David Steals Another

"She looked peaceful" David said as he sat at the table in the Kurch house. With nowhere else to go, they'd returned home to look after their child. Ale had, upon being notified, personally flown the shuttle out to the property to collect Tammy's body to take to the capital city to be received by priests before a ceremony to celebrate her life and burial. It was to take place the following day and David and Jenny found that neither of them could sleep and so they sat in what passed as a sitting room drinking whiskey. Many lives had been lost in the battle with the Trenton fleet, more afterwards as a result of injuries, radiation and suffocation from hull breaches.

"I spoke to Admiral Ali" Jenny said, pouring herself another generous measure of drink. The Earth fleet had managed to return to Phaelon after the battle and gave cover to the depleted forces as well as provided medical support.

"Oh?"

"The Wildcards heard about Tammy's death and want to attend in full dress"

"Let them" David shrugged. "They've earned the right to do it"

"I guess" Jenny sipped her drink and sighed. "I wish we had working time drives so we could go back and save Tammy"

"They were destroyed during the liberation" David drank more as he looked at a picture of the three of them on Earth – all smiles and carefree. After saving the Earth, and Jenny had been brought back to life, the trio had spent a lot of time refitting and repairing – but also took time to go to the beach to relax and enjoy life together.

"We belter go to bed before we fall into a black hole of despair" and Jenny missed the smile that slowly crept onto David's face.

#

"Max, can you interface with the computers at Phaelon Naval Headquarters?"

"Yes"

"Find out which Sera class ship is in the best shape and see what the stockpile is like for nuclear missiles" David lowered the brightness of the screen in the library as MAX got the information and put it in a format that David could understand.

"Navigator, may I ask what you are planning?" the AI asked.

"I might not be able to save everybody, but I think I know a way to save Tammy"

"How?"

"Remember when we first ran away with the Sera and we got caught up in that black hole? Well, I'm thinking that with the right amount of nuclear missiles and a fully operational ship… We might be able to calculate a jump around that same black hole and get Tammy back" David explained his plan.

"We will need more crewmembers" said MAX.

"I know… Open a channel to the Saratoga and see if I can speak to the Wildcards"

"Do you have a back-up plan in case this does not work?"

"Steal the ship and do it myself"

"I will go with you" MAX said. "My thought patterns are noticing her absence"

"You miss her" David said.

"Yes"

"As do I" and David turned to see Jenny stood by the door.

"You should be in bed" he said.

"You should be the same, but I wake up and find you plotting something – spill it" Jenny ordered.

"The Navigator thinks there might be a way to save Tammy if we steal a Sera class ship, launch nuclear weapons into a black hole and swing round it at full speed in order to go back in time" MAX said.

"That's impossible" said Jenny.

"We've done it before with just me, Max and Tammy… With you and the help of the Wildcards"

"Captain Vansen he… David, is something the matter?" Vansen asked as she appeared on the screen.

"Yeah – look, we've got a way to save Tammy and, maybe a good number of lives"

"I'm in" Vansen said. "The rest of the Wildcards will go for it too, I'm sure of it – but how do we get together?"

"We'll steal the ship, you'll be flying around for a little practice and offer to intercept us. When you get close enough, we'll beam you all into the hanger deck and jump out" Jenny told her.

"But where do we come in?"

"Take out the enemy ship's close in weapon systems all at the same time, go aboard and detonate its engines" Jenny said.

"But what about us?" Vansen frowned. "All the shows I have seen say we'd disappear"

"We'll work on that as we go along" David shrugged. "Now, timing is the most important thing here – can you tell everybody the plan and be ready to go in under an hour?"

"Sure… Vansen out"

#

"You have done well" said David. He, Jenny and their child stood on the Bridge of the PNV Excelsior – quiet except for the gentle humming of equipment and soft beeping of consoles running on automatic.

"It was the only one that was in enough of a good state of repair" said MAX.

"Are we good to go?" asked Jenny.

"No Phaelons are on the ship, we've a full load of weapons and all stations report full readiness"

"Right, send a message to the Wildcards and tell them to be ready" David said, setting his son into the Captain's chair and strapping them in tightly.

"Message sent… They will comply in all respects" MAX said after a minute.

"Lets go" Jenny said and David nodded as he crossed to the Helm.

"Rig the ship for departure" he ordered.

"Right… Max, Secure the airlocks. Disengage capture latches fore and aft"

"Compliance"

"Engines ahead one quarter" David muttered as he tapped the controls and started the Excelsior moving.

"We are receiving a message asking us to identify ourselves" MAX said.

"Make no reply" David replied. "Bring the Jump Drive online and prepare for warp speed" and, as he spoke, he turned the ship towards where the Wildcards flew around doing training.

"We are being targeted" Jenny reported, manning the Tactical console.

"Raise shields but don't arm weapons"

"Wildcards have been ordered to close in and intercept"

"So far, so good" Jenny said. "We've got three cruisers ordered to open fire on us if it looks as if we're going to escape"

"Power up the forward laser banks… Do not target ships, but just make sure they see you power up" David said as he increased speed to one half. "David to Vansen"

"Go ahead"

"They might have twigged its us – can you do a manual docking?"

