Comm-Link:Instrument of Surrender (Part 3)/ru

Часть 3

На мостике завыла сирена.

- "Командир, через тридцать секунд мы попадем в зону попадания сил Теварина", сказал КсО Коберн. Коктейль усталости и стресса чувствовалось в его голосе.

Глубоко внутри пояса астероидов Системы Калибан, Кресцент попался в собственную ловушку. Первоначальный план командира Уолласа заключался в том, чтобы поймать в нее Теваринский флот в этом месте, напав внезапно на вражеский линейный корабль, спасая невинных людей Криона от гнева захватчика.

К сожалению, план сработал против них. Нос Кресцента был блокирован полем обломков, в то время как линейный корабль Теварина, защищенный толстым щитом Phalanx, блокировал их с кормы.

- "MyLanguage/Космопех Одорицци, у нас нет другого выбора, кроме как рискнуть и пролететь через пояс астероидов. Мне нужны варианты нашего возможного курса."

- "Да, сэр!" Одорицци ответил затем повернувшись назад. - "Где проложить?"

- "Это не имеет значения. Чем больше поворотов и изгибов, тем лучше. Просто держи нас от их прицела подальше."

- "Да, сэр!"

Космопех Одорицци принялся за работу. Рулевой Айерс взглянул на Коберна и они встретились взглядом. Коберн и Айерс уже служили вместе дольше, чем жила на свете Уоллас.

- "Рулевой Айерс, приготовьтесь к извилистому полету."

- "Да, сэр!"

Когда рулевой Айерс положил руки на рулевой джойстик, Командир Уоллас заметил, что его костяшки побелели.

- "Сэр, Теварины в зоне поражения", отрапортовал КсО Коберн. "Мы не можем оставаться здесь больше."

- "И мы не можем двигаться, пока мы не узнаем куда," Командир Уоллас оставалась сфокусированной на голосфере. - "Одорицци, время вышло."

- "Здесь, сэр."

Голосфера отобразила варианты маршрутов, большинство из которых начиналось между двумя большими астероидами справа.

- "Сэр, если мы выберемся из пояса", - предположил Коберн, - "Мы могли бы совершить квантовый прыжок в безопасную зону, чтобы перегруппироваться и произвести переоценку ситуации."

- "Если мы сбежим, Тевсы двинуться вперед и Крион превратиться в руины прежде, чем мы что-то сможем сделать. Сейчас наша задача отвлечь их внимание на себя. Ясно?"

В воздухе повисла тишина. Неожиданно космопех Доутри нарушил тишину из-за терминала сканирования, - "Тевсы выстраиваются для удара!"

- "Тиллман, все что есть - на щиты", - Уоллас отдала распоряжение пункту сканирования. - "Рулевой, приготовиться к движению!"

"По какому маршруту, Командир?"

Она снова взглянула на опции предлагаемые голосферой. Не было времени для анализа. Одно из самых важных решений в жизни нужно было принимать основываясь на инстинктах.

- "Атака на кормовой щит!"

- "Айерс, здесь. Двигай сейчас же", скомандовал командир Уоллас когда она нажала кнопку отправки маршрута рулевому.

Когда корабль резко дернулся, она надеялась, что не убьет их всех.

* * *

Я шелест...

. . . thought Drahk as he spiraled toward the bow of the massive UEE ship. The skate, a personal propulsion device grabbed from his now destroyed Jackal, plus the momentum gained when he was flung from the wreckage provided enough thrust for him to quickly close in on the Human capital ship. Drahk had to be careful though. It wouldn’t be good to come in too hot.

Illuminated streaks sliced through space, catching his attention. Drahk glanced up to see Luroosh firing upon the Human ship’s stern. The attack was underway. Hopefully that meant the Humans would be too distracted defending themselves from the external threat to notice him sneak aboard their ship.

