Captain's Resolve, page 12
part #1 of Luke Sky Series
“I know a certain Sprout that always liked the color green, and the darker or dimmer the shade, the better.” Lieutenant Vane called out from tactical, and several snickers suddenly popped up around the bridge.
“You painted it?” Estrella asked, and Archibald could hear the grin in her voice, and despite himself he felt his shoulders tighten up a little.
“I like the color alright, so sue me!” He snapped, feeling his face start to flush. “The original thing was all black, but I figured if I was going to use it, I may as well give it a paint job. And if none of you like it, to damn bad!”
“Not at all sir,” Estrella replied, chuckling. “I like it just fine, including the yellow circled star you added to the shoulder pads. It’s very, Wild Space Marshall of you sir.” Archibald sighed as several of the bridge crew burst out laughing before they could stop themselves.
“Laugh it up if you want, but I think it looks cool!” He grumped back at the ungrateful lot before he finally reached the main bridge doors. He keyed them open quickly, expecting the mixed group of Lancers and Armory soldiers to be on the other side, all armored and heavily armed for an extended fight. They would be his main team while they fought the droids in the Battleship, and while he found them all ready and waiting for him, he found someone else he hadn’t been counting on standing there, waiting for him.
“Lieutenant Sigrunn, reporting as ordered.” The redheaded, green eyed, freckle faced Tractoan young woman replied, her helmet off and cradled in her arm, next to her own resting vibro sword while a heavy ion rifle and a bandolier of grenades were slung across her chest.
“Lieutenant,” Archibald started, surprised. “I don’t recall ordering you to be here?”
“Commander Estrella requested me for your War Band personally, War Master.” She replied, glancing past him to his first officer, and winking at her. “She insisted I help ensure the success of your mission and help get you back in one piece.” She looked back at him with a look so doe eyed, so innocent, so adorable, that Archibald knew it was not only fake, but outright patronizing!
“I wouldn’t want to lose one of my favorite sparring partners, after all sir.”
Archibald grunted in annoyances, turning his armor, which lacked a traditional ‘head’ or ‘neck,’ around to face his XO, who had apparently been plotting behind his back. Her helmeted head, which had no crystal visor at all, turned to look at him in response, and her body language, armored or not, practically shouted; What? You’re surprised? Of course I was going to do something like this! He could practically feel the self satisfied smirk she was no doubt wearing, metal face covering or no.
“If you were dead set on going and doing something, like this, did you really expect me not to take some measures to try and make sure you survived? Sir?” She asked, paraphrasing his own statement from earlier and throwing it right back in his face. Now I understand why everyone’s always terrified of women taking revenge. He sighed, loudly, as he turned back to Sigrunn’s waiting entourage, and the smiling face of his gung-ho crazy Tractoan Lieutenant in question.
“After you Lieutenant,” Archibald gestured, making sure to not accidentally poke her with his guns.
“Thank you War Master, I will be happy to help storm this citadel with you, and ensure that you come back alive.” She stated, looking at him, but he suspected really talking to Commander Estrella behind him. Blasted female conspiracies! He ground his teeth in annoyance. “Nice suit by the way, sir.” She looked him up and down the same way a lustful man eyes a willing woman. Which made Archibald want to blush, again!
“Thanks, it was a gift back in Gambit,” he awkwardly replied, before gesturing again, more emphatically this time. “Shall we?”
“Of course sir,” she replied, slipping her own helmet on over her head, her long red hair done up in a bun to make it easy to put on. Her armor was a modified standard modern model that she’d acquired from Omicron and had since modified on their long journey out here. It suited her style of combat; half with a gun and half with a sword, better than Archibalds new set would.
Once attached, she turned and headed out, taking point while Archibald headed out behind her, and the escort fell in around them. It was a bit of a walk and a long elevator ride down to the main docking bay where they would be entering the Battleship. Along the way, they walked past, or through dozens of barricades, turrets, suspiciously empty corridors, or heavily fortified strong points.
Most of the heavy weaponry that had been specifically set up for this operation was now being manned by the crew of the Gun Deck, with support from the few armory teams staying behind, or from the regular crew, who were all heavily armed, and armored up in old school plate styled body armor. It was going to be a long, brutal fight, but the droids were in for a lot shocks when they came in. Many crew waved or just stared as Archibald trumped through with his new armor, which wouldn’t be out of place in the middle of a furious ground war between massive armies.
Finally, they reached the main docking tubes that had connected with the Battleship, and came down to find organized chaos as everyone moved with purpose to get ready to breach. Archibald took his assigned position near the back, his new squad staying with him. Everyone had their jobs; Colonel Jones and Lieutenant Rhett were tasked with seizing main engineering, while Chief Wallace would be pushing for the gun decks that had fired on them, and making sure they were taken out of the fight. Archibald was tasked with taking the bridge, while Chief Gunner O’Bannon would be staying behind and leading the ship defense, alongside Commander Estrella and Chief Engineer Cordova, who would each be defending their area’s personally.
