Chapter 4
854 Words
Chapter 4
Present Day. Aboard the EOM Prosperous
The entire bridge crew was in shock at pictures sent by the scout destroyers. There was a battle station on the screen that was not supposed to be there.
Clearly built onto an asteroid, the station looked menacing. It seemed every surface bristled with jagged edges, spikes, and other oddly twisted bits. Closer inspection showed it to be a crazy-quilt of wrecked ships and scrap metal.
“Communications, contact Captain Buckley on the Redcoat. Have him close in on the station and scan it. Also, contact Captain Richards on the Jethro Gibbs. Tell him to scan the surrounding area. I’m worried about hidden ships or weapons. This might be a pirate base.”
“Captain! The Redcoat reports they have been scanned by the station. Weapon guidance beams are locking on to them.”
Captain Carver turned to the communication ensign. “Tell Buckley not to provoke that station!”
“Sir, we have a signal coming in. It’s from the station.”
“Put it on screen.” The captain turned to look at the main screen.
The visual screen lit up to show a short, attractive blond woman with slight Asian features. She was wearing an obsolete Pan-Pacific Navy uniform showing the individual’s rank of Ensign.
“Identify yourselves or be destroyed!”
Captain Carver caught the eye of his ensign. “Communications, send this please.”
Carver straightened up. “This is Captain Carver of the Empire of Humanity ship Prosperous. I am in command of this patrol. Who are you?”
The ensign c****d her head to one side. “My name is Ensign Athena Lee of the Pan-Pacific League Navy. Who or what is the Empire of Humanity? Are you allied with the Anglican Alliance?”
“Ensign? The PPL and the AA have been gone for 15 years. They don’t exist anymore. There is only the Empire now. Who are you really? Who built this station?” Finding out who built that station was the most important question.
The blond ensign looked angry. “This is my station, I built it. I have no reason to believe you, Captain!”
Not sure what to say the Captain was silent for a moment.
“So, what are you saying? Your Empire just conquered everyone? Or are you trying to trick me? Is that what you are doing? Is it?” The ensign was becoming dangerously erratic.
“Ensign Lee, after the battle was fought here in this system. The peacemakers sat down and hammered out an accord. That accord is what founded our Empire. The war has been over for you a long time.” The Captain replied.
“I’m afraid I still don’t believe you, Captain. The PPL I belong to would not do something like that. They wouldn’t just give up! I don’t respond well to tricks. Do not come any closer. Tell your sneaky destroyer to stop trying to flank the station. The area he’s sneaking through is filled with unexploded ordinance and junk. It is a huge minefield.”
Captain Carver whirled to his right. “Communications! Contact the Redcoat. Tell Captain Buckley to hold his position!”
>>
On board the Redcoat, Captain Ringo Buckley was thinking about his future. He was envisioning himself riding to the rescue and destroying the enemy. Ringo came from a family of famed warriors. There had been a Buckley fighting in every remembered conflict clear back to pre-space flight Earth. In the last war, a Buckley had fought on both sides.
When Ringo had received this assignment, he’d thought HIS chance for fame and glory was never to be. A survey mission? No aliens to kill or hostages to free with an assignment like that. Now, finding a rogue station was like gold. This was his chance to have his name in the history books. His chance for personal glory. With any luck, the rogue station was full of pirates or terrorists. Perhaps ... something even more, dangerous?
Buckley stretched his orders to the limit. He had closed with the station and scanned it. Now he thought to flank it. His thought was if he could get into a better striking position, he could lead the attack that was to come! Fame and glory awaited.
“Sir, have you been monitoring the broadcasts from the station?” The sound of his XO’s voice finally woke him from his daydream. Seeing that it was just the XO, Buckley ignored him and ordered flank speed from navigation.
“Uh, Sir, we were just told there is a minefield in this area.” The XO said frantically. “Sir, haven’t you been paying attention?”
Captain Buckley turned and looked his XO in the eye. “You are of course aware of the standing orders which forbid line troops from obeying orders from the enemy, aren’t you? We have orders to scout and scan the area. Until I hear otherwise, that is what we will do!” Pointing to the rear of the station. “I choose over there to go and scout.”
“CAPTAIN!” The navigation lieutenant was screaming. “We are being tracked by multiple sources. Tracking. Tracking… Alert! Multiple-in-bounds! I am tracking fifty that is five zero inbound tracks. Suggest evasive action.”
With the tactical officer screaming at him, the captain totally froze. Shaking his head to clear it, he ordered evasive maneuvers. “Get us out of here!”
“Damn you, Captain,” cried the XO. “Your arrogance has killed us!”
The light destroyer was hit with over fifty antimatter torpedoes and other surrounding munitions as it entered the active minefield. The Redcoat exploded in a bright flash of light.
Another Buckley had entered the history books in the worst way possible.
- Writer