As he drew closer, Drahk recited the Rijoran passage once again, “It takes a single whisper to break a silence.” It served as a mantra of what was to come and a reminder that even though he was just one Tevarin, he still had strength enough to cripple an entire capital ship by disabling the right systems.

The distance to the ship flashed across Drahk’s visor. If his aim stayed true, Drahk would pass above the bow, and have the length of the ship to set down. There would be a number of hatches atop it to let him to sneak inside.

Drahk never had the honor of crewing a Prowler, but he had heard stories about what it was like to board an enemy ship, mainly from tales of an elite Tevarin unit known as the Naulle. Only those who had mastered all 343 fighting stances could join.

Rumors were they could board ships without being noticed, and then disappear before anyone knew they were there. Drahk dreamed of joining the Naulle, but was born far too late. Had he grown up back in the height of the Tevarin Authority, he would have played khuley in a stone course on Kaleeth, learning the team tactics Tevarin boarders used so devastatingly against their enemies.

Instead, Drahk grew up around Humans in Olympus, stealing their disgusting food and dodging their dirty looks. The Rijora saved him from that life, and now, as the Human capital ship loomed closer, it was bringing him back to it.

A proximity alert flashed across Drahk’s visor. It was time to slow down. Drahk activated the retro thrusters on his skate and decelerated.

Then, suddenly, the ship moved. Its bow swung toward a tight gap between two nearby asteroids. Portside came to bear before Drahk. The long length of ship he had planned to use as a runway was now gone.

Drahk braced himself. The ship’s course change along with his deceleration meant he had lost ground. Quickly, he maxed out the skate’s thrusters to pick up speed. Drahk would not let his destiny be denied.

While accelerating, he banked to the left, carefully adjusting his path to the ship. If his approach angle was too great, he would overshoot the ship. Yet if he pitched down too dramatically, a hard landing could injure him. He passed above the ship abeam to port, angled himself down towards the bow and prayed for the best.

Glancing down, the ship was only a blur beneath his feet. The rapid movement made him woozy and forced him to glance away. Instead, he focused on the edge of the bow, which rushed at him faster than expected.

He curled his long frame into a tight ball and took the brunt of the impact in a roll. The wind was knocked from him, but he managed to activate his mag-boots before he tumbled over the edge.

The quick shift in momentum ripped the skate from his hands. It spiraled away, deflecting off the ship, then disappearing into the asteroids. He had hoped to use it to escape from the ship, but it looked like that was no longer part of the plan.

Drahk wouldn’t be deterred though, and after ensuring his vitals were normal, he could not stop the swelling of pride that filled his heart. He’d done it. He had met his destiny and survived.

* * *

Nope, this wasn’t going to work. There was no way this Marine’s uniform would fit over his spacesuit. Hickory’s arm only made it halfway down the sleeve before the shirt was busting at the seams.

So much for slipping through Crescent’s halls in disguise. He was going to stick out like a sore thumb in his custom suit, but there was no other option. It was the only link he had to his ship floating out in the drift.

Hickory dropped the uniform shirt next to the unconscious body of his former guard. The young Marine had taken a hard blow to the head, but he’d be fine. The consequences for letting a prisoner escape would hurt a lot longer.

He slammed the cell door shut and the electromagnetic lock engaged. Hickory gave the kid one last look. Someone would come looking. . . eventually. That is, if Crescent survived this tussle with the Tevarin.

Hickory tried not to think about what was happening outside. No use stressing over what he couldn’t control. There was enough to worry about anyways, like finding a helmet. He’d never get off this ship without one.

He drew a deep breath and visualized, turn-by-turn, the route he’d take to the flight deck. Time spent on Olympus taught Hickory the halls of this ship, but he still wished he had his helmet to help him chart a course. Hickory had spent years customizing the visor’s information overlay to his specific needs. He missed it already and without it, he would have to do this the old fashion way — with only his eyes, ears and instincts.

If he could get to the flight deck, there was a good chance he could find a helmet in the pilot’s ready room. Once that’s done, he could focus on the next step in his plan, the most important and probably difficult part — how to get off this ship and back to his own?

