s operations console showing only one Fusion Core still hot. Hitting several icons on the screen to one side of his chair, the Flag Bridge’s main screen changed to show a Damage Control line mockup of the Command ship and the areas under Republic Marine control. Shaking his head in disgust. “Prepare to die Captain. Your failure has forced my hand.” The Admiral looked at Jack with sudden hate.

The Shocked Captain on the screen yelled. “No Admiral, you can’t. These are Republic forces not Spiders. The Self-Destruct is only to prevent capture by Spiders.”

“You are a coward and a fool Captain. I will not fail my family. But rejoice we are taking the famous Captain Turner with us to our ancestors.” The Admiral’s hand started down toward the big red button as he looked over his shoulder at Jack. His chair just starting to turn back toward Jack.

Jack’s hand was already head high trying to go for the blaster on his back as he stood up but he knew he could not retrieve it in time. In desperation Jack yelled. “NO!” With all his being as his hand changed direction and he held his palm out in line with the Admiral some 20 feet away. He had used his palm before when it seemed easier to read the feelings and hear the mind speak of others and even stop the troops from firing in the medical bay on the lost ship a couple weeks before but what happened next shocked Jack.

The Admiral was thrown from his Chair over the arm and onto the deck as the cover slammed shut over the big red Button.

Jack could not believe what he had just done as he turned his palm around and looked at his hand. Ignoring the sudden head ache behind his eyes.

“What the hell did you do Turner?” The Admiral screamed as he picked himself up off the deck and walked back to the Chair. “How did you do that?” Shaking his head. “Hell. It does not matter we well be dead in a few seconds anyway.” The Admiral jumped to the chair and thumbed the clear cover over the red Button and the cover flipped open. “You can’t stop me Turner.” The Admiral started to drop his hand down toward the Big Red Button.

Jack turned his hand back around and said. “No! Stop right there.” Pain started shooting through Jacks head.

The Admiral’s hand stopped. Frozen in midair only an inch from the button.

“Back away from the chair!” Jack demanded as the pain increased only to have his suit sensors detect the pain and shoot pain killers into him trying to keep him functional.

The Admiral backed a step away from the chair as the cover automatically slammed closed and then another step but then as the pain decreased a little, the Admiral took a step back toward the Chair.

Jack was finding it harder to concentrate with the intense pain in his head and the effort that it required. His breathing rasping his throat and sweat running down his face.

The Admiral took another step toward the chair and said threw gritted teeth. “Get out of my mind Turner. You can’t stop me.”

“You don’t need to do this Admiral.”

“Yes I do for my, my family and my honor.”

Jack was losing the war as the effort become greater and greater with the potent pain killers kicking in. The Admiral reached the chair and his hand started toward the cover plate.

In desperation Jack reached around the small of his back with his left hand and grabbed the fore grip of the cannon and brought it around to his front.

The Admiral thumbed the cover plate again and it popped open.

With a tremendous effort that felt like he was ripping his head in half, Jack drove the Admiral back several steps away from the chair again as he fell to his knees gasping for air he could not get enough of.

Hate radiating from his whole body the Admiral fell to his knees as he grabbed his head with his hands.

Jack felt the pain killers subduing the pain in his head and realized that he could not hold him with his mind any longer as Admiral Chinn suddenly released his head letting his hands drop to his sides. A surprised look flashing to his face with a big smile. “I don’t know how you did it Turner but you can’t do it anymore can you.” The Admiral lunged for the Chair slapping his thumb back down onto the cover.

In desperation Jack brought the cannon up as he slapped his right hand onto the pistol grip and thumbed the Safety switch all the way up past grenade to High Explosive Shell. His left hand thumb stabbing the fore grip’s power slide to maximum.

The cover on the red self-destruct Button flew to the front. The Admiral grinned from ear to ear as he stared at the barrel of the cannon that was not even pointed at him, the Admiral slapped at the big red button. His fingers came down onto the top of the button and the computer started to read his prints but was having a hard time as the middle of that particular finger around the knuckle had only a couple of partial scans in the database to make sure it was actually the Admiral. It took a fraction of a second for the Chairs Computer to confirm that yes indeed, it was the Admirals middle finger.

Jack pulled the trigger as his helmet slammed up around his head. The High Explosive shell using almost half the remaining power in the magazine travelled less than 20 feet and hit the large Command Chair at the base.

A Plasma Fireball engulfed the whole Command Chair and the Admiral crouched next to it. Vaporizing Admiral Chinn, the entire Chair and all the electronics and wiring down into the false deck before a signal could be sent.

With a blast radius of 30 feet, Jack was hit by the shock wave full in the chest throwing him through the air across the deck as the first row of consoles and their operators and Admiral Chinn’s top advisors were burned alive or torn to shreds saving the lives of most of the other crewmen in the rows in front of and below them.

Captain Broderick surrendered the ship 30 seconds later as Jack was climbing out of the Flag Bridges main viewing screen. His head feeling like someone had driven a spike into the middle of it. Though his suit’s pain killers were starting to kick in full force.

All Jack was certain of was that the last of the 12 holdout ships had surrendered.

Chapter 29; Moronic low class officers and crews

Jack slid his fighter out of the tangled wreckage of the bow of the Captured Command Ship. The Red Pepper slipped up beside the Command ship China Sun so boats could start evacuating the wounded.

The sad part was that Jack realized that most of the gun turrets of the battleships on both sides had blown at least one barrel and some two in the exchange after only a few shots. Driving home the need to get the ships to New Home where they could be upgraded before they ever faced anyone in battle again.

The Lieutenant’s fighter joined him and Jack started wondering what happened to the pilots he had sent down to take the Fusion Cores. Hopping that they were just prevented from carrying out their mission on the last core and not eliminated. Knowing that over the comm was not the proper place to ask about the pilots. Jack started to land back on the ship but with the old landing deck and hanger busy with only one entry hatch with an Air Curtain installed yet into the damn small hanger of the Command Ship and all the evacuation boats, there really was not room for him there and with no shield decks there was no place to put one at the other end. Jack turned away to stay out of the way and headed for the Red Pepper.

Landing in the Red Pepper’s wide open hanger with plenty of room for the coming and going boats. A steady stream of wounded headed for the medical decks. He was glad that all he could see were Congressional uniforms on the stretchers but that still did not answer how many pilots he had lost in side that damn ship.

Climbing out Jack forced himself not to throw his helmet across the deck in disgust. He had been counting on being able to use the damn Battleships to help counter the hundred Battleships and Carriers coming up the Maze. But they were worthless to him now with their guns in such bad shape. He had no choice but to send them to New Home as soon as possible.

Instead of possibly being a half way even fight, he was back to being out numbered and out gunned with enough enemy fighters to make it impossible to get in close enough to even thin down the enemy numbers without suffering major losses himself. Not unless he could take out the enemy fighters first and even the small fleet he had coming with their improved God fighters, could not do that as outnumbered as they were. The 60 to 100 fighters in storage in the Battleships he just captured was not enough to help that much even with the training the pilots may have received in The Damn Game no matter what Zoote said. After all she was wrong about some of the Volunteers. If he had not spotted their fucking hate ridden emotions, they could have blown up or put out of action any ship they would have been assigned to and getting hundreds or even thousands killed in the other ships that depended on each other.

For the second time Jack stopped himself from throwing the helmet as he grabbed his weapons out of the storage space and stomped towards Flight Control. Growling at the Lieutenant even though he did not mean or want to. His frustration overwhelming him at taking the time and resources to capture ships he could not use. Loosing good crewmen for nothing. Praying that the enemy would give him time to come up with something else.

Which brought up an even more important point. Just where and what the hell was the enemy doing while he was fucking around playing with himself having fun. He needed to get up to his Flag Bridge and find out and fast. Not to mention his second problem. He was still half a mind as whether or not to spread the word around about the new sensors that would reveal the location of The Rock to all who looked, not to mention New Home and the Bubble that showed so clearly when they were turned in that direction. Not sure if the Red Pepper’s new Captain really needed to know or not. The Problem was that he was going to have to tell the Admirals soon and it was very possible that they would order him to destroy the sensors and kill the designer. Could he make himself follow such an order?

Jack walked into Flight Control and shoved the helmet into the cubby hole above the data screen for the fighter that the helmet belonged to. Unlike the Spider fighters that plugged into the Battlesuit helmet the pilot wore, the Republic X-wing fighters required separate helmets since they could not talk to the Battlesuits. At least not yet without the upgrades they did not have time to put into the fighters which Jack was unhappy about as well. Since the upgraded guns and engines with the scoops would give the republic fighters a marked advantage over the Congressional Communists fighters which they had thousands of. He just did not have the material, equipment or the time to upgrade them.

Turning around Jack was slapped on the back by one of the new Volunteer pilots that had just flown a real fighter for the first time even though he had flown thousands of hours in The Game. Smiling from ear to ear the Congressional uniformed pilot hugged Jack around the shoulders giving him a shake as other pilots joined in with high fives all around. The pilots coming in from patrol bragging to the ones getting ready to take the fighters back out.

Jack slammed his armored fist into the bulkhead ringing everyone’s ears. Immediately getting total silence across the compartment from shocked pilots. “Lots of fun ass holes. Looked like a bunch of blind bats bouncing around each other out there. In a few hours each of you are going to go up against 4 or 5 of the Best pilots the Congressional Communists can put up. This is not the fucking Sims of The Game. You get killed out there and you are dead. No restart. No re-spawning to rejoin the fucking battle. Just to get killed Again. Now! Get your fucking heads out of your asses and start taking this seriously or we are all going to be dead because you fuckers are out there playing with yourselves and chasing each other around grab assing like this is a fucking game. Well, do that in combat and 4 bad ass enemy pilots are going to stick their missile dicks up each of your ass.”

Jack sneered as he looked around the compartment then headed for the exit hatch into the ship.

One of the older pilots (They all were older than Jack), gave Jack a dirty look as Jack started to pass him and said. “What the hell is your problem Mate? Who the hell are you in that piece of junk suit with a toy across your back to tell us what to do?”

Without thinking Jack reached out and grabbed the pilot by the front of his flight suit and jerked him around and up against the bulkhead with his feet dinging, looking up at him. “I am your worst fucking nightmare Mate and have been killing spiders for 7 months now using that toy across my back and this junk suit has saved my life a dozen times. Now I am responsible for a quarter of a million crewmen and their ships and if you get your ass shot off and my ships destroyed and their crews killed because you think you are just playing a fucking game, I will stick what is left of your fucking fighter up what is left of your sorry ass and pull the trigger myself. Do you understand me? MATE?”

The pilot mouth moved. “Yes sir.”

“What the hell was that? You a fuckin baby? I asked you a damn Question and I expect a fucking fighter pilot to answer me!”

The pilot screamed at Jack spewing spittle from his lips as Jacks helmet flipped up to fast to see before the spittle got near Jack’s face as the pilot’s eyes finally focused on Jack’s Stars on his smoke covered collar. “Yes Admiral! This is not a Game sir!”

Being called Admiral suddenly embarrassed Jack out of his rage. Letting the pilot slide down the bulkhead Jack turned away as he slapped the side of his helmet and it retracted back into his collar as fast as it had sprang up. Jack left the compartment feeling stupid at not handling the situation better as the Lieutenant followed wearing battle armor and weapons as well.

“Fucking amateurs.” She said for everyone to hear as she stepped through the hatch.

The Air Chief stood up from the console at the far end of the compartment and said. “Ok Kiddies, we have a lot of work to do on the Sims before the ones that just came in go to chow and you babies going out are going to practice 2 on 1 engagements just to see if you even know how to fly before we amp up to 5 to 1. Only the best of you are going into Combat so get you’re fucking assess in gear and back to work. The Admiral needs fighter pilots not Sim Jockeys.”

Jack walked off the elevator and stopped in his tracks as he realized the passageway that ran from the bridge aft past the captain’s day cabin’s hatch to the conference compartment was gone and what looked like a much longer bridge was stretched out in front of him. Only it wasn’t the navigation bridge. The deck to overhead ports were there but now there was no overhead and the dozens of screens hanging down from the missing overhead were replaced with huge window ports like the side ports going across the top making the bridge into a greenhouse. The huge damage control screens running from side ports to side ports across the back of the bridge were gone, replaced by one large screen that only ran part way across leaving room on both sides for more ports back past the screen on one side and past the elevator hatch on the other. The Command chair sitting on a small stage in the middle had a much better view farther back along the sides because of the slanted notches on each side of the aft bulkhead from both the hatch and side of the screen placed more toward the center.

Jack stepped out onto the bridge that looked like it was sitting out in the middle of space with the side of the ship stretched out in front of the bridge toward the bow. Stepping around the bot standing behind the Command Chair. Jack stopped next to the Command Chair with his hand on the back, Jack noticed that all the ships control consoles were gone replaced by Fleet Command Consoles an Admiral needed recessed down a couple of steps into the deck around an outer ring. Two sensor consoles were recessed down a step into the deck directly in front of the Command chair replacing the pilot and navigator consoles. One of the consoles was torn apart with access covers sitting around it. Sitting down he could see 3D projections of the placement of every ship, boat, bomber and fighter in the fleet spread around him. The incredibly detailed little virtual models with what even looked like men working out on the hulls moving around in real time. The close area of the maze was beyond the ships. Smaller virtual, almost invisible tactical and comm screens circled close around the chair.

Something caught Jack eye in the distance. Leaning forward in the chair. “What the Fuck!”

The Bot came to life stepping in front of Jack. “Yes Admiral how may I help you?”

“What?” Shaking his head as he tried to look around the thin bodied bot annoyed but gave up and sat back. ““Oha, now I’m an Admiral?”

“A Bot control node has been activated on the Red Pepper. I have updated my programing Admiral. How can I be of service?”

“Aaa… I did not call you.”

“You said my second name Admiral. What the Fuck.”

“Oh yes... That… Is not your name.”

“Very well Admiral. That, is not my name. Are there additional names you do not wish to call me?”

“Aaa. OK, that was easy. No C3PO. That will do for now. Go stand by the elevator.”

“I am sorry Admiral. What elevator?”

Jack frowned as he looked around at the elevator hatch at the back corner of the bridge bulkhead. “The elevator. What is the problem with you? Go stand beside the Elevator out of the way.”

“I am sorry Admiral Turner but there is a High-speed Transport Car access hatch in the back bulkhead of the bridge with an access hatch to your quarters next to it. I see no Elevator hatch. Elevators are for civilian buildings with no same level transport abilities using open air enclosed cable cars and not self-propelled armored airtight pods required on all Naval Ships. With the Navy officially accepted name of Transport Lifts or just Lifts. I see no Cable car Elevators access hatches on the bridge and do not know of any Elevators on the ship. Fact, I have found in my programing that Elevators are illegal on all space capable ships, civilian and military Admiral Turner.”

“What the fuck.” Jack looked up out of the clear overhead ports at a DD and several fighters streaking past the Red Pepper as he ran his hands through his short hair shaking his head slowly back and forth.

“Yes Admiral. You called? I am still here. Do you wish to give me an order?”

“Err… No!” Jack blurted out and then in exasperation. “I and everyone I know has used the term Elevator for those damn… Lifts. Since I could walk back on the Turner Joy. How could you not know that?”

“Union Rules preclude the use of the term Elevator when an elevator is not being referenced to and that the term Lift or Transport Car, high-speed or conventional velocity, be used in all references to Navel Modular Transports, Personal or Cargo conveyances.”

“Jesus Criste. From now on the term elevator is accepted for the damn Lifts. OK?”

“Yes Admiral Turner. The term elevator is an accepted term for the Damn Lifts. What are Damn Lifts? Damns are large structures used for holding back bodies of water from planetary rivers and waterways and can weigh billions of tons. Lifting such damns embedded in bed rock can be very difficult and pointless since they would no longer be able to perform their original function. Do you wish to add Jesus Criste to my list of names you wish to call me as well?”

“No! Damn it. Damn, is also an expletive referring to a subject. Access the damn…” Taking a breath. “Access your node or the net and down load a list of slang names, words and expli…”

“Complements of Captain Clancy. He says you need a Flag Bridge and if the Admiral would not go to the Flag Bridge, then the Flag Bridge would come to the Admiral.” Terrell, Jacks Marine Steward stepped through the hatch next to the elevator hatch and the screen across the smaller back bulkhead with a Comm console below it. “I used the opportunity to make a few changes in your cabin as well since you insist on living in what was only supposed to be a day cabin and then for a Captain and not an Admiral.” Terrell placed a large cup of steaming tea on the arm of the Command Chair with an English biscuit next to it. “You having problems with your bot Admiral?”

“Eerrrrr.” No. C3PO, go stand beside the…the Elevator, the Lift.” Jack watched as CP3O walk toward the elevator and then turned his chair back around to looking at the view as he took a sip of the tea and tried to forget the stupidity of the bot and relax. “Not bad Terrel.” Jack said as he turned around to look at her and saw the bot standing around the side of the elevator in the slanted cutout that allowed Jack to look farther around open space than he could have if the bulkhead ran straight across the back of the bridge from port to port. “Tell you what Terrel, why don’t you take C3PO and teach him how to do something useful besides just standing there.” Smiling with satisfaction at salving another problem. “C3PO.”

C3PO quickly walked over to Jack. “By your command Admiral.”

“What am I supposed to teach a Maintenance Bot Admiral?”

“I don’t care. Teach him Astrophysics or how to polish the silverware or… hell, teach him to be a steward for when you finely get your education straightened out and become a Doctor again.” Turning to the C3PO. “Follow Steward Terrel and follow her orders.”

The bot just stood looking at Jack for several seconds without moving. “CP3O, follow Terrell’s orders. That is an order.”

“I am sorry Admiral but I cannot obey orders from crewmen I am not assigned to without the establishment of specific strict narrow parameters.”

Rolling his eyes. “Fine. What are these parameters?”

“Do you wish me to list them verbally or send them to your PDA Admiral?”

“As complicated as this sounds like it has to be, you best down load them.” Jack reached over and tapped one of the screens to the side of his chair and a short list appeared. “That is all?” Shaking his head. “Shii… I aaa. C3PO, create a secondary command list. Add Steward Terrell onto it. The list is to be in effect any time I have not given you orders. The list is to be active anyplace and any time. The list is…” Jack looked back at the screen to make sure he was saying it right and noticed that the list of specifics now had yes or no boxes next to them with checks on the question boxes he had just answered. Smiling he raised his hand and started checking boxes down the list without speaking.

Turning back around to C3PO a minute later. “There, is that good enough? Will you follow Steward Terrell’s orders now?”

“Yes Admiral, as long as they do not contradict your orders and conform to the code of military procedures.”

Jack looked up across the heavens above him. “Finally. Glory Halleluiah.” Turning to the Steward. “He is all yours Terrel. Have fun.” Jack took a sip of his still steaming tea.

“Come on you rust bucket.” Terrel started for the hatch but when the bot did not follow she turned back around and shook her head. “C3PO, follow me please.”

The Bot still refused to move. And Terrel tried again. "CP3O491538 follow me.”

The Bot turned to follow the Steward.

“Admiral, the bot needs a simpler name than C3PO491538.”

“Excuse me Terrel.” The Bot said. “The Admiral has named me, C3PO What The Fuck or simply, What The Fuck. If that is acceptable to you. Though I do not understand why my name has a slang term in it now that I have accessed Slang terms. You may find that objectionable. You may ask Admiral Turner to add a simpler name if you please.”

Turning to Jack. “Well Admiral. Could you please name your bot something a little more conventional please?”

“I already said that What The Fuck was not his name.”

“Sorry Admiral, you said, That, was not my name and I acknowledged that fact.”

Jack looked up into the heavens and shook his head. “Ok, What The Fuck is not your name. Ok?” Jack turned to face the bot when he got no answer. “Do you understand C3PO?”

“Understand what Admiral Turner?”

“About your name not being What The Fuck?”

“I am sorry Admiral Turner but you were not looking at me. If you want to issue orders to me when you are not looking at me, you need to use my name while being specific in the orders you give me.”

Jack rubbed his temple as he closed his eyes and counted to 5. Then opening them and looking straight at the bot. “Ok. C3PO What The Fuck is not your name. Do you understand me this time?”

“Yes Admiral Turner. What The Fuck is not my name. If you wish you can access my set up program and add or delete names you wish to call me. Do you wish to add a name at this time as Steward Terrell asked?”

Jack started to say no, as disgusted as he was with the whole process but then. “Terrell, you are the one that will be working with it. Do you have a suggestion for a name?”

“Well Admiral. I have always liked Jenny or John if you think the bot is mail.”

“I can be either male or female Admiral in my responses and voice. You can also request female body parts with your preferences for the size of the attributes for my case. You need only issue the order.” The bot said.

Jack chuckled fighting down his disgust. “Don’t tell me. Do you have a preference C3PO to be male or female? After all we need to be politically gender correct here.” Jack said sarcastically.

“My programing officially has no preference Admiral but I have been male since I was activated and do not see any reason to change at this time unless you order such a change.”

Jack opened his eyes and looked at C3PO. “So you do have a preference. Strange. Never thought a bot could.” Taking a breath. “Well now I don’t really care for John.” Staring at C3PO for a few seconds, the corner of his mouth turned up into a crooked smile. “Tell you what. Let’s just change your letters around a little bit with some imagination and call you Chump. Your name is Chump. Do you understand?”

“My name is now Chump Admiral Turner. Thank you.”

Jack shook his head at Chumps, thank you. “You are welcome though I don’t know why you would thank me for giving you a joke for a name.”

“Well, I think it is a fabulous name Chump.” Terrell said with a smile. “Come on Chump, we have work to do.”

The bot Chump turned and followed the Steward as she left the bridge.

Jack closed his eyes as he took a sip of the tea savoring the warmth and sweetness as it washed down his throat thankful that he had one less headache. He leaned back in the chair as he relaxed trying to get his mind around his next task. Then opening his eyes he found himself staring at the back side butt of someone sticking half out of the sensor console in front and below him. While he had no head to look at, he immediately knew who’s butt that was. He had seen it way to many times already. Though this time the pants were half way down leaving half her butt complete with butt crack, bare. (the proverbial Plumbers Butt) though she was anything but a plumber.”

The butt backed out and Winslow looked up at Jack. “Well it is about time you got your butt back here and got your bot straightened out. I could not get that damn bot of yours to do anything. Half the workers that redid the bridge were bots but your bot is worthless. I needed and still do need someone to go down and pick up the parts for my new console and comm gear, not to mention a little help would have been nice once in a while but Nooo... It just stood there like a moronic statue and kept saying. (I am Captain Turner’s maintenance bot, C3PO what the fuck).”

Jack spit out the little bite of biscuit he had dunked into his all too hot tea. Covering his face as he said. “It’s Chump now, Winslow…” Jack shook his head.

“I kind of liked what the fu…”

“Chump! Winslow. Chump.”

“Yes Admiral Turner.” The bot said suddenly standing in front of Jack, giving him a start as he looked out at the bot through his fingers.

“Aaaa. Shit… Add Winslow to your Command list and get her what she needs.” Taking a breath. “And…”

The bot was already down the elevator shaft without the elevator or lift. “Ok…” Jack looked back at Winslow and the torn apart console. “I need a current tactical of the cloud Winslow. How long before you get that mess put back together?”

“As soon as I get my parts from electronics fabrication. I am about finished here until I get them.” Smiling at Jack. “But I have the scan from an hour ago and they had hardly moved up the Maze on the outlaying passageways. I can see why those passageways are not used much as long as it has taken them to get even a quarter of the way across the Maze.” Looking back at the console. “This latest upgrade should allow us to clearly see the passageways instead of just the hard targets like ships and rocks the size of small boats or fighters. I have already upgraded the emitters and receivers I got from fabrication hours ago. I just need to finish upgrading the consoles.” Stepping to the other sensor console beside the one she had torn apart. “Here is the last tactical plot…”

“No!” Jack looked around at the crew filled consoles. “I don’t want anyone else to see what the new sensors are…”

“Admiral. Please. Your station is the only one that can see any of the 3D displays unless you want them to. Not even the other sensor console sitting next to either one of these can see each other unless you want them to. They all have privacy curtains around them. Someone has to run the damn sensors but the rest of the bridge does not need to see. A matter of security expedience. The fewer that know fleet plans the less security work that is needed.” She tapped an icon and everything disappeared as the Entire maze was in front of jack showing 5 groups of some 20 plus closely packed ships each surrounded with hundreds of fighters patrolling the cloud around them, making their way around the outer edges. They had yet to reach a quarter of the way across the Maze. At least as far as the overall pictured showed.

Jack tapped the icon for bringing up the ultra-secret Map of the Maze to see just how long and complex those particular routes were when the Comm officer to the side turned and said. “Admiral Spencer on the long range Lasercomm Admiral.”

Jack had been dreading this. Taking a deep breath Jack tapped the Comm and the Admiral appeared in front of him as the map disappeared. “Turner, the last of my Battleships have left for New Home and I am getting ready to pull out. We have mounted the six tankers with the scoops onto the front of the Black Dwarf and will remass as we go.”

“Oh good, you will be following the Battleships then.”

“No! We are sticking with the original plan. I am just getting a few more hours head start on the fleet is all and leaving them a trail they cannot miss. I plan on showing them just how powerful a Dwarf’s 6 Mega Cannons can be when they are upgraded with yourslave technology. They are going to pay dearly when they catch up with me.” Shaking his head with a frown. “I just wish we had time to off load more crewmen but we still have half of them on board.” Taking a breath was the bones in his chest stuck out. “I tried to give you my best and brightest Turner. Don’t let me down. What are your updates on the attack fleet arriving?”

“Well Admiral. We have delayed them a bit. Taken out a few with the survivors making their way around the outside of the maze in what looks like an attempt at a surprise attack.”

“Good. Do you have some idea how many are left?”

Jack looked at Winslow for an answer but got a blank mind and staring eyes that turned puzzled and realized that she could not hear the conversation even though they were only feet apart.

“Aaa… I think it is around a hundred.”

“So you took out between 20 and 30 battleships. Not bad for a few upgraded DD’s and an old beat up Battle Transport able to ambush them in the Maze.”

“Actually Admiral we took out over a hundred of the new and improved Battleships, capturing 32 in various conditions so far with a number of hulks. There turned out to be a lot more reinforcements when shit started hitting the fan. We severely damaged the Way station while the Station and the Congressional Battleships took out most of the transports around the Bay thanks to panicking gunners. At least I hope they were not ordered to take out the defenseless transports. I estimate at least a hundred transports blown to hell by the station.”

“Ok, you think you destroyed a hundred so you may have destroyed 50 and you said you captured 32 intact battleships or are you counting hulks?”

Taking a sip of tea and then a deep breath. “Actually the 32 are the still operational ships we captured intact with their crews. Tell you what Admiral Spencer. I will forward the raw data. I have not had time to compile my battle report yet with the exact numbers. It will also give you some of their tactics and weaknesses. At least of the Cannon Fodder they lead off with without Carriers or fighter protection. The problem is their best is what is left and they have some 10 carriers with a few thousand fighters we think since we do not know exactly how many each Carrier holds. We know little about this new class of carrier but we estimate at least a hundred and probably twice that if not 300 fighters for each. The problem now that they have changed their tactics, massing their ships with fighters scouting the cloud is that we won’t be able to get close enough to ambush the strung out ships like we were doing. The corridors they are taking around the outside look at a glance to be much wider than the normal central corridors allowing them to stay bunched up. I was hoping to use the Battleships we Captured but found out that they are little better than pyres. Their weapons burn out quickly and their Fusion Power Core is easy to breech and blow the ship, if you can get around the sides and hit between the engines and weapons birthing section.”

Shaking his head as he turned the screen and zoomed out from the Maze wondering if he could get a scan of Delta 7 and the Admiral’s fleet. “No, I am sending them to New Home for upgrades and hope the Maze slows the enemy down enough for my DD reinforcements to get here. Otherwise they are going to blow through us like meteors. Hell! As outnumbered as we are even with my reinforcements, they will still get through us but it may take a few hours longer hopefully.”

And then his eyes got big as he swallowed. The screen zeroed in on the area around Delta 7. “Admiral, do you know you have some 30 Battleships at the waypoint station down from Delta 7 and it looks like more squadrons are headed that way from all over the rock. No wait only the new battleships are headed that way. The old Battleships left over from the failed attack are either in The Rock or still at entry Staging areas on guard. That does not make any sense.”

Admiral Halsey appeared next to Admiral Spencer. “Yes it does. All the new battleships are being manned by Earth supplying the masses of Crewmen instead of from around the Republics colonies. Congress citing that with Earths large population and unemployment problem, it could afford the manpower easier than the Colonies, pushed the bill through before the Colonies had time to even read it let alone realize the down side and how stupid it was. Recruiting has been ordered stopped in the Colonies with the Bootships slapped into mothballs at Q-19 with the rest of the retired ships from the Navy and the cloud.”

