Jokers Wild

Chapter 11: Counter-Strike

Two weeks had passed since the raid on the Magatesso System, during which the Jokers had again consolidated. Post-battle checks had shown Joker Two was no longer combat worthy and the last spare fighter was activated. With only six fighters remaining, B'Lain retained two pilots for Gold as Jokers 1, 2 and 3 while Jace took the other two and retained Jokers 5, 6 and 7. Jan'a also re-organized her Marines into two squads, with fifteen Marines in 1st squad and fourteen in 2nd squad under Sgt Ram'Ond'Blake. Blackie had not been happy about the promotion, but as always he did his job with efficiency and skill.

Er'Wyn'Nath sat in his command chair on the bridge of the Hornet and tried very hard not to brood. He was more than a little concerned at the reduction of their striking power. Fortunately the ship itself was fully functional, if a little empty. But with their losses their overall offensive power had been significantly reduced. He'd already sent one request for rotation home for refit and repair. After a week he was almost ready to send a second. Maybe if he...

An alarm sounded from the Tactical section. "Status?"

El'Lynn was manning the tactical station, freeing that officer for duty in engineering. "Emergence, strong signal, possibly two ships..."

"Sir, incoming message!" the comm officer reported. "Gold channel, militia code, Alpha-seven priority!"

"Syncronize channels and initiate simultaneous decryption." Nath replied, keeping his voice calm. He waited as the Comm officer found the appropriate algorythm and went through the hand-shaking the protocol required. "El'Lynn, anything else on those ships?"

"Definitely two ships, light cruiser range... The engines and power systems are giving off signatures consistent with M'Tzigon refits..."

"Sir, channel open."

Nath pointed at the screen, which reconfigured to show a woman wearing the uniform of a Men-At-Arms Major. She had blood from a ragged cut on her forehead flowing down her cheek, mixed with soot. "This is Major Ky'Ria'Cam of the M'Tzigon Militia Ship WindSong with the MMS Saber. We are five jumps out of Daluuj. We are under attack, estimate less than two minutes before pursuit emerges. Requesting assistance. We have damage and wounded."

Nath felt his pulse quicken as adrenaline flooded his system. "Major Cam, this is Captain Nath of the Hornet. We are headed your way. What are the number and disposition of enemy forces in pursuit?"

"Captain... Thank the Maker! We were following up a Wilberforce lead when we were hit by four assault ships, a Nebulon-B supported by three CR-90s and two dozen fighters. We lost the Holocron and our fighter screen but took out the Nebulon-B and one of the CR-90s. We jumped away but they are tracking us somehow. We've been engaged in a running fire-fight ever since. I think they're down to about a half-dozen fighters but the they've picked up another CR-90 along the way. If they follow form we'll be hit by three CR-90s and their remaining fighters in about ... sixty seconds."

Nath nodded, turned toward the tactical section. "Battle Stations. Scramble the Jokers now." He turned back toward the screen as the bridge went red and alarm klaxons sounded. "Major, do you have any identification on your pursuers?"

"Markings on the fighters match the Black Sun, but the ships are all carrying Zann Consortium insignia."

"Zann..." Nath looked at El'Lynn. "Why am I not surprised that Tyber Zann is mixed up in the slave trade? Well... lets see if we can't spring a trap for our 'friends'. Major, can you fight? Manuever?"

"Yes sir. We're at about seventy percent combat capacity, but our missile tubes are dry."

Nath shot El'Lynn a inquiring look. "Sir, the ships are both Republic Light Assault Cruisers, Aurek type, with modifications consistent with M'Tzigon navy ships. They're equipped with four twin-configuration heavy laser turrets and four combination turbo-laser and ion cannon turrets as well as a pair of missile tubes."

Nath nodded. "Very well. Major, come to heading 224 mark 14 relative. That will turn you broadside to any emergence following you in and put you above them. We'll close and cross on the opposite side and above, giving us enfilade fire without interference on their cruisers while my fighters finish off their screen."

"Very good. Thank you, Captain." The young woman on the screen relaxed visibly. "With your help..."

"We're not out of the woods yet." Nath replied, a smile on his face. "But we're getting there. Start your maneuver and prepare to engage."

Nath swung back toward tactical. "Status?"

El'Lynn straightened, pressing an ear bud into her ear. "We are at Battle Stations, all positions manned and ready. Joker One will be ready to launch in twenty seconds."

"Very well." Nath settled into his seat. "Helm, full emergency accelleration toward emergence. I want to be as close as possible when the enemy shows up. Tactical, do what you can to make us look like one of those LACs, and launch a Mocking Bird drone configured to look like a LAC-A as well. Lets see if we can't sow a little confusion..."

Nath steepled his fingers as his crew went to work. You want to fight to keep people in slavery? Bring it on...

"Joker One: Launching Now ... Now ... NOW!"

