Orion Gambit - Traci Ganner series book 2

Orion Gambit - Ch 12

Chapter 12

Boarding Party

“Sir, we have positive sensor contact at the Sigma Draconis hyper limit.”

“Excellent, Roule. Move all task groups into position. Form up the net. Do not let her escape.”

“Yes, First Marshal. We’re moving into position now.”

“Careful, Admiral. Be advised that there is a minefield in that area, and stay clear.”

The ships of the net began closing in on the wounded battle carrier. It had managed to not only destroy two of the mines, but it had tucked itself inside the minefield. The mines were programmed to detonate on any ship not assigned to Forth Fleet. But Scott now had some ships from Forth Fleet. All he had to do now was send them in to flush out his prey, and then she would be in his clutches.

He also had General Fernando’s shock troopers already on alert status. They would make simultaneous runs in their assault transports and breach the battle carrier everywhere they could. Their priority would be to secure the ship, but if they could catch it with strike fighters embarked, it would be all the better.

Scott forced himself to relax as message traffic continued to filter through the command nexus of the flagship. As they formed up the network of signals, they picked up a shadow of an anomaly within the minefield. Unfortunately, the mines themselves could be blocking the field.

“Alright, Commodore Hasley. Send in some ships to drive her out. I want you to drive her on vector oh-one-twelve, minus four off the plane.”

Hasley acknowledged the order and sent two dreadnoughts and four cruisers into the minefield. As they approached the minefield, they got a terrible surprise as four of the mines detonated, sending a wave of damage through the ships.

“First Marshal, I don’t understand,” a stunned Commodore Hasley said with shock. He managed to recall his wounded ships with only moderate damage. Bonespar had taken the worst of it. The cruiser had detonated one mine on its own, but it also took damage from the mine Far Star had set off. The result took Bonespar out of the fight, but the other ships managed to restore their shields and back carefully out of the minefield.

“Commodore, put your ships on station keeping and keep the net in place. Our Orion battle carrier is in there somewhere, possibly in sector one. Call up your minelayers to come in and reprogram the targeting packages.”

“But sir, the mines should have let us pass. Duke—”

“Yes, he made us all believe they were configured to let your fleet pass, but it is my suspicion that he configured the field to allow only his own ship to pass. It seems he didn’t trust any of you.”

“So what do we do now, First Marshal?”

“Now, we wait.”

* * *

Michael helped the members of DamCon Seven and Eight pull the debris out of the way. A skylift had come off its rails when the ship answered to all stop and toppled down the access way. It had bounced into another power panel and crushed it so severely that it killed lighting and ventilation power to another two decks.

Kenaniah’s team worked to switch the ventilation relays over to a redundant circuit while Michael helped his team to get the cables onto the unpowered sleds for movement to the junction control area. It was like working in a dark cathedral, tall and austere, but after it had been turned upside down. Damaged equipment and smoldering fires were still scattered about. Team seven, led by Lt. Hinis, had managed to equalize the pressure on both sides of one of the service doors. With that done, they moved the cable sled down the raceway and into the power core.