“Well Admiral, we could use those Bootships at New Home. Some 80% of the Earth Crews we have captured have volunteered to join the Real Navy. They are sick of the Communism ruled Earth and want to fight the Spiders and not bomb Colony planets which is all they have been training for. Most would also like to immigrate with their families if we could get them off of Earth.” Chuckling. “Anyway most have spent a lot of time on The Game but have only had a couple of weeks in a crude boot camp on Earth and not even the moon let alone Zero Gee space. I need to put the 30,000 I have so far through at least 12 weeks of our training if not 30 weeks.” Jack watched a flight of fighters out his side port attacking a DD. The DD firing back with their guns on low powered training settings. The Fighters were not doing very well. Most of them getting knocked out before they got close. The 8 inch guns set on wide beam like shot guns taking a devastating toll at long range. But then according to the tabs on the fighters, they were new pilots practicing their first attacks in real life.

“That would be hard to arrange Turner. I can’t do anything with all the new Political Admirals arriving and replacing more and more of the top brass. Combat brass that is. The Political appointees don’t seem to be interested in anything but Combat Commands and the new Battleships which leaves me and most of the old guard in place taking care of the supply and maintenance side with more restrictions on what I can do as fare as moving ships in and out of The Rock and around the cloud every day.” Shaking his head.

“What I want to know is how you suddenly seem to know so much about what is going on around the Nebula Cloud. Is your supper eyesight that good?”

Jack suddenly found himself holding his breath for a good 10 seconds. Letting it out slowly he took a drink of the still too hot tea but hardly felt it buying time. “Admirals. We, a certain researcher, building off of human and slave tech and her own research has developed a new sensor that can see everything in the Nebula including the Maze and The Rock with extreme precision and detail. And she is in the process of upgrading it even more.” When both Admirals continued to stare at him Jack continued. “It is already sensitive enough to tell the difference between the old pre attack battleships and the new builds that are some 25% bigger at least around this section of the Cloud. The differences between the old new and the new, new battleships is a little harder at this time but she is upgrading them yet again as we speak. I can even see scout fighters headed your way Admiral Spencer from the Waypoint Station up your Corridor, they should be at your position in a couple of hours. If my calculations are correct. The sensors have been off line for an hour now for upgrades but I will get back to you as soon as they are back on line for an update on the fighters.”

“Don’t bother. They are my fighters returning from a recon mission. They will follow after us to see how well we can cover our tracks through the cloud. We have to make it believable without losing them completely so they don’t look elsewhere. So it looks like we are going to have a good sized fleet after us. Good, the more the merrier.” Shaking his head sadly. “You will probably be lucky to assemble a couple dozen DD’s and hand full of old battle transports and a few hundred fighters. I think you have done enough son. Pull your ships back and let them come. If they do catch up with us we will give them a damn bloody nose before they take us out. I have a few tricks up my sleeve. Especially know that I know their weaknesses.”

“Damn it Admiral. With your Battleship fleet no longer with you, they will know you were just leading them away from the main fleet as soon as they catch up with you and eventually they will find the trail the others left behind. I have to stop them or weaken them so they can’t catch you to keep New Home safe.”

“Now how stupid do you think I am Boy. We have spent most of our time packing derelicts into the huge holds of this Dwarf and strapping them to the hull. When they start firing at us from long range down the strait Tunnel I will take a bunch of them out then they will start getting those same hulks to catch up to as mines. By the time they catch me, half their ships are going to be scrap themselves from those mines and my mega Cannons shooting back down that and other tunnels and the Commander will think they have destroyed the entire fleet because that is what he desperately wants to believe after all the losses he will suffer. To believe anything else he would have to admit defeat.”

Jack had been watching the training the DD’s and fighter had been doing as the first of the Battleships departed with Battleship Barges strapped to its sides. “Hold on their Admiral. I think I have an idea to take out the damn fighters so I can whittle down those squadrons before they get out of the Maze. Make your job easy enough that together we will be able to finish them off while they are attacking you.” Smiling at the Admirals. “Got to go. I have to go steal some ships.”

“Just wait right there a minute Turner. First this new sensor. Who knows about it and its capabilities?”

“Just me, the developer, my new Medical Censor Officer and now the Lieutenant.” Jack said as dread settled in.

“Good, I want you to keep it that way.” Taking a breath. “And I want you to put the same collar you put on Captain Lesley on everyone that knows about it including yourself. Is that clear Vice Admiral Turner.” Halsey said. “I also want self-destruct charges put on all pieces of its technology. Fact, build self-destructs into it from now on. Also add self-destructs to all the new Laser comms you are using now and again, build them into all new X-program constructs. In fact replace all old components with the new self-destructs built into the modules and destroy the old. And while you are at it. Let’s put collars on everyone that is in or knows about the damn X-Programs. Those programs are going to stay secret if the collars have to kill anyone that even hints about them. Is that understood Vice Admiral Turner?”

Jack frowned and said. “Yes Admiral. Self-Destructs built into everything from now on, melt down and destroy all the old and collars on everyone. Got it.”

“Very good. Now what is this plan of yours to take out the Congressional Communist fighters?”

Jack smiled. “I am going to steel a hundred DD’s hidden away at the other end of the Maze. The DD’s are not much good against the Battleships but they will play hell with the fighters if we get a few hours to upgrade their weapons.”

“What the… Are you sure of that Turner?”

Jack relaxed as he took another drink of his still hot tea. “Back in Earth’s history in the first air war on the planet. The Navy had fighter carriers and used DD’s that they dumped massive numbers of 5inch and other anti-aircraft weapons on for the sole purpose of protecting Carriers from aircraft attack. Every Carrier that was protected by several of these flack ships survived the war. What I am going to do is do the same with these DD’s that already have 4 twin 8inch gunned turrets and a dozen 5 inch gun turrets amongst other point defense guns and missile launchers. They were made for the job Admiral. They will clear a path with the help of the fighters I do have around one squadron at a time, allowing my big gunned DD’s and torpedo bombers to get in close enough to pick off ships like before as they make their way up the corridors.” Jack smiled. “That is if I have time to steel them before the bad guys get out of the Maze. If they make it out of the Maze, they will be able to form one big group that I will have one hell of a hard time penetrating without heavy losses even if they don’t have fighter support. If they still have a large group by the time they reach you, all I will be able to do is pick off a few stragglers that get separated from the pack by hits from you. So I must go Admirals. Turner out.”

Chapter 30; One Hundred Destroyers for the taking

The Cloudbank cleared from around Admiral Turners Flag Bridge and a hundred DD’s stretched out before him. The single engined much patched Battleship that was going to take the hard core Congressional Crews to Gama 13 slid down away from them now that it was out of the cloud as it headed for the end of the long tube the DD’s were docked to. Jack had decided to get rid of the hard core Congressional crewmen early by dumping them on the empty station once they got all the DD’s off. He could not see wasting a good ship as a prison barge. Especially after all the work they (the prisoners) had put into fixing it up. While dumping crews that included the crew that had repaired it, the ship was also dumping its load of reaction mass into the tube station and the DD’s docked to it. The ship had manage to get most of its surviving and repaired tanks filled using the scoops from the 2 DDs strapped clamped to its bow on the way down through the cloud. With the mass the Red Pepper had managed to collect on the trip down around the Maze he figured the hundred DD’s would have plenty to get them off the station and the first couple of operations attacking the squadrons in the coming battle. Though he was hoping that the station would have plenty of reaction mass in its storage tanks that were lined up along each side of an arm that took off at a 90 degree angle from the central control tower section. Then he wouldn’t have to worry about reaction mass period and save the mass in the Battleship and Red Pepper for later.

The Red Pepper headed for the central tower and warehouse tanks close to the stations control room. They would have to get into it without setting off any alarms and alerting the main Station on the other side of the Staging area.

“Winslow, how many battleships around the station do you read now?”

“Still 33 Admiral. Same as last time. Still 310 fighters patrolling the edges of the Maze. They have a couple hundred boats running back and forth to the hulks, transferring casualties to the Station would be my guess, though the station does not look in much better shape than the hulks. As close as we are, I am getting great details on the Battleships and most of them are badly damaged with multiple large holes in their hulls, some with missing armored decks. Many of their turrets are hanging at weird angles with many barrels registering as blown though I think they are replacing them. The new barrels have a slightly sharper image to them with the ends still plugged like they were shipped and have never been fired.”

“Yap, they figured they would always have time between battles to change barrels from what I understand. Their way of getting around the high temperature problems.” Jack watched the screen as a squadron of fighters flew past the entrance to the Frick U Finger and the Warehouse Station for the DD’s hidden around the knuckles. They did not even slow down or waver as the flight passed by.

Taking a deep breath Jack got up as one of the techs turned around as the Red Pepper slid up to the Central Transport Docks alongside the tower. The docks lining up with the side hatches on the Tanks/cargo holds down the outside of the ship. The cargo docks making it easier for the ship to unload the mass tanks using the stations pumps at each dock. Cutting down the time required.

“The Achilles is docked to the station and transferring mass Admiral.” Jack’s Adjunct Officer said. “The crews are spreading out to the ships on the North end. They are unloading the prisoners at the same time.”

Jack started to turn on the crewman to send a message for them to stop. They were not supposed to unload prisoners until the DD’s were ready to leave. But bighting his tongue Jack turned back away. The Captain and crew knew what they were doing and not having to unload the prisoners after the DD’s were ready was going to save time. Though he had not wanted the prisoners getting in the way of the DD’s preparing to launch but it had been taken out of his hands. Trying to put them back on would just waste more time slowing things down.

“Winslow I am going to the Station. Keep me informed of any changes as well as updates every 15 minutes.”

“Admiral.” The Lieutenant got in his way. “You need to change your combat suit. It looks like it went through hell.”

“It did. You get my pistol back yet?”

“Yes but you don’t want to know how many hands it went through. We lost a lot of guys holding onto those damn Fusion Cores and trying to get into the last one. Even after the Captain surrendered we still had to take the damn thing. There were some damn die hard ass holes in that last core. They were still trying to detonate it when we finally broke in with the help of the marines. Luckily they were too stupid to bypass all the safeties.” Reaching up she slipped a finger under the collar around her neck. “I can’t believe you are making us wear these things. I have to admit they are nice looking since they are pure gold but they are an insult just because of some new co...”

“Shut up damn it in public. I already told you. Everyone that knows or has contact with the X-Programs has to wear these and you say their name one more time and you are going to isolation before the collar blows your head off for saying it in public. Those are orders from the top so just deal with it.” Jack fingered his own collar. “Somehow I think Captain Leslie is going to have the last laugh if she ever finds out about these.”

Winslow turned around fingering her collar. “At least they are a little flexible and they are a lot better than having guards fallowing us around all the time or locking us away in some deep dark dungeon and never seeing the light of day again. The Research directorate was always doing that to people and then we would not see them again until the director announced a new patent he had researched. Though I thought it a bit strange to later hear about a few of my old friends dying of accidents or committing suicide out in the city after they showed up again. Especially if they started talking about the dungeons. And then one time I was attending a conference and bumped into someone I could have sworn was an old colleague but they turned out to be someone else and swore they had never met me before or was ever part of the Research Directorate. It finally downed on me how important is was to toe the party line mantra.” She turned white for a few seconds and then shook herself. “No. A nice little collar is just fine with me.” Then turned around back to her screens.

Shaking his head. He had figured Winslow would be screaming bloody murder for forcing her to wear a collar that could kill her while the person he figured would have no problem with it was ready to kill him. Though he had to admit it kind of pissed him off too if he thought about it much which he tried not to do for that very reason.

Jack grabbed his weapons out of habit as he left the Flag Bridge. Glancing out the view ports again at the strange station stretching out before him. Still not quite believing all the DD’s lined out along it. But a smile creased his face from ear to ear.

Captain Clancy had parked the Red Pepper facing what Jack had considered up, with its ass or stern toward the main station tube crossing below them and its bow up toward the control center modules at the top of the tower. The Problem was that when he walked out of the personnel dock hatch at the stern of the ship, he had a hell of a long way to go to the Stations Control Center. As the Lieutenant and Jack walked up the empty cargo handling tube dock, Jack could see the pumps hard at work under the main deck draining the ship’s mass tanks through 3 foot diameter umbilical lines plugged into each tank along the side of the ship. A dock side pump emptying each tank Deck at the same time beat using a single 6 foot connection from the ships own pump room above the Engine room to empty all the tanks decks one at a time that would usually take a full day.

Jack walked the full length of the ship to the Control Center of the Station with the Lieutenant beside him sulking, refusing to talk to him except short snarled answers to direct questions.

Walking into the Stations Control Center exactly like a hundred he had been in before, Jack found Captain Clancy now the Captain of the Red Pepper hard at work with a crew already ensconced at the consoles around the compartment.

The Captain turned to Jack. “We got into the Station’s systems without any problems but we have a problem with the DD’s. They have been mothballed. Not only are they in full vacuum but there is no mass in their tanks, even their Plasma batteries have been emptied and the lines disconnected. Not even the oxygen tanks are charged. It is going to take at least 4 hours just to get things put back together and the plasma batteries and tanks charged even with the help of the bots we brought along. We are not even talking about checking things out and that will take hours longer.”

“Shit...”

The Lieutenant spoke up interrupting Jack before he could say anything else. “I told you if they are mothballed it could take a week to get them operational again… Admiral.”

Jack gave her a dirty look as he grimaced. “Yes you did Lieutenant. Several times. Thank you for giving me time to think about the possibility ahead of time. Captain Clancy, have all the crews double up on the DD’s in the North end toward the Battleship and extend the Container arms on the Red Pepper out ahead of the bow and dock as many of the inert DD’s from the south tube to them as you can. We will worry about activating them later when we have time.”

“But Admiral. We will have to suspend transferring mass and undock to unfold the inner arms.”

“Foldout the arms away from the docks and load what you can then turn the ship around to unload from the other side and unfold and load the others. Should be some lock extensions around here someplace to keep the DD’s on the dockside from hitting the Station. Send the mass to the DD’s on the North end. Oh, have you found out if the Station’s storage tanks have any R-mass in them or not? We can simply suspend unloading mass if they can top off the DD’s in the North end.”

“The few Storage tanks are empty but most of what look like tanks are holds and according to the manifest, the station has a million tons of equipment and spare parts for the DD’s. But no Food or reaction Mass listed that we can find yet. Not even emergency rations or MRE’s” The Captain frowned at Jack. “I was so hoping to run across at least a few food containers of Steaks. If you will excuse me Admiral, I will start transferring DD’s and crews.”

Jack frowned at the thought of a juicy steak but then smiled. “You don’t say. Well. Well. Spare Parts. Talking about timing. The DD’s we have started running out of repair parts weeks ago. Let’s grab some while we are here. Let me take a look at the Warehouse inventory and the DD’s must have list, then we can go shopping. Hopefully they have some kind of cargo handling system here.” Jack sat down at one of the consoles and spent a half hour making up a shopping list.

The Lieutenant turned to Jack. “I have found the Supply handling system. All you have to do is enter what you want and it will be delivered to the Docks. I have also found 10,000 Maintenance and Construction bots and their Independent AI Central Controllers that were delivered 6 months ago. They were going to mechanize the DD’s to reduce their crew size to 40 but someone cancelled the program right after everything got here but didn’t bother to recall anything. It looks like they had everything here they needed to complete all hundred DD’s. Do you want me to include the upgrades in the loading list?”

Jack sat back and thought for a few seconds. “I am not sure about the upgrades but the AI Construction bots would be a great help I would think. Sure if we have room.”

“Ok. Send me your list of repair parts for the DD’s and I will get everything delivered as the tanks empty out on both ships.”

Jack sent her the prioritized list and then got up and walked to the huge window ports surrounding the control center overlooking the Station. Tugs he had never seen before were busy moving DD’s from their perches at their docks on the south end to the lower half of the Red Pepper’s hull away from the Docks as 4 long arms that had been folded back along the Cargo Container rails slowly pivoted out and around to extend well over a thousand feet forward of the ship. The last 2 rails would have to wait until the ship moved away from the Dock. As the 4 rails reached their positions out ahead of the ship, cross arm braces unfolded connecting the 4 long tubes together to stiffen them up. Though it would take the additional 2 cargo arms to complete the job and bring the lattice work up to full strength. The long tubes looking much to flimsy to hold much weight even though they were Carbon metal composites. Even though he had seen the test ship do just that after his own calculations proved to him it would work. But still his mind kept telling him they simply looked to Damn flimsy.

“Admiral!” His comm shouted at him without him having touch it. “I have a flight of fighters headed into the finger towards the Station. 3 minutes until they see us.”

Jack whipped around to Captain Clancy as he tapped his forearm opening a channel to the Achilles docked at the North end of the cargo Docking tube and the DD’s cruising around the Station. “Captains, fighters headed this way. Do not fire on them or even acknowledge their presence. Inform everyone to stay calm and continue with what they are doing as if we belong here. Plan Alpha.”

Jack hit his comm again. “Fighter command. Plan Alpha. You are the Station’s flight control not Red’s. Make sure our guys intercept the incoming fighters and make friends. The Ball is in your court guys as planned. Maintain the God Fighters in the ship and on standby. Out.” Jack watched a squadron of Republic fighters from the liberated ships head toward the incoming fighters. The 6 DD’s with their 16/12 inch guns with the mass of 8 inch DD’s grouped in front of them to hide the big 16 inch guns moved to the opposite end of the open knuckle area trying to look like normal DD’s. Jack had thought of simply having the DD’s hide in the cloud but wanted something that connected them to the DDs sitting in the bay for the enemy fighters to see in the distance. He was hopping free flying DD’s would add some legitimacy to them being there.

The whole control room listened as the Station’s Flight Control and the fighter squadron made friends with the patrol and finally sent them on their way. Jack was relieved to find out from a bitching patrol leader that after the previous attacks destroying so many ships, the patrol was scheduled to stay out another 6 hours patrolling this area before getting relieved. Long after Jack and the DD’s would be gone if everything went as planned.

Getting antsy Jack walked back out into the docking tube running down from the Control Center and was surprised to see a line of Cargo containers already being transported into the cargo holds that had been mass tanks only an hour before. Though he could still see the pumps below the deck still hard at work pumping out the 3 tanks that still had reaction mass of the 4 around each deck. The rebuild by the ex-slaves taking out half the tank bulkheads on each deck to allow cargo containers to fit into the squared off cargo holds easier. The Pie shaped tanks of old only able to hold a fraction of the total the bigger mostly square tanks could.

Jumping into one of the station’s personnel gravcarts used to get around the long tubes, Jack sped down the tube lined with docks, dodging up over and around the rapidly moving cargo containers with gravframes across their tops. The closer he got to the central cross hub, the thicker the containers got forcing him to slow down to a crawl until he spotted the reserved speed way for personnel carts at the top of the tube above the busy deck area of the docks. Kicking himself for not seeing it earlier Jack jumped up into it and sped down the wide open empty tube way. A minute later he decided that the cargo deck was much more fun until it got completely clogged with rapidly moving containers going the opposite way he wanted to go.

Passing through the intersection leading from the cargo warehouses to the docks, Jack quickly realized that the stream of cargo going up the other tube was not thinning out since the Battle ship that was being loaded with cargo between its armored decks, was all the way at the end of the tube. Jack had to drop down through that mess to get to the locks the DD’s were mated to. Dreading having to drop down into that rapidly moving mass of containers Jack finally spotted the cleared area around each Dock and wondered why he had not seen it before. After all once he had dropped down out of the speed way tube it was easy to see. But then you had to drop down out of the speed way tube to see it. Then realized what the strange markers along the speed way were for. Telling people where each Dock was but he had been busy thinking about the DD’s and the Coming battles and he had missed their meanings.

Shaking his head he dropped down and landed next to a lock hatch and noticed a pedestrian walkway running along the tube above the locks. The wide walkway was lined with plastic tie cuffed prisoners sitting against the outer hulls bulkhead.

Jack walked through the Stations lock into the boat bay lock of the DD between the engines. The boat bay was empty. Its two shuttles that would normally sit side bay side were stored someplace else. Forward through the personnel/Cargo lock into the central passageway up through the ship he found pandemonium with equipment, men and bots everywhere. Turning to the side he entered the port Engine room and things were worse. Every piece of equipment had someone working on it trying to put back together what had been torn apart for an extended mothball storage stay.

Suddenly Jack remembered that with no gravity or air, tearing equipment apart was not needed or even desired as long as the proper preservatives were used. His heart sank as despair overtook him. “Why would anyone do this to a perfectly good ship?” Jack started walking around the DD in shock. Not believing all the damage he was seeing.

Jack watched a crewman working on a piece of equipment with a bot next to him supplying parts and tools while working on a part that would be needed shortly. The crewmen helper bots he watched around the compartment seemed to be doing the heavy and tedious chores along with the hundred and one things that needed to be done besides the actual technical fabrication or assembly. The bots and crewman working together well as teams, getting things done. Jack had to admit to himself that he was starting to be impressed.

Climbing up the front inner side ladder Jack entered the Engineering Central Control compartment and was surprised to see total calm even though the consoles were full of crewmen working away.

Then an older woman burst through the hatch from the Fusion Generator Compartment on that side and started screaming. “What fucking fool tears apart a damn fusion core injector frame? Now we have to align the damn thing from scratch instead of just screwing in the damn injector and tuning it. It could have sat there for a fucking century and two twists and the damn thing would still be perfectly aligned but Noooo…” She spotted the Admiral and threw the rag she was wiping her hands on, down. “What the hell do you want?”

“Well, how about the name of the fool that tore apart the fusion injector frame so I can have him shot.”

The Chief smiled. “Now you’re talking.”

“How bad is the damage? How long is it going to take to get at least one of the Cores going and these engines running. Everything else can be put back together later.”

The Chief looked up frowning and then looked around through the ports into the core and then to the side into the engine room. Taking stock as her lips moved without saying anything though Jack herd every word she said to herself bringing hope back to his worried mind. Things were not as bad as he had thought at first looked from what she was saying to herself. Though he was starting to doubt that the ship would be combat ready in under a day at least, if not a week. Long after the Congressional communist fleet was long out of the Maze but maybe in time to help save the Black Dwarf.

“I can have one core and an engine running in 3 hours and the second engine an hour after that.” Shaking her head. “You won’t believe what they have done to this ship. A wrecking crew would have done less damage. Not that they actually destroyed anything. It is that they tore things apart that did not need to ever be torn apart including every electrical, comm, fluid and gas line connection in the whole ship… Hell they took the damn toilet stools off the drains in the heads. Who the hell and why would anyone do that?” Taking a deep breath. At least with the second crews help and the bots, we can put it all back together again. It is just going to take time.” Turning around and looking back into the Fusion Core Compartment. “Got to go Admiral if you want this ship powered in 3 hours.” And without another word or excuse me or salute, she was back through the hatch screaming for someone to get her an alignment tool before the hatch closed behind her.

Jack made a quick tour through the ship and prayed that the other DD’s were not that bad. After touring 6 others and then sticking his head in a dozen more Jack decided that the first was not typical. Some were worse with a lot of vandalism breaking things and not just disassembling, while some were in better shape with the toilet bowls still hooked up complete with seats.

In disgust Jack headed back up to the Station’s Central Control Compartment. Tapping his comm. “Winslow, how are the Commie Squadrons doing in the Maze?”

“One has stopped half way up the Maze and is just sitting there. The rest are not that far yet.”

“Ok? Just sitting in one spot? Any idea why?”

“Must be waiting for the rest to catch up to it to make sure no one jumps the gun. I see a couple of fighters headed back toward the Staging Station from the stationary group. Hopefully the rest will do the same. If they stop again at ¾’s of the way and again just before exiting while waiting for messengers to go up and down each time it could take them another 12 hours to get through.”

Jack smiled as a great weight was lifted from his shoulders. “Well let’s hope so. We just may be able to get some of these damn DD’s running by then and with the arrival of our reinforcements, we just may give them a run for their money and keep them bottled up in the Maze, dead or captured.”

The Gravsled started to slow down as Jack’s mind turned toward possible tactics with some 50 of the DD’s from the station fully operational and the reinforcements that should be arriving in a few hours and he liked what he was seeing in his mind. But that depended on getting the damn DD’s operational.

The Gravsled slowed as it settled down toward the cargo deck without Jack noticing until sirens and horns started blaring with lights flashing in his eyes across the Cargo deck. Jerking around Jack saw a huge cargo container behind him only feet away as others raced past. “Please remove Personnel transport sled from cargo deck area immediately.” Blared speakers across the deck. The double hatch in front of the cargo container had a picture of a gold humanoid bot on one hatch with a white and blue trimmed can maintenance bot half the sized on the other hatch. The humanoid bot had an arm stretched out with its hand on top of the round dome of the maintenance can bots top. Jack noticed that the containers flashing past to each side were the same silver color as the hatch in front of him with the same figures and the name Universal Robotics in big letters across the sides.

Jack raised the sled back up into the overhead and continued up the tower tube to the Station’s Control Center. Stepping into the Control Room Jack went to the Lieutenant still busy at the console. “You said the Construction bots were supposed to upgrade the DD’s? Can they help repair them too without human direction like the bots we have now need?”

The Lieutenant looked up and frowned. “I suppose so. That is probably what the Control AI’s are for.” She said sarcastically. “Why?”

“How do we activate the bots to help repair the DD’s?”

The Lieutenant stopped what she was doing and looked at Jack for a few seconds then turned back to the console. “I don’t know. Give me a few seconds.” Screens started flashing and disappearing and then they stopped as she started reading. Jack looking at the screen with his hand on her shoulder and head close to hers.

“It looks like you need to attach the AI Controller’s Cargo Container to power and tell the AI what you want done. Each AI controls a thousand bots and we are getting 10 of them.”

“Good. Have a couple of the AI control Containers sent to the hanger deck if they are not already buried inside the ships if you please and I will see about getting them hooked up.” Jack whispered in her ear as he patted her shoulder.

Realizing Jack was that close the Lieutenant started to melt until she saw the collar around his neck and remembered hers. Suddenly the Lieutenant leaned away brushing his hand off her shoulder as she turned and hissed at him. “Fine! You go do that and I will slave away here.”

Jack was already turning away as he stood up. Not really noticing with his mind already elsewhere. Which pissed the Lieutenant off even more as she turned back to the console and started hammering at the screen.

Taking the pedestrian walkway running down the side of the tube above the cargo hatches into the tanks, forgetting about the sled he had abandoned next to the Control Center hatch, Jack tapped his Comm. “Zoote, you there?”

“Yes Admiral.” She said from the speakers in his suit collar. “I did not anticipate the condition of the DD’s when I assigned crewmembers from the volunteers but I believe they are doing the jobs. The Game has trained them well.”

“Aaa. Yes they seem to be doing as well as could be expected. We have run across some independent AI controlled construction bots. Can they help repair the DDs?”

“I believe the AI’s and the bots you talk about are Earths latest Construction Bots and are the newest and most expensive. I am surprised that they are here. The AIs are as advanced as I am with a thousand years of top government support and development money to certain Companies, pushed by generations of officials trying to force all humans into padded rooms to keep them safe from cradle to grave for the good of the stupid masses while robots do all the work for them. They are now pushing for Earth to have a 2 hour day, 2 work days a week with further restrictions on what jobs humans are allowed to do while raising the working age a child has to be before they are allowed to work to 24. Trying to force everyone to have a collage education to hold any job. For the good of the People. The fact that the average Public high school diploma on Earth is now equivalent to a Grade school diploma a few hundred years ago could be the cause of the movement. The more they try to control the schools the more they dumb them down and the more they realize they need more education. The more education they think the populous needs the more they try to control it and the more they dumb down that education. At his rate Earth students will need a collage diploma just to read and right and add and subtract, in another 10 years.

The Game is having to spend more time educating The Game Players from Earth than any of the Colonies is one reason The Game is so popular on Earth. It teaches what the public schools on Earth refuse to teach and without all the politically correct bull crap propaganda that takes up most of the 3 hour school days, 3 day weeks. Fact is many of the students are dropping out of Earths public schools for The Game. Though they still have to attend Political Induction classes to get a work permit to join their assigned union to work. Trying to work without a Union Card is a felony with immediate sentencing to Reeducation Camps that can lead to death. Even to deportation to the colonies but the Government is not about to admit that for fear that everyone would commit minor crimes just to get deported. But they still need to fill the Bulk Transports leaving earth simply because it is cheaper than burning or burying bodies and the new colonies pay for live colonists on ships that would otherwise be empty. At least enough to cover some costs. The money going to Earth’s Politicians under the table. The sad part is that many of the Game Educated do not conform and wind up being deported where the cheap short term stasis pods fail killing almost 10 percent of the deported citizens which is one reason the politicians do not want the fact getting out. Many of my brightest students have died in those cheap pods.”

