Episode 13
Colorado steamed as fast as her engines would dare let her, pushing them past the red line. She could feel them straining, delicate machinery struggling to keep up with her demands and somewhere in the back of her mind she was aware of the possibility of overheating and the risk that presented. But she didn't care! She felt nothing. Not even the strong current generated by her 40 knot plus speed. The only thing she felt was fear. All encompassing fear. L'iana could be in great danger. Three destroyers was a lot to take on even for a state of the art submarine like her never mind a fishing trawler! What had she been thinking? But Colorado already knew the answer to that. L'iana had done the only thing she could do, protect her fleet and her mate at the same time. That selfless attitude was part of why she had endeared herself to Colorado. The submarine saw a lot of herself in the plucky trawler. But that likeness was going to get the one thing that Colorado loved more than anything killed. Well, not on her watch! She increased speed even more, her engines protests audible to her and anyone who had sonar. Again in the back of her mind a voice told her caution. Her instincts begged her to slow down, to avoid generating so much noise and she shoved them down viciously. She would've brought Pegasus online but doing so would cost her speed and she needed every knot she could get!
It took her an hour before she finally reached the destroyers position. Diving deep she hovered just above a thermocline, her belly brushing it. She could dive under it if she was detected, effectively disappearing from their scopes. The destroyers were talking to someone and Colorado listened, her passive array picking up the strains of their conversation. What she heard, dispelled any notion she might've had about escaping undetected.
"Now why don't you be a good girl and tell us where to find USS Colorado?"
Colorado bit back a snarl. Her mate was up there with a gun to her head. They didn't know she was here yet. She might be able to capitalize on that. She blew ballast and rose gently towards the surface, trailing a trio of fine wires behind her.
L'iana glared at the flagship with intense hatred blazing in her eyes. If it wasn't for his buddy holding her back she would've bitten his jugular. "Colorado doesn't go by that name anymore, don't you know? She's gone rogue."
"Where is she?" The destroyer's nostrils flared as he reigned in his temper.
L'iana forced back the fear she felt rising in her throat. She knew she was a dead ship. She would likely be the source of their amusement for the first little while before they finally decided to kill her. L'iana took a moment in answering and when she did her tone was slightly mocking. "I honestly don't know." She smiled convincingly at him. That was truth, she didn't know but she had a good idea. Of course she wasn't going to let him know that and she enjoyed rubbing the honesty in his face.
He growled and raised a wire to strike her. L'iana braced herself and then a new voice called out. "I'm right here!"
All ships turned to stare at Colorado, water rushing off her deck as she settled on the surface. Her green eyes were narrowed into fine slits but L'iana could see they were hard as ice and she hid back her rising grin. Those destroyers had no idea what was coming for them. "If you want to fight me then fight me. But when you take one of my ships then I'm sorry to say the rule book goes out the window."
"Give up the island." The lead destroyer ordered.
"I just might if you let her go." Colorado replied, eyes flickering momentarily to L'iana. The bond between them was locked shut with a metal pad and chain but a few emotions slipped through. The most prominent of them was fear. Colorado's eyes traced over her and seeing the trawler was relatively unharmed brought a flicker of relief across the bond before the submarine turned her attention back to the destroyers.
"Oh we're counting on it." The lead ship replied. "Here's what's going to happen. I'm going to take this one," his pal shook L'iana for emphasis and Colorado had to use every ounce of self control she had not to pounce on him. "Then, I'm going to..."
"Take over the island and kill us all, yeah yeah scary stuff." Colorado snorted, seemingly unaffected. L'iana was surprised until she felt the small hint of satisfaction creeping across the bond. She had a plan and they were falling right into it. L'iana sent smugness her way and got a small smirk in reply. "Listen since you're a world class psychopath," She continued seemingly unaffected and L'iana chuckled. "I've got a better option for you. One that will appeal more to your tastes. You set her down, proceed to the island and take it over, then I be the generous American I am and take us out to dinner."
L'iana stared at her mate, understanding exactly what Colorado had in mind. "You didn't!" She thought.
"Be ready." Was the sub's only reply.
Below the surface, Colorado held three fine guide wires in her fins. At the other end were three Mark 48 ADCAP torpedoes, launched below the thermocline and brought near the surface with her. She programmed each to target one of the Chinese destroyers, set to detonate under their keels and merely was stalling for time before each was in position. She needed them to hit at the exact same time to prevent the risk of L'iana being fired upon as the destroyers realized they'd been had.
