Echoes of future past, part 44
The Maru bucked and shudder as Trance navigated a rarely used portion of Slipstream. Rommie managed to drag herself to the cockpit, acquiring several lumps and bruises on the way, an unnerving experience for a former Avatar, "Where are we going?" The ship lurched suddenly as Trace cut between streams, the equivalent of crossing a phone line, "Waite and see: we're almost there!" The words where barley out when the Maru exited slipstream, sending Rev Bem and Rommie to the deck.
Rommie pulled herself up into a keeling position, her eyes wide, "By the Empress!"
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Andromeda's imaged filed the main screen, "Registering multiple slipstream events at the edge of sensor range." Dylan nodded, "On screen." The image changed to show a fleet of ship's exiting slipstream in fleet formation and lining up in front of the Andromeda and the Sabra-Jaguar ship's under Charlemagne Bolivar's control.
Dylan's face was grim, "Battle Stations!"
Throughout the huge warship, crewmembers dropped what they where doing and ran to their assigned stations, powering up the point defence lasers and deploying the combat fins. Most of the interior lights changed to blue, on the off chance that anyone had mistaken the Battle stations call for anything else. Bit by bit, the Andromeda Ascended prepared to face it's new foe.
Beka tabbed the com-system, "Harper, now would be a really good time to tell us we have slipstream!" The engineers normally jovial tones where muted, "Not a chance boss: It'll be at lest another two hours before we can do anything above 25-PSL, and even then, we don't have the fuel to play tag."
Andromeda's holographic Avatar appeared next to Dylan. If he felt anything at seeing the duplicate of his lost love again, he didn't show it. The AI looked dead ahead, "We are being hailed by the lead cruiser." Dylan nodded, "On screen." The main view screen changed, the stars cape replaced by the ragged image of Fleet Marshall William Ataturk of the Drago-Kazov. The past 18-mounths of war had changed him from his former hansom self to a ragged man, aged beyond his years, "Captain Hunt: at long last, we meet again. And I see you where able to bring the other man I was looking for: Tyr Anasazi. If you would be good enough to place yourselves in a shuttle, along with the remains of the progenitor, I will spare your ship and crew." Dylan leaned forward, his eyes as hard as diamond, "Go. To. Hell."
Ataturk blinked, visibly shaken by Dylan's statement, "Don't tell me the famously pacifistic Dylan Hunt has finally grown a back-bone? You really think that ship of yours is in any condition to face my forces? Even with that fool Bolivar backing you up, you have nowhere near the firepower needed to even to defeat me!" The screen slip in two along the vertical as Charlemagne cut-in, "Hope you don't mind me butting in, but it is bad manners to say such things about someone, and not give them a chance to defend themselves." Ataturk eyes burned with rage, "I will give you one chance to save you people Bolivar: side with me now, and I will be lenient in my dealings with the Sabra-Jaguar, after I have united the Nietzschean people under the Drago-Kazov. Under my leadership, we will take our rightful place as the rulers of the known worlds!" Beka held her breath, as Charlemagne seemed to think over the other mans offer. Then the Sabra-Jaguar Arch-Duke smiled, "I do believe Dylan put it best when he said 'Go to hell.' Now be a good chap, do the universe a favour, and die." Enraged beyond words, Ataturk cut the link; his ship's moving into attack vectors.
Dylan looked at Charlemagne with newfound respect, "Gutsy move: you know what'll try and do if he survives?" Charlemagne shrugged, "Then we have to make sure he doesn't survive. Fight well, Dylan Hunt." Dylan saluted the other man, "Fight well, Charlemagne Bolivar." The link died as the Sabra-Jaguar ships took up covering position around the Andromeda; overlapping their defensive fire, while leaving the field wide open to fire at the hostile ships.
Dylan tuned to Tyr, "Mr Anasazi: see to it that your wife makes it to an escape-pod." Beka went to complain, but the first salvo of Drago-Kazov missiles slammed into the near helpless ship, shaking it violently. Tyr moved fast, grabbing his wife under the arms, and dragging her from command. Dylan turned to Andromeda, "Sound General-Quarters, then abandon ship: I won't have the crew pay my debts." A shrill tone filled the ship, and was follows by the lower, repeating tone signalling Abandon Ship.
Tyr ran back into command and took his place at the weapons station, a black eye already forming where Beka had obviously gotten in a lucky shot as he forced her into n escape-pod. Dylan looked at him, "In case you haven't noticed, I have ordered all crew members to abandon ship." Tyr's eyes stayed down cast, "I abandoned my obligations to this ship once, and I almost dammed us all: I will not make the same mistake twice." Dylan nodded, and turned to Andromeda, "Target Ataturk's ship with everything we have. Power-up the X-Ray Laser: well finish this up-close and personal." The AI nodded, It's holographic form blinking out.
The lights dimmed as Andromeda fed power to her seldom used main-gun. A weapons port in the bow opened, reviling the huge focusing array of the 500-megawhat weapon. It glowed slightly as Dylan took the pilots station, moving the ship close to Ataturk's, closing the distance to the 4-light second maximum range.
Dylan's eyes narrowed, the other ship growing larger on the main screen, "Fire!"
The lights in command dimmed even further as the weapon discharged, a pulsating red beam striking out at the smaller vassal, ripping a huge rent down it's starboard side, pealing back armour and internal structure like tissue-paper.
Tyr blinked, "Why have we never used this before?" Dylan leaned back from the now useless controls, "Because a shot like that takes most of our power: It'll take Andromeda awhile to re-charge her capacitors. Till them we're dead in the water, again." Tyr nodded, "Captain Hunt, it has been one of the grates honours of my life to serve with you." Dylan nodded as more missiles struck the ship, "Likewise Mr Anasazi, likewise."
A Sabra-Jaguar destroyer exploded in a huge fireball, signalling the begging of the end. Dylan relaxed, waiting for it to end at long last: he had cheated death 300-years before when he had been taped by the black hole. He'd never looked for death, for it had always been around him, but now he remembered an old proverb from pre-commonwealth earth: The only reason for walking into the jaws of Death is so you can kick them in. Dylan smiled slightly, "Andromeda, ramming speed."
The AI was about to respond when the sky was lit up with multiple Slipstream exit-points. Hundreds of ship's pored into the system, the Maru at they're head. Tyr's eyes went wide as the ship's came into focus: they where High Guard ship's, but not the fleet that was stationed at Mobius. Cruisers, Destroyers and Frigates exited the null-space that was Slipstream and closed on the Drago-Kazov fleet.
The main view screen flicked on: "This is Admiral Uxulta of the High Guard Tarn Vedra division, to Drago-Kazov fleet: stand down or we will destroy you!"
TBC