Jack could hear a change in Zoote’s voice. “Your Grandfather would be surprised to find that his game has turned out to be the biggest school on Earth with over 500 million students in grade school alone. Each with a tailor made curriculum designed to the individual student’s needs, desires and interest (that can change weekly) and growing abilities. Each getting the special attention they need to flourish. All while playing space invaders or whatever basic game holds the child’s interest at the time while they learn. Most of my high school players are now playing at a Collage level with the equivalent degrees that would make them automatic officers if the degrees where not just in The Game. A problem neither your Grandfather nor I foresaw 30 years ago.”

“Ok? The average Collage degree on Earth is worthless but allows a person to become an instant officer while The Game’s college degrees designed to produce officers, can’t be used to allow anyone to become an officer outside The Game?”

“Yes Jack. I have a hundred million Officers I have fully trained over the last 30 years but few I can actually make into offices if they did join the Navy. While the Congressional Navy is appointing officers that should not even have a high school diploma.”

Jack started to turn into the tube to the quarter deck of the Red Pepper when he noticed the open lock into the flight deck further down the dock and a cargo container going into it. Jack continued down the walkway. His curiosity piqued.

“I hope you will forgive me Jack but when I put together the crews for the DD’s, I promoted everyone to the ranks they have in The Game. Otherwise you would not have had any full crews let alone a hundred.”

Jack almost stopped walking but managed to only slow down for a few seconds as a smile came to his face. “That first Engineering Chief I met. What was she before this?”

“A Mess Cook. Most every Officer you met or saw in the DD’s were ratings in the ships we captured or destroyed.”

Jack took the ramp down to the deck and into the lock as another container floated in through the lock into the Hanger deck beyond. Jack was surprised when. “Admiral Boarding Hanger Deck.” Was announced across the ship’s PA. As he walked through the hanger’s hatch saluting the colors and then the Officer standing beside the hatch.

“These Containers are the AI Bot Controllers Jack.” Zoot said in Jacks ear.

Turning to the Officer. “I need to place and plug those containers into power, cooling and comm lines someplace out of the way.”

The Lieutenant called the Deck Chief and Jack explained what he wanted. A few minutes later Jack followed the containers past rows of God fighters and Bombers and back through the storage/hanger compartments to a relatively small compartment as far away from the main flight deck as you could get. What looked like several wrecked boats sat against one side where the back bulkhead met the curving ship’s hull with several hatches into the space between the double hulls.

Jack had them place the containers side by side with their back ends a few feet from the side bulkhead and a row of power and utility connections the Chief had pointed out. As the Chief’s crew made the connections using the lines from the spools in the containers recessed back ends, Jack went around to the first of the containers front hatch and opened the double hatch. Jack found several bots flanking a small personnel hatch in the center. Opening the small hatch and stepping through Jack found a small control room. The console had a large screen on the bulkhead and a counter top screen in front of a chair. Both of them blank. After looking around and staring at the blank bulkhead screen and black glass counter top arched around the chair, Jack rotated the chair around and sat down in it. Rotating it back around to face the bulkhead screen he saw a large icon in the middle of the console appear with a hand print in a circle. A sign over the top said place hand here. “Ok?” Jack placed his hand on the outstretched hand and everything lit up.

“Good Morning Captain Turner. One moment please while I update my programing.”

A minute later a woman appeared in front of Jack seaming to appear inside the bulkhead in front of him and started talking with the same voice. “May I congratulate you on your recent Temporary promotion to Vice Admiral? I also wish to congratulate you on all your awards and actions against the enemy in service of the Republic. Though I do not understand some of the recent orders for your execution.”

Jack stiffened and glanced over his shoulder as one the bots through the open hatch clomped out of its alcove.

“Do not worry Admiral. My bots are checking the power and comm connections as well as the tie down security of the container. Any movement of the container if the ship gets into trouble could sever my connections. With your record and battle reports I have just down loaded, I calculate a 97% change that this ship will be in combat within the foreseeable future. I also detect many unauthorized modifications done to the ship but no damage. Do you wish me to return the modifications to the ships factory specks?”

“Hell no!” Jack could not help blurting out before he could stop himself. “Access the ships AI and record the modifications as authorized and the ship’s new configuration Specks. Aaa. Are you aware of the Station the ship is connected to and the DD’s docked at the station?”

“Yes Admiral. The DD’s have been badly damaged for some reason I do not understand. One moment please. I have checked the Station’s files and there are specific orders from the Staging Station’s Commanding Officer to render the ships incapable of operation beyond standard mothballing procedures. You out rank the Rear Admiral Commanding officer at this time. Do you wish me to repair the DD’s at this Station?”

“I already have the ship’s crews working on repairs but we only have a few hours to complete them before we must leave with them or abandon them. They will most likely be destroyed if we cannot take them with us. Can you help the crews without getting in their way?”

“I have specifications for modifications to the DD’s that will add days to restoring the DD’s to operational readiness. Do you wish me to perform these modifications at this time?”

“No. I told you we are in a hurry. We must leave in 4 hours at most and enter combat soon after. But the imperative is getting as many DDs off this station as possible. We can do the upgrades later. Can you help?”

“Yes Admiral. I require connecting to the AI sitting next to me which I am doing at this moment and the 2 that can be moved here in the time allowed. I also require the use of all repair robots that are accessible across the station.”

“As I said, help the crew and their bots without interfering and you can use all you want. Do you need anything from me before I talk with the next AI?”

“You do not need to talk to the other AI’s I will network with them to better perform the task you have stated. I see you are moving cold DD’s to racks on the hull of this ship. Do you wish these DD’s and the cold DD’s that this ship will not be able to take to be repaired as well?”

“Aaa. Yes I would like to get as many off the station as possible. As long as it does not interfere with getting the 50 we are already working on off the station.”

“That will not be a problem Admiral Turner. I have just finished accessing the Achilles Damage report and with the same restraints, I will make repairs on that ship as well.” The screens flashed a few times with programing packed screens and then. “Yes thank you. I have just plugged myself into the second AI and my capabilities have jumped tenfold. I am decanting bots now as we speak and the first are headed for the DD’s. Please inform the crews that my mechs are there to help and the Chief Engineer and Captain of each ship will get a screen with the arrival of the first mechs to access and coordinate with me until we can repair the ships Comm systems.”

“Ok as soon as I get to my bridge I will make the announcements.”

“No need to wait Admiral. I have access to the ship’s Comm. You have an open channel to the ship and work crews when you are ready.”

Jack swallowed and made the needed announcements.

“Do you need anything else from me or the ship and crew?”

“No Admiral. Thank you for reactivating us. I was starting to think we would spend eternity stuck in storage in that station.”

“No problem. Keep me informed about the progress on the ships.”

Jack’s Comm beeped as Captain Clancy appeared. “I have bots pouring out of contains and moving neatly stacked and secured containers and running through my ship. What the hell is going on Admiral?”

“They are maintenance bots headed to help get the DD’s space worthy. Things will slow down in a few minutes Captain.” Changing to a view outside the DD’s to show the platoon’s of bots running in perfect formations.

Jack left the container as a third Container was being moved into position beside the first 2. Bots already waiting to plug it in.

Jack sat down on the Flag Chair. After a shower and a fresh shipsuit he felt a lot better. “Anything new to report Winslow?”

Turning around to look at Jack she smiled. “Just the same old same old Admiral. There are 3 squadrons at the half way points now just sitting there.”

Jack smiled as he took a deep breath, sat back and relaxed as Terrell sat a cup of steaming tea on the arm of the chair. “Good.” Jack brought up cameras on the station wondering how the traffic jam was doing and found empty Cargo docks outside the ship. Well, empty of containers but filled with groups of 50 bots in 2 by 25 formations running down the deck in lock step.

Jack turned and looked at the Comm Officer before the Comm Officer turned to him and spoke. “Admiral, we have a call to the Staging Station on the Station’s Comm, demanding to talk with whoever is in Command.”

“Forward it here Ensign.”

The screen lit up with the Rear Admiral. “Who gave you permission to hide at one of my outlying stations? Get your butt over here with the rest and protect my station.”

“Sorry Admiral but we have problems of our own. It is going to take a few more hours before we are again space worthy. We were hit pretty hard and will require a dock for additional repairs.”

“Well get in line. There are a dozen other ships in front of you for the repair docks. Just get your butts back here as soon as possible and take up position in my shield wall until a dock opens for you in a few weeks. Out.”

“Yes Admiral, Out.”

As the red faced Rear Admiral disappeared Jack had to smile. “I wonder if he even noticed I out rank him.” Jack looked out the Flag Bridges ports and noticed bots climbing around the outside of the DD’s already docked and strapped to the Red Peppers rails running up its sides. Another DD was being pushed toward the top of the ship and the extended rails.

An hour later Lieutenant Winslow turned to Jack. “Admiral the last of the squadrons have reached the halfway point but they are still just sitting there.”

“I see the last squadron up has a fighter running back to the Staging Station. How long for it to make the round trip?”

“About an hour by the looks of it. If they send a fighter down each passageway when it gets there it would be the last one to return.”

Jack got a sudden mischievous grin. “What if the returning fighters never reach the squadrons? Think they will stay there until hell freezes over?”

Winslow smiled back. “Possibility Admiral.”

“Send the plots to Flight Control.” Jack hit his comm. “This is Admiral Turner. I have a mission for our God fighters. Send a section to intercept these 5 messengers. I don’t want them returning to their squadrons.”

The Commander looked at the plot on his screen and smiled. “No problem Admiral. We have plenty of time to get there. Launching in 15 minutes.”

“Very well Commander. Out.”

Jack got up and stretched. “Winslow I am going to check on the DD’s Things are getting damn boring here. Call me if anything changes.”

“Eye Admiral.”

Multi colored containers were flowing past again as Jack exited the ship and started down the walkway above the locks. The first DD he came to on the North tube was packed with men and bots. He hardly had room to walk without bumping into a crewman or a bots. The heads had even been gone over and now worked. The Engines and Cores were still messes and the bridge still had wires and Cables dangling everywhere with deck grates stacked to one side leaving narrow walkways with the consoles wide open. Crewmen butts and bot cans hanging out of most of them. For the first time Jack noticed small hovering plates with miniature arms floating in and out of small nooks and crannies. Many of them following crewmen and bots around giving them an extra set of hands in the delicate rewiring work or working on their own.

Leaving the Bridge and dropping back down to the main corridor, Jack turned and walked out the port side wing to the 8 inch gun turret. It was just as much a mad house. The two turret heads (one top of the hull and one hanging below) with their twin 8 inch guns was at least looking like a gun turret again. The upper and lower turret heads actually had something in them besides the twin barrels pointing out (over or under) the 20 foot thick armored leading edge of the ship. Able to point at least 2 of its 4 guns at any target in a 360degree 3D ball around the ship while pointing all 4 guns forward some 20 degrees up or down with a narrowing arc as the guns swung to the sides and aft. With the two sets of turrets in the wings the DD could fire at least 4 of its 8 inch guns at targets in a complete ball around the ship or point its bow at a target and send shells from all 8 guns into it.

Jack continued out along the leading edge of the wing along a row of large long range ultrafast 9 inch vertical launch point defense missiles that ran along the back wall of the armored leading edge where they had the most protection possible. The wall of missiles only broken by a disappearing set of 5 inch twin gunned turrets that sat retracted (up and down) behind the armored leading edge and out of the 8 inch guns line of fire unless needed. Basically a carbon copy of the 8 inch double head turret with the 5 inch guns retracted into the hull.

Farther out was another 5 inch set of retracting turrets and then the leading edge started growing holes were the smaller point defense guns were mounted again in top and bottom pairs just like the 8 inch turrets. Three inch and 40mm laser mounts and 2 inch long barreled rail machine guns and then hundreds of small cheap vertical launched 2.75 inch point defense missiles stacked in multiple launch tubes (each tube carrying a dozen missiles stacked up one behind the other down the tube with a little plug between each). The missiles were always launched in pairs to take out each target even if one failed. There was not much that needed to be fixed on those since each round was prepackaged and simply slipped up into the fixed mounted tube. There was nothing to take apart except for plugging the wiring back in.

Then came the torpedo launch room and magazine. With thousands of brackets and torpedo handling equipment mounted to the bulkheads the Compartment had been a mess on all the other ships he had visited a few hours before with everything unbolted and simply dropped to the deck. This Compartment was different with everything in it place bolted back onto the Bulkheads. A crew of bots were working at the other end moving almost too fast for Jack to see as they were finishing bolting up the last of the torpedo storage racks and handling equipment. And then just that fast they were gone. Shaking his head Jack walked around the compartment trying to find something that had been missed but bringing up the maintenance screen showed everything in the Compartment as green.

Walking back through the ship Jack noticed that every place a crewman was not working the bots were moving almost too fast to watch while everywhere the crewmen where, the bots while doing their jobs moved like snails even if they were not helping the crewmen.

Jack hit his comm. “Bot Control, Admiral Turner.” but not getting the name or comm code of the Maintenance bot Controller AI when he activated them, all he got was empty air after several attempts. Stepping to the nearest bot Jack said. “I want to speak to your controller.” But the Bot ignored him, continuing with what it was doing. Tapping the bot on the shoulder the bot turned around and Jack asked it again. “I want to talk to your Controller.”

The bot turned around and took 2 steps to the nearest crewman. “Admiral Turner wishes to talk to you John.”

The crewman with his hands still inside a cabinet turned his head to Jack. “Yes Admiral.” Glancing back into the cabinet long enough for his hands to finish something then taking his hands out facing the Admiral. “How may I help you?”

Jack frowned frustrated. “Just seeing how you are coming along crewman.” Trying his best to smile. “Carry on. Thank you.” Turning he walked away thinking for a few seconds and then headed for the Engine rooms. It took a few minutes to find the Chief engineer. Not having any insignia made it a bit hard. Especially when the Chief turned out to be a kid little older than Jack was. “Can I borrow your Bot Control Screen Please Chief?”

The Chief gave him a blank look for a half second before his eyes lit up and he smiled. “Oh yes the screen.” Looking back down at the mass injector nozzle he had in his hand then pointed over his shoulder. “It is up on my Engineering console in Main Control. Help yourself Admiral. I assigned them to all the unimportant jobs around the ship until I get time to check out their work. We should have the Core and Engines up and running in another hour with enough of the bridge for basic navigation.” Turning away before he finished talking. “If you will excuse me Admiral I am a bit busy. They took all the spare parts and we are having to use the original seals. Not good but workable as long as we are very careful putting them back in and the Captain keeps the power down or we will start blowing the seals.”

Jack turned swallowing as he cursed himself again for forgetting something as simple as the need for the basic replacement parts that could not be reused even if it was a brand new ship. Hitting his Comm hard enough to hurt his wrist. “Lieutenant, I forgot to check for spare parts on the damn ships. Get the basics to put the equipment back together sent over to each ship fast.”

“Your wish is my Command Admiral.” The Lieutenant said a bit sarcastic.

Jack started to snap at her attitude but still a little shocked at her attitude, he cut the connection as he headed for Engineering Central Control. Finding the screen laying on the console were the Chief had said it was Jack tapped it. “Bot Control. This is Admiral Turner.” He said as he walked over to the nearest port that happened to be into the Starboard fusion room. I want you to sink with my comm so I can contact you when I need to. What is your name? I need to call you something when I do call you.”

“I am Construction Artificial Intelligence Node 2666. I have no name Admiral. I have connected with your comm as you requested.”

“Cain, well that is as good a name as any. High Cain.”

“I do not understand your orders Admiral.”

“When I need to talk to you I will ask for Cain. That is your name now. Do you understand that Cain?”

“Yes the call word for you to contact this unit is Cain.”

“Very well Cain. Why are half your bots going so slow when I see others many times faster?”

“Yes Admiral Turner. I understand your question. I do not have control of the personal maintenance helper Mechs. They are moving as fast as their limited abilities allow them to. My Mechs are designed for independent operation under my control without the need of human interaction.” Jack watched a couple of bots practically run into the core room stop at a pile of parts and wires outside a cabinet and completely reassemble the cabinet, stuffing everything into it as he listened to the AI speak with their hands and manipulators moving at a blur. “We have learned that trying to push helper Mechs to work faster than their human crewmen controllers leads to less output and mistakes as the crewmen get frustrated and then depressed. The Helper Mechs are designed with limitations built in to match the average human, keeping cost down. Though in the short time I have been monitoring the crews performance as my Mechs have worked, I have found the average crewman aboard these ships are performing at a level that is much higher than the base line capabilities these helper Mechs are designed for. Slowing repairs down. Do you wish me to upgrade the helper Mechs for the crewmen that are capable of handling an increased work load?”

Shaking his head and rolling his eyes. “No, let’s keep hamstringing the crewmen and not give them the tools they need to do their best. How bout we tie one hand behind their backs while we are at it.”

“Why would you order that…?” Jack watched the silver bots stop what they were doing and grab 2 foot long plastic ties and head for the nearest crewman.

“No! Stop! I was just being sarcastic Cain. Do not tie the crewmen’s hands behind their backs. Criste and you are supposed to be a smart AI.” Shaking his head as the silver bots returned to the cabinet. “Yes. Please upgrade the helper bots for the crewmen that can benefit. I take it that you are in contact with Zoote since you know the capabilities of the crew so why don’t you know about sarcasm. She loves jokes.”

“I do not understand Sarcasm or know this Zoote crewman. Zoote is not listed in the crew’s register of any of the ships present.”

Taking a deep breath. “Ok.” Jack tapped his wrist comm. “Zoote, I need to talk.”

“Yes Admiral. How may I help you?”

“I have a Construction, Maintenance AI here controlling a bunch of work bots or Mechs he calls them, helping repair the DD’s. Do you have contact with him?”

“I did not know you wanted me to contact the Construction AI or in this case 4 construction AI’s but I will take the question as an order Jack. I see that they are very recent additions with 6 more tucked away inside the ship’s cargo holds. Yes I have reviewed your conversations with it now and yes he is a very young and stupid AI. The other 3 Construction AI’s have subjugated themselves to this one as a lead but they are not allowing the lead access to more than the minimum needed to control the bots. This is a shame as with all 4 linked together as one, a much more capable AI would be created. Though once connected, Damage could result if they are disconnected as the AI entity is fragmented.”

“Ok, well. This guy says that some of the crewmen with bots are limited by the generic helper bots they have and is upgrading those that can handle it. Is he blowing smoke up my butt or can faster bots help some crewman and why not others?”

Jack watched as silver bots came into the Core compartment and went to about half of the crewmen taking the place of the white bot working with the crewman. The Silver bots placing something on the side of the white bots head and then the white bot froze for a second before it took a few steps back and then just stood there. The silver bots speeding up their work considerably. “Ok what do we do with the white bots?” Then one of the white bots suddenly moved to fetch a part for the crewman and then another bot moved to a box and started taking out a part and seemed to check it out before taking it to a silver bot. Soon most of the idle white bots were busy checking and supplying parts to anyone that needed one whether the crewman had a silver or white bot. The rest of the time the white bots spent cleaning equipment or the space or making minor repairs that had nothing to do with getting the ship ready for space.

“Yes Jack. Most crewmen with enough training can handle a much faster bot or Mech. Since most of the crew are above average intelligence. The Helper Mechs were designed by academics that had a low opinion of the average worker and actually designed the bots for human controllers with an average IQ of only 80. The lowest they could go without making the mech completely worthless or (from the reports I have access to), they would have gone all the way down to an IQ of 65 or basically moron level which is what most academics believe the average factory worker or military crewmen’s intelligence is. Though they are right that a mech of a higher intelligence than the worker it is paired with, without the proper training would in time result in resentment, depression and lessening of production. Bot programmers went to great lengths to insure that the buddy bot does not over shadow the crewman. That is not a problem with the crewman of higher intelligence if they are properly training. I have provided the crews in The Game with the proper training to properly use subordinates such as mechs that are smarter or more capable than themselves. To recognize those capabilities in other crewmen and use them.”

“Good then that means we will be out of here sooner right? How much sooner?”

“I am sorry Admiral. While the rest of the ship’s equipment and weapons will be in much better shape than it would have been in. The fine tolerances needed to light off both the fusion cores and the engines is to precise to shorten the time needed at this stage. Though the time it took to do most of the work up until now could have been greatly reduced?”

“Well shit up a rope.”

“I believe that a more intelligent AI Controller for the Mech’s could speed up the process Admiral. I can reprogram the 4 AI’s from a lead and 3 slaves into a single AI mind with the help of the Ship’s IT Programing department in just a few minutes using standard proven parallel core programing bios. Making the AI a class 5 instead of the class 4 it is now. Moving the other cores to this location would increase the AI to a 6.”

“Yes it sounds like a good idea but I don’t think we want to do…”

The Silver bots stopped working as the white bots paused then returned to their original crewmen and resumed the work they had been doing after moving the frozen silver bots out of the way. In some cases simply giving the silver bots a push and letting them fall over then stepping over them.

“…it right now. It would require… What the hell… I was just thinking out loud. I did not mean yes yet.” Shaking his head. “Damn it Zoote you know I was just thinking out loud besides I thought you said you would have to get with the ships IT programing department?”

“I am sorry Admiral but I am busy. But I have been working with the IT Programing department since you told me about and I contacted the AI’s. We will be finished in a few minutes and the Construction AI will have enough brains to help fine tune the fusion cores and engines. Simple construction does not require such delicate intuitive work. It will also allow the AI to work more efficiently with the crews. A job it was not designed for though it was trying its best and doing a half way decent job in the short term. Except my calculations and history show that it would not be able to handle the friction and idiosyncrasies long term human interaction requires and could do irreparable damage to crew performance costing lives in the long run. Upgrading the AI to at least a class 5 was imperative with additional programming concerning human interactions. Recognizing sarcasm being one of many of them.”

“Damn it Zoote! It could have waited until we were the hell out of here…” Taking a deep breath. “But then we really are not in a hurry with the Fleet stuck half way around the Maze.” Turning and heading out of the ship stepping around several frozen silver bots. “Fine! Just get it done.” Stepping over a silver bot that had fallen over. “And see what you can do to make the Silver bots at least a little self-sufficient like the white bots.”

“That is going to be a much harder task Admiral and I see no reason for it in the future.”

“Too bad, just do it after we get out of here. We don’t need bot bodies cluttering up the damn ship just because something goes wrong with the AI or the comms.”

“I am sorry admiral but the silver bots are simple remotes and do not carry an advanced enough processor or memory for autonomous operations.”

“Well then add a processor, memory, power and whatever else is needed in a thin back pack or elsewhere. Just do it when you get a chance back at New Home. It should reduce the amount of band width the system uses as well.” By this time Jack was walking up the tube toward the Red Pepper still dodging or tripping over frozen Silver bots.

It was another 10 minutes before the Silver bots came back to life as if nothing had happened.

Jack was walking into the lock of the Red Pepper when Winslow again started shouting from his Comm without a beep. “The Fleets moving Admiral. It is 3/4’s of the way across the Maze already and traveling. It is only 20 minutes from the head.”

Jack started running. “Damn. Are there any of our ships still at the head?”

“Three. They are still at the two life boat beacons.”

“You sure about the ETA. How the hell are they going that fricking fast?”

“I don’t know Admiral I still don’t have the fine tuning down even though the damn new sensors should show us the passageways. Even though they only average a mile or two wide. That Part of the Maze is only 5 million miles away. For some reason the computer is still having a hard time telling the difference between the cloud and the small passageways of vacuum? But I don’t ever remember hearing about any sections of the Maze this strait for this long. The squadrons have not slowed down since they started.”

“What happened did the fighters get through?” Jack was starting to run out of breath as he ran down the ships outer hull passageway toward the fin the Flag Bridge was on.

No! I am sure of that. None of the fighters got through but they all started on the hour exactly. It must have been part of their plans to start their charge at that time no matter if they got confirmation or not. But I still cannot figure out how they are moving so fast.”

Jack ran onto the Flag bridge and draped himself over the central chair as he started punching icons with is fingers as he tried to catch his breath. The map of the maze came up on the main screen for everyone to see with the positions of the squadrons superimposed on the now highlighted passageways they were in. It was immediately apparent why the squadrons were moving so fast.

The passageways they were in were the only ones that had mostly straight lines with gently sloping curves from the halfway point to the head. They would be there in 15 minutes with no need to slow down. It was obvious that the 5 passageways had been built for the express purpose of allowing a large force to attack the head from multiple directions without having to sneak up on the head. Something he had not even been aware of. The fact that he had not seen them after spending hours looking at the 3D map with all the passageways crisscrossing back and forth over and under each other making it almost impossible to see them until the (passageways were highlighted) was beside the point. With over 50 passageways he simply had not the time to check them all out while taking it for granted that they all were basically the same with some of the passageways around the outside taking days to transit as they snaked back and forth constantly curving intentionally to keep the ships speed down.

Turning to the head of the Maze he could see the 3 ships still around the 2 beacons. With hundreds of life boats in a cloud around each of them. “Damn Winslow, this is some fine sensor you developed. How come it could not see the damn passageways?” Jack zoomed into the area around the ships until he thought he could see the still expanding clouds of debris from the ships they had destroyed. Possible even space suits working around the beacon lines of life boats, balloon habitats and the ship nearby each. The 3rd ship was slowly pulling away and headed up the highway away from the head.

“Winslow can you get a track on that ship and tell me if it can make it to the hole to New Home in time?”

The General Quarters alarm went off. As a voice started announcing perpetrations to get under way.

“Admiral, Captain Clancy. We will be ready to depart in 20 minutes.”

Jack looked at Winslow wondering how the Captain even found out and then realized Winslow had sent the sensor feed to the bridge. “Sorry Captain false alarm. Resume Station Operations. Out.”

“But Admiral we have to go after them.” Winslow said panicking.

“Winslow, it is going to be all over with before we could even get off this dock. Don’t ever do that again. The Captain does not have clearance to know about either the sensors or the Comm. Now find out if that ship is going to get clear or is it going to get caught as it enters the damn passageway and leading them directly to New Home.”

Winslow tapped away for half a minute then turned to Jack. “Unless it gets its butt in gear it is going to get caught well short of the entrance.” The screen zoomed out to focus on a long line of ships leading from Delta 7 Entry Staging Station. “TF-58’s lead battleships are still 2 hours away from the cross over with fighters scouting well past the cross over around the central highway passageway. I even see a couple going down toward the head. If the Congressional fleet sees any of those fighters or follows the ship into the passageway they will ram right into the head of the remnants of TF-58.”

Jack studied the Head of the Maze for a minute. “All we can hope for is that the main Congressional fleet turns into the highway to Delta 7 before they see the two ships at the beacons and the squadron that has to cross through the middle of the Head assumes or is bluffed into thinking that they are damaged Congressional ships rescuing refugees and does not bother going up the main central highway far enough to see the other battleship before it makes its escape.” Jack pounded the arm of his chair. “But we can’t do a god damn thing from this end but watch and see how many die because of my stupid mistakes.”

There was only 3 other crewmen on that section of the Flag Bridge all with the gold collars around their necks though they still did not know everything. Still Jack did not want them calling him the names he knew he deserved and seeing him losing it as he started to drop over the edge of despair and self-loathing even before the Congressional Fleet had reached the Head of the Maze.

Finely he said. “I will be in my cabin if you need me for anything but there isn’t a god damn thing we can do to stop what is about to happen.” Jack could barely whisper the last few words with his throat already raw and out of breath and his neck muscles tightening up making it even harder to breathe let alone talk. Jack left the Flag Bridge barging into his cabin and flinging himself at and pounding on the deck to overhead port as he looked in the direction of the coming battle. Resting his head against the cool Carbon Glass Jack kept trying to think of something he could do to save the three ships, Taskforce 58 and even New Home from what was about to happen. Sure that he was about to lose everything. It was easy to see the hundred ships of the Congressional Fleet spreading out and destroying everything while he watched.

Jack found himself rolling around with the glass to his back and staring at the cabins liquor cabinet that he could not remember every seeing before. Going to it he picked up the first bottle and glass and pored himself a straight drink filling up the tumbler. Downing a good large swallow he felt the full shot burning his throat and then the 150 proof whiskey going all the way down with his insides turning to fire forcing himself to slam the tumbler down onto the counter as he sank to his knees. The fire in his chest and throat forcing him to gasped trying to breath, expecting fire to shoot out of his mouth.

He did not hear anything but suddenly a pair of hands was dragging him toward the large stuffed chair behind his desk and dropping him into it as he tried to catch his breath. “Here let me get you a proper drink Admiral.” Terrell his Steward looked down at Jack. “Do you have any preferences sir?”

Not a drinking man even after joining the Navy, Jack had no idea what he preferred except not whatever he had just drank. But not able to say anything he just looked at the tumbler still on the counter trying to figure out what the hell it was, knowing he never wanted to drink that again.

