Wandering Engineer 6: Pirates Bane (67 page)

“Desperate,” the Admiral said.

“Sounds about right. You fought the enemy off. I'm surprised he's
not blowing it over,” Sprite said.

“He's changed Commander,” Mayweather said. “I didn't get a lot of
time to talk with the man, but I did get a sense of him. He's cut from a
different cloth than Walker. He's... I don't know, cleaner.”

“I'll bet.”

“Give them a chance Admiral, they may surprise you. This Randall
sounded sincere, and at least he's not a snake like the one we've got in
Pyrax.”

“True.”

Irons mused over that. Randall had been a pain in the ass when the
Admiral had been there, but he had genuinely not wanted the Admiral to leave.
He was technically the lesser of two political evils. His personally message
from Randall with a formal apology had been nice.

“What do you think? He's not as bad as Walker. I've read the
reports the Captain filed about him,” Sprite said to the Admiral.

“True, he's not Walker. And Antigua is different than Pyrax.”

“From what intel we've got, Randall is the man. Or at least the
best we've got Admiral. If we're going to have a chance in holding this
together...”

“All right,” the Admiral said nodding.

“So, more running?” Sprite asked, sounding aggrieved and heartily
tired. “You're not planning a frontal assault on Horath are you?” Irons shook
his head. “Oh thank the spirits of space for small favors then,” the AI said
sounding relieved.

“I'm done running Sprite.” He frowned. “
We
are done
running. It's time to stand and fight.”

“So
are
we returning?” There was a note of excitement in
the AI's voice. Almost glee.

“In a manner of speaking. But not to Pyrax.”

“Oh hell, another long jump Admiral? Are you serious? With these
ships? They are barely held together with band-aids and bailing wire! Rigging
tape still...” Irons held up a hand to halt the complaint.

“No. Not there either. We're returning to the one place we have a
hope of standing firm and actually beating the Horathian's at their own game.
But we're going North by way of Kathy's World. I heard there is a Horathian
ship in orbit there.”

Captain Mayweather had picked up that little tidbit during the
post battle interviews and computer interrogations. Her intel officer had
picked up a partial memo of a ship that had been dispatched with extra soldiers
to fulfill the task force's original objectives of taking Protodon and Kathy's
World. The ship was a converted freighter, but there was no telling what havoc
they could have unleashed on the supine ice planet.

“We'll have to find out what is going on there, and if necessary,
liberate them. Or not. We'll see.”

“Antigua?” Sprite asked, sounding suspiciously excited.

“Antigua it is,” he replied with a firm nod.

“Hallelujah! About damn time,” she said with some satisfaction in
her voice.

“Don't rub it in Commander,” he growled.

“Well, I would never say you were slow and pig headed... sir,”
Sprite said with a malicious twinkle. He snorted. “But I am glad you finally
came around.”

“We'll see. First we've got to get there. And we've got some work
here to do before hand.”

“We are just outside Pyrax...” she suggested.

“No.”

“Just checking,” Sprite said, holding her virtual hands up. He
shook his head.

“What about Miss O'Neill?”

“She'll understand,” Irons said quietly.

“So, we're really doing this. Antigua,” Sprite said, testing it
out. She sounded as if she didn't quite believe him.

“Antigua,” Irons echoed. “And perhaps a visit into the past,” he
said looking directly at her.

Sprite looked uncomfortable for a long time. She had urged him to
go there several times. Now that he was willing to pass that Rubicon she was no
longer certain it was a good idea. Sometimes the past was left buried. There
was no telling what they would find there, and the distraction could prove
fatal in more ways than one. “What brought this change? The battle?”

Irons pursed his lips and then shrugged. “It's time to put away
ego. We've got a lot more at stake. I was just reminded of it. And well, this,”
he waved a hand to the reports floating around him, “That just confirms it.”

“If any of it is true,” Sprite replied.

“I'm betting some of it is. Which means we've got to get our
collective acts together and start working together. That means, among other
things I need to pack my wounded pride and get with the program.”

“Or we'll all hang separately,” Sprite replied with a moue.

“Nothing concentrates people more than the threat of a hanging,”
Irons quoted.

“But the ships...”

“Are going to need a lot of care, work, and training. We've got
some time on our hands, months in transit. We'll put that to good use. And if
you can get over your objections, I'd hope you could help with some AI crew as
well.”

“A mother, at my age,” Sprite teased, smiling coyly. “Again.”

“You've got the hips for it,” he teased right back.

Sprite's eyes widened fractionally before she chuckled. “Admiral,
that's the first time I've heard you say something like that!”

“Sorry,” he said.

“Don't be. It's all good. I'm glad you are starting to get a
handle on things.”

“We need to get the ball rolling.”

“That sounds suspiciously like a lot of work coming,” Sprite said
warily.

Irons chuckled. “You know me so well,” he said.

<----*----*----*---->

The most damaged of the captured ships, and all the salvaged or
left over scrap was intended to go to Pyrax. Irons stuffed each of the ships
with material, including newly built fighters and fighter parts. They would
serve to fill the flight decks on two of the orbital forts and one of the
escort carriers that was currently mothballed. Horatio and the Yard could at
least get the platforms out into space. They would lack a hyperdrive, but at
least they would be mobile enough for defensive actions.

The wounded Maine would lead the three destroyers, three
corvettes, and one frigate to Antigua, with stops along the way to pick up the
ships in Hidoshi's World and Richalu. Coming along with them would be six of
the freighters, the two tankers, and the factory ship to Antigua. The liner
stuffed with Horathian occupational soldiers was now a prison ship, with all
their Horathian prisoners on board. A pair of marine squads watched over the
four thousand nine hundred and fifty prisoners warily. They would take them to
Pyrax and an internment camp.

