Chapter Four Part Two
Somewhere in the Lucia system
The Hammond dropped out of hyperspace and was quickly joined by the rest of the Pendergast, the Phoenix, and the Paul Emerson.
"Taskforce is on station ma'am and long-range sensors are clear of any contacts," Major Brice reported.
"Tell the others to launch all of their 308s," Carter ordered.
The Golden Eagles were the first to get out onto the field. With the bay doors opened prior to emerging from hyperspace, the twenty-four fighters were shot out at lightning speed. A 304 would usually carry sixteen fighters but the larger and wider hangar bays enabled them to carry eight more and two to four V-309s if the mission required. The siege on Lucia definitely called for the hangar bays to be filled at surge capacity.
Seconds later, the Golden Eagles were joined by the Lions from the Pendergast, the Silencers from the Phoenix, and the Grim Reapers from the Paul Emerson.
"This is Gold One to all squadron leaders, are your teams ready to roll?" Sullivan asked
"This is Lion Leader, affirmative," Lieutenant Colonel Kelly Baker reported
"Silencer One, affirmative."
"Reaper One here, my team is cocked locked, and ready to rock," Major Emerson said in a very cheerful tone. Sullivan thought she sounded a little too cheerful but now was not the time to dwell on it.
"Sensor link with the Hammond established," Sullivan's AWASS reported.
"Gold One to Hammond, we're commencing fighter sweep."
"Roger that Bull, we won't be far behind."
The 308s set off across the system in a wall formation ready to splash any bandits they came across.
Four hours passed and they had yet to encounter a single enemy vessel or craft. Suddenly Sullivan's AWASS reported an incoming message from the Hammond and displayed it on his visor.
MINEFIELD DETECTED THREE HUNDRED MILES DEAD AHEAD. WE WILL BE TAKING CARE OF IT SHORTLY. Sullivan pulled up the digital keyboard on his display panel and typed a quick rog to send back as a reply.
A few seconds later, a portion of the minefield showed up on his sensor screen.
"We're getting closer," he thought to himself. There was no need to tell the others. For they were already seeing what he was seeing. The joy of sensor fusion.
Hammond Bridge
"Colonel, I've successfully tapped into the sensors of the first mine and the leapfrog virus is rapidly spreading to the others."
"How much longer until we have them all, Major?" Brice checked the timer on his screen.
"Two more minutes."
The two minutes went by quickly and soon enough, all of the mines were flashing green on the digital HUD.
"We now have full detonation authority over the enemy minefield," Brice reported.
"Initiate," Carter ordered.
Lucian Alliance Space Station
Lucia's orbit.
One minute, the minefield floating in the space between Lucia and its moon was displayed on the sensor screen and the next, it was gone."
"What just happened?" Clayvin shouted.
"All of our mines just exploded, High Commander," one of the sensors operator replied.
"How?" Irene furiously asked.
"I don't know, they were fine a moment ago."
"There were thousands of mines out there. How could they all just explode," Clayvin asked. Everyone except him and Irene was running around the room in a panic.
Suddenly, another alarm sounded.
"I got multiple contacts dropping out of hyperspace," the sensor operator shouted.
"Are they Tau'ri ships?" Irene asked.
"No, it's their fighters. Sensors confirm a total of… ninety-six. Ninety-six Tau'ri fighters.
"Clayvin, we cannot allow them to reach our planet," Irene said.
"Agreed. Send forth the gliders. Every last one," Clayvin shouted.
Gold One
"Boss, it looks like Alliance isn't too pleased about their mines getting blown up. Their space station has detected us and their Gliders are coming fast and furious to meet us."
"Copy, Gold Two," Sullivan replied then looked at the latest sensor feed from the Hammond. A wall of five hundred Gliders was indeed coming fast and furious to meet them but it would be a little while longer before they came within range of their AMRAAMs and the Al'kesh were remaining close to the Ha'taks. Apparently, the Alliance command was saving them for the fight against the Hammond and her taskforce. Still, Sullivan couldn't help but smile behind his oxygen mask.
"I gotta hand it to you Lucian Alliance. You've stacked the deck pretty good and I Lieutenant Colonel Ronald James Sullivan of the United States Air Force gladly accepts your challenge."
Major Emerson had some thoughts too as she looked at the approaching bandits on her screen.
"That's right you motherfuckers, keep coming. You bastards have an all-expenses-paid vacation to AMRAAM City waiting for you. I hear the weather is very lovely this time of year."
AN. AWASS stands for Automated Warning And Support System. It's a system I made up for the 308.