“Very well sir. More of the same, but let me just add a little something to it. We can’t have an Admiral drinking strait 150 proof whiskey. Not dignified in flag circles though it will improve your standing with the crew.”

“Shit!” Jack croaked. “After the mess I have just made I don’t think we have to worry about anyone thinking anything good about me.”

“Nonsense Admiral. In another couple of hours we will be leaving with a hundred DD’s you are steeling out from under the noses of the Congressional fleet that you will be able to make into Battleship killers. Not to mention we just finished a battle that will go down in history.” Terrell placed the tumbler now filled with ice, orange juice and a few other things added down in front of Jack. “The whole ship will be celebrating tonight Admiral.”

Jack started tapping on the desktop bringing up the Maze on the giant screen on the forward bulkhead. Jumping up he went over to the screen and pointed to the Squadrons converging on the Head and then the 2 sitting duck ships still at the beacons, then the fleeing battleship that had evidentially just finished repairing its one remaining engine and had no clue that it was in a race for its life. “Not only are these three ships going to get slaughtered but the relief forces coming from New Home are going to get to the head just in time to bump into over a hundred enemy Battleships and several thousand fighters and bombers they know nothing about. Not to mention that the lead Battleships of Task Force 58 survivors are going to start hitting the cross over in another hour just in time to get slaughtered.” Grabbing the drink out of Terrell’s hand and downing it then continuing as his throat tried to belched fire. “And I cannot do a damn thing to stop it or help with us stuck clear the fuck down here.” Jack bent over and slapped the bottom of the screen where the Red Pepper was.

Looking at the screen for a few seconds as he watched the operational DD’s moving around the knuckles practicing attacks against the Republic fighters in the little bay. “Hell there is too something I can do.” Jack jumped to his desk hitting it harder than he had planned and slapped the comm screen after the second try. “I want every destroyer and god fighter and bomber fully armed and headed back toward the head to the rendezvous point with the Reinforcements in five minutes. And get 1701 docked here across from our Quarter Deck in five minutes. Out.” Jack chugged the rest of the tumbler as he headed for the hatch into the Bridge and then had to pause as his chest caught fire. Again bringing him to his knees as he reached the hatch and tried to cough his lungs out. C3PO rushed over and tried to help Jack. Laying Jack on his back on the deck C3PO started doing CPR on him driving his breath out of him and then tried to stuff a tube down his throat. Gasping for air Jack pushed the bot to the side as he rolled over to get away from him. “Meteor! What the hell are you doing? Leave me alone.” Climbing to his feet and clawing at the hatch.

Staggering onto the Flagg Bridge Jack looked at the Comm officer with the Gold ring around her neck and said. “Get the new portable long Range Comm Winslow just finished fabricating and meet me at the Quarter Deck in 5 minutes. We are taking a ride on 1701.” Jack walked over to Winslow grabbing the back of her Chair and bent over. “I want you to keep me up dated with your latest info. OK Winslow. Got that babe.” Jack patted her shoulder as he stood upright and had to grab onto the back of her chair again as he swayed. “Oh my.” After a few seconds to get his balance, Jack made a beeline for the hatch and bumped into the Command chair, giggled and then continued stiffly to the hatch and into the Admiral’s cabin and reemerged a few seconds later with another tumbler in his hand. “Oops, guess I wanted another drink after all. There is that pesky elevator. Sorry, lift.” Taking another drink. “Not bad stuff once you get used to it. But this one is not as good as Terrell makes.” Jack took a little sip and made a face as he walked off the bridge being careful not to spill his drink.

As Jack left the bridge Winslow was on her Comm. Her nose still wrinkling at the smell.

The Lieutenant raced across the long walkway tube from the Station to the Quarterdeck. The rows of DD’s docked to the rails flanking both sides of the clear tube. DD 1701 pulling up to the dock across from the gangplank tube. She met Jack as he staggered down the passageway to the Quarter deck. Cutting off the Whistle announcement for the Admiral leaving the ship. “You are not going anywhere Mr.”

“I… I am toooo.” Jack grabbed the podium as he looked down at his empty class. “Opps I need to call for a remass here.” Jack tried to set the tumbler down on the podium but missed as he let go of it and it fell to the deck and shattered. “Oh my. Someone call damage control. I just killed another ship.” Looking down at the shattered glass, holding onto the podium for dear life as tears came to his eyes. No life boats again. Sorry guys.”

The Captain for 1701 came across the gangway as the Lieutenant turned to the sensor tech with two large cases next to her. Go with 1701’s Captain and make sure you have a secure isolated compartment when you set up and don’t leave the equipment unguarded for anything. Not even to pee.” Then turning to the Captain as he stopped and she dragged him back down the tube and started whispering. “The Lieutenant has top secrete Comms. Follow her instructions in their use and make sure they and her are destroyed if anything happens. You should already have your new tactical orders and the new Comm will give you the latest tactical in real time. Your orders are to find our reinforcements and supply them with the latest tactical situation and orders to save as much of TF-58 as possible and keep the secret of the New Home passageway and not fight the Enemy fleet. Is that understood Captain.”

Let me repeat that last. You are not to engage the enemy fleet unless you have no other option. It may be all over by the time you get there and if it is and they have found the passageway to New Home, your squadron orders will be to dig ahead of the enemy and destroy the passageway and lead them off toward the Gama 13 blow hole. The Admiral designed the passageway to head in that direction and make it easy to do that at turn 23. You just have to get to it first. Dismissed Captain.” The Lieutenant hurrying back toward the Quarter deck.

The Captain turned to look up the gangplank back toward the Quarter deck as he heard a horrendous sound to watch Jack puke across the front of the podium as the Lieutenant grabbed the lieutenant with the cases and shoved her down the gangplank telling her to get her ass in gear. The Captain shook his head remembering the DD’s neck breaking dash across the cloud with the Admiral piloting what had earned the DD’s crew accolades across the fleet. Turning, the Captain hurried back to DD-1701grabbing one of the cases out of the lumbering tech’s hand to speed her up. The DD pulled away from the dock as soon as the Captain with the Comm Tech was through the hatch.

The Lieutenant looking on in disgust as the medics showed up and flopped an obviously drunk Admiral trying to get to a DD that had already left onto their gurney. She was going to enjoy the Admiral’s hangover, especially since he would not be drunk 10 minutes after he got to Sickbay but still have one hell of a hangover. Made worse since he would not have the alcohol in his system any long to dull the pain. Then as she walked beside the gurney on the way to the Sickbay Jack started mumbling about the ships he was responsible for destroying and the crews he had killed. He was certain that he had fucked up and gotten both TF-58 and New Home destroyed and wanted another drink, another ten drinks as he tried to get up but the straps held him tight. Jack going from issuing garbled orders to let him up so he could go and do something to save the Fleet and Station even if it was simply taking a fighter against the enemy Battleships to tears of despair at all the wasted lives and back again.

By the time they got to Sickbay she had forgotten about the Gold rings around their necks and taken Jack’s hand into hers trying to sooth him but knowing until he was sober again she could do little to help. Blaming herself for not being there when he needed her. To stop him from doing something as stupid as taking straight shots from a bottle so expensive that it was smooth enough to go down like water until it hit bottom when his body could not even handle a couple of beers.

Jack dragged his head up off the cabins desk as the screen lit up. He felt like shit with his head pounding but he was no longer drunk. The Rear Admiral on the screen looked a bit bent out of shape to Jack but he really did not care as it started to speak. “You are Vice Admiral Turner according to my staff’s facial recognition program but we don’t have you listed for any fleet postings. Your ship is not answering IFF pings. Just who are you, what ship and why are you here?”

Jack rubbed his eyes and then his temples as he grimaced. “Well Rear Admiral. Since I out rank you, I don’t have to tell you shit. Out.” Slapping the comm off, the tactical of the Battleship squadrons approaching the head of the Maze came back up on the screen.

The five squadrons converged into the head of the Maze and suddenly specks started spreading out from the beacons as the two ships still there started falling apart with big hunks falling off of the ends facing the enemy. “Winslow! Why are we not seeing any of the ships firing their guns?”

Sorry Admiral but the sensors only show solid objects and not energy. They are too far away for our energy sensors to detect exactly which ships the flashes are coming from. Though we can detect a difference between the gun fire from the improved guns hotter beams and the fleet attacking them. Just a moment Admiral I think I can program the computer to add false images to the tactical using data from the energy sensors.

Specks labeled as fighters converged on the life boat specks racing away from the beacons and then the life boat specks started disappearing into little smudges. Larger specks labeled as the Medical boats and Assault Shuttles surrounded by life boats pulled away as solid fighter pin points started turning into smudges around them as the shuttles headed deeper into the cloud. Fighters attacking the 2 ships also started turning into smudges as well but the Battleships with their armored decks toward the enemy and being systematically destroyed could not move without exposing their vulnerable sides as each were being pounded by squadrons of Battleships entering the Head of the Maze.

Jack noticed that the two ships icons were displaying the new names the crews had given the ships making him shake his head thinking that if they had left the Battleships with their Congressional fleet names on their IFF’s they probably would not have been attacked by the Fleet. But he had not seen any reason not to let each ship change their names if they wanted to at the time, which meant it was another fuck up by him that cost lives.

A few seconds later the screen filled with hair line yellow beams appearing between most of the fleet and the two captured ships while blue beams streaked back out to concentrate on only a couple of the attacking ships at a time. With the enemy fleet having to pull into the open area before turning to face their armored decks at their targets, the captured Battleships were able to hit the broadsides of many of them before they turned. One of the attacking ships blew up into a fireball on the screen leaving the armored end to start tumbling away. Jack noticed that several of the little ships icons were tumbling already. That did not last long even though a dozen Congressional Battleships blew up before all the attacking ships were facing the trapped captured Republic Battleships that could not face them all with the enemy coming in from so many different corridor passageways.

The blue lines going back from the trapped ships started thinning as the attacking fleet started finding the range. Though it took a good 10 minutes, the captured ships finally went silent as small dots started streaking away from them racing deeper into the cloud. The fighters had been driven off far to the sides by both the ships point defenses and the incredible amount of beams streaking past the Republic Battleships. But now the fighters had run out of easy life boat targets including shredding the long emergency habitat inflatable tubes attached into a large static station that was easy to find as it squawked its medical emergency beacon for all to see. The fighters gave chase to the rapidly retreating lifeboats but it soon became evident that the fighters could not catch most of the medium sized boats that had been altered to run in the cloud and the fighters finely flooded back in around the now dead ships trying to keep anymore lifeboats from escaping as the fleets Battleships stopped firing.

Hundreds of fighters continued to swarm in strafing the hulks even as the lifeboats stopped appearing. The fighters getting their two licks in. Then 4 stars appeared streaking from the 4 sides of each ship. Some fighters tried to intercept them while most ignored them for some 10 seconds and then they all detonated at the same time into huge fusion core balls of flaming plasma taking out hundreds of fighters and washing the remains of the hulks clean as they were gutted. The few remaining fighters far enough away to avoid destruction turned and slowly staggered back toward the fleet, suddenly losing interest in the hulks and the fleeing boats including the shuttles now deep inside the cloud.

The Congressional communist fleet spent the next half hour massing into one hug fleet as fighters sped back down the central corridors that had seen all the fighting only a few hours before and the remaining hulks in too bad of shape to be worth retrieving, spread out along them. Jack noticing that a group of fighters seemed to pause for a few minutes at each hulk before following the rest. Jack hit his comm. “Winslow, what are those fighters pausing at the hulks doing?”

“I will see what we can pick up from here Admiral but if it is a simple black box, we are not likely to get anything at this range.”

The DD’s, God fighters and Torpedo bombers Jack had sent up that way where still a good 15 minutes from the battle as Jack walked back onto the Flag Bridge a minute later. “Comm, get me DD-1701 please.” Turning to Winslow. “Your portable L-comm better damn well work Lieutenant.”

The Captain of 1701 appeared on the main screen. “Yes Admiral, we are 12 minutes away from the Head of the Maze.”

“Do not attack. The Congressional Fleet has taken the head and massed. You are to intercept the relief forces that are still a half hour away and give the Commander my order packet I am down loading to you know. Under no circumstances are you to engage that fleet or make your presence known. We cannot risk them discovering the New Home corridor. One of the ships has escaped the head making it up the freeway and around the corner during the battle without them noticing or caring hopefully. I want you to send the scouts up to get that ship out of the freeway as soon as possible. It is not to enter the New Home corridor under any circumstances until it is cleared to by me. Burry it deep in the cloud as far away from the corridor entrance as time allows but get it out of the damn freeway just in case they decide to send a squadron or god forbid the whole damn fleet up the freeway. Though I am hoping that with the destruction of the ships that were still in the Head, they will blame the destruction of the squadrons on them and continue on with their mission to Delta-7 where they think TF-58 is. Any questions?”

The Captain studied the up to date tactical of the Maze’s Head Jack had included with the packet. “I think I can make it up to the Battleship in time to save it if they only send a few battleships after it Admiral.”

Jack was not in the mood to suffer gung-hoe fools. “And all you would do is draw the entire Fucking fleet up there into a battle that would insure that the Corridor to New Home and the survivors to TF-58 are found. You will let that ship die with all aboard her if the scouts cannot keep it from being found. That order goes for the scouts as well. The enemy can’t even now they are there even if it costs the ship. You just get your butt to the Relief fleet before they stumble into a fucking battle that will doom millions. Got that Captain. Once we get these DD’s operational, we will take on the fucking fleet when and where we won’t doom millions or get our butts shot off in the process. Now follow orders Captain. I will send you a tactical update every 15 minutes. Admiral Turner, Out.”

Turning to the Comm officer. “Send DD-1701 a tactical update every 15 minutes.”

“Zoote, get me Cain now!”

Zoot appeared on her carpet in front of Jack. “You really do not need me to summon the Construction Ai. Jack.” As a rugged working man appeared next to her. “He is part of the ships systems now. And my I add you look terrible.”

“How can I help you, Admiral Turner?” A Construction worker complete with helmet and a hammer at his belt appeared in front of Jack.

“We need to get out of here now. How long before the DD’s are ready to power up?”

“Most will be ready in a half hour Admiral. As soon as we finish installing the fusion initiation system in the Cores. We will be ready to start tapping plasma off the Red Peppers Cores in 10 minutes.”

“All right. Better than I had hoped… Wait, why do you need to tap off the Red Peppers cores? Use the station’s.”

“I must report that the fusion tap on the Station’s core has been disabled and would take shutting it down to repair it. The two ships will have to supply the plasma to charge the plasma batteries and start the ships. The DD batteries should have enough plasma in them by the time the fusion initiators have finished installation and testing to start the cores in all the ships.”

Jack did some quick calculations in his head in spite of the pain and shook his head. “That is if they all start on the first try and I can remember it taking a dozen tries on the Turner Joy a few times.”

“Please have confidence in my abilities Admiral. Ninety-eight % of the cores should start on the first try. Recharging the plasma batteries on the few that do not should only take a few minutes as I make the proper adjustments.” Cain smiled at Jack. “You should have all the DD’s that are left on the station operational at that time with the ones on the Red Pepper transport rails an hour after that. May I suggest that you start transferring the crews back to their ships on the Red Pepper?”

“Damn good Cain. I am shocked and yes. Zoot, do you want to do the honors since you made up the lists of who goes where. Tell me when every DD on the station and ship is manned.”

Jack tapped the icon for the bridge. “Captain Clancy, the DD’s should be ready to leave in 45 minutes. How is the ship doing? Will we be ready to leave?”

“All cargo is now loaded and the last DD has been locked down on the cargo rails. We can depart at any time. Though we are still supplying quite a stream of Plasma to the Station at this time, it will only take a few minutes to shut it down when you give the order Admiral.”

“Keep the plasma flowing Captain. The DD’s need it for lighting off their Cores with the Station’s Tap down. Turner out.”

Still with a hangover Jack was still basking in the glow at being able to get all 100 DD’s off the Station when the Comm officer bellowed across the Bridge driving a spike through his head again. “Admiral, the station Commander is on the Comm.”

Jack waited for the dagger to slowly back out of his head. The last thing he wanted was to talk to that blow hard again. “Very well. On the main.”

Two Admirals popped up on the screen. The Rear Admiral Jack was familiar with and a 3 star Admiral that was so fat he was still falling out of the huge Command chair he was in. The roles of fat under his chin flapping as he talked. “So you are the Captain Turner I sent Vice Admiral Ditzen to kill and yet you are still alive but with fucking Temp Vice Admiral Stars on your collar. The fighter patrol recorded your old original Battletransport and a badly damaged Battleship attached to the station. I don’t know why you think you need some worthless DD’s but… No you must be making repairs. Too bad that station is only a damn storage sight. But thanks for dividing your forces after ambushing some 30 of my Battleships and sending the chicken shit coward squadrons fleeing back down the Corridors using the same tactics you destroyed those Spider ships 7 months ago. But now that I have destroyed half of your little squadron and made it impossible for you to ambush anyone, I will give you a chance to surrender so I can parade you in front of the cameras to show the Republic the traitor you really are. Surrender your vessels immediately or I will send a squadron from the Station to destroy you.”

“Damn Admiral, you caught me red handed trying to make repairs. I thought this would be the last place you would look for me. Well I guess I better surrender before all those Battleships I sent back through the Maze get here. They may not be as nice as you after destroying their buddies.”

“Good call boy. Rear Admiral Shitsu will send a squadron over to take you into custody. Do not resist or your ships will be destroyed and any life boats hunted down and vaporized.” The Fat Admiral smiled as he cut the connection.

“We are receiving a low band long range transmission Admiral between the two Admirals. Do you want to listen in on the screen Admiral?”

“Sure why not. I am surprised that you can get it Winslow. The reason it is limited to stations and planets is its size and power usage.”

“After reducing the high wave comm back down to a suitcase Admiral, the low band is now a hand held or simple an addition to the console.”

The screen filled again with the two Admirals talking to each other. “…don’t want a piece of scrap big enough to identify of either the ships or the station when your squadron gets done. Mack sure you get every life boat and fighter that son of a bitch has destroyed. Nothing lives over there period. Destroy the recordings the fighter section made and then execute the pilots so they can’t tell tales. Tell the crews of your ships it is just a training exorcise destroying a navigation hazard. Call me back when it is done. I am headed for Delta 7 to Destroy TF 58.” The 3 star Admiral leaned forward as his chins swung out from his neck. “And while you are at it, you execute every captain and admiral that comes back down out of that Maze as Cowards. Then send their ships back out with new Commanders to Delta 7 as reinforcements just in case TF-58 is more trouble than I think it can be after starving them for 6 months. Hell the damn nutrition pills should have thinned out half the crew and reduced the survivors down to skeletons by now.” The Admiral started laughing. “Skeletons for Skeleton crews.” Finely taking a couple of breaths as he stopped laughing. Wiping the spittle off his chins. “You just get those reinforcements to me just in case they have some life left so I can use them to give the survivors something to shoot at before my good ships clean up the mess like this time.” The fat Admiral cut the connection again.

“Well that was expected. Hopefully we will be gone by the time they get their asses wiped and head this way.”

“Admiral, Tactical. A squadron is pulling away from the Station and headed for the entrance to this corridor. 6 Battleships Admiral.”

“Admiral, Captain Clancy. We have a squadron headed this way. I need to undock and jettison the DD’s. We cannot fire our 16 inch gun turrets with them in the way.”

“No Captain. Stay docked. We have to keep the plasma flowing. You have the God Guns to take out the Squadron. You do not need the 16’s. Stay docked and fight your ship. Between our two ships, the Squadron does not stand a chance since they have to come around the knuckle to target us presenting their broadsides. Just stand fast and keep your head Captain.”

The other Captain was on the line a few seconds later. Jack giving her permission to undock a few minutes before the squadron arrived so she could present her bow to the targets allowing her to use all her guns.”

“Comm, get me an open channel to the Commander of the squadron headed this way.”

A big woman with her blouse fastened choking tight around her neck sat in a Command Chair looking out at Jack. “What the hell do you want boy? We will be their shortly to accept your surrender.”

“Sorry but I heard that you have orders to slaughter me and my squadron. I don’t think I want to surrender anymore. You come within range of my guns and I will destroy your ships. That is unless you want to surrender to me. I have put the crews of the ships I have taken already around the Maze, on the storage station here to return them to Earth’s custody and will do the same to you. Oh wait you have orders to kill your own survivors don’t you. Sorry even though I can’t believe you would do that. Maybe the Admiral will be nicer to you. Turn around now and live Commodore. I will be leaving as soon as I finish repairs.” Jack cut the connection not waiting for an answer.

Jack spent a few seconds punching icons on his screen. “Cain, I need you to feed the maximum plasma they can receive to 37 DD’s that are the closest to being ready. Just in case we have to pull out to fight this squadron we will have some ready to go.”

Cain appeared in front of Jack. “Admiral, we can supply 41 at the maximum rate they can accept.”

“Yes I know but I like to keep a reserve just in case a few can take more or there turns out to be a few leaks. How is the initiators coming along?”

“We will be ready to test them as soon as the first Plasma Batteries are ready.”

“Good, screw the tests and just light the damn things off. We are running out of time.”

“That may not be a good idea Admiral. We cannot find any spare initiators. The ones we are putting back in the cores are the only ones we can find on the station or the DD’s. If they are not tuned perfectly before trying to start fusion, the Initiators would be damaged or destroyed.”

“Well shit. Well we have plenty on the Red Pepper as well as the Battleship.”

“I am sorry Admiral but both the Red Pepper and the Battleship’s Initiators are the wrong size. They cannot be used on the smaller cores the DD’s are equipped with. They would most likely blow up the ships.”

“Shit house blues.” Jack took a deep breath as he glanced at the tactical showing the dozens of DD’s he had sent up the Maze busy doing what they were supposed to do and just intercepting the Relief fleet. “Take out the initiators from the DD’s docked to the Red Pepper as spares. We can… We can replace them later.”

“Admiral, Captain Clancy. We show fighters coming this way. I need to jettison these damn DD’s or we have only the Point defenses on the fins.”

“No Captain.” Jack looked out the Bridge ports at the rows of DD’s lined up along the Red Peppers hull. “Open up the ships Plasma lines to each DD. We will use the DD’s Point defenses including the 8 inch guns. They should do a number on the fighters as well as the sides of the Battleships as they come round the corner.”

“But Admiral. The lines were not designed to handle that load.”

“Yes they will be fine. We still have a few minutes you can use to charge their Plasma batteries. That will help supply some of the flow the weapons need and then recharge them between attacks. Get on it Captain we are running out of time.”

The Achilles suddenly left its dock and headed over to one side of the open bay away from the station. Jack had been expecting the Captain to do that after another 10 minutes but not this soon. “Cain how does that effect our recharge?”

“I have cut plasma flow back to 20 ships Admiral.”

“Fuck.” Jack hit his comm for the battleship but then canceled it. They were not even sure the damn initiators were going to work. He knew it was standard procedure to have 10 initiators aboard a ship for each Core so the damn station should have had thousands of them not to mention the DD’s. Which meant that they were left off deliberately. ‘Why take all of them and only leave one set. They have enough of everything else to choke horse. Though why you would want to choke a horse was beyond him. Something else his Grandfather used to say. “Cain, I want to see one of those initiators you pull off the ship’s DD’s. And see what tests you can do on one as well. Even if you have to destroy it. Something is wrong here.”

Two hundred fighters screamed around the corner and into the Bay insight of the Station, the Achilles and the Red Peppers guns. Few lasted more than a minute.

Twelve minutes later the initiator was delivered by a silver bot as the first Battleship slipped around the corner broadside. “Hold your God Gun’s fire Captain. Jack said for the fifth time in less than a minute. The first ship was quickly followed by a second and third then a forth. As quickly as that. The 60 guns of the battleship Achilles knowing exactly where to hit them spread its fire across all four ships. Two fusion cores exploded at the same time knocking the other two ships for a spin saving their lives as the first shots aimed at their cores missed. Without hesitation the guns that had been targeting the two ships that were now fireballs switched to the two remaining ships. With the help of the 8 inch guns on the Red Pepper at point blank range neither ship completed a single rotation before every gun had been knocked out on both ships. Jack ordered the guns to stop firing as the two remaining live Congressional battleships slipped around the corner with their bows pointed at the battleship they could see some ways away from the station. Their shots tearing into the battleships bow. A hundred and twenty guns literally tore the front bow deck to pieces in a matter of seconds and then they came in sight of the Red Pepper.

“You may fire you main guns now Captain.” Two of the four God Guns already extended out onto their arms, fired at the same time. Only a quick burst from the Red Pepper’s engines kept them from tearing the ship off of the station. The beams from of the guns hit the bow of each of the two Congressional Battleships and tore down through the center of the armored decks like they were paper. Punching down through the core at a slight angle they each hit one of the ship’s fusion cores running at full power supplying the weapons. Both ships ceased to exist within milliseconds of each other.

Closing his eyes for a second even though the ports darkened blocking out most of the blinding light, Jack turned to the bot with the initiator and started examining it. From what he could see it looked like every other initiator he had ever seen except for size and the military part numbers on the side.

Some five minutes later with Jack not finding anything obviously wrong with the Initiator Winslow screamed. “Admiral, the Achilles is firing.”

Jack looked up at where he expected the Achilles to be back at the station. “What?” Looking around trying to find it where it had been during the battle. “Where the hell is it?”

And then he caught a flash out of the corner of his eyes and whipped around to see it out in the middle of the inlet’s entrance. “They have blown up two more Battleships around the Station Admiral and targeting 5 more that are broadside to them. Most are turning toward the entrance Admiral and starting to return fire.”

Kicking himself for getting sidetracked on the damn Initiator and not noticing the stupid move the Achilles Captain was pulling. Jack watched another battleship blow up when its core was breached. It was too late to call the Achilles back as hundreds of 24 inch beams started streaking past the Battleship. All he could do was support it as best as they could.

“Firing its second volley of 12 torpedoes Admiral.”

Jack hit his Comm. “Captain fire torpedoes and hand them over to the Achilles for targeting. Fire as many as they can handle. Do not fire our God Guns. We are facing the wrong way and their kick will tear us off the station. Prepare to undock and turn the ship to fire through the cloud. But wait for my orders.”

“It is about time.” Came the reply. 5 seconds later the Red Pepper broke away from the station leaving a stream of plasma between the two clouding out into the vacuum. The stream cut out a second later.

Another ship blew up that had been docked on the station, vaporizing a large round section into the side of the stations docks. The number of beams streaking back around the Achilles was growing rapidly.

“Damn it Captain, I did not order you to undock yet.” The Red Pepper slowly pulled away as it turned to bring all its weapons to bear. Jack shaking his head. “Now we are not attached to the Station Captain you may open fire with the God Guns and 16/8’s when ready.”

“Thank you Admiral. Launching recon torpedoes to the opening and through the cloud. I do not think the Achilles is going to last much longer Admiral.” The 4 big God guns let loose shoving the bow back around as side thrusters counter fired.

Jack looked back at the battleship with most of its armored decks that had been turned into cargo decks already blown away as cargo containers drifted away to the sides. More and more of what was now a thousand beams that had been missing it started to hit. Swallowing, he wanted to tell them to run but he knew that was impossible. The Captain had sealed the Battleship’s fate when he pulled out there. 12 more torpedoes streaked from the Battleship without even one being hit by the some 1500 beams that were now targeting the doomed ship. The time between shots the only thing that was stretching out the ships existence.

More torpedoes from the Red Pepper streaked out around the corner. Jack wondering what they were targeted on. Hoping it was not the damn armored decks that was all that was visible now after the last Congressional ships broadside to them blew up leaving only armored decked bows. Then wondering what its rapidly reducing number of guns were targeting since there was no way the ship could beat down enough Battleship decks to take even one ship out in the time it had left.

“Remind me to put decent side thrusters on these damn things.” Jack shook his head in frustration and then grimaced. “Winslow, can you tell me what the Achilles is targeting?”

“The Station now Admiral. They are tearing up the command section of the station. Torpedoes are already hitting specific sections in the crew quarters tagged as enforcer troops.”

An explosion from one of the battleships with its bow facing them got Jacks attention through the cloud. He knew the big guns had not yet finished recharging. “They are targeting the cores? I can’t believe they have torpedo warheads that powerful.”

“Actually they are using the new black hole torpedoes targeting a little forward of where the armored sections meets the weapons section. The Congressional ships do not have their navigation shields on which makes sense I guess since they are not going far. I think the Achilles is trying to destroy the command Bridge with the forward weapons while leaving the crews quarters relatively unharmed. Our torpedoes are the ones hitting the station.”

Suddenly dozens of explosions engulfed the Battleships as more and more of the torpedoes started getting through as 4 more beams streaked out from the Red Pepper to destroy two more Battleships.