"I haven't done one since training, but should be able to pull it off" the Marine replied.

"Once you've cleared the flight deck doors, get on the deck because we're going to warp the moment we're secured"

"Understood. Vansen out"

"Max, plot us a course in any direction but the black hole. Put that into the navigational computer and engage the drive the moment the door closes"

"Weapons are armed – cruisers have locked on and opened torpedo bays" Jenny said.

"Lock on with our fire control systems, but don't target the ships" David knew he was taking a risk with that order, but he had to see if they would fire upon the Excelsior or if somebody would notice the ship was being manned by only two persons and wasn't cleared for action.

"They must be bluffing" said Jenny. "They'd never fire on us?"

"I disagree" said MAX.

"Why?"

"They fired torpedoes"

"Battlestations" David ordered. MAX brought all of the weapons to full power and readiness. "Bridge to Vinetgar"

"I am here"

"Get up here quickly… We need somebody to cover missiles"

"I am on my way"

"What is he doing on board?"

"I had Max beam him up here a few hours ago to put warheads on the missile in case we needed them" David replied to Jenny's question.

"David, scanners indicate torpedoes are tipped with nuclear warheads" MAX interrupted.

"What? Are they insane?" Jenny asked the AI.

"They might be attempt to cripple us in one strike"

"Distance to Wildcards?" David asked.

"The missiles will get to us before they do. Jump Drive is powered up and ready on your orders" and David looked at the displays on the Helm as he twisted the Excelsior this way and that.

"Send a message to the Wildcards and tell them sorry – Max, engage the drive"

"Compliance" he said as Vinetgar charged onto the Bridge and jumped into the seat for Missile Control as the Excelsior jumped into warp speed. "Stealth systems engaged – active scanners have been secured"

"What happened?" asked the Trenton warrior.

"They fired on us with torpedoes" David set, plotting a course on the Helm.

"Is that not standard procedure?"

"Not when they were carrying nuclear warheads" Jenny said, powering down weapons, but making sure power was going to the shields despite the stealth mode. "Max, will the Phaelon fleet be able to detect the shields being raised?" she asked.

"Not at the range they are at. If you happen to mean detect us with the shields raised, not if we reduced power to nearly every deck except Engineering, most systems using active scanning… A lot of piloting will need to happen in manual mode"

"Can you do it, Max?" asked David.

"Easy"

"Take over… Vinetgar, can you stay on the Bridge?"

"Of course"

"Jenny, lets go find some digs"

"Navigator, there is no time to stop and uncover ruins" MAX said to him with an air of confusion.

"I'm talking about cabins" David sighed and accepted his son from Jenny. Together, they walked off the Bridge to find the Captain's quarters – deciding to take it for themselves.

# # # # #

"I am detecting high powered scanners" MAX announced.

"Have they detected us yet?" Vinetgar asked.

"I do not believe so"

"Can you identify the type of scanner and how many ships?"

"Readings indicate a type used by the Phaelon Navy. I believe I am detecting about three ships about the size of a large cruiser – interception in eleven minutes at present speed"

"If they get too close, they might be able to spot us visually" Vinetgar was just about to call for David and Jenny when he got out of the Helm and went over to look at the data at the Science station. "Computer, identify the seventh planet in this system – what is it made up of?"

"Eighty Five percent iron ferrite" came the reply.

"Ship, set a course for the planet at top speed"

"Why?"

"Because if we cut power to nothing more than life support and scanners, they won't spot us unless they deploy fighters to scout around"

"You mean to camouflage?" MAX was already putting in the course and speed calculations.

"Yes… There is no need to wake up David and his wife unless they come closer" Vinetgar said as he returned to the Helm and carried out the course and speed settings that MAX had done for him. "Still, before you shut down power, load a compliment of torpedoes and a flight of missiles into the tubes. If we have to fight our way out of here, I would have us have the ability to do so instantly"

"Compliance! The ships have changed course and are heading towards us, but are retaining their current speed"

"If we get as close as possible to the magnetic pole, would your passive sensors be affected?"

"There would be reduced sensor ability, but I can work with that well enough" MAX said.

"Hmph" Vinetgar grunted and flicked a few switches on the console. "Tell me, Ship, how you came to be like this?"

"Do you mean from when I kidnapped Tammy?"

"Yes" and so MAX told him the entire story until they lost Tammy as a result of her injuries. "She was a true warrior then" Vinetgar said as the AI finished its tale.

"Tammy was more of a scientist than a warrior"

"Fighting for peace is just as much a battle as it is for war"

"There is logic in that"

"You're a computer… Of course you would like that" Vientgar chuckled before turning to his console, pressing a few controls and then going around the Bridge to adjust things here and there. "Begin sequence to power down active systems, but leave them on standby"

"Compliance" MAX said. "I am detecting smaller signals on an intercept course – classify them as probes"

"Will we be detected by them once we reach the magnetic pole of the planet?" Vinetgar called up the sensor data to the Helm.

"Unknown" MAX replied. "Situation unknown"

A/N:

Reviews in the normal manner, please

Regards,

Pixel