Fatal Containment

Fatal Containment - Chapter 34

Chapter 34

The Dominion loomed large as shuttle one approached, its metallic hull gleaming in the distant starlight. Connor could see on the displays that the Dominion and the three destroyers, menacing against the backdrop of the stars, were beginning to gain the velocity they would need to engage in combat. He was thankful, neither had fired yet—likely due to the confusion from the decimated moon command post. He didn't envy the communication officer aboard the lead destroyer trying to get some information from the surface.

Connor felt the weight of command settle on his shoulders. One heavy cruiser against three destroyers - the odds were not in their favor.

Connor began relaying orders from the shuttle bay as he ran for the bridge, Cheryl right behind him. The marine on duty simply rolled his eyes as the two officers dashed over the demarcation line and headed to the ladders. The ship was already in condition Zulu and crewmen were running to their action stations, some with environmental suits, and others in their duty uniforms.

"Shields up, weapons hot," Connor shouted, as he and Cheryl rushed on to the bridge. "Prepare for evasive maneuvers."

Jones guided his hands across the propulsion board with practiced efficiency, his face set in grim determination. The first volley of energy weapon fire from the destroyers lit up the view screen, but the Dominion's shields held. They weren't even going to try talking the Dominion into a ceasefire.

"Return fire, all batteries," Connor ordered. The ship shuddered as the energy weapons discharged, bright beams of light lancing out towards the nearest enemy ship.

The destroyers rolled, flanking out in their typical enveloping maneuver, their own shields flaring as they absorbed the Dominion's attack. They returned fire, missiles streaking towards the cruiser.

"Point defense, pattern zeta-five!" Cheryl ordered. The ship's point defense systems activated, sending out a hail of counter-fire that intercepted the incoming missiles, causing them to explode harmlessly in space.

But the destroyers were relentless, their energy weapons and missiles a constant barrage. Connor knew that he couldn't protect every attack point as the destroyers were quicker than Dominion in the tactical arena. He had to play matador, guiding the Dominion in a deadly dance of evasion and attack, keeping the most undamaged shields facing all three enemies.

"Keep us moving, chief," Connor told Jones, his eyes never leaving the view screen. "Don't let them box us in."

The Dominion shuddered under the relentless assault of the three destroyers. The shields were holding, but barely. Connor could see the strain on the faces of his crew, could feel it in the vibrations of the deck beneath his feet. They were a single heavy cruiser against three destroyers, and if he were a betting man, he would give his own ship very long odds.

But Connor had been teasing them closer and closer to the gas giant.

"Helm, now!" he ordered, and the Dominion dropped all pretense of sparring to drive headlong into the atmosphere of the giant orb.

"Engineering, prepare for a full power dive," Connor shouted into his command console.

The bridge crew looked at him, knowing that the chief engineer was languishing in the brig. They all hoped the engineering second lieutenant could hold the ship together long enough for them to survive what was coming. A full power dive into a gas giant was risky, to say the least. But they had been drilled on nearly every battle scenario that existed. And they trusted the confidence of their XO and followed his orders without question.

As the Dominion accelerated as it dove into the gravity well of the gas giant, the destroyers followed, their weapons continuing to pound the cruiser's rear shields.

The Dominion's began glowing from the friction of the thick atmosphere. Behind them, the destroyers poured out their destructive force, their missile launchers spitting out a deadly rain of high-explosive ordnance. The Dominion's rear shield flared and flickered under the onslaught, the energy barrier struggling to absorb the kinetic and thermal energy of the repeated impacts.

"Rear shield failing!" someone shouted, but Connor knew they wouldn't last. He could feel the ship shudder beneath his feet, could hear the high-pitched whine of the shield generators as they strained to maintain the energy barrier.

"Divert all power to the rear shield!" he ordered, but it was too late. With a final, violent shudder, the rear shield failed. The next volley of missiles slammed into Dominion's hull, their warheads detonating on impact.

The ship's armor was tough, designed to withstand the rigors of space combat, but everything had a practical limit. The explosions tore through the armor, ripping open the aft section of the ship. Fire and atmosphere belched out into the gas giant's atmosphere; the flames quickly extinguished by the lack of oxygen.

"Damage report!" Connor ordered, gripping the armrests of his command chair as the ship bucked and shuddered.

"Hull at two thousand degrees and climbing sir," Cheryl shouted over the cacophony. "Multiple hull breaches in the aft section!" came another reply. "Fire suppression systems are engaged, but we're losing atmosphere!"

Connor gritted his teeth. This was bad, but they were not beaten yet. "Seal off the affected sections and continue the dive."

As the Dominion plunged deeper into the gas giant, leaving a trail of debris and vented atmosphere in its wake, Connor couldn't help but wonder if he could live up to the role he was now forced to play. He wished for the steady hand that captain Cantrell would have brought to this fight, but he pushed the thought aside. They had a job to do, and he would be damned if he let his crew down now.

The destroyers tried to remain on course as their own shields flared and failed as they were buffeted by the planet's violent storms and crushing pressure. Missiles veered helplessly off course as the gas giant's superior gravity pulled everything into it's maw. Targeting systems were confused so that even energy weapons were not useful, their accuracy reduced by backscatter of gas emissions and violent eddies.

"Hull at twenty-five hundred degrees. Three hundred thousand pascals," Cheryl shouted once more as she read her straining instruments.

But the Dominion was a heavy cruiser, built to withstand the crucible of battle. It dove deeper into the gas giant, the destroyers' weapons fire lost in the swirling clouds and violent winds.

They could hear the keel groan as the immense gravitational forces began to bend their starship. Sensors were confused and the crew were trying to find towels to wipe the perspiration from their eyes as the heat became unbearable.

"Hull at thirty hundred degrees. Approaching crush depth sir," Cheryl shouted once more turning to look at Connor who was cast in stone, riding the ship to its doom.

And then, with a final surge of power, the Dominion began to surface out of the maelstrom as they emerged out of the atmosphere on other side of the gas giant, leaving the destroyers behind. They arose into clear space, the gas giant a massive, stormy sphere behind them.

As the hull temperature quickly returned to normal, the scanners were able to read out the signs of the pursuit. One destroyer was pulled into the heart of the planet as it had exceeded its crush depth. Another was torn in half by the storms and it also descended into the heart of the Jovian.

The third destroyer wisely disengaged from the pursuit while its ship was still intact, but apparently didn't have the belly for taking on an imperial heavy cruiser alone. Its new course was taking it out of the star system entirely.

The crew let out a cheer, relief and triumph filling the bridge. They had done it. They had escaped. And their XO had seen them through. Connor looked over at Cheryl with a nod of his head.

Connor allowed himself a small smile. It had been a risky move, but it had paid off. They were safe, for now. But without Owen Cantrell, their future was murky.