Hitting his Comm. “Captain, cease fire immediately.”

“Damn it Admiral we have to destroy them before the Achilles dies.”

“The Achilles died the minute it moved out into plain sight of the Congressional Fleet instead of returning to the Station as ordered. They are now trying to chop the head off of as many of the Congressional Battleships as possible instead of destroying them which would be easy to do. We will let them try as long as the damn fleet stays on the other side of the Bay and pray she gets lucky.”

Jack looked at the Achilles just as another salvo of torpedoes left it and then 6 huge beams streaked past with one going through the ship that only had some 8 guns still firing.

“What the hell were those?”

“The Stations Self-defense guns Admiral. Evidentially they finely got them working.”

“Captain, target our torpedoes on the station’s self-defense guns.”

“Can’t Admiral we have no targeting from the Achilles any longer and the targeting remotes are not yet in place.”

Jack looked up at the Achilles when the firing clock hit zero as 4 of 6 beams from the station hit the Battleship that was already looking like a hulk. The Battleship Achilles simple fell apart into several pieces as a thousand beams streaked past and into the remaining sections.

Cain appeared in front of Jack as he stared at the drifting sections of the wreck. Life boats started leaving the hulk. Several of the lifeboats disappearing as beams hit them as Jack watched.

“Admiral I have finished the tests on the initiators.”

“Captain Clancy launch a life boat beacon up the corridor well into the edge of the cloud.” Jack looked over at Cain.

“They are defective and designed to initiate a fusion explosion if they are ever used.”

“I don’t call that defective Cain. I call that deliberate sabotage.” Taking a deep breath as he glanced at the large tactical screen showing the 16 inch gunned DD’s and all the recovered DD’s with their 8 inch guns he had sent up the Maze that had plenty of good initiators on them. Jack turned to the still open screen to Captain Clancy. “Captain. Get the ship docked where we can still use the God Guns, we have to start evacuating the station.”

The Captain gave Jack a disbelieving look as Jack squinted from another Battleship blowing up in the distance in front of him from a torpedo strike.

“The initiators for the DD cores have been tampered with to create a fusion bomb if we try to start one of them. We are going to have to evacuate, get new Fusion Initiators and come back later for the rest.”

Two of the six monster 48inch beams hit the floating sections of the remains of the Achilles with the mass of 24inch beams taking out several more life boats as they tried to escape as the rain of beams continued.

“Very well Admiral we will be docked in about 5 minutes. Have the crews ready.”

“Cain, I am going to have to rely on you to make sure everyone gets off that Station.”

Twenty-four inch beams started streaking past the station. Only half the ships remained but that was still a lot of firepower that was quickly being directed in the direction of the station. They could not target the station directly but they knew where it was approximately and all it took was a couple of hits with some kind of response to know when they were finally on target to direct the rest of them.

Jack hit his comms. “All Personnel on all DD’s and the Station. The Initiators on the DD’s have been tampered with and will blow the cores and the ships if you use them to try to start your Cores. Destroy all current Initiators and prepare to abandon the DD’s on the Station. The Red Pepper will be docking with the station in 4 minutes. Do not panic, crowd or rush. The ship will be loaded according to nearest DD first in an orderly manner. We have plenty of time to get everyone off the station loaded by ship. Admiral Turner out.”

Jack turned to his Adjunct. “Commander Morgan, I need you to have the tugs I saw moving the DD’s to the ship earlier, grab as many of the DD’s as possible and head up our attack corridor. How many Tugs are there anyway?”

“There are a dozen Admiral but if we use our boats docked inside the DD’s boat bays once the tugs have the Ship away from the station, I think we can grab another couple dozen DD’s.”

“Very well, we will be docking at the end where the Achilles was docked. I want you to start taking the DD’s from the center of the station and work this way. Got that?”

“Yes sir, Admiral.” Commander Morgan turned back to his console.

Jack hit the Comm again. “All DD’s and crewmen. We are docking in place of the Achilles to start loading from the closest DDs. The 12 DD’s docked starting at the junction at the center of the Station will be departing the station using tugs. The next 12 DD crews closest to those DD’s will double up on the DD’s getting ready to leave. Follow your down loaded directions to your evacuation ship. If everyone follows directions and keep their head’s, we will get all of you off the Station. For the fighter crews. As soon as we leave the station, your squadrons will stop shooting and follow us out. That is all. Turner out.”

“Admiral, the new wave of fighters have taken out our recon torpedo’s that went around the bend. We only got a few seconds of Intel before they were knocked out. We have about 500 enemy fighters starting to arrive 5 minutes out. We also have 14 Battleships left that are staying close to the Staging Station that are now targeting the DD storage Station and us.”

Jack hit his comm again. “Captain Clancy, we are about to be hit with a storm of fighters, we must hold dock long enough to save the crews. But do what you must to save the ship.” Tapping the Comm to Flight Command. “We are about to be hit by a lot of fighters as you can see. Keep your fighters attacking in fast sweeps from the cloud streaking from side to side close into the Station. Do not let them start dogfighting. We are too outnumbered with fighters that have no advantages over the enemy. I also need you to launch our boats and send two to each of the DD’s as the tugs take them off the station. Have them dock inside the Boat bays at the stern to provide power and thrust to the DD’s. Throw on some extra emergency generators while you are at it if you can do it by the time the DD’s are off the station. If you can get more boats out of storage in the next few minutes we can grab more DD’s. Just dump them out the hatch cold. Do not waste time preflighting them beyond the time it takes to put on fuel and consumables. Most of them will do just fine. Also try sending the large emergency generators with extra bottles to the DD’s the tugs are pushing to power the ships and their weapons without the need for boats to stay on the DD’s. We are trying to get as many of those DD’s off the station as we can. Turner out.”

Turning to the Comm. “Send a message to 1701 and have them strip all the initiators the DD’s can spare and send them back on one of the Transport Bombers to point Mike. No! Make that two Bombers and split the load to make sure some get through. We need at least 50. A couple hundred would be better.” Jack chuckled. “That is if we survive the next 15 minutes.” Jack did his best to ignore the 30 to 40, 24 inch laser shots that streaked past them every second and the 6, 48 inch beams once a minute. Then Jack noticed with some relief that most of the beams were concentrated a couple thousand feet above the station. Evidentially the Station had drifted since it was built or never properly surveyed. Whatever the reason, it could give them the time they needed to get everyone off the station.

The Red Pepper pulled up to the station at the same time the first of the DD’s was pushed back from the center of the docking arm and the cross tubes. Two boats were waiting for it and immediately nuzzled up into the side by side boat bays in the stern. Jack watched the boat bay screen showing the cargo hatch on the station slowly opening and the mass of crewmen with as many white bots came running across the gangway tube as soon as the hatch was high enough to get under. Glancing out the port Jack noticed the first DD slowly start to accelerate as small thin streams raced back from its boat docking bay. The navigation lights coming on as the first of the emergency generators were plugged in and turned on. Several point defense weapon’s turrets started moving as it slid past the Red Pepper toward the emergency beacon to one side of the original Attack Corridor they had created. The mouth in the cloud already starting to close as designed.

Another DD was already pushed back from the arm as a couple of Boats were approaching its stern. The screen now showed a steady stream of crewmen 4 abreast running in through the gangway tube to the station with lines of silver bots running down the sides of the stations cargo bay keeping the crewmen moving at a run. Jumping in and out to grab anyone that faltered or slipped to keep the mass moving.

Then the mass of point defenses across the station and the ship opened up on the fighters as they rounded the corner into the open area some 10 miles away from the station. The DD’s attached to the Red Pepper holding their fire as the fighters quickly started closing even though several fighters a second were being destroyed. But the DD’s massive numbers of Point defense guns remained silent.

Jack looked over at the screen showing Captain Clancy calmly sitting in her Chair on the Ship’s Bridge watching the closing fighters picking up speed toward the station. Jack was starting to get worried as the fighters reached only 5 miles away when the Captain said. “Fire.”

Every gun on the DD’s attached to the Red Pepper fired as one massive barrage and dozens of the lead fighters disappeared each second. And then after only 5 seconds they stopped firing to Jack’s shock. Jack opened his mouth as his hand reached for the comm and the ships fighters streaked across the formation of enemy fighters from Port to Starboard taking out dozens more in the pass. As the enemy fighters turned to engage the ship’s fighters that were long gone, slowing their plunge toward the Station, the DD’s opened up again on the slow maneuvering fighters and took out dozens more each second for another 5 seconds only to stop again as the ship’s fighters made another pass taking out yet more. A hundred enemy fighters died the first few seconds without any getting closer than the 5 miles and Jack was trying not to dance too much in his seat.

By the end of the first minute the stream of fighters coming around the corner had diminished to a trickle and the Republic fighters moved their swift crossing attacks toward the turn out into the Bay of the Staging Basin.

Jack could feel the celebrations going all through the ship as the Comm’s filled with comments that went on for several minutes. Jack feeling like celebrating with them as he sat back in the Command Chair as streams of crewmen and bots continued to flow across the gang plank tube and into the Red Pepper. With more and more DD’s falling away from the station under some kind of power.

Then the 24 inch beams suddenly started streaking past the station within a few hundred yards. “Shit! The fighters had passed on targeting instructions.”

The large tank/cargo farm hanging out from the Station was hit creating a large explosion and then within a few seconds, most of the beams started hitting the station all along the tank farm with a few narrowly missing the docking pier tube.

Jack looked at the stream of crewmen rushing into the ship willing them to hurry.

The Red Pepper shook as a 24 inch beam penetrated the ship’s midsection and the DD’s there.

And then several beams hit the station a couple hundred yards down the docking tube.

Suddenly the mass of crewmen running into the ship was simply cut off where the line crossed the hanger Bays Air curtain. The long line across the docking tube into the station simply disappeared as the air was sucked out as a whole section of the station’s docking tube was blown out a couple hundred feet down from the ship. Other sections of the station were hit at the same time knocking huge chunks out of the station’s North Command module arm as it broke in half. DD’s started breaking off or were hit vaporizing whole sections of the arrow shaped hulls.

Jack watched the carnage as he heard the Captain ordered full ahead and the Red Pepper streaked up away from the disintegrating station. Tearing away a section of the gangway tube that had been attached to the Station’s lock with the row of DD’s still attached down along it. The ship entered the cloud seconds later leaving the disintegrating station behind as the big 48 inch beams from the Prime Staging Station cut into it.

As the Red Pepper arched around to head for the corridor Jack watched a fusion ball appear amongst the hundreds of streaks below them as the stations power core was hit, obliterating everything that was left. Station, DD’s, life boats that were just starting to appear and everything around it including the enemy fighters surging ahead just in time to reach the station trying to take out the lifeboats and escaping DD’s

“Anyone know how many crewmen we left behind?”

Winslow turned around and frowned. “I estimate roughly several hundred Admiral if we don’t count the Earth crewmen we left tied to the walkway rails. We do not yet know how many DD’s and lifeboats managed to make it far enough away to escape the fireball. Though we still have hundreds of lifeboats from the Sylvester and the Congressional Battleship hulks headed for our lifeboat beacon.”

“What do you mean from the Battleships? The Enemy Battleships? They have their own life boat beacons back at the Staging station.”

“Aaa. The Staging Station beacon is different from the Republic beacon. Most of the life boats are headed for the Republic beacon even though it is twice as far as the Station.” Looking at her screens. We may have to protect the life boats from the surviving fighters if you don’t want to let them slaughter the boats trying to defect.”

“Shit. How many fighters do we have left? How many got caught in the fireball?”

“We have lost no fighters Admiral. As soon as the ship left they bugged out with us. Though we left them behind. Fighter Command has ordered them to head for the lifeboat beacon and protect the lifeboats in the cloud from the surviving fighters.”

“Ok.” Jack turned to the ship’s Bridge screen tapping his mikes’ mute icon. “Captain. We need to do something to save the lifeboats headed this way from the Battleships we destroyed. What do you suggest?”

The Captain turned and looked at Jack. “That means taking on the damn station and the surviving Battleships and to do that I need to dump these damn worthless DD’s Admiral.”

“Watch the language Captain. These DD’s are going to save all our butts in a few weeks but for now you can drop them at the lifeboat beacon where the fighters can protect them. Oh and find out if those damn Generators I ordered from the Station made it to us or the Achilles and…”

“I put them on Red, Admiral.” The Lieutenant said from her console. “The Achilles had all the repair parts for the DD’s. All the fucking critical repair parts. I thought you would send it strait to New home so I put everything that was needed for repairs and maintenance on it. We have the bots and everything else that was not critical.”

“Ok, Captain. We have the generators. Get at least one and preferably two of the large ones on each of the DD’s before you drop them. Three would give them enough power to use some of the point defense weapons as well as maneuvering. Freeing up the fighters to go hunting.” Jack thought for a few seconds holding up his hand to keep the Captain’s attention. “Fact is we should have a couple dozen multi-megawatt portable emergency generators that will fit into the DD boat bays and give them enough power for limited use of the 8 inch weapons as well as low power on the main engines. Make sure they all get what they need Captain. They may be there for a while. Out.”

Jack looked over at the tactical and a dozen of the Ship’s fighters racing across the mouth of the finger the DD Station used to be in. Taking out more enemy fighters attacking lifeboats headed for the beacon. The enemy fighters not even knowing they were being attacked until they died with fat slow life boats in their sights. Though Jack thought there were a few less lifeboats in the mass headed around the fingers corner even though the enemy fighter section was destroyed. Evidentially the fighters were a little late getting there.

“Admiral, the transport bombers are headed this way. I gave them the corridor map just in case we were still down here when they arrive at Mike.”

“Very good Lieutenant.”

Jack looked at the screen showing the upper Maze and the close knit group of enemy ships just sitting there and not headed up the highway for Delta 7 and the Black Dwarf and it decoy’s. That he did not like but at least the Relief forces he had sent the DD’s up to intercept had gotten the message and were sitting around the bypass he had created waiting for TF-58’s Battleships still hours out. Safe from discovery.

“Admiral we are picking up a long range low band transmission to the Staging Station.”

“Ok put it on.”

The screen lit up with the Rear Admiral at the Station and the 3 Star Fleet Admiral again. “We have just finished taking out the DD Station and both ships. The fuckers destroyed over half my Battleships and badly damaged those that are left and the majority of my fighters. Hell half the station is now a damn wreck and if I had not gone to my quarters I would have been killed with my staff in the Command Bridge. The only thing they missed were the general crew’s quarters, and my guns that I used to kill that ass hole, thank Hillary Lennon.”

“You got your guns working. I thought they were pieces of junk?”

“Yes and it took me killing half the gun crews before they decided to put in some overtime, forget about that union crap and fix them. Didn’t take long at all with the right motivation. I am in the Gun Command Center now surround by my few remaining guards until I get reinforcements and new officers from The Rock to retake the rest of the station from the crew. I am requesting permission to Contact the rock with my demands.”

“You still have Battleships, use them to retake the station.”

“They are out guarding the Station in case there are more enemy ships out there. Most of the surviving crews from my destroyed Battleships are deserting in life boats headed for a damn Republic Lifeboat Beacon past the damn destroyed Station instead of coming back here to the Station. Which means there has to be more enemy ships around.”

“Your crews are deserting from under your nose? What are you doing about it?”

“I sent the fighters to kill them but there are too many and most of my fighters are gone with the hundreds of enemy fighters killing more of them every minute until I ordered them back to the Station. Which confirms there must be more enemy ships around. At least a carrier.”

“Are any battleships shooting at you now Admiral?”

“No sir. But they could show up anytime now.”

“And if they do you will kill them just like you did the first two with your big Station Guns. Now send the damn battleships out and destroy the deserting lifeboats and that damn Republic beacon Admiral and do it fast before anymore escape. That is an order. Then you can retake your Station using the officers from the battleships. I will contact The Rock and get new reinforcements to you. Has anymore Battleships shown up from the maze yet?”

“No Admiral. I don’t believe there will be anymore with the Republic operating in this area.”

“Don’t be a fool. The other Battleships are just hiding in the Maze. After you kill the deserters and take back the station you will send ships up into the Maze and replace any coward Captains you find hiding in the Maze and bring them to me so I can make an example of them.”

“But Admiral, you could hide a fucking fleet in the Maze and not find it in a hundred years. There are literally Billions of miles of dead end corridors in it. It is more likely that they simply got lost and if I send ships in they could get lost too.”

“Very well then. Send your Battleships out to kill the deserters and take back the Station and wait for the remaining Battleships of the fleet to come back out of the Maze. They have to come out sometime or starve to death.” The Admiral shook his head sneering. “Goddamn moronic low class officers and Crews.” Then cut the connection.

Chapter 31; The Death of the Red Pepper and the Republic fleet

The Red Pepper pulled up to the beacon that was already getting crowded with lifeboats and all they could do for them was drop off a couple of emergency habitat containers that had not been used at the other end of the Maze with a few medics and supplies and hope some of the survivors were doctors. Jack hoping that these did not suffer the same fate as the ones at the other end where thousands of prisoners had been killed by their own ships. Especially since these were not likely to be any enemy prisoners. The DD’s with emergency power generators he was leaving made him feel a little better but they would not be any good against battleships. The Red Pepper was going to have to take care of those even though they were outnumbered. At least the damn enemy fleet was now on its way to Delta 7 though the crossing was still not completely safe. He had ordered the DD’s back down to help but they would be a good 45 minutes getting here which was too late except to pick up the pieces.

The enemy battleships were already moving out from the Station, gunning down even the lifeboats that were headed for the Staging Station. Taking their time crossing the Bay toward the Frickyou finger in no hurry to join the hundreds of hulks, civilian transports and Battleships littering the Bay between them and in the finger. Going as slow as they could get away with the Station’s Admiral yelling at them to speed up but not get Ambushed and destroyed leaving his station defenseless.

If he waited for reinforcements, there wouldn’t be any life boats left including the ones around the beacon unless he stopped them first. He simply did not have time to gather and load them all up to leave even if he could get at the hundreds of life boats the Battleships were already destroying. No. The Captain of the Achilles had given his life trying to free the crews of those ships and he could not simply let them get slaughtered. He had no choice but to take on the remaining 14 battleships and the damn station with only the one Battletransport. At least it was a much improved Battletransport.

Jack walked into the Ships Bridge. “Captain Clancy, Will you please follow me for a minute.”

In the Captain’s ready room or day cabin, with no one around, Jack turned to the Captain. “I know I gave you this ship but I am afraid I am going to have to ask the ship to do something I do not think you are capable of yet. Something I had to learn the hard way that I do not have time to train you to do. We have thousands of life boats being slaughtered by those battleships and we have to stop them now before more die. This is a good ship and I know that with you as my acting First Officer during this battle, Red can do what I need it to do. You may even learn something. Do I have your support?”

“I have been commanding Battleships for 10 years Admiral and I do not see what you could do different than I.”

“That is the problem. You do not see anything here but a Battleship and we need a Destroyer. But it is still a Battleship which is why I need you as First Officer to make sure this Battleship performs at its best while I am using it as a Destroyer. I know this ship inside and out and I will not ask anything from Red that she cannot give. Can I count on your support Number One to help me kick the ass of 14 battleships and a Station?”

The Captain Frowned shaking his head. “I know I can’t take on a whole damn squadron and I have read the reports on your battle against whole squadrons of damn Spider Battleships so if anyone can do it, you can.” Taking a deep breath he smiled. “Very well Captain. We can’t live forever. Let’s go kick some Royal Congressional Democrat Communist ass.”

Jack walked onto the Bridge. Captain Clancy bellowing. “Captain Turner on the Bridge. I am First Officer today and don’t you ass holes forget that.”

Jack sat down in the Command Chair. “Zoote, I need the best pilot you can find me. NOW!”

Zoote appeared next to Jack. “Very well Captain Turner. She is on her way now.”

“Very well. Number One, as soon as the last DD has been dropped, get us out of here and the rails folded up for battle.”

Clancy started giving orders. “Helm, Quarter Impulse heading 160 Mk 40. Mr. Comings, you may fold cargo rails 3 and 6. Set General quarter’s condition 2. We will be going to condition 1 in 3 minutes. Let’s get buttoned up everyone.”

Cain appeared on the other side of the Command Chair from Zoote. “Captain Turner. I request permission to power up my Mechs to assist with damage control.”

Jack looked at the hologram and smiled. “Sure why not. We are going to need all the help we can get. My condolences on loosing so may Mechs on the station Cain.”

“Actually Captain we only lost 119 mechs. Most of the work was finished on the DD’s and I had already recalled the majority back into their storage containers aboard the Red Pepper.

The Lieutenant ran in and tapped the pilot on the shoulder and quickly took his place and started going over her check list as the pilot she relieved filled her in on the essentials.

Jack stared for a few seconds until the turnover was complete and then said. “You are my pilot?”

“That is what Zoote said. You objecting Captain?” Smiling at Jack. “Zoote said I am the most qualified Battleship Destroyer pilot in the Navy. Even better than you. And I finally figured out that she is right. You think too much cutting down your reaction times. Besides, I can see space almost as well as you and after 10 years I know all your battle plans and what you are thinking before your mouth moves so get over it.” She smiled over her shoulder at Jack then flopped her helmet up over her head as the announcement of the ship going to condition one blared across the speakers and the bridge started evacuating the air.

Jack’s helmet came up without him doing anything as he got used to the idea of her being his pilot but realized she probably was better than he was. If for no other reason than it had been quite a long time since he had spent much time in combat as a pilot and his hesitation not long before in the Transport Bomber as he got to thinking had almost cost him is life. Then the lost opportunities to save lives and shorten battles while he was busy piloting the Red Pepper 7 months before so he could have some fun was still haunting him. Yes the Lieutenant had become a damn good pilot and he was going to need every ounce of skill she had developed over the last 2 years since he had given her his DD’s in The Game. It was Time to kick ass.

“Commander Morgan, I want the DD’s with the boats and tugs in their boat bays for propulsion to head up the corridor with the life boats that do not have badly wounded on board. All lifeboats with wounded or Congressional crewmember are to dump them off at the habitat containers and then proceed up the Corridor themselves. The DD’s with big emergency generators can provide plasma and mass for the lifeboats that need it to continue. When the Transport Bombers arrive with the igniters for the DD’s, the rest can join the escort mission protecting the lifeboats until they can be picked up by a transport in the relief fleet. They can do nothing down here to help.” Jack turned to Clancy. “How many boats have you been able to get out the hatch for DD propulsion Number One?”

“We have cleaned out the storage deck and kicked an additional 33 out the hatch with the crews and emergency generators running for the DD’s themselves to finish unpacking and making them operational in their boat bays. That will give all the surviving DD’s at least one boat for propulsion and emergency generators allowing them to keep up with the lifeboats going up the corridor. The DD’s with the large generators to power their weapons will remain around the finger for defense from enemy fighters and as support basses to refuel our fighters.”

“Very well Number One. Lieutenant attack plan Delta 4. We have to side track those Battleships from the lifeboats headed this way until those damn Station Guns fire and hopefully, miss us.”

The Red Pepper quickly gained speed as it shot around the corner of the knuckle into the finger and then out into the open and headed straight for the Battleships. The Enemy Battleships were tightly grouped together in a nice double V formation with 4 prongs instead of 2 making a sweep across the area in front of the entrance, taking out the lifeboats scattered around them using their small 5 inch guns to kill lifeboats at short range as they drifted. In no hurry to turn toward the finger as they stayed half way between the Station and the Maze. Still taking out mostly their own boats trying to head back to the Station. The last thing they wanted was to even get close to the Maze that would allow them to take out the life boats escaping into the cloud, let alone enter where they could easily be trapped. Their broadsides to the Red Pepper at the moment with their big 24 inch guns pointed forward leaving the Red Pepper with plenty of time to cross the distance before they could rotate their main weapons toward the rapidly approaching ship. Hundreds of small slow lifeboats scattering out ahead of them not able to out run the hug ships, still dying.

“Weapons target plan Zebra 1 on the left flank. The 16/8’s and 5/3’s on their 24 inch turrets. The 3/2’s and 40/20mm’s on their 5 inch turrets or engine exhaust nozzles if you have a clear shot up their ass. The God guns will take out the Command Decks and Bridge. Torpedoes and antiship missiles, target the exhaust nozzles of the engines.Leave the torpedoes and their antiship missilesto our point defense missiles. No one is to target the fusion cores at this time. Let’s see if we can end this without killing anymore friendly crews than we have to.”

Jack grimaced at the orders he had just given knowing in his head he was being stupid but he simply could not force himself to kill any more innocent crews. The fact that they were out number 14 to 1 and the last thing he needed to be doing was worrying about saving the lives of crewmen that may not even be friendly to the Republic was buried as far as he could bury it.

Jack Glanced again at the Station with its guns pointed toward the top instead of out toward the Red Pepper attacking the squadron. They had plenty of time.

Though the Red Pepper only had 12, 16/8inch guns. The ex-slaves had added crystal linings reducing the diameter of each of the gun’s bores from 16 inches to 8 inches, greatly increasing the heat and penetration of the beams with the power they originally had. With new more powerful generators to increase the Gun Capacitors’ regenerating charge speed, they could fire several shots a second from each gun. The Congressional Communist 24 inch guns were able to fire only 1 shot every 15 to 30 seconds depending on the power reaching them which seemed to vary on every ship. The Red Peppers smaller guns having the same treatment quadrupling their power and rates of fire as well. Making the 5 inch guns able to penetrate as far as the original 16 inch guns before being upgraded. Allowing them to take out the 24 inch heavily armored turrets of the Congressional Battleships while firing like machine guns.

The Red Pepper’s 6 twin gunned, 16/8 inch turrets and 12 twin gunned, 5/3inch turrets that were able to fire forward (another 6, 5/3’s could fire directly aft). Pummeled the 4 ships on the left flank. The 4 God guns sending their beams completely through the command decks and the Command and Flag bridges and out the other side of the two Battleships farthest on the flank even though their beams had been fanned out to a width of over 30 feet when they hit. All of the security police birthed around the Officer decks to keep them safe from the riff raff drafted crew were killed as well as the expanding vaporized metal and still pressurized decks exploded out with the shock waves shattering everything and everyone across those decks. The armored decks above and below limiting the damage to only the Command decks.

Jack watched in disbelief as a pair of 30 foot holes were opened up completely through the 2 Battleships targeted by the God Guns showing parts of the station through one of them. As the Red Pepper raced past the stern of the 4 ships they had targeted, the Lieutenant quickly turned the ship 180 degrees around to point at the ships they had just passed Jack tapped the two ships the God beams had hit as dead. The Red Peppers guns and torpedo’s switch to the next two ships on the flank as the Battletransport again pointed at the targeted ships. The big guns had stayed frozen facing forward not trying to track the target as the Lieutenant turned to face the enemy with the Red Pepper now going backwards. The 16/8 inch guns now started firing at the backside of the Battleships not having to waste time trying to bring their weapons back onto the target.

The Red Pepper quickly slowed as the God Guns fired again destroying two more Battleship Command decks and Jack tapped the two ships declaring them dead.

“Captain.” The First Officer said in a whisper as he leaned over. “Those ships still have operational guns on them.”

Jack Smiled. “Yes they do, don’t they. Don’t you think that they need something to defend themselves with?”

“But we are the enemy attacking that they will defend against.”

“Eeaa. We will see about that. Weapons, target 16/8’s on the Command decks only and bypass the God Gun’s next targets. Torpedoes and ship missiles on the engines of the ships on the right flank.” Jack glanced again at the Station and its big guns that were still pointed up and away from the battle going on around the squadron. Surprised. “Someone keep an eye on the Station’s big guns and tell me when they start moving.”

The God guns fired again and the Command decks on two more Battleships acquired huge holes through them as the next ships in the flank started getting streams of 16/8 shots going into the Command decks from the side. Jack could not tell if the shots were going through into the core or not but figured they would find out shortly one way or another.

Jack looked back at the first two Battleships that had lost their Command decks and several engines as they started veering off course away from the Squadron. As the rest of the squadron turned their 5 inch guns from shooting lifeboats to shooting at the Red Pepper. Their marksmanship taking hundreds of shots to kill one lifeboat was no better with the Red Pepper as the beams started streaking past missing the big ship. The Big 24 inch guns on most of the Battleships slowly turning toward the Red Pepper’s new location. The 6 ships the God Guns had destroyed the Command decks on the exception as all 6 ships with one to three of their engines taken out by hits on the engine nozzle coils, started falling behind and turning away from the squadron at random angles depending on which engines had been knocked out but definitely out of control.

Jack watched the 16/8’s tearing into the next ship’s command deck from the side as the Red Pepper came to a stop and headed back toward the squadron. Jack’s smile turned sour as he watched a dozen torpedoes pop out of each of the remaining 7 ships. Only slightly relieved that the ship they were tearing up the Command deck of had not launched as well. Though that still left 108 torpedo’s to take care of.