******

B'Lain checked his tactical display. "Jokers, sound off."

"Joker Two, online."
"Joker Three, up."
"Joker Five, up."
"Joker Six, up."
"Joker Seven, yo!"

B'Lain angled downward and to the right. "Two and Three, form on me. Jace, take your flight to the left and low. We'll go low and hit them in a crossing pattern after they emerge."

"On it." Jace replied, his reduced flight forming on him as he also angled down and left of the Hornet.

B'Lain checkd his board again - everything was in the green - and flexed his fingers. "Eagle, Joker One: Jokers are wild."

******

Space erupted with the blue flare of escaping energy and the streaks of pseudomotion. A screen of four Vaksai fighters with two Ixiyen fighters burst into real-space, with a trio of CR-90 corvettes right behind. There was no hesitation from the fighters - they immediately turned toward the two LACs and started to close. They clearly knew where their targets were and were not fooled by Nath's attempt to fool them.

In fact, it became clear a few moments later that the fighters were completely target fixated. They bored in on the cruisers without deviation, cutting right in front of B'Lain's three ARC-170s. "Jokers, start with the trailers and take 'em!"

B'Lain rolled in on the lead Ixiyen and didn't bother with his lasers, instead firing a pair of concussion missiles at point-blank range. The two missiles streaked home and exploded, turning the deadly fighter into a spreading cloud of debris. Joker 3 did the same with the other Ixiyen while Two took down one of the Vaksai's. Before the lead fighters had time to react the Joker flight were on them, hammering away at their shields with their heavy lasers.

One by one the remaining Vaksai's fell to the ambush. None of them managed to fire back or fire on the cruisers. "Well done, Jokers! Tally Ho!" B'lain called, dropping his targeting ring on the trailing CR-90. "All Jokers: Attack my target!"

******

Jace made a slight adjustment to his flight path. He's anticipated B'Lain's target choice and was already lined up with the trailing CR-90 corvette. The blockade runner, renouned for its speed and manueverability, was thrusting ahead at full speed, in a loose formation with the other two ships. However, like the fighters, it was locked onto its targets unwaveringly. While the fighters had surprised them they had appeared close to the LACs and so it was easy to believe they'd come from there, left-overs or a reserve now deployed in a last-ditch effort to defeat the pursuit.

Jace and his wings didn't even have targeting systems pointed at them as the CR-90s maneuvered. "Proton torpedoes, full spread ... fire!"

Six torpedoes streaked away from the fighters, spreading slightly as they guided independently on the corvette. At the last moment the corvette jinxed up and away, generating a miss on one of the torpedoes, but the other five hit and exploded. Two hit at the stern, gutting the engine cluster, while two more slammed into the bow. One low amid-ships and stove in the salon pod, rupturing the hull while the hits forward cut the ship's neck at the forward gun turrets. The bridge tumbled away independently, the crew ejected into space, as the bulk of the ship twisted away, airless and powerless.

"Joker five to Eagle: Scratch one Corvette!" Jace called. "Sorry to steal your target, Joker One!"

B'Lain laughed. "No apology necessary, Jace. Nice shooting!" B'Lain moved his targeting circle to the next corvette. "Lets bag another, shall we?"

******

Shock rolled through the surviving Zann officers as first their fighters, then one of their corvettes were destroyed by enemies they hadn't even seen. The two ships split apart, manuevering frantically, their guns searching for targets. Since both fighter attacks had come from below they also broke high in a bid to distance themselves from the invisible, deadly fighters.

Major Cam rolled her ships with the corvette breaking left, hammering it with the combined turbo-laser firepower of the two Light Assault Cruisers. The two ships made short work of the corvette's shields, and for once the CR-90's speed couldn't save it. Five of its eight engines wrecked, streaming air, the corvette swung around and the power spike of its hyper drive registered ... just before the ship exploded.

The Saber, already more heavily damaged and cutting the pursuit curve more closely to maintain its firing range, caught two substantial fragments. Its own port-side engine pod exploded, knocking the center-line engine out as well and sending the ship into a tumble, streaming atmosphere and debris as its thrusters fired frantically to regain attitude control. The WindSong faired better but her guns went silent as another solid fragment slammed into her amid-ships and severed the power runs feeding her guns.

On the right the Hornet closed on the final ship. "Stand by guns, lock torpedoes."

"Proton torpedoes locked, guns laid in and standing by." El'Lynn reported from tactical.

"Fire." Nath replied.

El'Lynn lifted a plastic shield and depressed a flashing green key. Immediately the Hornet's two torpedo tubes spat out a pair of proton torpedoes each, fired in rapid succession. Simultaneously the forward turbolasers opened up, hammering the Zann corvette with close-range energy fire. The CR-90's shields flared under the hammer of the Hornet's guns, the angle preventing a reply. The torpedo tubes were part of the refit that had turned the Hornet into a carrier and were mounted below the fighter bays in slim pods. Each was equipped with a six torpedo magazine and could fire the torpedoes individually or in pairs, as El'Lynn had programmed them. Like the oversized bays where the fighters were carried these tubes were additions to the core CR-90 space frame, and while they hampered the ship's speed and maneuverability they greatly enhanced her firepower.