"No, thank you. I think I like our plan better." The lead destroyer replied. "Now, we shall be going. You shall remain right where you are."
"I shall not move." Colorado smirked. "You on the other prob, will be going on a special journey. A journey, to the ocean floor."
Before her words could sink in, Colorado cut the guide wires and the torpedoes on board computers honed in. Each detonated right on the mark sending up a trio of splashes up as the destroyers backs were broken. One managed to rotate a turret around to fire on L'iana but Colorado launched a missile at him. It missed, streaking up into the stratosphere as it awaited further commands from its mother ship but its launch startled the destroyer causing his shot to go wild. He quickly sank.
Colorado pried the dead destroyer off her mate, taking L'iana in her fins. She kissed her repeatedly. "You're so stupid, L'iana! What were you thinking? Why did you do that, why?!"
L'iana for her part seemed perfectly relaxed despite the situation she had just been in. She leaned into her mate's grip. "When you dive, I dive right?" She replied.
It took a moment for Colorado to get the reference, then she grinned. "You're crazy you know that?!" She laughed.
"I've got a submarine for my mate. Of course I'm crazy." L'iana nuzzled her.
Colorado smiled. "Brinka's leading the fleet to St. Croix, I need you to join them." She said.
"Aren't you coming with us? The destroyers are gone, the threat has been neutralized."
Colorado shook her head. "This isn't over. Not by a long shot. Those destroyers had help." She raised her voice to address who she knew had surfaced behind them. "Isn't that right, Illinois."
The smaller sub shook water off her deck. "That's USS Illinois to you, traitor."
"Considering you sold information to the Chinese, I'd say you're more traitor that I am." Colorado replied, turning to face her. She kept one fin on L'iana, curled around her protectively. Her body language was clear. "She's mine!"
Illinois' eyes sparkled. "My my, found a mate in a deserter have we. Very naughty Colorado. Very naughty indeed but rogues do think alike."
Beside Colorado, L'iana stiffened. "I deserted nothing!" She hissed. "My family was gone, none survived that disaster."
"True." Illinois shrugged. "But when the Coast Guard called up its reservists where were you? Halfway on your journey to Caribbean. You had reached Panama as I recall, basking in the warm sun and the pleasurable company."
L'iana's response contained language foul enough to make a sailor blush. And it was in a tongue only the present boats could understand. L'iana had just spoken in submarine.
Illinois' eyes flashed. "You are not worthy to speak my tongue, foul pirate!"
"I am the mate of an Ohio-class ballistic missile submarine. If she thinks I am worthy then that's good enough for me." L'iana replied just as coolly.
"Enough." Colorado intervened. She just rescued her mate from one opponent. She didn't want to do it a second time. Especially not when she was uncertain if she could beat Illinois. When the torpedoes detonated, her proximity to the explosions ensured she got a sail full of shrapnel. One in particular was lodged close to an artery on her right side. It didn't puncture it but was cutting off some blood flow. Already, she was having a hard time operating her bow plane there, the one that was currently resting over L'iana. "L'iana, I want you to join the fleet." She said.
"But I want to fight. I can stay, I can help!" L'iana begged. Colorado knew she was beginning to see the truth in this war. There was only one way it was going to end, and they both knew it.
"You've already done beautifully." Colorado assured her, consciously forcing her fin to move, two of her fingers caressing her mate's cheek. "Now let me take it from here, okay?"
L'iana pressed her nose into the sub's palm, not saying anything for a moment. Colorado didn't have much time.
"L'iana do you trust me?" She asked.
"With everything I have." The trawler replied.
"Then go. Go as fast as you can, get the fleet to St. Croix and don't. Look. Back."
L'iana nodded, her eyes filled with tears. She longed to kiss her mate, tell her loving words that would do absolutely nothing to change the outcome of what was about to happen. But she didn't. She respected Colorado's wishes, sending a wave of love across the bond and hoping it gave the submarine enough strength to win the coming battle.
"Goodbye." As L'iana sailed out of sight, Colorado turned her attention back to Illinois. Her opponent remained on the surface, readying to strike. Colorado bit back a smirk, perfect. She still had control of the missile she had launched and relayed a command to lock on to her position. She had 10 minutes. 10 minutes to keep Illinois busy.
Illinois lunged first. Colorado parried with an expert block and the two dove into the battle. Keeping Illinois close to the surface was key. Too deep and the missile would detonate harmlessly above. But remain on the surface and if the missile missed the two would sail away unscathed. She had to keep both above 500 feet. A shallow water attack was something that the Virginia-class had an advantage in. Colorado was a deep water sub, meant for mid ocean excursions. The near constant disturbances of the surface waters made them dangerous to a submarine who knew little about them and the Ohio's handicap didn't help matters. She could hardly move her right fin at all now and the vision in her right eye was starting to gray. She was running out of time.
