He was in charge of the Lexington. The thought was still sinking into his mind. A few weeks ago he probably would have been honoured by the thought of a command of his own. Now he wished it could be anyone else's. He didn't want to be the one responsible for making the wrong decision. He could be costing his crew their lives.
His crew. He didn't even realise he'd thought it until afterwards. But they were his crew now, and they depended on him. If they didn't do something soon one of those asteroids would hit a little too hard and they'd be dead anyway.
"I'm authorising the use of tactical nukes," he said, "firing control, remove the warheads and get them down to launching bay nine ASAP. Communications, stand by to broadcast the distress call, but not until I give the order."
"Aye, sir," Lieutenant Richards said. John prayed he was right. If he wasn't that Minbari war cruiser would blow them all to hell and Earth couldn't afford any more losses. He tried to convince himself that was the real reason he was risking this, but the truth was he was terrified. He wasn't ready to die.
"I'd be less than honest if I said I was certain this was going to work," he said, "It might, it might not. We could well blow up right alongside the enemy. But at least we'll have a fighting chance of taking them out with us. Unless anyone has a better idea," he added hopefully. He didn't want to be the one making the decision that could get them all killed. Unfortunately, his comment was met by shaken heads and silence.
"Nuts," he muttered, "Then we'll stick with my plan. Hell, I didn't want to live forever anyway." He gave the order for the nukes to be attached to nearby asteroids, close by but distant enough that the Lexington shouldn't be caught in the blast. Shouldn't.
It felt awkward to be sitting waiting, so he switched on internal comm. to transmit through the entire ship. He tried to think of the right words to say, but how could he tell people that he might well have signed their death warrants? Thankfully he'd inherited a gift for thinking up speeches on the spot from his father. If he got out of this with his life, he'd remember to thank the old diplomat.
"We have a plan that should destroy the Minbari cruiser," he said, "but I can't promise that we will survive this. But that was the choice we made when we joined Earth Force. I want to thank you all for being the finest crew I could serve with. I know that Captain Sterns was proud of all of you, and I am too. Whether we live or die, we'll be serving Earth, protecting our families and defending our people." He closed off the channel, his thoughts on Anna. He wanted to see her again, to tell her that he loved her. He must have told her that a thousand times already, but he wanted to say it one last time.
The silence was deafening, broken only by the occasional blast as an asteroid hit the side of the ship. The bridge shook each time that happened, throwing John around in his restraint harness.
Something damp hit his head, and he knew without checking it was Sterns' blood. John held back the tears. This was not the time to breaking down. His crew needed him to stay strong, besides in a few minutes they might be the ones needing tears.
In the hollow silence of the bridge, John thought of all he had been through with Sterns. His loyalty to his captain had been paid off like this, by him being alive when they needed their captain's experience and tactical skill best. Why couldn't it have been him instead?
"Nukes are in position, commander," came the report on the comm. system, "heading back to the barn."
"Roger that." Another asteroid hit the ship and the lurch pressed him painfully into the harness holding him to his seat. "Alright send the distress signal. Let's hope they don't take too long, I don't know how much more of this we can take."
"Commander, I think your wish may be coming true," Richards said, "We've got an echo on vector approach. It might be them. Coming into range now." Sure enough the Minbari ship appear on his screen, or as much of a sign of them ever showed up given their damn stealth technology.
"Bridge to navigation," John said, "the enemy has a clear shot. Fire docking thrusters, get us behind one of those asteroids. Let them think we're trying to evade. If they want to finish the job let them come to us." He felt the movement as the thrusters fired. This was it.
He reached into his pocket and pulled out his picture of Anna. He couldn't tell her he loved her, but at least he could see her face one more time before the end. 'This is for you, Anna,' he thought, 'Goodbye.'
"Here we go."
"She's locking on."
"Just a little more," John said. If they were risking their lives on his plan they needed that ship as close to the nukes as possible.
"Confirm weapon's lock. Energy spike, she's ready to fire."
"Now!" The blast from the nuke shook the Lexington, but John knew that they would survive it less than a second later. Unfortunately, his screen told him the Minbari cruiser had survived as well.
"They're just in range of nuke two," Richards said, "but their moving away from it."
"Now!" John ordered, but it was too late.
