Eric Olafson, Midshipman 30

Part 30: COMBAT ENGAGEMET

I went back on the bridge and while I was walking up the ramp I said. “Tactical put a situation map of our deployment area on the screen. Display all pirate and insurgence activity for the last five years.

“Aye Sir, I anticipated your order and prepared Intel reports as well and correlated them into the map.”

“Very good Mr. Deberaux, I appreciate that.”

I leaned back in my seat and studied the map that popped up on the main-screen when Comm. reported. “Sir two new reports came just in. A Dai fleet was sighted near coordinates 456.455.122 three days ago.”

A new red dot appeared on the map. There were two possible targets in equal distance: The Nepomuck system and the Pleasure Pasture Colony in the Aldoor System. Both systems are at the fringes of Union space and only twentyfive light years from unclaimed space. In the last five years I saw there where dozens of reports of Dai activity around Nepomuck, there was not a single one near Aldoor.

I pulled up the Galactic Encyclopedia and read about both systems.

“Helm lay in a course for the Aldoor System. Flight deck, launch four Long range Gazelle scouts to the Nepomuck system. Scouts are to remain at Sensor distance from any enemy contact.”

“Aye Sir.”

“Comm. Contact Nepomuck III and advise them of a possible Dai attack and see if you can verify the report and talk to the person who reported the sighting.”

Harris clasped his hands on his back. “Why the Aldoor System? It does not seem to be of interest to the Dai.”

“The Nepomuck system is well developed and three planets are owned by Schwartz Industries. They can afford the best long range sensors and that in my opinion explains all these reports. Pleasure Pasture is a relative new colony started by an artist and an agricultural co-op. I doubt they have the money or the foresight to purchase any long range scanner assets. So it doesn’t mean the Dai have visited the area less it just means no one noticed them. There the insert over that system shows that Pleasure Pasture requested technical assistance to mine a newly discovered and supposedly rich find of tourmaline and that is a source for Boron.” Boron was among the most valuable elements and no ship reactor was without boron shielding. Boron fibers got used in space suits and armor and an endless array of other products vital for any space faring civilization.

Harris smiled. “Something the Dai would love to have.”

“It certainly makes it a valuable target for a space born society and I doubt they want to make Schwartz Industries all too angry. After all Corporate Security fleets can go into Freespace just fine and go Dai hunting. I’ve seen a glimpse of Enroe might, and everyone including Alex himelf tells me that they are but a shadow of Schwartz Industries.”

“Sound reasoning for sure. It isn an open secret, SII corporate fleet is second only to the Navy and on the same tech level.”

Before I could talk more about SII, the Communications officer on duty interrupted saying.

“Sir the most recent sighting report came from a Ranger patrol and I have him on now.”

Only recently did I learn about the United Stars Ranger service and everything I heard about them impressed me. The Ranger service was a paramilitary organization under the control of the Federal Justice Department. The Rangers patrolled the fringe worlds, the outer reaches of Union space. Provided mail service, first aid and medical help, dispensed law and justice when necessary and did pretty much everything in between. A jack of all trades and a Ranger was usually all by himself, rarely in teams of two with a small very specialized space ship, hopping from planet to planet and from asteroid mines to other outposts and settlements.

A ranger so I had heard was on patrol for a year before he returned to base. Everyone I talked about the Rangers talked with deep respect.

“Put him on Lieutenant.”

“This is Peter Baker, Union Ranger Service.”

“This is Captain Olafson, USS Devastator. We are on our way into your area of space to check on your Dai Sighting. Do you need anything?”

“Is Richard still aboard that ship? I mean Admiral Stahl?”

“Yes Sir.”

“I’ll catch up with you one of these days then I haven’t seen that Ol’ buckaroo in ages. Them Dai moved a gaggle of ships including a Mother into Union territory about an hour ago. I didn’t want to tango with them. My Betsy is a good ship but no match for an entire Dai Fleet.”

“Do you know their heading?”

“Nope, I don’t have as far reaching sensors as you Navy guys have. I saw them on the very horizon of my sensors and hauled ass the other way. As I said I am not equipped to deal with many Dai Fighters. However I bet my best pair boots they’re heading to Crazy George’s place, that Ol’ goofball found more Boron than you could haul away in that big ship of yours and bought himself a Boron refinery. Now he’s broadcasting it all over the place.”

“Do I assume correctly Crazy George is one of the residents on Pleasant Pasture?”

“Pleasant Pasture? Oh right that’s what it is still called in the catalogs. It’s simply called the Pitts locally. The pasture thing didn’t work out when the imported cows where eaten by local flesh worms. If you go there wear boots I tell ya.”

The Ranger was a big man even looking at him via main screen and he talked in a very peculiar way.

“Thank you Ranger Baker. We are headed that way and I make sure I have boots issued to eventual landing parties.”

We arrived in the nick of time. The Dai Fleet was immense and had dropped into the system approaching the third planet. Several Dai Units already engaged a convoy of civilian freighters also heading towards the second planet.