We’ll deal with that when we get to it. He moved to exit the brig, but stopped. Hickory looked back at where the unconscious marine’s rifle had fallen when Hickory had knocked him out. He knew he could never shoot his way off this ship, but it might come in handy. Unfortunately, it would also immediately escalate any situation into a gun battle. Marines didn’t tend to converse with armed prisoners.

No, better to play it safe, he thought and left it behind. Once certain the coast was clear, he began his journey to the flight deck.

About halfway down the hall, he wondered if he’d made the right call.

* * *

- "Следующий поворот через 1500 метров. Крутой левый поворот 2-7-0", проинформировал Коспопех Одорицци.

- "Рулевой Айерс, круче заворачивайте, вы рисуетесь перед ними." Командир Уоллас наблюдала как Рулевой Айерс вытер пот со лба.

- "Да, сэр."

Уоллас ухватила взглядом борозду Кресцента через астероидное поле на голосфере, "вспаханную" носовым щитом. Она проверила его статус, затем позвала, "Тиллман, больше мощности на передние щиты."

- "Это ослабит наши кормовые щиты до пятнадцати процентов. Они не выдержат еще одной атаки."

- "Вот почему я хочу, чтобы следующий поворот был быстрым и чистым. Нам нужна настолько более длинная дистанция между нами и Тевсами насколько это возможно."

Однако при ближайшем рассмотрении этого обходного пути, возникали другие проблемы: небольшие скопления астероидов ударялись о корпус и изнашивали щиты Кресцента. Между тем, позади них, Тевсы набирали силу, их фаланский щит поворачивался защищая корабль от обломков астероидов оставляемых Полумесяцем за собой.

Коберн подошел к Уоллас. - "Эти астероидные скопления повредят нас, если мы не будем осторожны."

- "Я знаю."

Коберн подошел ближе и понизил голос. - "Я думаю нам нужно заменить Айерса. Он с этим не справляется."

Но сейчас она понимала, что таким образом Коберн выражает несогласие с ее планом. Командир Уоллас ответила: - "Айерс прекрасно прошел через семь крупных сражений". Коберн ничего не сказал, но убежденным он не выглядел.

Время от времени ее не могла не расстраивать КсО не говорить ей прямо свои мысли, но теперь, когда они были высказаны, все, что ее сейчас расстраивало, это беспокойство в ее желудке. Замена уважаемого члена экипажа в разгар битвы не принесет ей никакой пользы. Тем не менее его предложение было реальным, чтобы его рассматривать: "Хорошо, давайте будем готовы передать управление Гейзе туда попасть, если он не сможет."

Коберн кивнул и вернулся на свое место.

- "До следующего поворота осталось менее 15 секунд," - предупредил Одорицци.

Командир Уоллас наблюдала за маневром, при этом скорость корабля оставалась неизменной. Затем, в последний момент, Рулевой Айерс крутанул Кресцента налево. Корабль успешно скользнул в проход только за счет инерции корабля, проходя правой стороной на слишком опасной дистанции около огромного астероида.

Рулевой Айерс быстро развернул левосторонние маневровые на реверс. Командир Уоллас стиснула зубы, опасаясь что слишком мало сил, слишком поздний маневр, чтобы он остановил их инерциальное движение. Датчики правого борта пищали о приближающемся столкновении.

Затем внезапно, мощная вибрация сотрясла корабль. Огромный астероид врезался в щит правого борта Кресцента, почти полностью истощив его. Астероид разорвало на бесчисленное количество кусков, которые теперь заслоняли проход позади них.

Уоллас успокоилась, затем посмотрела на Коберна. Она наклонилась к нему. - "Позовите Гейзе. Я позволю Айерсу знать."