That firepower was now decisive as the torpedoes struck the weakened shields. The explosions overwhelmed their protection and ripped into the corvette, wrecking her engines and power systems. Unlike her sisters this corvette did not explode but she did tumble, thrust gone and air streaming from rents in her armor.

Nath keyed his intercom. "Eagle to Python: Launch boarding party."

Jan'a's affirmative response washed over Nath as he leaned forward, chin cradled on his fists as he watched his Marines approach the crippled ship.

******

Nath stood as Major Cam and another officer stepped through the hatch into the Hornet's briefing room. "Welcome back aboard the Hornet Captain." Nath said, extending his hand. "How is your ship?"

"Windsong is operational again, sir. Three days isn't much time but we've run replacement power runs and everything seems to be functioning again. I wouldn't call us 'combat worthy', the hull patches are paper thin, but we can move and fight if necessary." Major Cam turned and introduced the officer with her. "Sir, let me introduce Major Av'Ram'Listz, Chief Engineer and acting CO of MSS Sabre."

Nath extended his hand to the man. He was utterly average - average height, build, hazel eyes, brown hair - but there was a twinkle in his eye that even the dire responsibility he'd inherited couldn't extinguish. "Its good to meet you, Captain."

"Sir." Avram took his hand. "Thank you for the engineering support and the healers. Without their help neither my ship or crew would have faired as well as they did. I apologize for taking so long to report, but with our damage..."

Nath waved him off. "I understand. How are your repairs coming?"

"Well, we have Engine Two back online but One is gone. We've locked it down for now, we'll have to get her into a slip back home for a full replacement, probably need to replace most of the mounting members as well. But we can move at about 30% power and our hyper-drive is finally back online as well."

Nath nodded, gesturing toward seats around the conference table. "Good. Master Healer K'Lain, with support from the Mak'Tor mission on Syvris has all but the most critically wounded ambulatory again. You should have most of them back aboard in a few hours."

Avram leaned forward on the table. "That's good to hear, sir, but why the rush? Wouldn't it be better to let them convalesce a bit longer before bringing them back aboard ship?"

Nath nodded. "Yes, but that's not an option." He slid a padd across the table for them to read. "New orders from the Chiefs: We are to cease and desist all Wilberforce activities and return to the home system for refit, repair and redeployment."

Ky'Ria read the padd then passed it to Avram. "The orders are signed by General Cliff, not the Secretary. I wonder what happened..."

"Our orders were sealed. Cliff probably found out about them and countermanded. He's always been more of an isolationist." Avram replied.

"Damn. Just when we were doing some real good out here for a change..."

"Maybe, but we took a pounding too. I don't know about you, Av, but I never wanted to get command of my own ship this way. Captain Lo was a good man." For a moment Ky'Ria's green eyes were haunted by memory but she shrugged it off. "And we can all use refit and repair. Even the Hornet.

"That we can." Nath replied. "I just wish they were sending someone out to take our place..."

"I think I can handle that." Glonar D'Kev rumbled from the doorway. "Captains! Welcome to Syvris!" The flamboyant Basilisk swept into the room, decked out in a blazingly bright red and orange suit that made him look like a cross between a cavalier and a clown. His good eye lit on Major Cam, quickly evaluating her slim figure, green eyes and auburn hair. "Oh, the prizes this job denies me..."

"D'Kev, our Sons of Kessel liason." Nath said. "D'Kev, Majors Cam and Listz, commanding the two cruisers that arrived the other day."

"Pleased to meet you both!" D'Kev replied, sweeping his hat off his head and bowing while simultaneously pumping both Major's hands. "Let me offer you both the hospitality of my night club on Syvris. Best booze in the sector!"

"That's enough, D'Kev. What did you mean by 'I think I can handle that.'?" Nath said, pointing at another chair.

D'Kev settled his bulk into the human-sized seat gingerly and grinned a disturbingly predatory grin. "Just exactly what I said. Scrubber has been appraised of your shifting tactical stance and wanted me to inform you that within a few hours of your departure a pair of Raider II Corvettes, supported by eight TIE Avenger fighters. We will keep the Healers safe until you can return."

Nath blinked in surprise. "Well. That's ... generous of you. Very generous."

D'Kev stood and smiled, a genuinely warm smile this time. "Captain, you've brought hundreds of our Sirs and Sirras home to us. This is the least we can do in return." He turned, stepped through the doorway, and looked back into the room. "Safe journey to you all, and may the Maker guide you. And whatever you do ... watch your backs."