Part 6
Marie had not been exaggerating when she said she knew how to fly a Warlock class destroyer. Susan was looking over the crew manifest, evaluating their strengths and weaknesses, when the Ranger's efficient voice announced that they were returning to normal space.
"Contact the Hermes," Ivanova ordered, "Let's see if we have any more information on the enemy. And find out if Sheridan has arrived."
The young officer assigned to communications opened a channel. She had never worked on the bridge before, having been drafted from engineering, but if she was unnerved it did not show. Susan was impressed. Lieutenant Collins had done a first rate job, filling the essential positions with their limited resources. Every station on the bridge was manned, as well as every main weapon. He had moved a number of the crew from their usual departments such as environmental and catering, which were, frankly, redundant during a firefight, and covered as much ground as possible. Susan was pleased to see that medical had been left alone. With an undermanned crew, there were likely to be a high proportion of casualties. What they didn't have were pilots to spare for Starfuries, although the Titans was manoeuvrable enough for it not to be crucial for their defence. Also, with no Starfuries to be tracked, all their attention would only need to be focused on the one ship. That made Susan feel a little easier about the impending battle.
As Susan waited for a response from the Hermes, she looked out on her home planet for the first time in five years. It was just as beautiful as she remembered, a blue and white sphere hanging there in space. Suddenly, Susan felt her throat closing onto a sob, and her eyes stinging with tears.
Earth. It was still her home, even after all the heartache it had caused her. She had forgotten that at some point in her running and hiding, but now Ivanova was back and she was going to do her damndest to make sure that no one touched her planet.
"The Hermes orders us to take up position with the fleet." The communications officer broke in, "They also say that they have no new information and that the President is not yet here."
Ivanova swallowed back her tears.
"Cole, take us in," she ordered, "Keep your eyes peeled on scanners. I want a heads up as soon as anything appears in our space. Stand by everyone; we don't know what is coming at us."
They waited. Ivanova desperately wanted to contact the President for information on what was heading their way; species, number, armament, anything. All she knew was that it was something big, and the depleted fleet she had seen in orbit was certainly not ready to fight a pitched battle. As a soldier though, she also knew that unnecessary chatter on the communications channels was dangerous, so she kept silent and waited with the rest of the fleet.
Minutes passed, and Ivanova began to pace, running battle plans through her head. She had turned on her heel just behind navigation when she heard a suppressed giggle.
"Something funny Cole?" she asked.
Marie half turned in her seat,
"I'm sorry Captain," she said, "But Dad told me about your pacing. It's just a little strange to see it for myself."
Ivanova raised her eyebrows in indignation,
"And what else did he tell you, may I ask?"
"Nothing uncomplimentary, I assure you." Marie's smile faded slightly. "I was just wondering what he would be doing if he were here."
"Annoying the hell out of me probably." Ivanova allowed herself a half smile as she remembered. "He would spout the most ridiculous rubbish when he was nervous."
"Did he get scared before a battle?"
Ivanova looked down at the girl. At that moment, she looked a very young eighteen, her inexperience showing with the fear that had crept into her eyes.
"We all get scared before a battle," Susan reassured her, "You wouldn't be human if you didn't. It is that fear that will keep you alive. The trick though is to not let it cloud your judgement. I thought you had been trained to face terror?"
"There is a difference between personal demons and waiting to put your life on the line." Marie swallowed, "I just hope that I don't disappoint you."
Susan squeezed her shoulder. "I have never yet been disappointed by a Ranger. Your training will take over when the shooting starts. Trust me, I've done this before."
They shared a smile, then Marie turned back to her control panel and Susan returned back to her seat. She didn't feel the need to pace anymore.
OoOoO
Eventually, it was announced that a jump point was forming. Ivanova turned to the front viewport, waiting to see how many Whitestars would emerge. Out from the swirl of blue came, not the flowing lines of the Ranger ships that she was familiar with, but two bows of unknown design. The ships that finally appeared were completely new to her. Long, thin and tri tailed, they reminded Ivanova a little of arrows, except she had never seen arrows as enormous as those. The ships dwarfed her own.
"What are they?" she asked no one in particular.
"It's the Excalibur and Victory!" Marie almost shouted, and then at Ivanova's puzzled look breathlessly explained. "They're the new destroyers that the Alliance are developing. I didn't think they would be ready yet."
Ivanova decided to leave other questions for later. Sheridan had arrived. That meant that the enemy would not be far behind.
"Put communications on main speaker." She ordered. Time to find out what they were up against.
