A Living Lunacy Novella
Raid!
"Report!" directed The Jackal.
"The Emstar escort was destroyed in the first few minutes. The Cabernet fleet scattered and ran. No Commonwealth ships were present," reported her brother Castor in a matter of fact tone.
Castor was the captain of the Anubus, The Jackal's flagship.
"Sixteen prizes including six fat juicy Emstar freighter carrying arms for the Cabernetians." said Pollux in a joyful tone. "What we can't use ourselves should fetch a pretty price on the Cretan spot market."
Pollux was his sister's chief of staff.
Both the brothers were identical identified only by the fact that one wore a red coverall and the other a blue one.
The Jackal looked thoughtful. "Our intelligence indicated the Commonwealth had sent fleet units to help the convoys. I wonder where they are."
"I have picket ships posted to look for any re-enforcements." Stated Pollux.
The Jackal nodded.
"Put me through to the flotilla." She ordered.
Seven images appeared on her screen.
"Comrades We need to wrap things up and get out. Each of you decide what to keep and then destroy anything else."
(See a map of the area of space where the action takes place here .)
She looked at one the sub screens. "Greyeye are the Cabernetian orbital forts still firing?"
The man was blonde and dressed in the uniform of a black Forest naval officer.
"They continue to fire but don't hit anything. Unfortunately their armor is too good for the ?Giants?guns to penetrate."
"Might I suggest then that you cease fire and move off to put prize crews on some ships?" she suggested in an overly polite tone.
She has reason to be careful; Greyeye was Bruce Banner a Black Forest noble who had attached himself to the flotilla. His ship was by far the biggest and best in her flotilla.
The man was prickly and insisted he was an ally and not under her command.
Moreover their families were hereditary enemies.
"Let your captains choose and take the prizes." Said Greyeye. "Those that are left we will destroy."
The Jackal nodded. "Fair enough. Okay lets move to implement the plan."
+++
"Commander" came the voice of his first officer Jennifer Trout (known fondly as Jenny to most of the crew). "I have long distance reports that indicate a pirate raid in progress right in Cabernet?s major orbital port. Our sensors indicate seven ships of unknown size. They indicate Cabernet?s forts are firing at the ships."
"Thank you Jenny,? said Commander RKO Smith of the Commonwealth?s navy in his crisp clipped diction. "I'll be up in a minute"
He finished his sonic shower and donned a pressure suit. He put on his command beret and was out the door.
He decided not to take the elevator cars.
He climbed a ladder and entered the ships core passage way. The centrifugal gravity was absent here and so he was able to move a high speed using the rungs of later to pull him along. When he reached his exit He flipped over and use the same rungs to slow to a stop.
He entered the command center without any fuss. The Commonwealth navy was very informal and no one came to attention or saluted in it.
He went to the Command chair and strapped in. He noticed the others had already done so. All had put on pressure suits.
"We are rigged to end spin and take a high gravity burn." said Jenny.
That was one of the reasons why everyone liked her. She anticipated.
"Thank you." said RKO.
"I have some more detail available. You'll find the file highlighted on your red pad."
RKO typed into the touchpad and called up the information.
There were eight military ships. One was radiating and clearly was damaged.
Six of the others were seven point raider craft. . The seventh-probably the flagship was a 14 point?heavy cruiser.
"Jenny, any guess as to why a heavy cruiser is mixed with that rag tag pirate fleet?"
She shook her head. "As you can see it is a modern craft of military grade. Perhaps a Hun raider."
RKO had seen enough. "Stand by to end spin. All hands rig for zero gravity. We will burn in three minutes." He announced over the ships internal communications. The signal went direct to each member so that no matter where they were or what the noise level they would hear.
He checked the plasma level at 140%. another anticipation by Jenny.
After spin had been shed RKO turned to his maneuver and shift officer.
"Don Carlos line us up to arrive in shooting distance. Activate the shift generator at your own discretion once we reach sufficient speed."
"Yes, Captain" said Don Carlos.
"On my mark," RKO warned the crew.
An automated countdown began.
"Burn!"
Erupting from the ship there was a plasma blast that would have leveled a 20th century city in seconds. The ship accelerated punching the crew back into there seats at 11 gravities. The ship increased it momentum by a factor of ten in a matter of minutes."
"We will Jump." announced Dom Carlos in a breathless voice.
The engines stopped and then the stars disappeared.
+++
"Plasma stream." reported Pollux. "Incoming enemy forces estimated time of arrival seven minutes."
"What size is our foe.' asked The Jackal.
"From the size of plume she must a 20 point. It is probably a Commonwealth navy ship of the Robinete (French Rooster) class."
"We need a distraction." she told the flotilla's captains."
She knew who would volunteer.
"I will take the Logan under Captain Dartanian and engage them." Said Greyeye. "They?d make mincemeat of any of the other ships.
In the sub screen Dartanaian could be seen nodding.
It was as she expected. Greyeye and his mercenary hireling could be relied on to want battle. She didn't want battle she wanted prizes.
"Very well Lord Greyeye. We will meet you back at the meet point."
"Okay let's get out of here!" she told her ships.
The 14 point and the smaller 10 point peeled away from the fleet and took a burn.
+++
Entering real space" Don Carlos told them.
The ship was at battle stations with its six 18mM laser guns ready for action. The guns were on three turret of two guns each..
"Incoming war craft!" warned Jenny seconds after they emerged.
RKO scanned the sensors. The 14 point and a 10 point. Both in good shape and only seconds away from contact.
"Fire at will" he ordered. "Take the smaller one first."
He ran the turret under his command to align with the ten point and opened fire.
?Twelve Incoming missiles!" said Jenny activating the 40 anti-missile guns. Jenny worked the guns in rapid fire.
?All missiles destroyed? she announced
The ten point shifted on him. He should have anticipated that. The 14 point suddenly appeared of the right bow and fired four 12M guns into the Robiettes side.
The armor held but the force of the blast pushed the ship away form its course.
"Correcting" said Don Carlos.
Indeed the ship moved into a broadside position to the 14 point in record time.
The ten point appeared briefly right in front of them and fired it two 8M guns
All six 18M guns fired at the 10 point simultaneously and the smaller ship was badly hit. But then the 10 disappeared as it shifted
The Robinette took a broadside from the 14point knocking out its central turret
RKO checked damage and saw the central turret was out. He swung his own turret around and fired at the 14 point and saw a section of it s anti-missile guns destroyed.
Then the 14 point shifted a final time and was gone.
"Damn!" said Jenny. "Have I ever told you I hate fighting shifters!"
RKO chuckled. He did too but rarely as well trained as these two ships. Those were naval craft. He'd bet on it.
Jenny had reached the same conclusion. "Examined data indicates the larger ship is a Grant Class republic design."
"Shit! "said RKO. "A Black Forest naval unit. Central command must be told at once. Send a message torpedo with a record of the battle."
He checked the plasma level. Only 70%. No chase possible.
RKO felt like a failure.
Robinet set course for Cabernet port.
+++
He shouldn't have felt like a failure.
"Most of my guns are out of commission and I have three hull breaches, Lord Greyeye. They fired at us at point blank and with great accuracy." reported Dartanian.
"Set course for Crete to undertake repairs." ordered Greyeye. "I will pay for any of them."
Dartanian nodded. Then he disappeared from the screen and his ship from real space.
Greyeye?s own ship was damaged as well. What RKO had not said was that the ?Giant? had one of its maneuver engines knocked out. Like Dartanian's ship it would need repairs. Though less extensive.
He should be back in business within a week Greyeye thought.
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