The Continuing Story of Deep Space 2: Page 94
"Maccs since you do not think we can possible defeat the 3 alien
ships, I suggest we concentrate on an alternate solution. We may not
know the all the technical information we need to know about the
attacking vessels but we do know about the properties of the Alice
Cooper B." said Sarah.
"We could manuever Starchild close enough to the Alice B, to merge
our force fields & magnetically connect the hulls. We could fly the
combined ships away from the attacking ships, if our other companions
in their ships can run some interferance. It may seem extreme but we
could then send a high electrical volt through the hull & a high
frequency sound wave to temporarily stun everyone inside (friend and
foe) alike to render them unconscious. We could send some droids
inside the ship after that to gather all non-crew members & isolate
them in one cargo hold to try to interagate later or if you want to
be more "ruthless" jetson into space in disabled escape pods with a
signal buoy that would tell their home ships where to find them after
we are long gone. We may not win the battle, but the Alice B & its
crew would live to fight another day. Let's rig up some torpedoes to
cause a massive explosion to cause a distraction momentarily, so we
can try to fly in and merge with the Alice. Warn the rest of our
ships what we are considering, Maccs", commanded Sarah.
Aboard the WarBird
Karn jumped the ship into warp space, the coordinates for the Alice
Cooper, locked into the Navi computer. Quickly the stars of space
turned into streaks of light as WarBird, his own modified freighter
he had received from his father, began to pick up speed. As they
reached the speed of light they suddenly crashed into warp space
on the way to the rescue. On board the ship Karn ran through his routine pre combat checks. All systems seemed to be functioning at 100%. Karn just had to relax and get focused. The trip was going to be short but he had a few thoughts.
"You know Admiral with all this distortion of time we have been
experiencing maby the population on the planet wasnt kidnapped. Maby
they were erased. Some one or thing could have changed the timeline
and the entire planets people could just not exsist anymore... just
a thought i let you chew on." Karn ran a couple of subroutines on
the sublight engines and life support systems as a talked. " Im
curious about your galaxy Katz and Frances. " Why exactly are men
not allowed to serve in the Fleet. Im sure there are some men and I
are just as qualified in your galaxy to be an officier in the common
wealth."
The nav system began the final count down. "Here we are" The War
Bird drops out of wrap space in front of the fray and Karn quickly
jumps into action. Swings the ship around and set a course around
the enemy ships and the Alice Cooper, the guns in automatic fireing
pattern for all incomeing objects while Karn made a sensor scan.
"Admiral,the Alice Cooper is under attack by three rather larg
capital class ships. The WarBird shes armed to the teeth, but not
on this kinda scale. I can fend off fighters but engaging a hip of
that size... were a little out gunned here. Or maby not. Can turned to the one of the alien vessles farther from the Alice Cooper. Gimme a sec ill be right back.
Karn leaves the bridge for a moment and returns in a black
jumpsuit, over that he has a heavy looking composite chest plate,
gauntlets, and a helmet under arm. The top of the line composite
armour was a little old and he hadnt worn it in a while but it would
still absorb some fire. Karn prepped his laser carbine. "When i left
the service i took some stuff with me" Karn shruggs off with a grin.
Karn points to the closing enemy vessle. "Were exquiped with a
universal docking collar. We can cut a hole in, have some fun and
blast off. We might be able to cripple her, but we should cause
enough of a distraction to take that one out of the battle for maccs
to do his thing. How does that sound."
"Maccs since you do not think we can possible defeat the 3 alien
ships, I suggest we concentrate on an alternate solution", Sarah
ventured forth as Starchild's new, albeit temporary, C.O. .
"We may not know the all the technical information we need to know
about the attacking vessels, but we do know about the properties of
the Alice Cooper B.."
And listening to Sarah's creative, innovative ideas Maccs likewise
suggested the one he thought had the best chance of success..
"Warn the rest of our ships what we are considering, Maccs", Sarah
added, giving him then her first actual order as Starchild's
temporary C.O. -- Maccs complying at once, sending off an immediate
communiqué to both Karn and Frances aboard Warbird as well as
Admiral Arthur aboard the USS Strike.
On the bridge of USS Strike, Admiral Arthur was interrupted instead
by the sudden shaking of his own ship -- the USS Strike just hit.
"We are OK sir. Shields are holding at 82 percent. The enemy ship is
hit; with another attack run we can destroy it. Sir, I don't think
the Alice Cooper-B is going to make it if we don't get help fast."
And watching the battle ahead on the main viewer before him, Admiral
Arthur saw the enemy ship just hit by his own torpedoes begin to
turn about. take aim at the USS Strike. taking up a defensive
position between the Strike and the other enemy ship closer yet to
the Alice Cooper-B -- the one involved in beaming over to the Alice
Cooper-B its own raiding party -- the third enemy ship coming about
in the direction of both Warbird and Starchild.
Yet, about to respond, Admiral Arthur was interrupted this time by
message coming through from Starchild -- Sarah's message to both the
USS Strike, WarBird, and even Prince Roshi aboard Guardian1.
Nor did neither the USS Strike, nor WarBird have much time to
respond: Maccs putting Admiral Sarah's most likely scheme into
effect. Admiral Arthur, Admiral Straker, Karn, and even Lt. Katz
watching from within their respective vessels as "Admiral" Sarah
Ewok fired off a round of six "M/A-M" ("Matter/Anti-Matter")
torpedoes at the enemy vessel closing in on both Starchild and
Warbird.