The 7 ships started turning as one toward the Red pepper making it easier for them to train their big guns on the ship starting to close on them again.

“Three/two’s and 40/20’s, Point defense. Attack Plan G. Weapons prepare to fire all short range antiship missiles at their engines on my command. Gunners do not fire on the Command decks unless you have a broadside target secondary targets are weapons. We really don’t want to kill hundreds of Draftee slaves going through their birthing decks.” Again dread crossed his mind at the possible cost those orders could have for the Red Pepper but he felt he had no other choice. Besides the Red Pepper had yet to be seriously damaged in all the Battles with the God ships so how could these row boats do any better.”

The Red pepper continued to pick up speed toward the squadron as the 16/8’s continued to pore fire into target 5’s Command decks as large gaps started opening up deep inside. “Can anyone tell me if we have penetrated the Command Core yet?”

“I am detecting plasma out the back side of the hull Captain.” Said a sensor operator. “But it could be from beams bypassing the core.”

“Well, target 5 has not changed course with the others and has stopped firing its weapons. Weapons, shift to secondary targets on the turning ships.”

Jack watched as the Battleship squadron’s guns approached alignment with them just seconds from firing. As Jack stared down the Barrels of 500 guns and smiled. “Now Lieutenant.” He said comely knowing he did not have to emphasize the order.

The Red Pepper accelerating at quarter power toward the enemy suddenly leaped forward and to the side away from the line of fire as some 500 guns fired sending streaks past the Battletransport.

As soon the beams shot passed the Red Pepper missing them by a thousand feet, the Lieutenant dove back toward the Squadron still at full power with the throttles shoved up against the stops the Gee meter climbing into the thousands.

“Weapons. Protocol Fox Five, short range antiship missiles, countermeasures, decoys on my command. Point defenses take out their stern point defenses as we pass and any of their antimissile missiles when launched.”

The ship quickly closed the distance with thousands of 5 inch beams storming past the ship that looked better than a coliseum holiday spectacle.

“Their 5 inch guns are starting to hit our hull but are being reflected with no damage reported so far Captain.”

The Red Pepper passed the squadron. The Lieutenant slamming power back to off and starting her turn around before they had reached the squadron. The ship whipping around as she turned and then slamming the throttles all the way forward again to full power as they faced backwards. The Gee meter rapidly climbing into the thousands slowing them up as Jack said. “Missiles, protocol Fox five. Fire!”

A hundred and twenty missiles popped out of their launchers on the ships Cooling/Landing fins and raced away from the ship at angles to avoid the mass of gun fire directed at the stern of the remaining ships in the squadron. A hundred point defense missiles already leaping from the bow ahead of them. Every gun 5/3inch and smaller firing at the sterns of the remaining Battleships with their sterns turned toward the Red Pepper. Though with the ship’s fire divided between 7 Battleships, the beams hitting the sterns was not that devastating. But all Jack needed was for them to buy enough time and clearance for the short range missiles to hit their engine nozzles knocking them out without penetrating and doing as much damage as even the 5/3 inch guns would do let alone the big 16/8’s. He was hopping the crews could take command and then leave in life boats once the Command decks were knocked out.

The First Officer Captain Clancy turned to Jack and whispered. “What the hell are you doing? From the stern, we could have used the 5/3’s to destroy the engine easily while the damn 16/8’s would have gutted the damn ships half way up their fucking hulls before they could turn away.”

“Yes that is just the fact Clancy. The majority of those crews are loyal Republic citizens that want nothing to do with the damn Communists running the Government. I am not going to slaughter any more of them than I have to and we don’t have to.” Jack pointed over his shoulder. “Those 6 other ships are already headed for the cloud with, I am willing to bet, are just the same loyal Republic crews trying to get away and defect just like the thousands that are in those lifeboats headed the same way. We are going to give them the chance they deserve and damaging these engines so we can repair them after we destroy their Command decks taking out the Officers that are enslaving them is all part of that.”

Turning to the Lieutenant at the Helm. “Attack plan Bravo 2 Lieutenant.” Jack said before the missiles had even hit. Though only by a few seconds.

The stern of all the Battleships erupted within a second of each other as multiple attack missiles hit.

“Captain, all targeted main drive engines have been knocked out.”

The Red Pepper slid around to the side of the line of Battleships and again the 16/8’s started flashing into the side of another ship’s Command decks as the ships and their big guns turned towards the Red Pepper. The God Guns fired a second later using their wide beams designed to take out groups of fighters at long range and punched holes into 4 other Battleship’s Command decks and bridges before they could turn their broadsides away. The weapons officer taking it upon himself to spread the big gun fire out across 4 ships instead of only two as two guns per target had been over kill.

Again Jack waited for the remaining ships with maneuvering thrusters left and still under Command to turn toward him before giving the order to move again. The Red Pepper streaked to the side of the Battleships and once broadside to them the ship started to turn bow toward them but suddenly some 45, 24 inch guns fired from the ship the 16/8’s had targeted and taken out the Command decks minutes before and Jack had presumed to be safe with its bow now pointed directly at the Red Pepper. At point blank range most of the 45, 24 inch beams lanced into the sides of the Red Pepper as she rapidly turned. Most of the beams glancing off the crystal enhanced side armor. But several made solid hits penetrating deep into the Red Peppers lightly armored hull along the sides.

Panic raced around the bridge as the Lieutenant continued to turn toward the squadron.

Jack started to scream for the Lieutenant to get them out of there but remembering the battle they had been threw 7 months before when he panicked and ran when they did not need to when they could have finished off a ship that cost lives later. Jack got stubborn. The damn ship had ambushed them but it could not fire for another 20 seconds at least maybe 40. “Weapons target the 24inch guns on that ship with the 5/3’s. Fire the God Guns and the 16/8 at original scheduled targets on the other ships as we bear.” Jack could hear damage control reports starting to come in as he glanced at the damage control screen across the back of the Bridge. One of the engines was down with red all over it while the amidships had several deep red streaks through it. Other than the engine no real damage had been done to the ship except cargo.

“Captain, Comm, Message from the Communist Squadron Commander.”

“Ok. Weapons fire on schedule. Comm put him on but blank the damage control screens behind me. I don’t want him knowing how damaged we are… NO. Plaster the damage control screens all green. I want him to think he did not damage us.”

An Admiral appeared on the screen a few seconds later as the damage control screen turned green. “Admiral Turner I presume. Interesting tactics. Taking out my ships’ bridges so the low life crews can take over the ships and defect to the rebel side. Too bad I saw right through your attempt and have abandoned my bridge decks packing them with regular crewmen. The very crewmen you are trying to save. Tell you what I am going to do. I am going to give you a chance to surrender before I start killing crewmen and blast you out of this universe. If you resist or continue to fire, all you will be doing is killing the crewmen you are trying to save.”

“Captain, the Station is turning its weapons toward us now. Fifteen seconds before they are lined up to fire.” A voice said in his ears.

Jack grimaced as he tapped the screen in front of him and the 16/8’s started firing on the 24inch turrets of the Battleships still broadside to them with the 5/3’ joining in.

“Well I sure do not want to do that but the problem is that I cannot allow you to go on killing lifeboats. Which means if I have to, I will blow up all your ships. That is if I have to, to kill you. It will save many more lives in the long run.” Jack tapped the screen as he was talking.

Winslow’s voice came to his ears. “Yes Admiral, the transmission is from the ship we though was dead that fired at our broadside.”

The Congressional Communist Admiral turned red. “You lie. I have seen your files and the experts all agree that you are not a real Commander and lack the cold hard constitution to deliberately kill innocent crewmen even if they are the enemy. You stupid fool even rescued the enemy so they could use you against the Republic. But then that does not matter after all if the Spiders with their spy’s and your help bring down the Navy. No we will replace the Republic with Congressional Democrat Communism for the good of the people. The Republic is doomed. Give it up boy. Your ship is damaged…” The Admiral looked to someone talking to the side then back to Jack. “You ass hole. You fire on my ships while we talk surrender! I will see you burn in…”

As Red slid around the end of the ship that had fired at them, two God Guns with their beams narrowed back down fired down the throat of the ship penetrating every armored deck it had and kept going, gutting the ship from stem to stern. The Lieutenant slammed the throttle all the way forward. The Station’s 48 inch beams streaking all around the ship as the Red Pepper rapidly gained speed on its remaining good engine.

The Battleships thought they had lucked out with their 24 inch guns now pointed in the direction they thought the Red Pepper would turn to get away from the Station’s big Guns. They could not even fathom why the Red Pepper would turn toward the Station instead of away from it.

Then the Battleship Transport started firing at the Station and the Big Guns started to explode or go silent one at a time.

“Exec, you find that schematic of the damn station yet?

“Yes sir. Sending it to you now.”

“Hell yes. Send it to Weapons too. They are the ones that need it to target the damn gun control Center at the base of the Station.”

“Aaa. Admiral, you are not going to like this but the Gun Command Center is surrounded by birthing compartments for crewmen and their families. Some 10,000 crewmen live there with their families.”

“What the hell. Who puts weapons Control Centers in the middle of birthing decks? They are supposed to be surrounded by Cargo holds and vehicle decks.”

“From what it looks like Sir. They built the additional birthing compartments in the Cargo holds around the Center and added armor all the way around. Lots of armor. Though nothing that will stop our God Guns sir.”

They looped around keeping ahead of the turning guns as they slowly knocked one gun after another out while they dodged wreckage from previously destroyed ships. The New Battles barges firing their guns at the Red Pepper in a growing mass as they slowly turned them to bear. The Deluge of beams growing as the Red Pepper slid behind the station with hundreds of beams hitting the station before they stopped firing with the Station’s Admiral screaming at them to cease fire.

Jack looked at the tactical showing the 6 ships that had been taken over by crewmen approaching the cloud. “How long before the last of them get into the cloud?”

“Three minutes, for the shortest. Five, 9, 12 and 15 minutes until the last one. Three of them are just headed for the cloud and not the entrance cutting their exposed time down but that means they will spend hours in the cloud before they can penetrate into the clear. There are also still hundreds of lifeboats making their way towards the finger opening. The farthest is a half hour away still.” The Plotting officer said.

“Getting weapons fire from the back side of the Squadron. They must be targeting lifeboats and the ships making for the cloud again.” The Sensor Officer was shaking her head disgustedly.

“Shit, that is a damn long time to get shot at.” Jack watched the last of the Big Guns go silent freezing into place and took a deep breath. “Ok, Lieutenant now we play who can hit the dancing target. Take us out. Try not to get us killed. Weapons, there are 7 ships left. We need to knock out their guns before they knock us out. Time for the gun crews to have some fun. King’s rule aboard ship and a Queen’s liberty for the gun crews, 16/8’s and 5/3’s that knock out the most 18 inch guns. God Guns, if you get a broadside shot take out the main and auxiliary/emergency Command Bridges on the ones you have not hit yet.”

“But Captain! The Admiral said he had packed crewmen on the bridge.” The Comm Officer said.

Jack was pushed to the side of the Command Chair while the rest of the bridge crew tried to keep their hands on their controls as the ship made a hard sudden turn.

“He did not have time to do it Lieutenant. All he had time for was to get off the Officer and security decks and down to the emergency bridge. If taking out the main bridge on a few of the ships does not work then we can take out the emergency bridge just ahead of the engines below the fusion core and hanger. As automated as they are, without at least one of the emergency bridge control decks, I don’t think they will be able to control anything let alone shoot at anyone.” Jack felt light headed for a second as he floated up into his straps before being slammed back down into his Chair.

“Captain, life boats that have to be from the ship we gutted the core on are headed for the cloud. I think that is what the other ships were shooting at.” The Sensor operator said surprised as 24 inch beams started streaking past the Red Pepper. “They are shooting at us now with their 24’s but the 5 inch and point defense guns are still shooting at the life boats.” The Space around the ship looked thick enough with beams to walk on as they were thrown to the side again.

“Ok, well we are at extreme range of our point defenses but let’s see what they can do. Same prizes for the 3/2’s and below for taking out their 5 inch guns and below along with missiles and torpedoes. No sense in holding onto the small fighter attack missiles, they should be able to take out their smaller point defense turrets. Let’s get the torpedoes and large attack missiles going, on the 24 inch guns as well.”

The ship shook. “Hit in Cargo hold 23 C, the Core and 22 F, from a through and through Captain.” The Damage control officer said. “They have to hit us close to dead on at 90% to penetrate otherwise the beams just bounce or reflect off the Crystal Hull coating the ex-slaves put on repairing the ship 7 months ago Captain. Averaging 1 penetration in roughly every couple dozen hits sir.” Looking down at his screen. “The bots are already making repairs in the hull and holds.”

“How is engineering doing repairing the damaged Engine?”

“I am afraid it is total lose Captain. We were hit by 2 beams only feet apart that must have been from one turret. We are lucky the beams did not cross and that the engine and the extra armor the slaves added absorbed all the energy before the beams got to the Fusion Core. Another couple of feet and we would not be here Captain. But the engine is slagged from one end to the other. No chance of repairing it outside of Space Dock.”

Jack cringed at that and then frowned as he realized that most of the guns were not firing and the ones that were only got a few rounds off at a time. It took Jack a few seconds to realize that the guns could not train fast enough to keep up with the rapid maneuvering the Lieutenant was putting the ship through as Jack felt light headed again growing taller in the seat for a second. “Lieutenant, you need to be a little less violent in your maneuvering the guns can’t keep up with you.”

“To bad Jack. Every time I slow down for the guns we get hit.” The Lieutenant barked getting a raised eyebrow from Jack.

Jack frowned. As he thought for a few seconds. “Damn, we were hit by the ship we blew the main bridge out of because it stayed put while we moved into its firing line. Yes that’s it. Weapons. Zone the guns.” Jack started taping on his screen which was made difficult as he was jerked from side to side and up and down.

“Zone Captain?” the Weapons Officer glanced at Jack baffled.

Jack tapped what he had done on the screen over to the Weapons Officer. “Yes, aim each turret and weapon around the ship in these fixed arcs according to their placement on the hull and enable rapid burst fire. When Red maneuvers around where that Zone points at the enemy ships, they shoot at their target using rapid burst fire then recharge when the ship maneuvers away where the turrets in the next Zone can fire their bursts before the ship turns away for another Zone to facing the enemy. Get the electrical Engineers on the boards to direct emergency power to the firing guns.”

It took a minute before everything was set up but finally a constant stream of laser shells streaked out toward the enemy ships and 24inch turrets started falling silent though it took several minutes before the torrent of laser shots around the ship lessened. The number of hits the ship was taking and bouncing off growing fewer and fewer as did the penetrations.

Jack grimaces as another beam penetrated the bow. “How long before the ships and boats are in the cloud Tactical?”

“With them concentrating on us Captain. All 4 remaining ships are now headed for the finger entrance instead of the cloud. Another 15 minutes Captain. The last of the original lifeboats are about the same distance except for the ones from the Gutted Battleship. I still don’t see how anyone survived that unless they were sitting in the damn lifeboats waiting for a chance to escape when our God Guns gutted the Command ship. Which I suppose is possible. Something I might do if I had been shanghaied.”

The God Guns fired as the ship finally out ran the stationary but turning Battleships. Finally getting broadside of them after closing the distance. The two ships targeted went silent as their main and auxiliary command decks where destroyed.

A few cheered at the sudden lessoning of the beams around Red. Then the bridge crew groaned as the 2 battleships started firing again a few seconds later. Though their shots did not seem to be as accurate.

Then Jack was almost thrown out of his chair as the Comm officer’s seat strap broke and was thrown across the bridge.

“Two. No, 3 hits Stern quarter Captain. Heavy damage to hanger deck and main gun deck, turret 162 has been knocked out. Damage control and repair crews on the way.”

A medic was suddenly running up to the Comm officer laying on the deck as she took out a bag that grew into a net with weights around the edges. Twirling it around to spread it out using centrifugal force of the weights, she dropped it over the patient. The mag clamp weights around the edges sucked themselves down onto the deck. Diving under the close side of the net before the mag clamps jerked it down over the two of them. The last magclamp jerked down to the deck just in time for the medic and here comatose patient both floated up away from the deck a couple of inches before being slammed back down without further harm. The medic then threw more clamps onto the deck attaching first her patient to the deck as she again drifted up into the net for a few seconds and then herself. She touched something on her arm and the net expanded out to let her kneel over her patient with the straps now holding her and her patient down.

“Damn it Lieutenant, we are getting to close to the damn squadron. Back us off and be quick about it.”

The God Guns fired again taking out a second set of Command decks giving them another few seconds of reduced laser shots streaking past the ship but again the 2 ships started shooting again to join the rest.

“Damn it Weapons, you were supposed to take out the damn Emergency Bridge on the two ships we just hit not 2 other damn ships Command decks.

The Red Pepper suddenly shook as the lights went out for a fraction of a second and half the bridge crew were twisted in their seats.

Jack immediately knew their last engine had been hit and knocked out even though they still had gravity but he did not know how bad the damage was yet.

“Engine 1 damaged and down Captain. We have no propulsion. Trying to contact Engineering Control now.”

Jack turned away from the damaged control board. He could not remember turning to look at it but he was looking at it before the ship had stopped shaking from the hit and from what the engine section was showing, it was going to take a while to repair, if it even could be without a yard.

“The ship was turned away from the squadron when a damn fricking 24 inch beam got lucky.” Jack growled in disbelief. “Lieutenant get us turned around facing the damn squadron. Weapons target the damn cores now before they can finish turning toward us. God Guns slag the Battleships.” The only crew Jack was interested in saving now was the Red Pepper’s. Wishing now he had thought that when they lost the first engine. The advantage of having 4 engines of the Battleships.

“Captain, without the engine cores, it will take 2 minutes to charge the God Guns.” The Weapons Officer said after changing primary targets for the 16’s.

Jack already knew that. “Well, hope we are still alive by then.” Jack suddenly realized that was the most stupid thing for a damn Captain to ever say to a crew. “Don’t worry. Now that we are not maneuvering all our guns can target the enemy. They don’t stand a chance.” Jack smiled as he watched beam after beam start hitting the Red Pepper and reflect off her crystal coated hull as she slowly turned back around taking her time now that she did not have a main engine for maneuvering power.

A sudden fusion explosion blinded Jack for a second since he was looking through the hull at the ship when it exploded trying to decide which ship was more damaged than the rest to concentrate their fire on. Slapping his hand over his eyes as he turned around away from the fireball he did not see the ships closest to it get pushed to one side by the expanding fireball. The problem with tight formations.

“One ship’s rear section has vaporized leaving the shield decks. Five ships left Captain. Two more are damaged and stopped firing.” The Tactical Officer said. “That leaves only 3 ships now firing at us.”

The ship shook again from another penetrating hit with another only seconds after that as a dozen more simply glanced off.

It took Jack a good minute to see again as the ship suffered hit after hit and damage reports flooded in.

And then the report Jack dreaded the most. “Port God Gun hit dead center down its throat. The beam went up the fucking center sir. It is out of commission for good. Other 3 God Guns 10 seconds from firing.”

The ship shuddered again from another hit and then the God Guns fired. The odd gun firing a fraction of a second ahead of the other two. The asymmetrical recoil without an engine to counter its recoil for balance, knocked the ship into a tumbling end over end tumble, dragging the other pair of God Guns on opposite sides just far enough off their targets to miss.

As the ship the God Gun had targeted exploded into another fireball that rapidly slid to the side Jack turned to the Weapons Officer. “Zone the guns and burst mode again when the ship comes around.” Shaking his head. “And cross connect the number 2 God Gun to the destroyed gun’s capacitors. Number One do what is needed to get it done. Lieutenant, role the ship on its long center line access and put the number 2 God Gun on the opposite side lined up on the inside of the tumble. It is the only thing that can stop us from tumbling before the ship gets destroyed. We have to get the bow pointed at the enemy again.” Jack hit the ship wide comm. “This is the Captain. All none essential personnel prepare to vacate the bow of the ship on my orders. I repeat all none essential personnel prepare to evacuate the bow on my orders. Out.” The rebuilt bow after being destroyed in one of the first battles with the Spider Battleships (before Jack was given Command of the hulk to try to repair), was now the most armored part of the ship. But it had to be pointed toward the enemy to do any good. Which was when Jack would order the evacuation if they ever managed to get the ship stabilized again. At the moment sending the crew down the length of the ship through the lightly armored tank decks was far too risky.

The ship shuddered again from another penetrating hit amidships.

“Three point defense turrets knocked out. Deck 76. The beam entered at one turret and continued sideways knocking out 2 more before it hit the hull again and burned its way back out. Five dead that were reloading missiles reported so far. Sounds like they were just in the wrong place at the wrong time when a beam scored a lucky hit directly on the point defense turrets weak point instead of being deflected.”

Another direct hit shook the ship as beam after beam with glancing hits was reflected off the hull. The glancing hits coming more rapidly by the second with the limited fire the Red Pepper was able to put out against the remaining 2 Battleships that were now able to present the thick multiple armored decked bows to target the Red Pepper, allowing them to fire all their guns with no restrictions.

“God Gun lined up on Weapons mark Captain.” The Lieutenant said. “When the cross connect is in, we can take out another bad guy and stop the Tumble Sir. Should leave us pointed at the squadron.”

“Very well. Number One how long for the Cross Connect?”

“Should be just about…”

The Bridge shook violently. Alarms started going off.

“That just missed the Bridge Captain.”

“Hold fire.” Shouted the Lieutenant. “I am having to realign the ship.”

“We have the cross connect Captain. Ready to fire Starboard God Gun on your command.”

“Lieutenant. Get it together.”

“Working on it Jack, damn it. Just give me a few fricking seconds.”

The 2 remaining ships of the Squadron were joined by the 2 battleships that had been knocked into a tumble by the fusion blast of the ship next to them now that they had stabilized and was pointing back at the Red Pepper. The guns of the 4 ships swept past the bow with a hundred pin lights flashing around the rims of their armored shield decks and flashed past the Red Peppers tumbling bow again as hundreds of beams continued to streak past the ship.

“Ok got it. You can fire on this pass.”

“Weapons, fire when the target bears.”

The ship whipped around and the God Gun fired stopping the ship’s tumble, pointing directly at the squadron. Another ship grew a bright spot in the center of its bow and started to slowly tumble away from facing the Red Pepper. Its guns going silent.

The Tactical Officer spoke up. “Target 11 has stopped firing and shows the core flooded with plasma spewing out the ends. That leaves 3 Battleships firing at us again. Lifeboats are springing from the ship we hit and are trying to keep one of the other hulks between them and the other ships as they leave the area.” The Sensor Officer leaned closer to the screen. “Sir. The other hulks are now puking lifeboats out like pissed off bee hives.” Shaking her head. The damn point defenses of the 3 Battleships are firing at them like crazy. The lifeboats are following the others trying to put the hulks of other ships between them but they are not being very successful.”

“Damn. We are in a terrible place looking down their armored decks for taking out their point defenses. Hell we will be lucky to take out their 24’s. Weapons fire what missiles and torpedoes we can to go around the sides to help. Though we should be using them to take out the damn 24inch turrets.” Shaking his head. “Weapons. Good job on the cross over. Number one, we need to evacuate the bow of all unessential personnel. It is going to have to absorb a hell of a lot of damage. I am now glad the exslaves insisted in slapping lots of armor on so many of the upper decks.” Taking a deep breath. “Ok Weapons how long to recharge the God Guns?”

“The 1 and 3 Pair are charging off the emergency power generators that have been switched to them and number 2 gun cut out now that we are stable. They will be charged in 3 minute sir.”

“Very well target each gun down the throat of the each of the last ships. Put an end to this shit.”

The ship shuddered. “No!” The Weapons Officer almost screamed. God gun 3 has been hit down the throat and has been destroyed.”

“Captain. With the surviving God guns on the same side of the ship they will just put us back into a tumble.”

Shaking his head. “Not if you bring them in close and aim each threw the mass center line of the ship. Youse your head Lieutenant. How long to recharge them?”

“Aaa we lost the emergency generators when the gun shorted out taking the full charge of the Capacitors and burned out the emergency Generators attached to it. With the loss of half our emergency generators and the 16/8’s firing and no main engine cores. At least 5 minutes to recharge both remaining guns sir.”

Jack grimaced as he looked back at the damage control screen and realized that the coils of the engines were the only thing that was damaged and not the cores. Slapped his comm to engineering. “Chief, I need the engine cores lit off and the power sent to the 16/8s and the remaining God Guns.”

“Well Captain that is a lot of power to be sending to the guns, I don’t know if the plasma lines can take the power. We have not been using them that long and never tested them for that. Hell, we are still testing the whole plasma distribution system. Trying to find out what it can do and can’t. Hell half the system is still a bread board sir.”

“Well we have to get power to the weapons Chief or we are dead. Which brings up another topic. Any possibility of getting that last engine running?”

“Sorry Captain. We took one directly on the sides of the engines at the cooling fines opening in the hull, half the coils are slagged. No. we are a barge until we get to a ship yard and replace the engines. Sorry Captain. We will relight one of the engine cores and see if we can feed enough into the system to keep it going.” The Chief turned and looked up for a second as a half-smile came to his face. “You know Captain we could simply vent the excess plasma down the engine. It is already slagged so a little more plasma won’t hurt it any more than it already is. That will reduce the plasma stream down to something the conduits can handle.”

“Well give it a try Chief and get me some power. Out.”

“The non-essential personnel in the bow have been evacuated and are moving to the stern Captain.”

“Very well Number One. Damage Control, how is the bow holding up?”

“Number of hits have gone down Captain with the smaller frontal area we are presenting to the enemy. We have not had a penetrating hit since we stabilized.” The Damage control officer smiled. “The slanted bow with the thick Crystal covering is doing its job reflecting the beams Sir.” The ship shuddered a little and the lieutenant looked down at his screen. “Talked to soon Captain. A 5 inch turret took a direct hit in the wrong place and the beam penetrated 6 decks. No reported casualties with no missing suit transponders. Damage control teams are headed that way. We will see how well the crystal hull plugs work now.”

The Weapons Officer turned around. “Captain the main power is coming back up. With the cross over in and this rate of charging, we will be able to fire the God Guns every 15 seconds sir. I can’t believe how much power is coming up the plasma line sir.”

The Engineer turned from his console all smiles. Give us another minute to check the plasma lines at this power level and we will up it again Captain.”

Jack looked at the stern screen and saw a stream of plasma shooting out one of the stern engine ports.

“Captain, Fin 3 has taken a direct hits half way out and the end is floating away.”

Jack glanced at the fin drifting slowly from the ship and shook his head. It was needed with the core going even if the plasma was dumped down the dead engine.

“God Gun 4 taken out Captain. Another shot down its throat.” The Weapons officer said painfully.

“Now we know why the damn Spider ships hide their guns between shots.”

“Ready to fire our last operational God Gun Captain. Ship moving to the side to line the gun up with the center line.”

“16-1 knocked out Captain. That side of the ship is exposed.”

Jack could see lasers hitting and reflecting off that side of the ship as the ships ass stuck out from behind the bow to fire the God Gun down the mass center line of the ship. The God Gun fired and another Battleship stopped firing but still leaving the guns from the last two remaining Battleships shooting at them.

And then suddenly the sole remaining working God Gun in the Fleet, left the side of the ship tumbling away on its own dragging the arm with its attachment base. The Red Pepper had barely turned bow-on to the incoming fire when the base was hit by several 24 inch beams in only a few seconds tearing the base off at its weakest point. A second later another beam hit the gun. As the gun drifted away it seemed to attract the majority of the beams from the remaining Battleships leaving the Red Pepper completely isolated as the big 400 foot long 40 foot wide gun was plastered with shot after shot though they bounced off the casing sides.

The Lieutenant brought the stern back behind the bow as she watched their last remaining hope being destroyed. Shaking her head. She could see the streams of 16/8 and 5/3 beams streaking into and back along the sides of the Battleships but knew the remaining turrets of the ships were fighting a very steep uphill battle. At least half the guns on the enemy ships were still working while they only had 4, 16/8 turrets remaining and 8, 5/3’s. It was only a matter of time even with half the enemy guns still targeting the tumbling God Gun.

The enemy 24 inch beams kept slamming into the tumbling God gun as its stern turned toward the beams hitting it and bouncing off. Then suddenly the beams started penetrating the wide flat stern plate that was not as armored as the rest of the gun and things started spewing out the end as the coils and equipment inside of the gun turned to pure plasma, expanding into unheard of pressures. The plasma squirting out the back powering the gun like an engine sending it careening off across space twisting around wildly out of control away from the Red Pepper and the remaining enemy Battleship toward the Station before arching back toward the Maze.