On second thought Xavier the other Arboth and most wounded tin can
could return with Firefly, the Admiral thought. They had the yard to repair her
and return her to service. That would leave Bounty and the Antelope
rechristened the Mary Apple with the Maine.

The Admiral split the surviving two frigates down the middle, one
each. That would make everyone happy. And of course since they had less
distance to go Firefly could take the most damaged one.

Echo had been returned to service the night before. Sindri was
still grumpy, but not quite up to the task of taking her through the jump on
his own. He was tempted to task them to travel ahead to Richalu, but there were
too many variables, too many unknowns between here and there. He didn't even
know if Hoshi had actually stopped there, or if she had changed her mind and
decided to run the Kathy's World gauntlet.

He had briefly toyed with the idea of sending a ship to Bek, but
it was far too dangerous. They were green crews, going into a very dangerous
route... no. He'd figure something else out there, later.

Once he was certain all the ships were ship shape and able to at
least handle one jump the Admiral declared a day of rest. Ironically it was on
the Founding day of the Federation. Sprite arranged to have a party.

<----*----*----*---->

“Does this mean I'm losing you finally Commander?” Mayweather
asked, turning an inquiring eye to her exec. Word had gotten around about the
promotions. There was an excited feel in the air, everyone wondered where
lightening would strike next.

“Not until Prometheus launches ma'am.” Newly promoted Commander
Shelby Logan said, smiling. “I'm more of an engineer at heart ma'am. I think I
can do well there.”

“I think so too. And now that we've got a work around, let see if
we can finally pull a Captain's chair out for you permanently." She smiled
slightly. Her exec had been promoted to full commander and was going to skipper
Xavier for the ride back to Pyrax. She would be greatly missed. Renee didn't
like the holes in her crew, but she understood the need. She just hoped she got
most of them back when they returned to Pyrax. "Getting this chain of
command thing sorted out was going to be a headache. Wait until Vargess hears
about this.” She grinned mischievously.

“I forgot about that. And daddy,” Shelby grimaced. “I mean
Captain
Horatio Logan.”

“Your father hasn't been entirely too comfortable with over all
command. I think a change may be in order. For the good. Although my being in
system command will make things interesting.” Firefly grimaced.

“Aye aye... commodore,” Captain Mayweather said with a smile.

“Yes, that is definitely going to take a bit of getting used to,”
Firefly replied. The Captain chuckled.

“I've received files from Commander Sprite. Most are encrypted for
Captain Logan and the staff. We also have an all ships header to look for Kiev
221."

"Yes, I remember from the dispatches. She's still
overdue?"

"Yes. She still hasn't arrived in Pyrax."

"Ouch. Well, we may have to look into that. Firefly or
another ship."

The AI nodded.

"Anything else?"

"Yes, some file updates and I do have one personal message
for a civilian.”

“A civilian?”

“I think I know who,” Commander Logan said, smiling coyishly.
“Miss O’Neill if I don't miss my guess do I?” she asked, looking at the AI
avatar.

The AI nodded.

“Thought so. Boy he has some explaining to do,” Shelby said,
smiling slightly wider. Her eyes twinkled with mischief. “And come to think of
it, she's going to be just a bit put out because we turned down her request to
come along.”

“She'll get over it,” the Captain growled. She poked Shelby.
"I believe you have a ride to catch Captain Logan."

Shelby blinked and then nodded. "By your leave then
Captain?" she asked with a smile.

"Go on, get out of here. Get Xavier sorted out, we've got a
long ride ahead of us."

"Aye aye ma'am." She turned and nodded to the AI.
"Sir."

"My compliments Captain," the AI said, with a return
nod. "Smooth sailing."

"Aye sir," Shelby replied, saluting the AI, and then the
Captain. They returned the salutes and then she about faced and walked out of
the compartment. Renee just caught the small smirk on her former exec's face.

"Think she'll do okay?"

"She'll do just fine ma'am. It's past time to push her out of
the nest," Firefly responded.

"Yes well, that does open up a bit of a hole in our chain of
command though," she shook her head. Ensign Tr'j'ck her JTO was off on the
prisoner liner, acting as her Captain. Ensign Sampson her senior communications
officer was off on one of the frigates, as was Ensign Rator'll her sensor
officer. She was a bit concerned about that Veraxin, he was still a bit jittery
and hadn't quite settled down enough in her opinion. Hopefully his time in the
hot seat will mature him. Chief Chowler was on one of the freighters. Manning
bridge watches was going to be fun for the midshipman and ratings, she'd have
to keep a close eye on them. At least she still had Janice and guns by her
side.

<----*----*----*---->

The morning of their separating ways, the Admiral had a few last
minute chores to finish up. So, while some of the crew nursed hangovers or
grumbled over the engineers’ insistence on one last series of checks, he called
a meeting of senior officers.

“I'll try to keep this short,” the Admiral, said, turning to the
captains. “Mayweather and Firefly, when you get back to Pyrax and if Commander
Vargess returns while you are there, hold a promotions board for him.”

Both captains nodded. “With Logan on file as a Captain you have
the minimum three to do so. Once you have I want you four to go through the
rank and file and correct any long overdue promotions. Fill the vacancies in
the command staff if Horatio hasn't already done so for one.”

“Easier said than done. The best candidates for the jobs refuse to
do it. And we've had one case of seniority in a... alien being and his body’s
limits has caused issues with us.”

“Joy,” the Admiral replied. “Do your best to handle it without
stepping on toes, but if you must you must. But fill in the gaps first.”