Когда он отошел, Командир Уоллас перевела взгляд на голосферу, забеспокоившись о том, что это единственный ошибочный маневр привел Тевсов в эффективную зону поражения орудиями. Теваринский корабль крутился вокруг препятствия преследуя. Их фаланский щит крутился из стороны в сторону пытаясь защитить флот от широкого поля осколков.

- "КсО Коберн, подождите."

Коберн быстро вернулся к Уоллас, которая проигрывала на голосфере заново прохождение Тевсов через поле обломков астероидов. Он наклонился ближе к голограмме.

- "Сообщите нашей артиллеристам. Цель - астероиды."

Лицо Коберна расплылось в улыбке, когда он увидел это: Теваринский фаланский щит не может отразить несколько одновременных ударов.

* * *

After his successful landing, Drahk had quietly opened one of the exterior maintenance hatches and slipped into the ship. He wriggled through the narrow crawlspace and dropped into a small antechamber. He wasn’t surprised that the Humans had failed to secure such an obvious entry point. This lack of combat preparedness would yet prove to be their downfall.

He carefully moved from doorway to doorway, adjusting course anytime his suit’s scans identified a nearby Human. Yet, it wasn’t the hallways that concerned him, as they had been quieter than expected. It was the doors.

His suit’s scans couldn’t penetrate the ship’s thick metal walls, so every doorway presented a tense moment of anticipation as the doors hissed open. But so far, he hadn’t encountered anyone, so he kept moving, aided by his childhood memories of Olympus.

The UEES Olympus had crashed into Ashana and was soon adopted by the people that would come to call it home. This ship, although a similar class as Olympus, was decidedly different. Here everything was sterile, brightly lit and clean. There were no stalls fighting for space near busy junctions. No strange food smells wafting from open doorways. No sand seeping in through the seams and drifting across the halls. Instead, he found himself with a sense of déja vu laced with disorientation.

Drahk snapped out of it as he felt that instinctive itch that came from being in one place for too long. Checking his scans, he confirmed his path forward was clear and moved to the stairs that led to the sectors housing the ship’s components.

Once there, he squatted with his side against the cold wall, then carefully leaned forward and glanced down the stairs. The coast was clear. He swung around the corner, setting a foot on the first tread when a slight vibration made him pause. Voices funneling up from the stair’s lower flight signaled Humans rushing in his direction.

Drahk pulled himself back around the corner and pressed himself against the wall. Moments later, several soldiers hurried by him. None bothered to glance back the way they came. Once their footsteps faded away, Drahk finally exhaled.

He held position for a few seconds to ensure that more weren’t on their way and then snuck down the upper flight onto the landing. He briefly paused to see if the lower flight was clear before cautiously proceeded down the remaining stairs.

Before him lay the soft underbelly of this beast. A maze of narrow halls led to rooms pumping power and other essentials to the rest of the ship. Drahk drew his sidearm and crouched in a nearby doorway. His mind raced trying to recall what these rooms had been on Olympus. There was that supply store, and the Slapjim’s distillery, and across from that was —

Suddenly, Drahk’s visor flashed. More Humans were moving in his direction. He had to hide, and fast. He looked at the door to see it had a small window and raised from his crouch to glance through. Seeing no one, he quietly said a Rijoran verse to himself, opened the door and slipped inside.

As hoped, the room was empty. Drahk bristled happily as the door shut. Before him sat one of the ship’s battery bays — the perfect place to start executing his plan.

* * *

Артиллеристы Полумесяца разрывали астероиды по обеим сторонам прохода. Куски разбитой скалы оставались позади них, превращая относительную пустоту в поле астероидного мусора, фаланский щит не мог полностью защитить корабль Тевсов.

“Latest scan shows their shield strength equalizing under 40% effectiveness,” called Starman Daughtry. A buzz went through the bridge as Wallace intently studied the hologlobe. Her crew was focused and communicating. It was the first time since they’d fallen into their own trap that their confidence was growing.

Yet, Commander Wallace knew this strategy wouldn’t last for long. Their own shields were dwindling fast from the constant barrage of debris. They had to deliver a crippling blow before the Tevs changed tactics, or worse, gave up pursuit and forced Crescent to chase them.