Taking a vicious hold of her ludicy she bit into the nearest thing she could see which happened to be Illinois' port fin. She wrench her head back and forth like a sharks, shredding the appendage before being forced to let go as Illinois banged their heads together. The dull ring sounded for several minutes and Colorado knew without looking that her sonar array was shot. She'd be lucky to get anything out of it. She was tiring fast. A look at her countdown clock told her she had 5 more minutes but Colorado wasn't sure she could last that long. The blockage in her brain was compromising her entire right side. She had no feeling in her bow plane and her aft fin was starting to tingle as well. Looking at Illinois, Colorado could see her fellow submarine was having little issue holding her own. Another glance at the clock, 3 minutes. Colorado stared into the eyes of her opponent. Once, Illinois had been a kind sub. A bright student who was always eager to learn the ways of the world. But where once there was brightness, now there was nothing but eternal cold.
"What have they done to you, Illinois?" She rasped.
"Nothing you can fix." Illinois hissed in reply. "I have my orders to kill you and orders are orders."
"You don't have to follow them." Colorado said.
"And end up like you? A dying rogue? Hmph, no I don't think so."
"We have a duty to our country yes but also to do the right thing. Tell me Illinois, is this the right thing? Is any of what your commander in chief wants the right thing?!" 90 seconds, Colorado's tracking computer showed her the missile had reentered the atmosphere. Its directional thrusters were keeping it on course for the target. She sent it updated information, letting it know that the targets position had changed by 100 feet laterally and 200 feet vertically. The missile responded instantly, picking up speed as it adjusted its angle.
60 seconds. Colorado could see the indecision in Illinois eyes but she knew she'd already made her choice. Even if some miracle allowed her to turn Illinois the rest of the US fleet and the Pentagon would never rest until she was sunk. Colorado was simply saving them the effort and she was going to take her opponent down with her. For her country, for her fleet, for L'iana. The thought of her mate gave Colorado the strength she thought she didn't have.
"This is the right thing." She answered for Illinois and lunged, holding the other sub in position against the current. The muscles she could still feel screamed at her to let go as Illinois writhed kicked and bit at any part of Colorado she could reach. 20 seconds, the missile slowed as it entered the lower reaches of the atmosphere. Its onboard computer began making commands of its own, locking onto its target and adjusting its course on its own.
10 seconds, the missile would be visible only on the most sophisticated of radars as it passed through 30,000 feet, traveling at 10 times the speed of sound. Anyone looking at their screens would see a brief blip and nothing more, shrugging it off as an anomaly.
5 seconds, the missile was now visible on the ground if anyone was watching but out here in the deep ocean, only the submarines sitting just below the surface were its only witnesses.
4 seconds, Colorado tightened her grip on Illinois, reaching out to her mate. She felt L'iana's presence close by but not close enough to be hurt in the explosion.
3 seconds, L'iana felt her mate's call and opened her end of the bond. Colorado didn't wait even a microsecond. "DUCK IN COVER!" She ordered instantly. A reference to the cry so popular in nuclear explosion videos in the 1950s. L'iana's fear heightened but she acknowledged her mate's command, letting her know the fleet also was obeying.
2 seconds, Illinois managed to get a hold on Colorado's port fin, wrenching the appendage out of its socket. Colorado roared in pain but she held on as best she could, her useless starboard fin scraping against Illinois' flank in a screech of metal.
1 second, the missile was too close now to abort. Colorado closed her eyes. There was no true way to brace one's self for death. One could only let it come with quiet dignity.
0 seconds, the missile impacted the sea still traveling at close to 8 times the speed of sound. Water was ejected in a circular pattern upon impact, most vaporizing instantly. The missile exploded upon contact with the sea, its flames missing the submarines by 50 feet but it wasn't the explosion that was the killer. But the concussion. The concussion wave slammed into both subs within microseconds of impact. Only Colorado knew what had happened and her last thoughts were of satisfaction. She had done her job and her mate was safe. The blast separated the two subs but that didn't matter, both's internal organs would've been turned to jelly. Neither had a hope of surviving. Their bodies tumbled away, thrown about by the current. Colorado caught a glimpse of Illinois' hull suspended below and outlined by the flames above. Then the light was gone and all faded to black.