Disclaimer: Star Blazers is 2003 by Vorager Entertainment, Inc. Everything else is mine
Synopsis: Everyone is hunting for Colleen and Sandor, each for different reasons; Derek is musing about Nova's attitude towards him on the bridge; and Kathleen has let a search party of Space Marines loose within the Yamato.
Chapter 8
That Certain Feeling
Nova waited patiently for the elevator doors to open, thinking about where she should try first. She decided Sandor's lab was the best place to start. The doors whooshed open and Nova stepped out. A couple of Marines were waiting there and they gave her a quick nod before disappearing into the elevator. The brunette frowned. That reminded her. She hadn't seen Sergeant Knox for the last several hours. Ususally, she was tripping over the burly man. The officer promised herself to check on Knox after she had found the missing couple.
"Conroy?"
"Yes, sir?" The Tiger fighter pilot stood near his plane. He saluted Derek sharply.
"On the other side of the asteriod belt is an enemy base, " started Wildstar, "and I want you and the boys to run a screening pattern to keep the Yamato out of sight. This will also give us a head's up should they send their own fighters out."
"Yes sir!" Conroy beamed. He turned to the rest of the Black Tigers. "You heard the man! Let's get patrols set up."
Wildstar smiled and moved off. Suddenly he stopped and whirled towards Conroy. "Conroy?"
"Hummmm?"
"You haven't seen Sanor by chance today, have you?"
The pilot thought for a moment, his lips pursed together, eyes downcast. "Nope, can't say that I have Wildstar."
"If you happen to see him before you leave, let him know that I'm looking for him."
"Sure thing, Derek."
"Thanks."
Nova had checked all the places she could think of and there was still no sign of Colleen or Sandor. She was running into two-man Space Marine groups and was beginning to get worried. Where were those two and why were the Marines on the loose? A very small thread of fear began to creep into her mind. Whispering, "No, not again," the Living Group leader raced out the hydroponic plant.
"Where could they be?" Kat leaned against a bulkhead furious. She glared up at Pike, the corporal, who only smiled wordlessly. Throwing a hand up in the air, the twin told him sarcasticly, "Some help you are."
He shrugged. "We've searched all over this tub twice now."
"No kidding." Her tone was laced with satire.
"Maybe the Sergeant has seen them," suggested Pike. "We hadn't talked to him yet."
"Anything at this point is worth trying," she shoved herself off the wall. "Let's go."
Nova bursted onto the bridge, startling poor Homer nearly to death. She stopped at his station and told him quickly, "Tell Conroy not to take off."
She didn't see the other's reactions to her.
"It's too late," protested the communications officer.
"Rats!" Nova slammed a hand down on his counsole. She never noticed Homer's face turning white. "Get a hold of him. Tell him something's not right out there. Tell him that I have a reason to believe that there is a trap out there."
"A what?" asked a voice to her left. Derek Wildstar had just stepped out of the elevator. Nova faced him with a wild look in her eye.
"Don't ask me how I know, but there's something wrong out there and Conroy's going to fly into it." She locked gazes with him. They stood for a moment before he nodded.
"Homer, call Conroy. Tell him to be very careful. Nova, get to your station." He raised his voice for everyone to hear. "Batttlestations folks!"
Nova whispered, "Thank you," before racing to her radar.
Pike pulled open the door to the Marines quarters and stopped in utter amazement. Kathleen grunted as she bumped into him then peered past his bulk. Sitting there calmly, looling up at the intruders were Knox, Sandor and Colleen. Spread out on the floor between them was a rocket launcher favored by the Corp, taken completely apart.
Colleen tilted her head to one side and raised her eyebrows at her twin. "Yes?"
"I have have been searching all over this ship for you ...," began Kat sarcastically, edging past Pike.
Just then a piercing horn sounded and Derek's voice was heard over the ship intercom. "Now hear this, now hear this! Battlestations! All personnel, report to your battlestations."
Sandor whipped to his feet. Looking down at Colleen, "I've got to be on the bridge."
"Right," she answered and he raced out of the room. Colleen sat for a moment as Knox and Pike also rushed off. Glancing up at Kat, "Now what?"
Kat stood watching the fast disappearing backs. "Time for Plan B."
"What?" Colleen could barely hear her sister. She rose to her feet and repeated, "What now? What did you say?"
"Come on." Kathleen reached out for her arm and pulled her twin along the now deserted corridor.
"Where are we going?" demanded Colleen as she was drug along, propelled by her sister.
"It's time for us to get into the bunnysuites and do what we do best," explained Kat mysteriously. "It's time for the Star Force to see what we do. Time for Plan B."
"Plan B?"
"We're coming up to a small open space in the belt," Kathleen told her, "and, if I'm right, it's the last place those sting-rays are going to jump us."