"This is General Yuri Mikhailovich Denisov of the Hermes to Excalibur, do you copy?" The bored voice of the fleet commander was heard on the bridge.
"Confirmed Hermes." That was Sheridan. The relief Ivanova felt when she heard his voice surprised her.
"We are all here as you requested, but so far we have seen nothing." The General obviously did not believe the Presidents warning. 'Idiot!' thought Ivanova.
"General.." Sheridan too was desperate to make him understand. The Russian though continued on,
"Certainly, on behalf of the Russian Consortium which has lost many of our citizens in recent conflicts, it is our hope that this exercise…"
"This is no exercise." Sheridan interrupted.
At that point, time ran out for explanations as the proximity alarm announced the arrival of the enemy. Multiple jump points formed and hundreds of angular spiky ships spilled into real space.
"Oh Hell!" Ivanova recognised them, "It's the Drakh."
The bridge crew looked up at her exclamation. Ivanova did not know if they had been briefed about the Shadow's former allies.
"What's that?" Lieutenant Collins asked, pointing to a dark patch behind the enemy ships. Ivanova looked and immediately felt her blood run cold. She believed that she had seen the last of the horrors of the Shadow war, but what was approaching was something that had haunted her nightmares.
"It's a deathcloud."
The arrival of the Drakh had the desired effect on General Denisov, as he did not comment when Sheridan resumed speaking.
"General, listen to me. The fleet is not our main concern. Leave them to the defence grid. The deathcloud itself is the real danger. Now, they will try to knock your fleet aside to position their planet killer where it can strike. You have got to prevent that from happening."
"What do you want me to do?" The General asked.
"Captain Anderson and I have the best chance of taking it out. Give us a flying wedge of ships to punch a hole through their defences. Then get us within striking range of that thing."
"Then what?"
"Then we kill it somehow."
Ivanova ordered Cole to take up position as the two new destroyers turned to face the oncoming ships and the rest of the fleet closed ranks.
"Heat up weapons," She ordered, "Concentrate main fire to forward. We're going to head into the heart of them."
And so they did. Wave after wave of Drakh fighters came at them, recklessly attacking, almost suicidal in their attempt to delay the Earth ships. Again and again the Titans shot them out of the sky. Ivanova concentrated on the tactical readout, directing the fire to where it was needed most. The flying she left to Ranger Cole who had been ordered to stay in formation with the Excalibur and Victory, no matter what came at them. The young woman, now that she was in the middle of a battle, showed none of her former fear. Ivanova had been right about her training.
Part of Ivanova was still listening to the Excalibur's frequency, which had remained on the main speakers. She picked up that Sheridan was scanning the deathcloud so as to be able to see inside it; then when he succeeded, she ordered communications to get the information. Her pilot would need that information to be able to fly them in and out.
As they entered the deathcloud, the incoming fire became more intense. Drakh ships were attacking from every side and their guns could not take them all out. Added to that were the defence systems of the deathcloud itself. Fire was getting through and reports of hits and casualties began to be logged. Ivanova sent up a silent prayer, then gritted her teeth as another hit rocked the ship.
"Come on Sheridan," she muttered, "Do something!" They didn't have much time left.
Then a target was identified and the two destroyers moved ahead of the fleet.
"Let them go Cole," Ivanova ordered, "We need to watch their backs." Plus they would need to be clear if something went wrong.
"Aye sir." The order was acknowledged.
Another shot hit the Titans but Ivanova almost didn't notice it as she watched the destroyers come under heavy fire. There was an explosion from one of them.
"Which ship was that?" she asked. It looked serious. Were they badly damaged?
A sudden explosion ripped into the bridge. Flattening Ivanova against the nearest bulkhead and knocking all the breath out of her. Someone screamed and then everybody began shouting at once.
Ivanova shook her head to try and get her thoughts moving. Sparks and smoke were everywhere.
"Fire control!" she barked, "Damage?"
'Get your people moving.' That was the phrase that she remembered from officer training. 'Don't give them the chance to panic.' She pushed herself away from the wall and scanned the bridge, taking in the situation for herself. Some of the electrics seemed to be out, but extinguishers were smothering the fires and the superstructure seemed to be sound.
"Stations report."
Ivanova leaned against her chair as she mentally ticked off the duty stations. Ops, tactical, communications. Navigation? Marie had not reported.
Ivanova spun towards the front of the bridge. The explosion had flung the Ranger back in her seat and there she had remained, head back, eyes closed, half her face covered in blood.
To be continued...