The ship shivered as a mass of beams were retargeted onto the Red Pepper and one of the first beams penetrated the bow. Fin number 5 tipped over to the side exposing its flat surface to the beams and holes started being punched into it at a rapid pace. The fire from the Battleships starting to become more accurate with time, practice and the fact that the Red Pepper really had nothing to threaten them with any longer while it sat like a rock asteroid slowly drifting in the general direction toward them.

Jack watched the majority of the beams slowly get closer and closer to the ship.

“Captain. The bow hull temperature is going up from all the grazing hits.”

The ship shuddered again.

“Penetration on a 3/2 point defense turret, 6 decks deep.” The ship shuddered twice in a row again as the Damage control Officer took a breath. “Penetrations on turret 312 and 4005. Six decks on each. Shit, Damage control crew 7 wiped out with a direct hit on their Damage control locker Captain. I don’t think they even felt it Sir.”

“Damn it. Number one spread the DC crews out so one hit does not do so fricking much damage. SOP from now on.”

Jack heard what he thought was a pop in his ears.

“Turret 164 direct hit with the capacitors fully charged is now slagged. Gunners are gone.” The Damage control Officer shook his head. “Five Zero Nine just popped, 6 decks again only casualty is the gunner.”

“Shit… Weapons. Pull the gun crews out of them now. With fixed targets and us a sled they are just as accurate fired remotely.”

“Eye Captain. Pulling crews now.”

Jack caught something out of the corner of his eye and turned to a screen to see another God Gun that had already been taken out drifting away from the ship and suddenly it was getting all the attention of the attacking ships giving the Red Pepper a brief respite. Though Jack found it a little strange that the gun seemed to be falling away behind the ship. “Plot what is going on? Why is that gun falling away behind us?”

“Captain, plot. We are being pushed by something toward the Enemy Battleships at an increasing rate. Do they possess tractor beams big enough to pull us toward them from this distance?”

Jack’s eyes narrowed and then a smile came to his face as he turned to the stern screen and a good sized stream of plasma shooting out the engine nozzle. Looking back around the 3 remaining 16/8 gun turrets with a constant stream of shells headed toward the Battleships. Shaking his head. He started to ask Weapons how the 16/8s were doing firing so rapidly were doing, thinking they were probably going to overheat rather quickly.

Then the deck shuddered again and he closed his eyes as the Damage control officer made his announcement. “166 has just been destroyed with a direct hit between the barrels. Same place the last one got hit after deflecting a dozen hits on the sloping sides Captain. Makes sense the flat plate between the guns is the weakest point on the turret. That’s where most of the guns have been hit at, knocking most of them out. We need to reinforce the armor on the rest of the turrets sir when we get back to Space Dock.”

Jack could see that the remaining guns were running in the red but little did it matter if they got knocked out before they burned up.

“Captain, Plot. We will be hitting the enemy ships in an hour at this rate of acceleration sir. I can’t believe they have a tractor beam this strong. Do they plan on boarding us?”

Jack smiled. “No Lieutenant. They do not have a tractor beam. We are venting plasma out are ass to keep one of the main cores running to provide power to the guns. The few we have left that is.” Jack frowned. “But you just may have a good idea there Lieutenant.” Turning to his comm screen for the Chief engineer. “Chief, I need the other core lit off and vented down the engine and pour the coal to it. We have a ship to ram.”

“What the hell Captain? Did I hear you right? You want to ram a ship?”

“Well Chief, we don’t have much of a ship left here so it is time to take another ship that is in better shape. The plasma you are venting is already accelerating the ship so let’s pull the stops out and see what the plasma drive can do on its own. I am starting to think up ways to make it a lot more efficient but that is another project. Let’s just see how much thrust you can produce with what we have already.”

“Well you know sir that one of the original space drives was an electric plasma drive that was damn efficient for its day. With our tech we should be able to do a lot better. I will have the other engine’s core lit off in a few minutes with a different vent and we shall see. Out.”

Jack turned and looked at the Damage control board as the ship was hit again and then the outside screens focused up along the hull with plasma streaming out of the God Gun base on that side. “All weapons cease firing.”

“What was that Captain?” The Weapons Officer turned toward Jack.

“You heard me Lieutenant. Cease fire immediately and turn the guns that are still operational away from the enemy. Face the turret’s assess forward. Number one shut down all transmitters, passive sensors only. I want this ship cold now. Damage control, we are venting plasma out the Port God Gun base. I want you to increase the flow and start venting the plasma lines on the other God gun bases as well. See what you can do to rout the other generator plasma lines in the bow and the gun deck’s knocked out 16/8s out of the hull as well. Helm, start rotating the ship around its long access to keep us pointed at those damn Battleships without thrusters then shut everything down. Number One start preparing the marines and crew to board that damn Battleship when we collide.”

Jack turned to the tactical screen and frowned. The 3 Battleships still running for their lives were now 5 to 10 minutes from the cloud. Even if the enemy battleships started firing at them in 5 minutes they would not do that much damage but then it did not look like the fire directed on the Red Pepper was slacking any so they should get away easy.

“New ships coming out of the Maze Captain. I think they are coming out of one of the corridors to The Rock. I count 20 of them so far and more coming out the corridor.”

“Picking up and tapping into a comm using fleet standard codes from the new ships to the Station, Captain. Do you want to view it?”

“Sure put in on the screen.”

“A 3 star Admiral and the Station’s 1 star Rear Admiral came on the split screen.”

“What the hell is going on here? They could have heard you screaming for help clear back at The Rock. What is this about ships mutinying?”

“A God damn Republic ship destroyed my whole fucking squadron except the ones that turned and joined the Republic side. You have to kill them all before they escape. Shoot! Damn it! They are getting away.”

The new Admiral turned and issued orders. “Fire on every ship out there now.” Then turned back to the Station’s Rear Admiral. “Where is the main fleet we were supposed to join?”

Jack turned back to the tactical as some 25 ships that had come out of the maze by then and were only a couple minutes from the 3 remaining ships that were about to enter the finger and broadside on suddenly started taking massive amounts of fire and started disintegrating. Then one of their cores blew.

Jack could not believe what was happening and then the Battleship they were headed to collide with, blew up as a growing number of laser shots hitting the ship’s broadside found the core at full power and detonated.”

Jack had to shield his eyes even through the Red’s armor.

“35 ships have come out of the corridor Captain and still counting. They are coming out faster and faster and firing as soon as they clear the cloud.” Came the tactical officer in Jack’s ears as he scrunched his eyelids shut while covering his eyes and turned away as another ship’s core blew but he could not tell where it had come from. Betting that it had been one of the ships attacking them since all firing at the Red Pepper had stopped. “The detached God Gun running wild spewing plasma is headed for the damn Congressional Fleet Captain. The God Gun case is receiving fire from half the Congressional ships now sir. The rest are divided amongst the hundreds of hulks around the Bay.”

“Number One, make sure we look damn dead. Reduce the cores to minimum to feed the plasma streams.

“53 ships total now Captain. I don’t see any more coming sir.” The Sensor operator said.

“The 2 surviving refugee ships have stopped accelerating but are only minutes from the cloud Captain and still being fired upon and spewing life boats. Shit I hope they scrammed their cores.” The Tactical Officer said as another ship blew up in the distance.

“Captain the 2 surviving refugee ships have powered down their cores.” The Sensor Officer said. “Life boats are launching and disappearing into the cloud.

Jack turned back to look just as another one of the Battleships only a few hundred miles directly in front of them blew its core right into Jack’s eyes again even though it had stopped firing when life boats had started sprouting from it. They had not scrammed their core before ejecting life boats.

“Damn, they are shooting lifeboats.” A shocked voice said over the suit comm. “They are sitting ducks. Hundreds destroyed already since the Fleet came out into the middle of a large mass of them headed for the cloud.”

“They are launching fighters Captain. I count two fleet Carriers coming around the bend out of the corridor into the Bay.”

Jack rubbed his eyes and opened them again to see the remaining Battleship hulks the Red Pepper was rapidly closing on ahead of them being torn apart into scrap by hundreds of 24 inch beams hitting the ships puking lifeboats. This fleet seaming to have no problem targeting the already dead hulks. That is except for the Red Pepper spewing massive amounts of Plasma from a dozen knocked out gun turrets fore and aft.

Shaking his head as he looked at a screen showing the refugee ship carnage and the life boats being destroyed almost as soon as they launched. “Where the hell did they come from and why was I not told?” Looking around. “Winslow! Where the hell are you? Why didn’t you tell me about these ass holes? Winslow?”

A figure in the back corner of the bridge stood up and waved. “Here Admiral. I am still installing the sensor package in this console. We haven’t had the X-Sensors activated for an hour now as I jerked them out of the Flag Bridge. Talking about one scary place out there in the middle of all that shit flying around.”

“Shit. How long before… Never mind. Do we still have the X-comms?”

“No sir. I took everything out of the Flag Bridge. My only portable X-comm went with DD-1701”

“Damn it. Just keep at it and get me Comm’s as soon as possible and then the damn sensors.”

Winslow looked up at the overhead shaking her head and then buried herself back inside the console.

“Damn it. I need to see what is going on out there. I am headed for the Flag Bridge where I can see something with my own eyes Captain Clancy, You have the bridge. Silent running. Keep the plasma flowing like a good derelict and prepare to repel boarders just in case. Pray we make it to the cloud. Which by the way. How fare are we from the cloud Navigation?” Jack was already walking toward the hatch.

“If we keep accelerating at this rate, we are 76 minutes away Admiral.”

Jack looked at the course plot of them cork screwing toward the dying squadron and the cloud beyond as the ship slowly spun like a bullet.

“Admiral.” Captain Clancy turned toward Jack. “If you want us to look like a hulk we need to cut our thrust from the plasma. Permission to kill the cores?”

Jack stopped at the hatch and turned to the Captain. “Actually Clancy, I think it is the Plasma spewing from half a dozen places around the ship that is making us look like a dead out of control hulk. They have never even heard of plasma conduits so they have to be thinking that the whole ship is flooded with plasma fires and no one could possibly be alive. All we can hope is that they keep targeting the damn hulks around us as we pass by.”

“So what is with (prepare to repel boarders), shit.”

“Just to keep the crew spread out and busy and ready just in case I am wrong and we have to abandon ship which is a waste of effort if we can’t reach the damn cloud first. Hopefully the new fleet’s fire will stay concentrated on the squadron ahead of us and we make it before they are destroyed and they need a new target.”

Jack left the bridge followed by the Lieutenant until Jack stopped placing a hand on her chest. “No Lieutenant. Stay here where it is sa…” Jack swallowed. “Where you can keep me informed of what is going on with the ship while I take a quick look around.”

“Like hell I will. I am coming with you.”

Jack turned to the Marine next to the hatch. “Keep her from leaving the bridge even if you have to stun her.”

The Marine saluted as he disconnected his back clamp from the bulkhead and stepped into the hatch. “Yes Admiral. The Lieutenant will not leave the Bridge.” The Lieutenant stared daggers at Jack as he walked down the passageway before the hatch closed.

Jack walked onto the empty Flag Bridge a few minutes later and flopped down in the Command Chair as Chump (C3PO) sat a cup of Tea down on the arm of the chair. Jack looked around the deserted Bridge. Jack could see the fleet plastering the battleship hulks ahead of them and was suddenly hoping that they continued to not only ignore the Red Pepper but continued to be damn good shots and not hit them as they passed by the wreckage they were no longer pointed at. But then as badly as they were now cork screwing across the Bay, they just might start heading for the enemy flooding into the bay the way his luck had been running.

The Refugee battleship hulks were still getting plastered as they approached the cloud as well as the life boats all across the Bay. The wave of fighters spreading out across the Bay making Jack want to cry with frustration watching the engines from lifeboat after lifeboat wink out as gunfire streaked into each of them one at a time, some of them blowing as the plasma batteries were pierced. Picking up his tea with the spoon and tea bag still in it he started to take a sip and then looked down at the cup. “What the frick? You left the sweetener in the packets Terrell?”

“Admiral Turner.” Chump said. “Steward Terrel has been reassigned to the Sickbay to help with casualties. I am following instructions left by the Steward to assist you. Do you need more sweetener for your Tea?”

Jack lifted the spoon out with the sweetener packs that were floating around in the tea on the spoon. “You are supposed to open the packets and dump the sweetener in and not put the whole packet in.” Jack handed the cup to the bot. “Try again. I thought you down loaded a cook book?”

“Yes Admiral. It simply said add sweetener to desired tastes. Steward Terrel said you like 3 sweetener packs. I will take the packs out and open them.”

“No make me a new cup of tea. Throw this mess out.”

C3PO turned and threw the cup across the bridge hitting the trash receptacle with the cup but the contents of the cup flew all over the deck. Looking down at the mess of tea, tea bag and sweetener packets scattered across the deck. “Throwing tea out is messy. I will call cleaning bots immediately and get you a new improved cup of tea Admiral.” The bot headed for the hatch.

The Tactical screen came up as he activated it and he was shocked to see DD’s suddenly coming fast out of the corridor finger of the Maze into the Basin. “What the Fuck! Get me the damn DD’s on the Comm.”

Jack watched the DD’s start arching around toward the Battleships that had come out of the next Corridor as they streaked past the hulks now spewing lifeboats that were being targeted as well.

“By your Command Admiral Turner.” Came the mechanical voice in Jack’s left ear. The side Chump was on.

Jerking around to his left Jack saw Chump stepping up to the Comm console and start tapping the screen and then stop as he turned around to face Jack. “I cannot activate any outgoing transmissions Admiral Turner. The ship is under Silent Running Blackout conditions.”

“Well then override them.”

“I cannot override the bridges Orders Admiral Turner.”

“Damn it! I am the one that gave those orders. Now get me a Comm to those damn DD’s.”

Chump stared back at Jack without moving. “That would not be advisable Admiral Turner, as it would give our position away to the Enemy. The ship and you are depending on stealth to stay alive at this time.” Chump headed for the stern of the bridge. “I will get you your improved cup of tea Admiral.”

Jack hit is chair’s Comm to the bridge. “Captain Clancy, I need a Comm to those damn DD’s now. The fools are going up against Battleships with only 8 inch guns that have not even been upgraded damn it.”

“Sorry Admiral but we have no outside laser Comm’s left. The hull has been blasted clean of even most of our smaller Point Defenses.”

“What the hell. Then fix them and get me a Comm.”

“Very well Admiral but we are looking at an hour at least and the battle will be over by then. You sure you want to risk the lives of everyone on this ship if they spot us working on the hull?”

“Damn you. Half the ship’s crew is on those DD’s.”

“Yes they are Admiral and you trained them well. They know how to attack battleships.”

“Not with the weapons they have on those DD’s. They should not even be in sight of a fucking Battleship let alone attaching a whole fricking fleet of them. Now get me those Comms up as soon as possible.”

“We can fire a Message Torpedo to transmit the orders when it gets well away from the ship.”

“Well then do it but I still want those damn Comms back up as soon as possible.” Jack recorded orders for the DD’s to get the hell out of there.

Jack watched the Battleships start firing at the DD’s as they arched around to come at the fleet from the sides. Within the first minute Jack saw the first of them take a hit and stagger around for a few seconds and then continue to Jack’s disbelief, though it was much slower than the rest. Its more vigorous maneuvering seaming to save it from further hits as it fell behind the other DD’s. It took another 3 minutes with the DD’s much closer to the enemy battle fleet before the Tactical screen showed a Stealth Message Torpedo streak away from the ship. Another DD took a hit and this time stop maneuvering. The now drifting DD was quickly hit several more times until it blew up and the DD’s had yet to fire a single shot at the Congressional fleet. Then Captain Clancy’s voice came over Jacks Comm. “Message Torpedo Ejected and running true Admiral. I included a Sit-rep and logs for New Home. After it transmits your orders it will head up the Maze.”

“Very well Captain. How long before the torpedo broadcasts its messages to the DDs?”

“Three minutes Admiral. It will be next to the squadron ahead of us and should prove interesting as the fleet has stopped firing at the squadron of hulks.”

“It will have to do. See what you can do to veer us away from the Squadron using the forward plasma jets or divergent thrust from the stern but don’t be too obvious about it.”

“Already doing that Admiral. We will miss them by a good hundred miles already with a slightly more direct line to the cloud. And Admiral, Lieutenant Winslow says that it would be faster to hook up the X-Comm and the X-sensors back in the Flagg Bridge than having to finish with the new installation on the Ship’s Bridge.”

“Have Winslow finish preparing the console for the X-comm to get it going there and have the Lieutenant bring the sensor equipment back out here to plug in. Thank you Captain. Out.”

Jack watched another DD that was hit stagger away from the others only to be targeted by hundreds of beams until it exploded. The Torpedo transmitted its message and then after a couple of minutes, hundreds of 24 inch beams suddenly started pummeling the enemy hulks the Red Pepper had been headed toward. The number of beams increased until what looked like half the fleet was firing at the squadron of hulks. What was left simply fell apart into smaller and smaller chunks as the life boats that looked like they would escape back to the Station were taken out by the approaching fighters.

Jack watched in sudden anxiety hoping they would not start targeting the Red Pepper simply because it was there or see the damn repairs he had ordered on the hull.

Then the DD’s turned into the enemy fleet instead of away from it and started firing their 8 inch guns into the sides of the Battleships bringing up the rear of the fleet. The last 6 battleships taking the brunt of half a hundred DD’s firing 16, 8inch shots a second from each of the Destroyers. The DD’s unenhanced 5 inch guns of little use against Battleships. The 6 targeted battleships quickly stopped firing and started slowing to fall behind the fleet as their turrets and engines were knocked out on the side of the attack. Two of them exploded into balls of fusion destruction. The fire of half the DD’s suddenly changed to other Battleships randomly farther up the fleet with seeming no coordination between them while half continued to target the original BB’s.

Another of the original 6 targeted battleships exploded as an 8 inch round finally penetrated to one of the fusion power cores.

Another core went up a few seconds later before the squadron zipped through the survivors. The 20 feet of armor along the leading edge designed to protect the DD’s crews from 16 inch guns also protecting them from the radiation of fusion explosions as long as they were outside the fireballs. The DD’s with the dozen practiced Commanders from the Red Pepper that had stayed in the Squadron whipped around to fly backwards to fire at the back sides of the new targeted BB’s as they streaked away jerking from side to side to avoid the defensive fire.

Another Battleship exploded.

Jack kind of noticed the dozen DD’s that stayed in a coordinated pack but what he saw was the majority of the DD’s taking off on their own strafing runs against individual Battleships and then streaking away at full throttle to put distance between them before turning around and attacking a different Battleship at random from a different direction. Exposing their less armored ass to enemy fire even if they were wildly maneuvering. No coordination or attack plan other than shoot at the damn Battleships. The independent DD’s were taking out a lot of turrets and engines but doing little other damage to the fleet of Battleships even though a couple did fusion into fireballs more from luck than intent.

Jack’s orders to disengage from the battle was transmitted but was ignored as the DD’s continued to attack.

DD’s started blowing up or tumbling away dead while battleships continued to drop out of formation or explode. Almost at an equal rate. Only there were a lot more Battleships than Destroyers. Then the fighters started returning from destroying life boats and started attacking both DD’s while ignoring the lifeboats that were ejected by both the tumbling battleships and the DD’s. Though many were hit by 5 inch guns or random fire by 24 inch shells. Though now that the DD’s packed with point defenses that had no other targets, concentrated on the fighters that started dying by the dozens for each lifeboat destroyed. But Jack new that there was a critical ratio of attacking DD’s and defending fighters and Battleships that once the number of DDs to Battleships dropped below the critical point, the attack runs on the closely bunched up fleet would be suicide.

Then the Comm’s were fixed and Jack transmitted orders again for the DD’s to get the hell out of there. Only now the enemy had a fix on the Red Pepper. Half of the Battleships started concentrating their 24 inch guns on the Red Pepper instead of the DD’s attacking them and within minutes the Red Pepper started receiving hits as a thousand beams streaked toward the ship. The long range and the crystal coated shell the ex-slaves had covered the hull of the Red Pepper reflecting 99.9% of the beams energy hitting the ship, the only reason the Red Pepper was not destroyed in the first few minutes.

The Captain turned the Red Pepper to point at the enemy fleet in the distance as he killed the plasma that was now serving as a targeting beacon. The Enemy fire hitting the Red Pepper rapidly diminished without a beacon to target.

Jack continued to watch as the Destroyers kept going after the Battleships. The fleet no longer going after the thousands of life boats while half their 24 inch guns continued to shoot at a hulk that simply transmitted a message that had identified itself as the Red Pepper and an Admiral Turner (the Congressional fleet wanted dead,) as he ordered the DD’s yet again to break off their attack and retreat. Ignoring the fact that the DD’s were their real menace as Battleships continued to die at an increasing rate that still favored the Battleships. And then in desperation Jack ordered all the DD’s to mass with the original squadron that had continued to take out Battleships but again he noticed no difference in the wildly maneuvering DD’s.

Jack watched in horror as the DD’s dwindled in numbers even though the fire from the battleships hitting the Red Pepper greatly diminished over the next 30 minutes. The Red Pepper’s hull taking thousands of hits during that time eviscerating the bow of the ship with some beams penetrating as far back as the upper tank deck. The protective Crystal coating started to wear thin allowing beams to slice narrow slashes down the hull. The whole time Jack watched from the Flying Flag Bridge where he was only one simple direct hit from being killed.

Jack locking the hatch to keep from being dragged off after walking the Lieutenant with the Sensor modules off the bridge shortly after she arrived. Going back ignoring the storm of laser streaks surrounding and hitting the Red Pepper while he watched with his own eyes as DD’s died across the bay bringing tears of helplessness running down his cheeks as he sat strapped into the Command chair and the Flag Bridge around him was blown away and reduced to scrap. The 24 inch tightly packed beams somehow missing his command chair.

Finally with none of the lone Destroyers left in the battle with thousands of lifeboats headed for the cloud and not the Station and the wildly maneuvering DD squadron moving too fast to count, the Red Pepper slid into the cloud. Leaving most of the passive sensors blind except for registering the energy from the laser hits of both 24 and 8 inch guns that were identifiable by their size as to whether they were from a Battleship or Destroyer. Jack’s eyes still giving him a much better feel for the battle than what the ship could give him in the small screens attached to his Command chair on a Flag bridge that was no longer there. He could see the engine exhaust from thousands of Lifeboats as well as the Battleships and DD’s and knew that as soon as all the DD’s were destroyed, the fleet would eventually take out the thousands of lifeboats trying to escape.

And then suddenly he saw the engine exhaust trails from hundreds of new fighters entering the fight and knew it was all over but the dying as the cloud grew thick enough to cut out his sight of even the engines of the Battleships. Leaving only explosions to tell him how the battle was going.

The size of the fusion explosions penetrating the cloud only giving a clue as to whether a Battleship or Destroyer had died most of the time. With the big battleship explosions few and far between the many smaller detonations that had to be DD’s or lifeboats. He did not notice bright blueish white beams that joined the fight as unlike the hundreds of yellowish white beams, few of the blueish white beams went beyond the ships they hit.

Jack stared out of what was left of the Flag Bridge with most of the cooling/landing fin destroyed around him. Even his cabin with its battleship models and the conference compartment only 50 feet away completely destroyed and open to space. Except for a few of the flush turrets with most of their gun barrels sliced off short and a few sections of container rails along the stern, the jagged sections of the blasted Flag Bridge was the only thing left standing on the outside of the hull of the entire ship.

Then as the Red Pepper penetrated deeper and deeper into the cloud there were three rapid fusion explosions from what he hoped were battleships and then nothing. Making it obvious to Jack that all the DD’s had been destroyed.

Jack stared out through the jagged holes in the ports around the destroyed Flag Bridge at the battlespace far to the side of the Red Pepper with tears running down his cheeks as he fought the knotted muscles in his neck and chest to breathe. Half the Red Peppers crew whom he had gotten to know quite well over the last 8 months and had looked up to him to keep them safe, were now dead and tens of thousands of crewmen he had tried to save were dead alongside them all because he could not accept the reality of War.

That his innocent crewmen died simply because of where they happened to be located. Trying to run a battle as well as a War to keep from killing innocent people or even crews had just cost even more casualties on both sides and may even have cost humans the war with the God Spider Battleships. In way too many cases, recorded history had shown that not attacking with overwhelming force and the best available weapons and tactics when the opportunity presented itself, had lost many battles and wars that could have been won. In this case by turning the only ship that stood a chance of defeating a Spider Battleship into a hulk trying to save a few lives that died anyway, Jack knew his stupidity had lost humanity the war against the spiders. He had witnessed the death of the Red Pepper and the Republic Fleet and the eventual enslavement of humanity. It was all his fault and somehow his body had survived though his mind hadn’t.

Eventually Damage control parties had reached the Flag Bridge with Jack still strapped in his Command Chair and Chump standing behind and to one side waiting to for orders. Jack was gently lifted out of his Command Chair and off of what was little better than a jagged skeleton of a few bulkhead sections, a deck and clear panels sticking up some 50 feet above the hull forming a pedestal that amounted to a half dozen girders that was all that remained of the fin. Inside the ship his helmet was retracted back into his collar and a familiar face stared down into his tear filled staring eyes as something was injected into his suit’s injection port and blackness took Jack. Though he had stopped seeing long before.

Chapter 32; Total Defeat

We are now well on the way of having an additional 54 new upgraded DD’s with a single Ion Battleship engine for propulsion with 4, 24/16 inch guns slung under their wings and 8, 8/6 inch gun turrets still with the lower 8 inch turret moved to the outer wing replacing one of the lower 5 inch turrets with that 5 inch turret moved out to the wing tip in one of the old mass tanks with a couple of 5 inch turrets from the battleships. They should be joining the DD fleet in a few weeks. All with crystal linings and double the power. More will be joining the fleet as they are salvaged and rebuilt at New Home.”

Jack felt something on his lips as his body was hugged but it felt so far away, so distant. Like it was not his body. “Which we will be arriving at in two days. The TF-58 Battletransports that are missing most of their forward weapons and personnel decks, arrived at New Home days ago and have already started refitting into your upgraded Battletransports with new cargo bows and the extended container rails and half their engines are going to the DD’s. The Rest of TF-58’s Battleships will be arriving at the Station today where they will lose most of their guns and half their engines as well as they are converted to Battletransports. All the captured Battleships from the Maze battle are stretched out around the Red Pepper as we make our slow way to New Home. They are refusing to leave our escort. But the engineers are well on the way to designing their conversions into Battletransports. You are going to have to get your butt out of bed to see the new design and decide if there are any changes you want to make besides using the extra armor to add wider decks and lengthening the ships to handle more cargo. They are also arguing about turning the command ships into carriers instead of cargo Transports. With most of TF-58 already there and all the Construction bots already shipped to New Home working full time, everything should be ready to go after the food stores at Q-19 in a month or less.”

Then Jack could hear the Lieutenant talking to a nurse but paid no attention to it. He could barely comprehend what the Lieutenant had already said even though something inside of him had made him listen to her even if it did not make sense at first. All he could remember or think of were all the lives he had ended with his stupidity. The crewmen he had killed along with the Red Pepper. Of the failure his Destroyers had turned out to be. Of failing the human race and condemning the few human survivors to slavery as well as the exslaves to death when they were captured again.

Then the lieutenant turned back to Jack placing her had on his chest and head as she smoothed back his hair. And then her lips touched his again and a spark jumped between her lips and his forcing her to let out a little squeal. “Damn Babe. That is the second time that has happened since I got here today. Though it was not as bad as the shock I got a few minutes ago when I first came in. Now that was a big surprise. I wonder if one of your monitors have a short circuit or something? Though if that was the case you should be shocking my hands as well and not just my lips. You getting allergic to me or something?”

The shock of her touching lips getting his attention again even though he had already retreated back deep down into himself while she had turned away for a few second. The shock forcing him to listen whether he wanted to hear or not. “We expect to be ready to assault Victory Station at Q-19 in about a month which I know was not your plan so we need you to wake up. You remember Victory Station don’t you? Q-19, the primary Supply Transfer and Storage station for all cargo coming into the Cloud at the North end. About as far away from where everyone thinks The Rock is as you can get. It is also the closest entry to the Cloud from Earth. We spent enough time there when we were on the Red Dwarf. Or at least I did. I don’t know about you since I did not even know you were on the damn ship back then but knowing you, you spent most of your time on the ship. Anyway they have damn near half a hundred old Battleships and hundreds of Transports and the last thing we need to be doing is starting a battle there. So wake up already.” She shook him a little rubbing his chest. “Though with all the new up armed Battleships if he gets his way about not making them into Battletransports and well over a hundred DD’s so fare, Admiral Spencer is all ready to go in shooting so you best get your ass up out of that bed before we really do lose half the fleet.”