Colleen stopped suddenly, pulling Kat off balance. She grabbed her sister by her shirt lapels. "You're just now telling me about this hole? What about Wildstar?"
Kathleen managed a weak smile. "I guess it kinda slipped my mind."
"Yeah, right," Colleen said disgustedly before letting go of her sister. "We had better hurry and let them know what's ahead." She gave Kat a shove. "Move."
Hardy checked his instraments again to be sure. Behind him, spread out over a small area, were the rest of his squad and, further on back crawled the Yamato through this last part of the belt. Conroy had spread the word to be on your toes but Hardy couldn't see any reason why. This area was empty of life other than their own. He shifted in his seat, grinning. This was easy. From out of nowhere, his ship was rocked by an explosion.
"What in the name of..." Hardy didn't finish his sentence as he fought to get his Astrofighter under control. His heads-up display showed at least three boogies angling in for the kill sweaping in from behind an asteroid. The pilot gave his bird full power and climbed. Two of the sting-rays misjudged their distances and crashed into each other while the third maneuvered nimbly around them to shoot at Hardy again. He shot back yelling, "I'm gettin' shot at!"
"Speak for yourself," came an answer from Conroy, "so am I!
On bard the Yamato
"Radar contact! Eight megakilometers out!" Eagar sang out.
"Confirmed," Nova echoed looking into her radar. "At least twelve."
"Somethin' else at the edge," Eagar noted.
"What is it?" inquired Derek.
"Senors indicate a battlestation of some kind," Sandor supplied.
"Halt all engines! We've got to figure out a way around this."
In the field
Hardy kept the climb, trying to shake the tail before applying full rudder, he flipped, and came shooting head on. The sting-ray erupted into a firey ball as the Black Tiger swept past and whipped around a large rock looking for more targets. Instead, he applied full breaking power. "Holy cow!"
"What's up?" asked Conroy, flying up from behind him. The furball had been short and sweep, the sting-rays were being chased by the rest of the squad in a mop up action. Conroy moved in beside the other pilot. There was nothing but the sound of their breathing for a few seconds.
"Oh boy," breathed Hardy, "Cap'n ain't never goin' to believe this."
"You said it," remarked Conroy, "now, let's get outa here before we become space dust."
"Amen."
The two Astrofighters turned tail and dodged back into the asteroid belt. Behind them, sitting outside the belt, sat a small planetoid sized base.
Colleen turned to Derek. "That base must have maneuvering power. That's the only explaination I can come up with for how they got from that sector to this one."
Wildstar frowned and grabbed his chin in thought. In the darkended map room, Nova, Kathleen, Colleen, Sandor, Hardy and Conroy glanced at each other and shuffled their feet quietly. Based on the information the Intelligence officers had given him, the Deputy Captain knew that the Yamato could be destroyed the moment they tried to go past that base. The girls had told him of the fleet of sting-rays there and the surface guns that festooned the surface, which had a sizeable range. However, the Yamato didn't have the time to fool with it either. Finally, he looked around at the gathering. "Any suggestions?"
"We could try an air strike," suggested Conroy hopefully.
"You'd get fried the moment you poke your nose outa this field," sneered Kathleen. "We haven't been attacked since that first time and, as long as we've stayed here, they haven't gone after us. But, if we move, in any way, you can bet your bottom dollar, we'll be attacked."
"I bet we could knock out that base," growled Conroy, folding his arms aross his chest defensively.
"Yeah, sure," smirked Kathleen.
"Cut it out Kat," murmered Colleen thoughtfully. She walked out onto the lighted floor map. "Nova, would you please bring up the most recent observation pictures?"
Nova nodded and went to a computer bank. She pressed several buttons before returning to the group. Several pictures flashed beneath their feet until Colleen motioned for them to stop.
"Here," she said. Holding her hand out to Derek, "May I have a pointer, Wildstar?"
Wordlessly, Wildstar handed the Intelligence officer a long pointer. The pictures had stopped on one that showed the main installation from overhead.
"Based on observations made earlier by Kat and myself, then backed up by Star Force intelligence," she poked her snickering sister to silence, "I believe a small force consisting of at least eight people should be able knock that base out of contention. Plus, this is where the DeSprtiz crew is being held. We believe they are waiting for transport. If we free them, well," here Colleen grinned wofishly, "the enemy would have it's hands full while the Yamato sails past."
"We won't be able to use the Wave Motion gun on this one, eh?" Derek was intrigued in spite of himself. "Eight people." He pulled at his chin again. "How would they be able to get on that thing without being spotted?"
Colleen faced him and placed the pointer behind her back and, in all honesty, "I was hoping you would let the Yamato act as bait."
"What!"