"Minimal damage from nuke two," came the report. John closed his eyes. Best of three?
"Just one left," he muttered, he waited a few moments, "Now!" he ordered. He stared at Anna's picture as he felt the blast shake the ship. For a few desperate seconds he thought it would tear the Lexington to pieces, but as the moments passed it became clear he was still alive. Either that or hell looked a lot like real life.
"Minbari cruiser destroyed." There was cheering around the bridge. They'd done it. John found himself grinning. Everyone back home had said it was impossible to destroy a Minbari ship, but they'd done it.
"Oh hell," John turned to look at Richards, staring at his screen, "another Minbari cruiser is coming at us." No nukes left. John felt disappointed that no one back home would see what they'd done. All the admirals and pen pushers had said they needed a victory. Now they had one, but no one would know about it because the Lexington would be destroyed.
"They're scanning us," Richards said, "it's messing up our systems. Distress signal failing." John was surprised they were scanning rather than shooting, but they were probably even more surprised that they'd managed to destroy one of their ships. His screen told him that the Minbari ship was getting closer. They were in perfect firing range, but they hadn't fired a shot.
"They're launching a shuttle, commander."
"What?"
"It's probably a boarding party."
"Why? The Minbari don't take prisoners." And Earth ships didn't destroy Minbari ships. John tucked Anna's picture back into his breast pocket. She'd be by his heart at the end.
In only a few minutes the Minbari shuttle was clamped onto the hull, burning its way through. There weren't enough of his crew able to get there. Most were injured, and it was always difficult fighting in zero gravity.
John was grateful for the supply of PPG's kept on the bridge and made sure each of the surviving officers had one. He turned as much as his harness would let him towards the door, but it wasn't a good position to shoot from. He half considered taking off his harness, but he didn't think it would be a good idea to fight and have to cling on to the seat at the same time.
They didn't have long to wait before the sounds beyond the door told him that the Minbari were on the other side. The instant the door opened he began firing. Unfortunately, so did the Minbari. He only got a couple of shots off before he felt pain searing through his body.
Then nothing.
***
Author's note: This is my first Babylon 5 fic, so I hope you'll forgive any errors. Reviews would be more than welcome, as is constructive criticism. Feel free to tell me what sucks, feel even freer to tell me what you like.
His crew. He didn't even realise he'd thought it until afterwards. But they were his crew now, and they depended on him. If they didn't do something soon one of those asteroids would hit a little too hard and they'd be dead anyway.
"I'm authorising the use of tactical nukes," he said, "firing control, remove the warheads and get them down to launching bay nine ASAP. Communications, stand by to broadcast the distress call, but not until I give the order."
"Aye, sir," Lieutenant Richards said. John prayed he was right. If he wasn't that Minbari war cruiser would blow them all to hell and Earth couldn't afford any more losses. He tried to convince himself that was the real reason he was risking this, but the truth was he was terrified. He wasn't ready to die.
"I'd be less than honest if I said I was certain this was going to work," he said, "It might, it might not. We could well blow up right alongside the enemy. But at least we'll have a fighting chance of taking them out with us. Unless anyone has a better idea," he added hopefully. He didn't want to be the one making the decision that could get them all killed. Unfortunately, his comment was met by shaken heads and silence.
"Nuts," he muttered, "Then we'll stick with my plan. Hell, I didn't want to live forever anyway." He gave the order for the nukes to be attached to nearby asteroids, close by but distant enough that the Lexington shouldn't be caught in the blast. Shouldn't.
It felt awkward to be sitting waiting, so he switched on internal comm. to transmit through the entire ship. He tried to think of the right words to say, but how could he tell people that he might well have signed their death warrants? Thankfully he'd inherited a gift for thinking up speeches on the spot from his father. If he got out of this with his life, he'd remember to thank the old diplomat.
"We have a plan that should destroy the Minbari cruiser," he said, "but I can't promise that we will survive this. But that was the choice we made when we joined Earth Force. I want to thank you all for being the finest crew I could serve with. I know that Captain Sterns was proud of all of you, and I am too. Whether we live or die, we'll be serving Earth, protecting our families and defending our people." He closed off the channel, his thoughts on Anna. He wanted to see her again, to tell her that he loved her. He must have told her that a thousand times already, but he wanted to say it one last time.