And while three of the missiles Sarah fired struck with "extreme
prejudice" the defensive shields surrounding that very same enemy
vessel closing in on both Starchild and Warbird. her attack bringing
down the enemy's shields for only heaven knew how long. the other
three "M/A-M's" stuck likewise the ship Admiral Arthur had also just
hit only moments before from aboard the USS Strike -- the combined
attack by both the USS Strike and Admiral Sarah leaving the second
alien vessel crippled beyond repair; its engines, weapons, and even
life-support all permanently off-line.
And employing after that the only real advantage Maccs possessed
against the enemy ahead -- the superior reflexes/reaction time Maccs
Starchild possessed as an actual living, thinking organism capable
of creative thought all his own -- he swerved around the enemy ship
he just hit (as per Sarah's orders), ducking as well behind the
other enemy ship. the one Admiral Arthur recently hit with his own
deadly weapons. headed instead towards the ship closest to the Alice
Cooper-B.
Then, modifying one of Sarah's ideas involving high frequency sound
waves, Maccs set about jamming the communications between the three
enemy ships. their attempts at coordinating any further attacks
against either the Alice Cooper-B, or those ships there to help her.
employing at the same time loud music full of equally loud lyrics
instead of "mere" high frequency sound waves.
An, doing so in hopes of creating even more confusion among the
enemy than just plain sound waves, Maccs also chose a very specific
music reflecting his own "warped" sense of humour -- all three enemy
vessels "serenaded" as it were by a raucous recording of the
original Alice Cooper, the alien words no doubt as confusing to the
enemy as the powerful, pulsating music they were set to.
"NO MORE PENCILS,
NO MORE BOOKS,
NO MORE TEACHER'S DIRTY LOOKS.
"OUT FOR SUMMER,
OUT 'TILL FALL,
WE MIGHT NOT COME BACK AT ALL!!!
"SCHOOLS OUT.."
And watching all this from Warbird's cockpit, Karn standing close by
in his armored clothing, Frances turned to Lt. Katz now piloting
Warbird towards the enemy ship Karn suggested he try to board -- the
same enemy vessel Sarah just launched all six "M/A-M's" at just
moments ago... three actually impacting with its shields.
"Okay, Master Karn", Frances spoke up. "We'll try your plan out. see
if we can lock on to that ship with that 'universal docking collar'
of yours, cut a hole in them, while they're hopefully still too
stunned by Sarah's recent attack to catch on what we're doing until
it's too late. Have some fun as you say while taking a closer look
at who's over there.."
And as Karn set about his plan to invade the enemy ship Sarah and
Macs just bombed. the USS Ajax likewise arriving at last, contacting
Admiral Arthur aboard the USS Strike for further instructions. Lt.
Cmdr. Gav Tiral, Chief of Security aboard the USS Alice Cooper-B,
arrived on Deck 13 with re-enforcements -- his Deputy Chief of
Security informing him on the current situation at hand.
"Frankly, Sir, none of this makes any sense", his deputy expressed a
certain doubt as to the very motive behind the enemy boarding party
now pinned down by the defenders.
"So far they don't seem all that interested in continuing their
advance beyond their current position in cargo bay three. It's as
if..."
"As if Cargo Bay Three was their original goal right from the very
beginning, their attack beyond there a simple diversionary tactic to
confuse us as to their real purpose", Gav finished, the senior
officer almost daring his deputy in typical Tellarite fashion to
contradict him.
However, used to such behavior on the part of his immediate
superior, Gav's subordinate was all-the-same in no mood to disagree -
- Gav's assessment of the situation the saame as his own. Nor was there any question in either of their minds what the enemy really wanted aboard ship -- the only questions still unanswered being instead the identity of their present enemy and how they ever
learned about the particular cargo being transported aboard ship.
the relics being transported from planet 'HD-02-3065-4729' back to
Federation space along with those who discovered them.
Neither did Gav have any trouble guessing which artifact it was that
the enemy indeed wanted, planning to grill those who brought it
abroad ship as to its true identity, finding out everything they
knew. or, thought they knew. about that object the enemy likewise
seemed so desperate to get a hold of.
But first...
Aboard USS Strike the commands followed eachother in a fast rithme.
"Admiral, the USS Ajax has arrived. The battledrones sir. They are in attack mode. May the merci be on the souls of the enemy..."
"Indeed Lieutenant."
That was all the Admiral could say.
Aboard the USS Ajax Colonel Theys knew exactly what to do. If he could not take any prisoners... destroy the enemy... In his low voice his orders flew around the bridge, setting his officers at work. But especially the flying battledrones which jumped to the first target enemy warship. USS Ajax battle computer reports:
Deploying, in formation, waypoint set, tracking target, attacking target, Drone Hotel destroyed, Drone Alpha damaged, disengaging, launching Drone Kilo, launching drone Lima, Moderate damage to enemy shields, in formation tracking target, attacking target, Drone Kilo destroyed, Drone Beta destroyed, target destroyed, launching Drone Mama, launching drone Nina. Full complement of nine battledrones in standard defense screen, waiting for new order.
Before their eyes one of the enemy ships, attacked by the USS Ajax battle drones exploded in a huge ball of fire. This attack had lasted only a minute or even less... Aboard the USS Strike, Admiral Arthur looked at the main viewer. He realised they needed prisoners. They had to find out what this was about. Why was the USS Alice Cooper-B attacked ? The USS Alice Cooper-B had been on a peaceful mission of exploration and discovery. Had Captain Kalee and his crew been on someone's sacred ground ? No Arhtur could not imagine that. It was more likely that these enemies were some kind of pirates. It seemed to Arthur that enemy boarding parties invading the Alice Cooper-B could only indicate they were trying to steal somehting...