"Wildstar," she held up her hands, "wait a minute, listen. We would need a derverting action in order to slip past any security they might have on that base. I can, with some help, rig a troop carrier with Stelth abilities."
Derek raised his eyebrows at this piece of news. He couldn't afford to risk his vessel but he also couldn't afford staying here. That base would move in time with the Yamato's movements. As he tried to make up his mind, Mark Venture came barreling into the meeting, waving a piece of paper.
"Derek!" he called out huffing, "Trelaina says we need to hit that base."
That did it. The Deputy Captain turned to the Intelligence officer, his young face serious. "Let's hear your plan Captain O'Flanagon."
A slow smile stretched across the woman's face. She took a deep breath and began, "If you notice closely at the layout of the base, it's basicly a block, around the size of a small town. There are four gates. For now, let's call them by directions.
"The first one is here, on what is the north end, near where the sting-rays seemed to be housed, one at the south end, west and east. They have moat filled with something that we can't figure out nor do we know how deep. It is our belief that the prisoners are being held in the large structure near the northwest corner of the base.
"With four towers, they have a 360 degree view and sneaking in is the hardest part." Colleen paused and glanced about. "I think if we hit one of the towers, say the south tower, it will get their attention and we can go in through the north gate."
"So," started Conroy, walking out onto the map, "if the tower is knocked out, or busy, that would you help you get in? Right?"
"Exactly."
Conroy slipped back to his spot, deep in thought.
Kathleen rasied her eyes from the base on the floor. "We would need Stealth suits for everyone."
"No time," countered her sister. "This raid needs to be lighting fast."
"If you took IQ-9 with you," stated Sandor, "I might be able to boost a single suit's power enough to get us in."
"Us?" Colleen arched an eyebrow in question.
Sandor waved at the map. "You don't think I'm letting you go without my help, do you?"
She was taken back. Trying to reason with him, the Intelligence officer told him, "Sandor. I'm an Intellience officer. This is what I do best, this is what I'm trained for. Besides, you're needed here."
He put his arms across his chest. "I'm going. You're going to need me."
"Sandor," her voice held a plea.
"If he's going," declared Nova, "so am I."
"Nova!" said Colleen, Kathleen and Derek all at the same time.
"Well? Why not? I am a trained medic and your people might need help."
Derek sighed. "That's four." He knew he would never be able to talk Nova out of going so he gave in quietly. Then he noticed Mark was still there. "Who's flying the ship?"
"You don't need a pilot when you're standing still," remarked the curly haired pilot, "Besides, this is much more interesting."
Meanwhile, Colleen and Sandor were locked in a silent battle of wills. Finally, Colleen let out a breath and dropped her eyes. When she brought them up again, she walked over to where Sandor stood. Reaching out, the woman touched his folded arms and looked deeply into his eyes. "I would be honored if you came."
"Thank you," he answered some of the tension easing out of his stance.
Turning to face Derek, the Intelligence officer told him, "We need IQ-9, Sergeant Knox, someone with hit-and-run experience, and a troop ship."
"Sergeant Knox?" Wildstar questioned her astonished.
She chuckled. "Yeap."
"You are crazy." Derek shook his head. "You realize that, if you haven't accomplished your mission in, say one hour, we will have to use the Wave Motion gun to get past the base."
"Yes."
"How long do you need to get ready?"
A look passed between the twins. "No more than about thirty minutes to do the programing."
He nodded. "All right. In thirty minutes from now, we'll give those sting-rays something to nibble at." Wildstar grinned suddenly. "Go kick some butt."
"Yes sir!" the group yelled together.
"Conroy?"
"Yes?
"Get the Black Tigers ready."
"Hardy?"
"Yes, sir?"
"I want you to pilot these people where they need to go."
The lanky Southerner smiled and saluted. Derek looked around at the group told them, "Well, what are you waiting for? Shake a leg."
"This is going to be great!" sang Kathleen as she and Nova departed the romm together.
"I don't know," warned Nova. "I've got a very bad feeling about this. We may get more than what we've bargained for."
"Oh get off it." Kat poked her friend in the ribs in play. "I've been itching for a chance to strike back at those bad boys and now, I'm going to. So, lighten up. We're going to have fun tonight!" She danced down the hall.
Nova hung back slightly and whispered, "I don't know.
"Don't know what?" Derek and Mark came out behind her with Conroy and Hardy hot on their heels. Derek waved for the others to go on and fell in step with Nova.
She sighed. "I don't know how to explain it, Derek, but something unexpected is going to happen out there."
"Like what?"
"That's just it. I can't put my finger on it. Oh, Derek!" She threw herself at the Deptuy Captain. "Something awfull is going to happen."
Silently, Derek wrapped his arms around the brunette's shaking body and held her close while staring down the corridor ahead.