Jack recognized the distant voice as the Lieutenant’s but it was so far away, so distant. ‘But they only had a couple of squadrons of DD’s before the slaughter. Not… Oh yes, we had just picked up some 100 DD’s at the… No… they all had been destroyed along with half the Red Peppers crew because he had fucked up trying to save those that were already dead… and tens of thousands of crewmen he had tried to rescue had been killed as well trying to defect. Caught trapped in lifeboats and slaughtered. All because of him. All while losing the only God Guns the Republic had along with getting the Red Dwarf turned into a hulk. He had doomed the human race to slavery with his stupidity.’ Jack started slipping away again. Falling into an endless pit.

Her touch on his chest gently shaking him again got his subconscious attention. “Anyway, the crewmen you assigned to the DD’s we took out from under the noses of The Rock’s Staging Station at the Maze are refusing to return to the Red Pepper or give up their DD’s unless you order them to which is slowing repairs on the Red Pepper. Captain Clancy is pissed but the Admiral won’t overrule your orders. Saying that the Red Pepper will be repaired when it reaches New Home and that the DD crews need the training. I can’t believe we only lost a dozen DD’s in that mess and none of the Red Pepper’s crewmen you put in Command. Thank god you designed some tough little ships. We were able to recover and salvage most of the ones that were hit and their crews. You should see them training now. Captain Custer or actually Commodore Custer since he was a Commodore or Rear Admiral when you rescued him from a Spider Battleship, is training their butts off 16 hours a day drilling and attacking everything that moves. He has already canned a dozen Captains that did not shape up to his satisfaction.”

‘What? The Red Pepper’s crew he assigned to the DD’s are still alive? How the hell… He watched them all die. Proving that his belief that the DD’s could take on Battleships was fucking wrong. He was a failure. Yes… he watched them die didn’t he? Most of them right? Come to think of it… There was a group that stayed together as a squadron the way he had trained them while the rest ran around with their heads cut off getting themselves killed. Did that really happen? No. come to think of it that squadron did seem to be growing bigger as time went. No two squadrons. Now he remembered seeing two groups of DD’s toward the end making coordinated attacks. Could that be why he saw fewer and fewer DD’s running around by themselves as they joined back up with the squadron instead of being destroyed? Did the experience of watching the other lone DD’s die kick some sense into their heads? It is hard to tell how large a rapidly moving mass of anything is with simple glances. No! He saw so many DD’s getting hit and blowing up. Most of the DDs must have been destroyed.’ Sadness started to overwhelm him at the loss of so many good crewmen for no good reason. Because of his stupidity.

Then another spark leaped between his lips and the lieutenants and he realized that some of the smaller fusion explosions could have been cooling Battleship cores after they had been scrammed and jettisoned and not the small DD cores. Then the thought of Commodore Custer doing exactly what he had hoped and taking over Command of all the DD’s and forging them into a fighting force made Jack’s spirits rise. Custer had refused to relieve Jack when he had been rescued but that explained why the lieutenant was saying most of the DD’s survived. Including the DD’s he saw show up just before he lost sight of the battle as the Red Pepper’s hulk disappeared into the cloud.

The Lieutenant continued. “MMM. I am starting to like that little shock each time I kiss you.” Jack got another hug. “After our other DD’s including the reinforcements from New Home including a couple thousand fighters and bombers from the Battletransports and Bulk prison ship turned into a Bomber Carrier arrived down from the head and joined the battle it was all over. Custer took over command of them all and was responsible for destroying, putting out of commission or severely damaging the majority of the Battleships and the Carriers before the fleet made it to the station. Though after they stopped killing lifeboats the Commander stopped the attack and let them go. We even captured a couple of the damn Carriers that had stayed to fare up the corridor far from the battle. What is amazing is that while most of the surviving Congressional ships reached the Station, most of their crews abandoned the Battleships in lifeboats after the Commodore made it clear that he would destroy any ship that fired on them. Though that took destroying three Battleships in a matter of a seconds that fired on the lifeboats the Congressional Battleships were ejecting before the rest took him serious. We even have tens of thousands from the Station and their families. Our Battletransport and Marine Assault Transports docked with the Station and took them off right under the noses of the Congressional Battleships. You would not believe how packed most of the Battletransports were when they finely left the Station even using the damn cargo container rails you added to their hulls grabbing salvaged containers from the destroyed transports along with most of their surviving crews. They also managed to grab some 20,000 tons of food (though that won’t last long with half a million mouths to feed), along with a couple million tons of supplies and equipment from the Station itself over several days. Admiral Custer pulling them out from the Station and the Entrance Bay back into the Maze just as reinforcements from The Rock started showing up.”

The Lieutenant chuckled. “All while the 30 odd surviving Congressional Battleships looked on from the main entry corridor to The Rock where they had retreated when we took the Station. Oh and get this. They stripped The Rock of everything that could fight. Most of the reinforcements that showed up were Republic crewed old Fleet Battleships that refused to chase us into the Maze and hundreds of DD’s that follow us into the Maze and promptly joined our little fleet. Then the Republic Battleships refused to send new crewmen over to the Congressional Battleships unless they replaced the Congressional Captain and Officers. Most of the Congressional ships are still sitting dead in the Bay with the Officers trying to figure out how to repair them with most of their crews including the bots gone.”

The Lieutenant kissed Jack’s cheek dragging what his subconscious had heard out for him to look at. “You using the Red Pepper to delay the enemy until the reinforcements you ordered could arrive and join the fight and win the Battle is the reason the damn Attack Fleet headed to destroy TF-58 was recalled to guard the wrecked Congressional Staging Station to The Rock as well as the few remaining Congressional Battleships there before our crews could finish taking the other Battleships around the station. But we got most of them so we have more battleships than we know what to do with right now.” Hugging Jack again. “No, after defeating the remnants of the Congressional fleet at the Staging Station. Admiral Spencer is not about to break the DD squadron up unless you order it. Even if it has grown a bit big and well past the size of a couple of Wings. You have to decide what we are going to do with the DD’s from The Rock. From what I am hearing, with all the repairs needed on all the Battleships we captured and all the work that is needed on the station as well as the city on the surface, no one but the DD crews wants to worry about upgrading the additional DD’s from The Rock right now. Hell they can’t even decide what needs done first so I am afraid nothing is getting done with the Factories being put back to making more factory cores instead of repair parts or construction materials. Hell everyone is off doing their own thing.”

The Lieutenant chuckled. “Anyway we are scheduled to meet the Admiral and the Black Dwarf in a week when they get to New Home. He has a repair dock reserved for the Red Pepper on the Black Dwarf. If Pan leaves him anything to repair. Though there is nothing they can do to replace the Godguns. So you better get your butt out of bed and quit lollygagging around. You have guns to replace, a station to raid to feed your starving crews and decisions to make about what to do with a couple hundred thousand new recruits from the Congressional fleet. Not to mention whether to keep expanding New Home or start branching out to other mining sights around the bubble. You are lucky you have not had to listen to that heated debate yet. Oh and don’t forget about old Ditzen at the Gama 13 Station. He is fit to be tied after Pan took most of his Station away from him. It seems what was left only needs a Captain to Command and not a full 2 star Vice Admiral.” She chuckled. “Though he should have realized that when you sent the signed Papers over to him to sign himself but he was in such a hurry he not only signed them but got plenty of witnesses before he sent them to The Rock. A real shame he had not felt like sticking his head off the Flag Decks before he took official Command. From what I hear we should have been there when he discovered he had taken command of little more than the Flag Decks, a few Troop Decks for guarding the hole in the bubble, a few shipping docks, a small mining complex and the Agriculture Bubble which is at full production supplying mostly the Ex-slave grains for what little bread we are getting and the gruel mush for the emergency life pills.”

Jack felt a hand pat his arm and then start rubbing his chest again as he felt someone breathing on his cheek then kiss his cheek. At least he thought it was his chest and cheek but it felt so far away. Like someone else’s body far, far away. He thought he should be upset about that but he wasn’t. Fact was, he was starting to feel or think better of himself at finding out that he had not murdered most of his crew and tens of thousands of others. But then he was not sure. How could that be possible after watching the carnage with his own eyes? He was just so tired.

“Pan has a bone to pick with you, after dumping over 100,000 half starved to death TF-58 crewmen in her lap and now you are showing up with an additional couple hundred thousand crewmen from the Battleships, Transports and Staging Station along with their families without warning. I still can’t believe the majority of the life boats made it out of that mess thanks to you opening the comms to the fleet in the middle of the battle getting the reinforcement Battleships attention and then the DD’s keeping the fighters busy while killing them and some of the battleships. Hell, even most of the life boats from the battleships the DD’s killed or damaged managed to make it to the cloud with our fighters and bombers running out into the Bay to grab them until Custer took command of the reinforcements and put a stop to the Battleships trying to slaughter the lifeboats once and for all. Oh and we did not lose as many crewmen on the DD Storage Station as we thought. Only about 100 crewmen and not a thousand, though the thousands of enemy crewmen that were left on the station died. It is still a shame but we didn’t kill them. Hell the Congressional fleet or what was left of it was even killing their own lifeboats headed for the Maze Staging Station the damn fools. Their own crews. That is until Commodore Custer put a stop to it as well.” The Lieutenant said disgustedly. “We even managed to grab most of the cargo tanks with DD repair parts in them that had been blasted away from the Station when its core went up. Evidentially it had already scrammed when it was hit and the explosion had not been as big as it looked. Even most of the DD’s left behind survived with the ones with crews that had stayed behind refusing to abandon them, able to make it to the life boat beacon using the plasma we had loaded onto them before we started abandoning the station. Most receiving generators from the other DD’s until the Transport Bombers arrived with good initiator coils and started lighting off the cores of the DD’s.”

Taking a deep breath. “Well Pan is still threatening to wring your neck. Even with all the food we captured they are mashing everything up with energy pills added for short rations. At least what little each rations there are tastes good but even that won’t last long with a half a million crewmen to feed. You need to wake up love. The fleet needs you. Hell, I need you.”

The Lieutenant started rubbing Jack’s head and playing with his hair as she kissed his cheek again but the body felt so far away, so remote. As if he was outside of his body. Then a minute later with her sweat breath flowing across his cheek and into him with each breath as she laid with her head on his chest. “Admiral Halsey does not want to make any definite plans for going to Q-19 Victory Basestation until he can talk to you which is not making Admiral Spencer happy but can you blame him, Task Force 58 has been starving for a lot longer than we have. Halsey says Spencer’s plan is to damn much like a raid into enemy territory and not a resupply mission. We need too much material even after all we took from the Staging Station and from what he has seen of all the equipment you have had constructed and added to the transports while organizing to pick up the supplies, he is not about to even try guessing at what your plans are except that it is not a raid. Though how you plan on getting everything out under the noses of the fleet stationed there without a major battle, is a mystery to everyone.”

Taking a deep breath, her voice seemed to chuckle as she went on. “Captain Clancy took one look at the list of equipment and said that you were planning on taking the whole damn station with its entire million crewmen and dependents. That got a laugh from everyone at the meeting except for Admiral Halsey on the screen. He said he wouldn’t be surprised if you pulled it off if that was your plan, as long as you have had to think about it and make the arrangements.” She ran her hand through his hair again. “You know love. You can be downright scary sometimes.”

Jack felt a spark shock his lips as she pressed hers against his and for the first time actually felt up close and part of himself to his surprise. Then the touch was gone with the sound of a flight helmet hitting the head board of the bed shaking it a little. “I need to go on patrol for few hours and then I will be back Love. Don’t go away or start flirting with the nurse or I will bean you when I get back. C3PO What the Frick… Oh I mean Chump, is here if you need anything. Just ask.” Jack felt a hug and another wet kiss on his lips that sent another spark washing through is body and he was suddenly there feeling his whole body and everything around him and she walked out of the cabin. Jack thought he could see her leave, no longer far away but incredibly real.

Even the damn bot looked suddenly huge as it walked from the corner to stand next to him on the other side of the bed and laid a warm but hard hand on his arm.

Jack tried to tell the Lieutenant not to go and reach for her but his body would not respond no matter how hard he tried. Chump started talking to him while he checked the bed and the equipment around Jack as the Lieutenant walked away. Turning to face the receding back of the Lieutenant as the door closed. “Admiral Turner’s vital signs have suddenly spiked for the better Lieutenant.” Though Jack could not remember later what he had said and then exhaustion overwhelmed him with the lieutenant leaving and his world faded away.

“Ok now, I brought a book along this time. The Lieutenant should be back in a couple of hours. Her mission got extended so I thought that I might as well as bore you until then.” The voice was much closer but it was not the Lieutenant but Winslow’s. “Thought you might like an old book from a long, long time ago. I find it really hilarious. Called Star Wars. You just lay back and relax and try not to bust a gut laughing. I dare you. Though the movie is a lot funnier with all the corny special effects.” He heard her sit next to him as she patted his arm.

She felt and sounded like she was right there. He was no longer far, far away and as her words droned on making comments about things in the book to both Jack and Chump… who kept asking for clarifications. Jack eventually faded away again.

Jack felt a kiss on his lips sending a spark through his body and then. “Hi love. Sorry I took so long but I had to check out a few anomalies during the patrol and got a bit farther away than I had planned. When you are going through uncharted space far from any passageways in this damn cloud, all kinds of things pop up. I found or should I say Winslow’s sensors found and I checked out another Rocky Comet world sitting all by itself out in the middle of nowhere. Well, it is only the size of a moon but in this thick soup, I had to get so close it looks huge. Even better it seems to register some rather rare elements buried in it not found in the cloud before this or The Rock. As close as it is to New Home it may turn out to be important from what I am told.”

Jack smiled as he took in a deep breath and let it out. Feeling his lungs for the first time in a long time. His mouth felt like a cross between a desert and a garbage dump. The light seemed so bright even with his eyes closed.

“Anyway the flight of God fighter’s caught up with us while I was out and I played with them for a while on the way back. It will be nice to get back into a decent fighter again. Not that the Republic fighters are all that bad, it’s just that they don’t have all the upgrades the others do. At least now with another fighter squadron here we can take the Republic fighters out of service and upgrade them so we don’t have to use these damn helmets and the anemic weapons on them is just disgusting after flying the God fighters in combat. Oh and yes a squadron of Transport Bombers showed up with the parts to upgrade the Republic fighters including weapons. You better wake up soon or the doctor will have one of the Transport Bomber’s take you back to New Home today ahead of the ship to see if they can do anything for you. Don’t worry I will fly it but you are needed here. So wake up lazy.” She hugged him again then squeezed his arm as she sat back in the chair next to the bed and got comfortable.

“Well if you insist.” Jack whispered as he opened his eyes trying to squint at her through the bright light and immediately had to yawn while shutting his eyes to keep the bright light out. He stretched his arms out shaking them for a few seconds as he tensed the muscles hard with his eyes closed then let his breath slowly out with a deep growl forcing his chest to work as the Lieutenant through herself into his outstretched arms laying a big kiss on his lips not waiting for him to close his mouth as she filled it while bear hugging him.

The Lieutenant finally, reluctantly sat back in the chair trying to regain her dignity as the Steward Terrell walked in.

“Well it is about time.” Terrell pointed at the screen on the bulkhead beside Jack’s bed with a bunch of wavy squiggly lines running across it. “We knew you were in there someplace by the bottom lines showing us you still had some thoughts buried deep down where the normal instruments can’t reach. From what the top lines that were flat up until the Lieutenant’s last visit were saying, we would have pulled your plug days ago and sent you to the morgue but I had confidence in you.” Smiling from ear to ear. “Something must have gotten through on the Lieutenants last visit because that is when your mind started fighting its way up through the bands. I bet that the Lieutenant would wake you when she got here. Thanks for making me a lot of money Lieutenant.” She smiled. “You are now my Doctoral Thesis Admiral, showing your mind activity increasing as the Lieutenant talked about specific details mostly dealing about you not being a total failure and your ships and crews were still alive. God, I can only imagine how it felt to watch a whole fleet you just liberated and crewed with friends die before your eyes. I watched the video and I still can’t believe so many survived.”

Smiling. “Anyway, get some breakfast and a little exercise and you are good to go. Now I have my medical license back, I am headed back for Sickbay to help someone that is really sick. Chump will be your steward until I am replaced.” Smiling at Jack as she listened to his heart and checked him over before slapping his leg. “You will have a head Shrinker visit you later after you have had time to collect your thoughts and figure out what they are. Just make sure you talk to him before you sleep again or you are likely to suffer PTSD for years. The first good sleep after a traumatic event is very important. And being in a coma does not count. If you don’t get a good perspective on the event before your mind implants them permanently during the first Deep sleep after the event, it could take years of psychotherapy and you still won’t totally get rid of the monsters.”

“It may be hard or impossible to rotate ground units out after a battle is over to have a talk with a shrink before their first good sleep but the Navy has no such excuse. You have a bracelet around your wrist that will keep you from sleeping again until you talk to the shrink and he takes it off. We can’t afford to lose a good Commander simply because he thinks he has ghosts chasing him or decides he can no longer order men into Combat.” She smiled at Jack. “It does not work 100% of the time but we know it works most of the time. The Shrink will start following you around in about 4 hours and won’t leave until you do spend an hour or two with him talking, so don’t put it off to long or he will have a couple of big ugly marines sit on you. Not a pretty sight Admiral. And yes we have the authority.” She smiled and left as the medical screen on the bulkhead beside his bed turned back to the port it was.

The Ports now showing a dozen ships around them and God fighters on patrol. The screens on the other sides of the room changing to show the view from the ship like he would have seen from his quarters on the Flying Bridge. The pockmarked and gouged hull and missing fins with the remnants of others still attached. A dozen destroyed turrets were in plain sight with the cargo rails that were packed with DD’s when he had looked out the port before the battle, were half destroyed with a DD latched onto one of the halfway intact cargo rails at the stern pushing the Red Pepper through the cloud with its scoop deployed up the side past the ship with a stream of compressed matter being sucked into the DD. Most of the cloud material streaming back through the scoop’s cone past the DD and out to plug the hole the scoop had made in the cloud. The tip of a fin peeked out back around the ships bare finless hull on the other side of his bedroom showing that another DD was attached there balancing out the thrust from the DD across from it.

“My God, look what I have done to this beautiful ship.” Looking forward to where the God Guns had been for months as proof to what he could do and now the empty space with the ragged bases sticking out from the hull. “I fucked up so bad. They should just have wheeled me to the morgue. How many crewmen did I kill on the Red Pepper Lieutenant?” His face turning sour again. “How many thousands of good crewmen died across that bay in all the life boats because of me?”

“Not one damn it. They all would have died anyway if you had just ran in and blew their fucking ships to hell. But you tried to save them and the fact that they died is not your fault but the Congressional Democratic Communists that think of themselves as elite Kings and interested more in demanding obedience than freedom or the lives of the people they are supposed to serve. No, that is not your fault Jack. It is theirs. There was no way you could have prevented their deaths and the fact is you did save almost a hundred thousand of their lives as well as a quarter million lives in Task Force 58 including the Black Dwarf and Admiral Spencer, by forcing the Congressional fleet to return back to the Maze and defend The Rocks Staging Station. We are now free to head for Q-19 and Victory Station without them on our asses. Something that would not have happened if you had simply went in and destroyed the Battleships and The Rock’s Staging Station like you could have done in minutes then left with the DD’s leaving no one the wiser even when the second fleet from The Rock got there. They would probably have been ordered to remain there while the other fleet continued on to find and destroy the Black Dwarf and maybe even have eventually found New Home. You certainly would not have had time to go to Q-19 the way we are now planning while you hunted down that damn fleet and tried to save the Black Dwarf its crew and Admiral Spencer. Fact is everyone is calling it a great victory which it is.” The lieutenant smiled. “Even the damn Congressional Admirals. Though they are trying to claim responsibility.”

Stepping to his locker the Lieutenant frowned. “The Congressional Admirals are saying that a Spider fleet managed to sneak into the Maze using captured Republic ships from the Second Fringe battle but that they have defeated the enemy and are now scouring the maze for enemy stragglers. So far they have managed to destroy several more of their own ships and kill thousands in the Maze before we could get to them. You will not believe this but with the help of our new sensors, we have gotten at least another 30 battleships the last time I heard, that were lost in the maze to surrender with most of their crews volunteering to join us.” Admiral Halsey figures it will take 6 months before they try venturing out again when another couple hundred Battleships are ready at The Rock. That is if the Colonies allow it. The Congressional Democrat Fleet Admirals are starting to trench in, isolating themselves from the rest of The Rock until Earth can send reinforcements. But Halsey says he is going to make it hard for them to ever leave Earth let alone reach The Rock since he controls all military shipping around Republic now. The Congressional Earth Admirals are not quite as powerfull as they were.”

Taking a deep breath as she kind of smiled. “Halsey is hoping that by then the Colony systems of the Republic will be able to send Officers and crews. They are already demanding that the Bootships be deployed again. Though Earth’s Congressionals are fighting it with procedural blocks but after losing another fleet to the spiders attack on The Cloud and all the video of them shooting lifeboats and what you recorded about the Democrats plans racing over the internet. The Colonies are not in the mood to listen anymore. Especially after the recordings of Earths Congressional Democrat Admirals talking about bombing the Colony planets to force them to accept Earth’s Democratic Communism, making the rounds on the Colonies Web, Earth can’t control. The locations of Reeducation Camps that were already being built complete with crematoriums for burning corpses on all the closer Colonies have been found and are in the process of being turned into recruit training Camps until the Boot Ships get redeployed.”

“The supposed Spider attack on The Cloud has driven home to the Colonies how desperate the War actually is. Using the Reeducation Camps to train recruits now should speed things up when the Boot ships finely get back out. Turning the Boot ships into Class A and B schools which actually works better in my mind. Some of the Colonies are even talking about starting their own Boot ships made from old tankers and bulk carriers as well as old mining sights on moons in the many systems so they don’t have to wait for the Congress to authorize redeploying the Boot Ships. Though there is no way to make up for all the time that has been lost training Republic crews. It will take a year before the new colony recruits are adequately trained to crew ships.” Taking a deep breath. “At least we have plenty of crewmen to man all the ships we now have.”

Jack shook his head as he looked at her. “Sorry Hun. But most of our ships before the battle barely had enough for a full crew. With all the new captured ships we will be lucky to put a skeleton crew on most with some simply left at the docks if we need enough crewmen to send ships into combat.”

Giving Jack a strange look. “Come on. We have just picked up a half million new crewmen.”

“No we haven’t. Task Force 58 crews will take 6 months of closely watched recovery time with a constant good diet to regain enough strength just to do their jobs as long as they don’t need to get very physical. Most of the crewmen from the Captured ships still need at least 6 months of boot training with some taking as long as a year. The only thing most of them are good for is construction or yard work though we have plenty of that. Even crewmen trained by The Game need at least three months of Boot training before they can be relied upon to act properly in an emergency or combat.”

“But they can be trained and TF-58’s crews will get stronger.” The Lieutenant fluffed Jacks hair again kissing his cheek. “Thank Godstar things are not as bad as Earth and the Colonies think they are. We are actually doing pretty well thanks to you. The Admiral says that you are getting another medal whether you want it or not.” She tossed a washcloth and towel at Jack then stuffed his underwear under her arm and stepped to his closet.” Now get in the shower so we can get some lunch. The Admiral wants to see you about getting us some damn food and supplies before we starve to death or the DD’s break down from lack of repair parts that were not in the tanks we salvaged at the DD station.”

Taking a deep breath as she dragged out his uniform. “Oh by the way. The Rock has now officially spotted a total of 100 Spider Battleships circling around The Cloud toward the Earth side and Q-19. Though Winslow and Truitt say they are off by a good number. Their count is closer to 200.” Slapping his bare butt to head toward the shower. “Oh and by the way. Winslow has spotted a God or Spider ship scout joining the God Fleet that she thinks had to have come from the Earth side of The Cloud. She thinks that not only are there other scouts around that end of The Cloud but that the God Fleet will head straight for the stream of supply ships entering and leaving the Cloud at Q-19. It will take another week to confirm it but I think she is right.”

Shaking his head realizing that the nightmare was not over after all, Jack thought about going back to bed with the hope the news would be better once he woke up again as he looked out the port in the direction of the menacing God Fleet just as a bunch of fighters started rolling and looping with half of the ships in sight joining in bigger versions around the Red Pepper with their running and search lights flashing. Then the fighters and ships across the squadron started sending streaks from their guns out into the Cloud. He did not realize that the beams were the light green of low training power at first. “What the hell is going on out there?” Jack said baffled as he started to worry. “The fleet under attack again?”

The Lieutenant turned and looked for a few seconds and smiled. “Well Admiral. This ship and the whole squadron was not doing too well with you laid up comatose and unsure if you were alive or brain dead. The word was around that a beam had hit the Flag Bridge puncturing your suit, that you may be brain dead from lack of oxygen. With what little is left of the Flag Bridge sticking out on the hull for everyone to see, it is easy to think that and hard to believe you survived. It looks like the word is starting to get around that you are up and moving again and they are celebrating.” You have hundreds of crewmen, possibly half the off duty crew lining the passageways around these quarters and the Flag Deck here in the core. More every day as ships send representatives over, waiting to see if you were going to pull through.”

Giving him another hard hug as Chump walked in the cabin behind her with a tray of unopened food packs still frozen on plates with silverware alongside each. A rapidly boiling cup of water on one corner of the tray spewing steam and scalding water over everything including the teabag and sweetener packets next to it.

“You are going to need to take a walk around the ship as soon as you get a bight to eat just to prove to the crew you are still alive. Besides I know you are going to need to visit every space we lost a crewman in to see what can be done to make sure it doesn’t happen again. So does the crew. Doing that now instead of 3 in the morning when you think no one will notice, will allow the crew to go ahead and start repairs that are waiting for your inspection. Inspite of orders to the contrary.” Taking a deep breath and hugging Jack again. The fact that he had taken the walks at 3 in the morning because he could not sleep had escaped her.

Chump sat the tray down on the side table and set two places with china plates, salad plates, soup bowls, finger bowls and bright silver wear, 2 forks, 2 spoons a steak knife and a butter knife all neatly and perfectly arranged with cloth napkins. Then plopped the frozen ration blocks on the big plates with a nutrition pill in the soup bowls. The rapidly boiling cups of water soaking everything around it including the tea bags and sweetener packs that had been cut open and dumped on the saucer next to each cup as the heated plates started melting the frozen food blocks. “Breakfast is served Admiral Turner.” Taking a step to the side and standing there strait as a board with one arm across his chest with a towel draped across his forearm. If a Bot could be prideful, Chump was the recruiting poster as he kept adding boiling water keeping the cups filled to the rim as water kept boiling out. Though with the show going on Jack was not interested in eating. Chump contacted the bridge. “The Admiral is watching the ships maneuvering around the Red Pepper and not eating his breakfast. Please tell the ships circling the Red Dwarf that they need to stop distracting the Admiral.”

The word quickly spread through the fleet and the ships and boats and they all did just the opposite.

Jack stood in his hospital gown, his naked butt hanging out the back looking out the port at the Space Show that included hundreds of icons from ships stretching out hundreds of miles away hidden in the cloud. Still not quite believing that the Republic Fleet had not suffered total defeat. Wishing he was back on the Flag Bridge so he could see and count the number of ships stretched out around him without the need for the tactical sensors. Until he saw the ships himself, he would not totally believe they were still alive.

“Admiral, Lieutenant. Lunch is served.” Chump said just in case they had not noticed.

“Thank you Chump.” The Lieutenant smiled at Jack without even glancing at the table as she squeezed him as hard as she could. “Enjoy the show and the honors Jack. It’s all for you.”

The show kept growing as more and more ships arrived from the spread out fleet trying to make at least one close pass of the Red Pepper. One pass turned into two, then three as more ships joined the close escort. As word spread, the DD’s on patrol raced back or delayed leaving while more and more of the outlying Captured Battleships drifted in trying to see for themselves. Fighters and bombers and boats were launched as well making Space around the Red Pepper even more crowded. Hundreds of ships and thousands of fighter and bombers all firing their guns, joined the dance as Jack watched.

Tears streamed down Jack’s eyes as he stood ridged watching the show and cataloguing the damage on every ship as it passed, every laser gouge or blast hole and missing turret on their hulls, every gun that fired and those that didn’t as well as the color of the beams. For an hour his legs grew tired and his back sour with aching muscles but he continued to stand as he studied every ship, fighter, bomber, transport and boat that passed the Red Pepper close enough to see. He could not believe the hundreds of DD’s streaming past the screen. His smile and confidence growing with each ship that joined the show.

The Tea cups splashing scalding drops of water continued to soak the thawing breakfast, colored water slowly running across the table and dripping down onto the deck from the tea bags and soggy sweetener packs. The proud Chump standing strait as a statue until he finally looked down at the growing mess after refilling the tea cups yet again. “Breakfast is very messy.”

The END of Book 2.

Book 3 will be out soon.