The silence was deafening, broken only by the occasional blast as an asteroid hit the side of the ship. The bridge shook each time that happened, throwing John around in his restraint harness.
Something damp hit his head, and he knew without checking it was Sterns' blood. John held back the tears. This was not the time to breaking down. His crew needed him to stay strong, besides in a few minutes they might be the ones needing tears.
In the hollow silence of the bridge, John thought of all he had been through with Sterns. His loyalty to his captain had been paid off like this, by him being alive when they needed their captain's experience and tactical skill best. Why couldn't it have been him instead?
"Nukes are in position, commander," came the report on the comm. system, "heading back to the barn."
"Roger that." Another asteroid hit the ship and the lurch pressed him painfully into the harness holding him to his seat. "Alright send the distress signal. Let's hope they don't take too long, I don't know how much more of this we can take."
"Commander, I think your wish may be coming true," Richards said, "We've got an echo on vector approach. It might be them. Coming into range now." Sure enough the Minbari ship appear on his screen, or as much of a sign of them ever showed up given their damn stealth technology.
"Bridge to navigation," John said, "the enemy has a clear shot. Fire docking thrusters, get us behind one of those asteroids. Let them think we're trying to evade. If they want to finish the job let them come to us." He felt the movement as the thrusters fired. This was it.
He reached into his pocket and pulled out his picture of Anna. He couldn't tell her he loved her, but at least he could see her face one more time before the end. 'This is for you, Anna,' he thought, 'Goodbye.'
"Here we go."
"She's locking on."
"Just a little more," John said. If they were risking their lives on his plan they needed that ship as close to the nukes as possible.
"Confirm weapon's lock. Energy spike, she's ready to fire."
"Now!" The blast from the nuke shook the Lexington, but John knew that they would survive it less than a second later. Unfortunately, his screen told him the Minbari cruiser had survived as well.
"They're just in range of nuke two," Richards said, "but their moving away from it."
"Now!" John ordered, but it was too late.
"Minimal damage from nuke two," came the report. John closed his eyes. Best of three?
"Just one left," he muttered, he waited a few moments, "Now!" he ordered. He stared at Anna's picture as he felt the blast shake the ship. For a few desperate seconds he thought it would tear the Lexington to pieces, but as the moments passed it became clear he was still alive. Either that or hell looked a lot like real life.
"Minbari cruiser destroyed." There was cheering around the bridge. They'd done it. John found himself grinning. Everyone back home had said it was impossible to destroy a Minbari ship, but they'd done it.
"Oh hell," John turned to look at Richards, staring at his screen, "another Minbari cruiser is coming at us." No nukes left. John felt disappointed that no one back home would see what they'd done. All the admirals and pen pushers had said they needed a victory. Now they had one, but no one would know about it because the Lexington would be destroyed.
"They're scanning us," Richards said, "it's messing up our systems. Distress signal failing." John was surprised they were scanning rather than shooting, but they were probably even more surprised that they'd managed to destroy one of their ships. His screen told him that the Minbari ship was getting closer. They were in perfect firing range, but they hadn't fired a shot.
"They're launching a shuttle, commander."
"What?"
"It's probably a boarding party."
"Why? The Minbari don't take prisoners." And Earth ships didn't destroy Minbari ships. John tucked Anna's picture back into his breast pocket. She'd be by his heart at the end.
In only a few minutes the Minbari shuttle was clamped onto the hull, burning its way through. There weren't enough of his crew able to get there. Most were injured, and it was always difficult fighting in zero gravity.
John was grateful for the supply of PPG's kept on the bridge and made sure each of the surviving officers had one. He turned as much as his harness would let him towards the door, but it wasn't a good position to shoot from. He half considered taking off his harness, but he didn't think it would be a good idea to fight and have to cling on to the seat at the same time.
They didn't have long to wait before the sounds beyond the door told him that the Minbari were on the other side. The instant the door opened he began firing. Unfortunately, so did the Minbari. He only got a couple of shots off before he felt pain searing through his body.
Then nothing.
***
Author's note: This is my first Babylon 5 fic, so I hope you'll forgive any errors. Reviews would be more than welcome, as is constructive criticism. Feel free to tell me what sucks, feel even freer to tell me what you like.