Harris said.”It is an entire entire clan, and from the looks of it one of the biggest ones. Hundreds of Destroyers, Battle ships, two carriers, complete with a fiveteen kilometer Dai Mother.” he pointed at a huge ugly ship. It looked as if someone stuck soap bubbles made of metal and of various sizes together in a random fashion, smaller bubbles to the bow and bigger ones towards the aft. The bubbles bristled with weapon turrets and the mother was surrounded by a swarm of frigates and fighters.

I plopped in the command seat. “Sound Battle Stations. Full condition Red. All Shields. Tactical arm all weapons, you are authorized for Exo loads.”

My entire body prickled with a strange sensation. This would be a real battle and as big as the Devastator was we faced an entire fleet.

“Hail the Dai.”

“Maximum output sir? So they hear you for sure?”

“You got that right, Lieutenant, Dial it up to max.”

“You are on sir, all channels. Maximum transmission energy.”

“This is Captain Eric Olafson of the Union Star Ship Devastator. Dai-Than you are hereby ordered to cease any and all hostile activities at once and stand down. This isn your only chance to engage in communications and negociations. This will be your one and only warning.”

A red skinned humanoid that looked very much like the classical Terran image of Satan appeared on the screen. With space black hair framing distinct sharp cut facial features and a mouth with pronounced canine fangs and long pointed ears. The only thing missing to complete the demonic look was a set of horns. He laughed. “Even if that mighty ship of yours would be commanded by Captain Harris or by that demon Stahl himself we will not stand down. We are Dai and we will fight.”

I made the motion to cut him off. “Flight Deck launch all fighter wings circle around to the other side of the system and attack the Dai from there. Launch all Thor Gun boats and Destroyers. Deploy for Half-moon formation and attack from the Z plane. Helm all ahead full. Tactical open fire with all weapons as soon as targets come within fire range, main batteries to target that mother first, bring all Translocators to bear. Exo loads, salvo tact, FIRE.”

The Devastator shook and shook again right after the first tremor.”

“OPS damage report, deploy damage control teams. XO, Casualties. Tactical you are authorized to fire Loki torpedoes at any available target.”

“OPS here, No damage. Primary Shields are at 98% No Casualties. The tremors came from all main guns discharging Exo loads at the same time, Sir.”

The Dai Mother was suddenly patterned with bright white lines all over and it was as if the metal bubbles expanded and then in a blinding fireball a new Sun appeared where the Dai mother had been, and that fireball kept on growing and swallowed other Dai ship nearby. A constellation of hundred new suns flashed to life all around us.

I glanced over to the tactical officer and he was leaning back in his seat.

“Tactical do we have a technical problem, why aren’t we firing?”

“Sir, there are no targets.”

“No targets?” I whispered and looked at the tactical read out. The energy spheres slowly dissipated. There was not a single red dot left. There were the civilian freighters represented in blue, hundreds of green symbols representing our fighters and gunboats. Dark brown dots showing obliterated, burning and completely lifeless wrecks, there was not a single red dot on the screen. I sank back in my seat beginning to realize the true power of the Devastator. The results of my commands eradicated an entire Dai Clan, probably killing half a million beings or maybe more.

I cleared my throat and said. “Maintain battle stations. Auxiliary Craft and fighters sweep system and scan for survivors. Comm. hail the freighters and dispatch medical and engineering away teams to assist.”

Harris got up and looked at me. “You sure showed them whose boss, Sir.”

He shook his head slowly with a disaproving expression.”Exo loads in salvo tact.”

I noticed Stahl who came up the ramp and the admiral said. “He did get the job done that’s for sure and perhaps holds the record for shortest space battle in history.”

Harris shrugged. “True enough Sir, our bomb magazines are probably halfway depleted but we have no casualties or damage on our side.”

The Admiral grinned. “Remind me not to make you angry, Captain Olafson.”

“Admiral, it was your choice to put me into this position. You gave me a very big ship and I did what I felt was right to protect Union assets, civilian lives and my crew.”

“I know I did, and this concludes your excursion into the Captain’s realm at least for now. You are to stand down and return command to Mr. Harris.”

“Aye Sir.”

I transferred Command codes and Stahl verified it with his code and command.

He then said.”You are with me, Mr. Olafson.”

I followed him with a feeling I was in trouble.

Outside Command and Control and back in the command deck corridor he said. “You did not do anything wrong. You warned the Dai and did it by the book. Harris thinks you used to much force. He’d have fired a single Exo Load into the path of the Dai mother and that might have taken the fight out of them, but you had command. Lives on the planet, aboard the freighters and our ship were at stake. You made the decisions and reached the objective, protecting Union lives and assets. If I felt you did anything wrong I would have interfered. I watched you very closely.”

I felt numb and the scope of what I had done was just becoming clearer by the moment. To be removed from command like a blow to the stomach.

He did not seem to want an answer and kept talking. “You are going through a roller coaster ride of emotions right now. I put you into shoes way too big for you and asked you to run right away. Just as you learned your first steps I am pulling the floor away. Do you think I am unjust or unfair to you? Perhaps even hate me?”

