1: Dawn Of Thunder
Third Edition
Author: chaoseternus
When Earth is threatened, the USA and the UK join forces to protect our world…with help from an old friend.
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Chapter 5
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Outer Space – 3 Months Later
The Prometheus limped slowly back to the sol system, its drives damaged, most of the weapons off-line and a corona of debris, hull fragments and bodies surrounding the heavily damaged vessel.
"Prometheus to SGC, come in SGC."
"Prometheus to SGC, come in please SGC."
"No response, sir."
"Very well, keep on trying."
"Prometheus to SGC, come in SGC."
"HMS Thundersdawn to Prometheus, we are reading you signal strength 2."
'HMS Thundersdawn? What the hell?!'
"HMS Thundersdawn, this is a restricted" Colonel Ronson glanced at the readouts on the comm. panel "and encrypted channel, please identify yourself." It wasn't a request.
The reply sounded amused, but stunned the Prometheus's bridge crew "Roger, this is Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth the Second's Spacedock Facility Number 1, call-sign Thundersdawn, in Mars orbit, do you require authentication at this time?"
"Negative, bounce message to Sierra-Golf-Charlie please."
"Repeat please, you are signal strength 1."
"Bounce transmission to SGC please."
"Roger, you are signal strength 2 at this time, re-transmitting now."
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SGC
"Sierra-Golf-Charlie, this is Thundersdawn; we have a bounce transmission from Prometheus for you."
Cheers filled the control room, SG-14 had witnessed Prometheus being ambushed from an observatory on PX-239, but had been 'encouraged' to leave before they could tell if Prometheus had survived or not.
"Sierra-Golf-Charlie, This is Prometheus."
The cheers grew louder, the Prometheus was safe. O'Neill looked at Hammond and said "Why a bounce transmission?"
A look of concern crossed Hammond face, but before he could call Prometheus up, another message came through.
"This is Prometheus, we are declaring an emergency."
The cheers stopped, dead.
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HM Spacedock Thundersdawn
The comm. Officer's hand smashed down on a protective glass covering to the right of his console, then he jabbed at the red button within. Instantly alarms sounded through out the base, and the lights throughout the base dimmed as power was diverted to weapons. A slight thunder could be felt coming through the comm. Officers chair as the stations crew rushed to their battle stations, he thumbed the intercom.
"GQ, all hands man General Quarters, this is not a drill, all crews to rescue stations, all crews to rescue stations, this is not a drill."
The airlock behind him thudded open, and crew came crashing through, racing to their GQ stations.
"Report!" Lieutenant Peters, now a Captain, and Officer in Command of Thundersdawn barked as she strode through the airlock, throwing a uniform top over her head.
"Ma'am, USS Prometheus is inbound, and she just declared an emergency."
"Captain has the bridge." she announced to the room at large as she tried in vain to tie her auburn hair up out of the way, disgusted she gave it up.
Turning quickly to the comm. Officer she asked "any idea of the nature of the emergency?"
"Coming through now."
"On speaker please."
"…Lost at least 20 crew, some compartments still not responding, someone could be in there, we just don't know."
She reached over the comm. Officer and opened the channel,
"Thundersdawn here, any sign of a tail?"
"Negative on that, not picking anything up, but sensors are compromised."
"Roger that" she closed the channel, and turned to the comm. Officer appraisingly. She had been looking for a competent Executive officer (Exec) after the last one failed medical, maybe she didn't have to look any further?
Her mind made, she said "Good work and right decision taking us straight to GQ, rescue stations. You're now Exec, now tell me what we have available."
"Ah, yes, ah" the comm. Officer was surprised but he quickly rallied "Tugs 1-5-5 and 1-5-1 are docked, all 1-4 series craft are down for bug-fixes and won't be available for at least 48hours, all bar 1-4-6 are on earth anyway, 1-5-2 and 1-5-4 are inbound with Priority 1 supplies, ETA is only an hour, and 1-5-3 is immobile, providing power to the asteroid mining facility that's under construction."
"As soon as they arrive, I want 1-5-2 and 1-5-4 unloaded and ready to go, get the crews into 1-5-5 and 1-5-1, and move them to a suitable rendezvous ASAP!"
"We still have one of the life support modules the construction crews used here, what about loading Med-evac equipment into it, and using it as a lifeboat, ma'am?"
"Do it!"