Everyone had to stand tall for this fight; they knew it was the droids last play, and that the enemy wouldn’t be holding back.
Moments later, they were at last ready to breach. Everyone took cover, some even behind the nearby fortified barricades that had been erected, and they activated the breaching charges they’d set up on the door. Blasting inward in a vicious explosion, the doors to the Battleships docking bay were blasted open, and the fighting crew of the Gamer Gate began pouring into it!
Or they tried, as a storm of heavy blaster fire came at them, forcing them to return fire, taking cover while they assessed the mess.
Pulling up a digital map on the small data pad built into his suit, he saw some images from the front ranks, and counted a dozen Harmony Warrior droids spread out and hammering at them. Their forces returned fire, and for a few wild seconds, the air was filled with blaster fire. Then Colonel Jones gestured, and several ion grenades were tossed in through the breach, and a couple of Shoulder Mounted Ion Rockets were fired into the Battleships docking bay, and the enemies fire suddenly slackened.
“Charge!” Jones called, and his Lancers all rose and moved through the docking bay doors they were docked to, and into the Battleship, shooting any droids not already down, and quickly working to secure their foothold. Archibalds team was last in, after Wallace’s, and he finally sighed in quiet excitement as he set foot inside the Battleship, in full armor, ready for a fight.
It was time to take their prize!
Chapter 9: The Long March
“Move out!” Jones called, and his group of Lancers began jogging in a orderly fashion towards the doors that would lead to the corridors that eventually led to Main Engineering. Behind him he saw Wallace heading out with his Armory boys, and just stepping into the docking bay was young Captain Archibald, in a badass looking suit of power armor, who had stubbornly insisted on joining them. Jones had helped train the young Captain, but he’d never actually thought the kid would insist on joining them in battle!
Still, who was he to deny the young man his choice in this? The MSP had proven a stranger, less rigid, more adventurous beast than most militaries Jones had run into or trained alongside, and he had to admit it certainly helped his boys morale having a Captain who not only wanted, but was fighting alongside them. Jones just hoped that between his training, that impressive new armor, and Sigrunn at his side, that young Archibald would live through the experience.
Turning his mind to his own objective and coming fight, Jones led the way to the first major aft intersection inside the superstructure of the Battleship. As soon as they reached it, he motioned for Lieutenant Rhett, who nodded and split off with his squads of Lancers, taking a side route to Main Engineering, which would allow them to avoid being flanked, hopefully.
It all depended on how many droids that were spread out through the corridors, and at Main Engineering, and how many of them actually wanted to fight.
“Is this what humans call adventure?” An excited voice asked from the back of his left shoulders armor pad. Jones resisted the urge to roll his eyes as they slowly pushed forward in the main corridor, this time waiting for scouts to have suffcnet time to push ahead before moving in at a quick walk. He had no desire to be bushwacked, or hallway shot, as the phrase might be up in space.
“Yeah Luffy, this is one version of what we call Adventure,” a nearby Lancer muttered, his voice holding an undercurrent of amusement.
“Neat!” Luffy declared, sounding even more upbeat while Jones glared ahead at nothing in pure frustration. “So when do I get to take part?”
“As soon as we reach a point that needs a scout like you,” another Lancer replied, also sounding amused. Seriously, why is everyone encouraging this spark plug? Jones huffed, irritated. I don’t mind the droid in small doses, but he’s clinging to my armor in battle, practically whining about not being there yet! Jones knew he was being childish, but he couldn’t bring himself to care. He wasn’t all that bothered about working with a droid, he’d never had much use for old grudges that were left over from history and other people’s views or beliefs.
He would carry his own grudges, if any, but he wasn’t interested in carrying someone else’s.
However, the little droid was just plain annoying! He always clung to Jones’s armor, saying he enjoyed the free ride, and that it was his spot. And he never stopped asking questions about whatever subject interested him, unless he was wanting adventure, and going seemingly stir crazy. Honestly, it was like having a kid, and Jones already had kids, blast it!
I will get that woman back for this! He swore once again as they came within sight of the last corridor that would lead them to Main Engineering, and his scouts reported that the droids had been spotted, coming down the far hallway opposite his and Rhett’s position. Running the schematics through his head, he suspected he was getting Droid forces coming from the gun deck that had fired on them.
Interesting, I wonder if they’re at a full crew, or just a skeleton one. He stopped and gestured for everyone else to hold fast.