“Sir you are an Admiral, a living legend. Immortal and more god than man, especially to a midshipman. What do you want me to tell you? Who am I to even open my mouth in your presence?”

He grinned. “Sarcasm works just fine, perhaps you are right and I am a bit out of touch with what it means to be human, I feel human and I don’t think of me as special but I am a realist and I know what I am and how I am perceived by others.”

He reached a door and he motioned me to follow him inside. It was the Admirals private quarters.

The light was subdued and it did not come from the usual indirect light sources but from old fashioned shaded brass lamps. There was a wooden desk and a leather chair that didn’t seem to have any tech incorporated.

The desk was littered with real books and the walls had shelves filled with mementos and souvenirs of a career spanning three thousand years. I could not identify any of them. The wall behind his desk was decorated with weapons and a red flag was standing in once corner, folded so I could not see what it displayed.

“What is your poison, Son?”

“Sir I am from Nilfeheim, and I am pretty much human standard except for gills and improved eyesight. We are not poisonous.”

He laughed. “No I mean what do you drink? Do you smoke? Rec Drugs?”

“No Recreational Drugs Sir, Neo Vikings frown on them. I know smoking is a Terra pre-Astro fashion, I seen Admiral McElligott do it but I have not tried.I do drink beer, ale and once in a while and I like a good aquavit occasionally.”

“Good to hear. Even long before the Ascent my people where famous for making beer and that’s what I like. Over there in that cabinet are cold ones. Grab two of them and sit down for a moment.”

I took two beer bottles; they were old fashioned glass bottles just like the beer that came from Holstein. The writing on it looked like Holstein writing too, and I had no idea what it said but I was certain it was beer.

I handed him one and sat down at the edge of the visitors chair unable to relax in the presence of the Admiral. The recent events were also heavy on my mind.

He opened the bottle with a flick of his thumb and raised it “Prost.”

I struggled with the cap but finally twisted it off and drank a sip after him.

He put the bottle down looked straight at me and then he said:” You can be frank now. This is off the record and for this conversation I am not an Admiral and you are not a Midshipman. We are just two men. Let me have it, don’t be shy. I won’t hold it against you.”

“Sir it gets tiresome to be the plaything of forces I can’t control. First that errand with the empty case, then I am made captain. I know you explained it all to me, but a lowly Midshipman getting command over the Devastator no less and now I am back being ... what? A mass murderer? I killed probably half a million Dai and you tell me I could have ended it without killing them all.”

“Do you have doubts? If I make you captain again and we face a Dai fleet tomorrow would you act differently?”

“Sir I had no idea about the magnitude and power of this ship until it was over.” I paused and thought for a moment.” No Sir I would do the same, only this time I would not launch torpedoes. I lack the experience to evaluate the Dai and while it bugs me and probably follows me for the rest of my life I am rather guilty of killing them than being responsible for even one death on my ship.” I straightened out. “Yes Sir I would do it again.”

Stahl put his bottle down. “I hoped for, no I expected this answer from you.

Tonight you are back being a Midshipman and it will be tough, others will ridicule you and there will be officers and instructors who resent you because they are jealous. But this year will be over before you know it and your true career begins. If you had a choice where would you want to be posted?”

As long as it is a ship sir and not a station or base I be fine.”

“Well we will see what your future holds.” He got up and took down one of the strange looking weapons and handed it to me. “Here I want you to have this as a personal gift from me. Do you know what it is?”

“Thank you Sir.” I examined the steel object. It looked like a gun but had no fusion chamber and no familiar controls except for the trigger.

“It appears to be a weapon of sorts.”

“It’s an antique. This Springfield Colt model 1911 was given to me a very long time ago, before I knew there was such a thing as a starship. It fires chemically propelled projectiles and it is quite a dangerous weapon unless you’re behind a force field or wear armor. In a few hours I will be that immortal semi god again you say I am. But before that happens I want you to know that I am very proud of you and there is a special bond between anyone who ever commanded this ship. Captain Harris was one of those who completed what I call the Big Test.Getting command over the Devi as a Midshipman that is, and so did your friend Captain Zezz. Many others did as well and failed completely, so know this: My door is always open for you. As your superior officer I will have to give you orders you might not like or you do not agree with, but I would like you to see me as friend too and if push comes to shove I want you to know that I am still human and capable of friendship.Meaning my door and ears are always open for you.”

Of all things that happened to me until now, these words of Stahl where the most memorable and stirring, I tried to find adequate words but could think of nothing but saying.” Thank you Sir.”

He opened a drawer and handed me a green box and something that looked like a holster. “That’s a box of ammo for the gun and a shoulder holster. Engineering can replicate more ammo for you. The gun works in case you want to try it.”

“Thank you Sir, I will.”

“After I dismiss you go to Deck 56 and report to Lieutenant Andreas Merkus he is your instructor and supervisor.”

“Deck 56, aye Sir.”

“Before you begin your regular duty find your quarters and relax. I order you to find your bunk and sleep for at least ten hours, you earned it. Now finish your beer and tell me about that flying submarine of yours and what happened when you met the Y’All”

Part 31 »