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 6
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USS Prometheus, Just inside Sol System.

The two tugs slowly closed on the now drifting Prometheus, the ungainly mass of a temporary habitat module slung underneath tug 1-5-5.

"1-5-1 to Thundersdawn, we are in visual range of Prometheus, definite dry-dock job here, no sign of any hostiles."

"Prometheus to 1-5-1, glad to see you!"

"Roger, please prepare all non-essential personnel for transfer to 1-5-5's habitat module, status of docking ports please?"

"Topside and front docks are good, all others compromised"

"Roger that, we will dock the module with the topside docking port"

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SGC

"Yes sir, a rescue team from Thundersdawn has already arrived at the Prometheus."

"No sir, as yet we have not received a damage assessment, but we have been informed it's a dockyard job."

"Yes sir, we will confirm that."

"Yes sir, goodbye sir." Hammond sighed as he put the red phone down.

An unhappy president was not a good thing, especially when he had such good reason to be unhappy. The Prometheus was not repairable by any means available to the SGC, not without calling in some major markers, but Thundersdawn not only had the capability, but Prometheus as well, which could be considered 'stacking the deck'. Worse Prometheus had a lot of technologies no other vessel of her class did, especially not he Russian built ones, and these technologies were now in British hands. They could either tell Thundersdawn and her crew how to repair Prometheus, or could insist on the return of Prometheus, and wonder exactly how many technologies Thundersdawn got a nice look at, either way, the SGC's advantage, gained through the blood, toil and tears of the SG teams had been compromised, and…

"Signal from Thundersdawn sir, 112 saved sir."

….. They couldn't really complain about it. Well, Kinsley would try to, no one else would.

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Ground Control RAF ST Athan

"Admiral! Signal from Thundersdawn sir!"

The admiral rose from the duty officer's desk and strode over to the cramped and messy comms desk, which showed evidence of many hurried refits, and hasty repairs.

"Thundersdawn to Ground Control, 1-5-5 reports an ETA of 5 hours for the Prometheus survivors sir, and Medical assistance has been requested on arrival, 1-5-1 and 1-5-2 have began towing operations, it's going to be slow, ETA estimated at 2 days, 1-5-4 is monitoring, Peters requests status on the 1-4 series craft please."

The admiral smiled, he at least had anticipated this need, the 1-5 series tugs were not atmospheric capable, the 1-4 series, big and ungainly as they were, could re-enter safely, apart from the minor issue the heat-proof tiles coming off all the time.

"I had 1-4-7 crash refitted with the new tiles, its passenger re-entry module too. Lift off in" he checked his watch "1 hour, all the other 1-4 will be significantly delayed though, don't expect them to start becoming available for another 48 hours."

Thompson quite rightly imagined Captain Peters wincing as she heard those words, Thundersdawn was already low on several critical supplies, which the emergency situation with the Prometheus had only made worse; this additional delay could be a problem. Those sodding tiles had grounded the only craft the royals had capable of exiting and re-entering earths atmosphere, the only source of a number of very important supplies, air and water to name just two.