Guess we’ll soon see. He thought, then looked to the little spider droid still riding his shoulder like he both belonged there and didn’t have a care in the world.
“I’ve finally got a task for you.” He told the little droid.
“Really?” Luffy asked, surprised.
“Really, really.” Was his only response, while he gestured down the hallway that led to the droids coming down it. “We have incoming Harmony Droid reinforcements. My Lancer scouts can’t stay out there to see how many they are, but my Lancer Droid can, and can send the video feeds back to us.”
“I’m on it Colonel!” The little spider bot actually jumped from his shoulder to the slanted upper wall of the corridors, and began scurrying along, fast, before seemingly disappearing. “I’m a Lancer Droid! And I’ve come for my adventure!” He heard the thing shout before totally vanishing.
“Unbelievable,” he remarked, exasperated beyond belief.
“I’ll say,” Sergeant Vilmay muttered, chuckling. “You didn’t give that poor bot a proper rank!” The other Lancers burst out laughing while Jones was tempted to hit something. I’m in combat damn it! He thought darkly as his boys proceeded to set up a welcoming party for the incoming droids. I shouldn’t be saddled with a damn kid! Robot or not!
Still, at least the little bot has its uses. Jones nodded to Vilmay, who pulled out a data pad, keyed in the code, and began receiving video from Luffy’s camera eyes. What he saw killed the humor. Nearly two dozen of the Warrior droids, and three of the infamous Overseers. They were coming hard, but disciplined, so no tacky, last minute booby trap like in vids was going to catch them off guard.
Fortunately, Jones had far better options.
“Ready the Ion Rockets!” He ordered, and several of the lighter armored Lancers came forward with long firing tubes, each containing rocket propelled ion grenades. Usually those were a bit cumbersome for ship combat, so they didn’t get a lot of play in most space fights, but if used right they were a deadly opening round, especially against Droids. Jones’s was very pleased he’d gotten ahold of them during their alliance with that Lynch character.
Thinking about it, he sighed, then keyed in the little droids radio line. “We’re going to be firing lots of ion charges, so find somewhere safe. I don’t want to waste time trying to turn you back on.”
“Understood sir!” The very excited reply came back. “Am in cover now, fire whenever ready sir!”
“Like I wasn’t going to do that anyway,” he grumbled before checking the video feed from the droid, which showed the tail end of the reinforcements coming their way, from some overhead position. Checking his other sensors from his scouts, he saw them incoming, almost ready to turn the corner and be able to open fire on his boys from the far end of the long corridor they were facing.
“Ready first salvo!” He called out, and his lighter armored Lancers, who were carrying the tubes, and the spare ammo for them, as well as most of the spare ammo for the heavy weapons several others had, took their knees and sighted their weapons. The remaining Lancers formed up to provide covering fire, ready to hammer and pull the attention of any droid that came into their sight.
Checking the sensors, he could see them coming, and knew that timing was everything.
Just as the first droids reached the far end of the corridor, and were preparing to whirl around it, he smiled. “Fire!” He called out, and instantly rockets blasted out of their launchers and flew down the corridor.
His men had aimed well, aiming for the far wall, and not a one was off their mark.
They flew down the long corridor and slammed into the bulkhead next to the droids, just as they came around the corner. Fierce explosions followed where the droids position was, along with the white/blue static energy discharge of ion weaponry, and several droids fell to the floor, shorted out and shut down.
“Covering fire!” He shouted to the other assembled Lancers. “Reload!” He called out to his rocket boys.
“Reloading!” They shouted back, quickly and professionally readying the launchers and pulling out fresh ion rockets to put in them. The Droids, being machines, didn’t need much time to recover from their shock, and began shooting back with a vengeance. His boys worked hard to keep the Droids turtled up behind the corridor corners while the rockets were reloaded, but the droids still fired back, and several Lancers took hits, including one of his rocket boys. Fortunately, they couldn’t focus their fire very well, so all it did was slow them down and scorch their armor.
For now.
“Ready to fire!” Came the cry, at last.
“Fire!” Jones shouted, and once again the rockets took off down the corridor. This time however, they weren’t going to be alone. “Charge!” He ordered, breaking covering and taking off down the long corridor towards the droids position, his boys breaking cover and joining him. Fast as power armor was, rockets were faster, and they reached the end of the corridor, detonating and disabling a few more droids before Jones and his boys reached the end, whirled around and opened fire on everything they saw.
They hammered the Droids, which were still out of position from the rocket blasts and the loss of their front ranks, And Jones was happy to see that they had dropped nearly half the force, including an Overseer who had gotten too close. He and his boys poured on the fire while Sergeant Vilmay got several others ready, and then lobbed ion grenades down the hall.