Then she saw their chance. Just ahead was a tight turn through a narrow gap that led into a clearing large enough for Crescent to turn around. It was the perfect place to start attacking.

“Attention everyone,” she paused for a second then continued, “In approximately 15,000 meters, Helmsman Ayers will execute a sharp right turn, steering the ship through a narrow gap. As we enter the clearing, Starman Villar and her weapons team will litter its exit with anti-ship mines. This should draw their phalanx shield’s attention. In the meantime, I want all personnel to prep the ship for close combat.”

A chill settled over the crew. They all knew what close quarters combat with a Tevarin capital ship meant.

“We won’t win this fight by running. The only chance we have to win is to face them now, while their phalanx is weakened. I know it’s not ideal. Hell, I’m barely convinced it’s not suicide, but it’s the best chance we’ve got to hit the Tevs and take out their primary defenses. Which means, it’s the best chance the people of Crion have to live another day.”

She looked around the faces of the crew, unsure how they’d take it.

Ayers was the first to nod to her and turn back to his station.

Commander Wallace looked to Villar, who nodded back. Then she continued, “Ayers, coming out of the gap, will swing the Crescent clockwise until we’re nearly back where we started and our starboard is perpendicular with the entrance. When the Tev’s ship comes out of that gap I want us in position to broadside its stern. They can only protect one side of their ship at a time. So let’s force ’em to choose between us or a field of mines.”

Coburn immediately called out, “Anyone not understand their role?” When his question was met with silence he continued, “Then let’s get —”

“Commander! We just lost power from battery bay two,” Tillman yelled from the engineering station.

“What? How?” XO Coburn stormed toward Tillman.

Commander Wallace raced to a terminal and scanned the ship’s currents stats. How could an entire battery bay suffer a major malfunction without any warning?

Ayers called out. “I’m losing speed, Commander. Lost ten, now fifteen percent of our overall thrust.”

“Divert power from shields to the engines now! We need to get to this gap as fast as we can.”

Starman Daughtry threw fuel on the fire, “Seeing a power spike from the Tevarin. They’re preparing to attack.”

“Commander, the Tevs are gaining ground. We’ll need shields to fend them off,” Coburn called from the engineering station.

“How much further until we reach that gap?”

“Just over 5,000 meters, sir,” responded Starman Odorizzi.

“That’s only ten more seconds, people. We’ll risk it. Helmsman Ayers, we need to get through this gap clean.”

“I’ll make it, sir.” Ayers shook his dominant hand to loosen a stress cramp.

“Incoming!”

Ayers swung Crescent’s bow toward the narrow gap just as the Tevarin opened fire. The shots screamed past the ship, narrowly avoiding their stern. As Crescentswung into the gap, Wallace called out, “Full power to stern thrusters!”

The ship surged forward, though its momentum still pulled the portside toward the gap’s asteroids. Meanwhile, Ayers fired the starboard retro thrusters. Wallace hoped Ayers’ actions plus the additional thrust would get the ship through clean.

Portside warning sensors wailed as the ship veered closer and closer to the asteroid. Still there was a chance this could work. The gap’s exit was close. The ship’s bow was through, but Commander Wallace held her breath until the entire ship entered the clearing.

Then she finally exhaled and called out, “Deploy the mines!”

As Villar relayed the order to her crew, Helmsman Ayers swung Crescent into its clockwise turn. Wallace watched the Tevarin ship charge through the gap and enter the clearing. It quickly swung its phalanx shield towards the sea of anti-ship mines.

Ayers completed Crescent’s turn and the ship was now positioned behind the Tevarin fleet, just where Wallace wanted.

“Send out the order. Ready attack!”

* * *

Hickory was close. The flight deck wasn’t far away, which meant the ready room had to be somewhere on the other side of this bulkhead door. Time to find a helmet and get off this ship.

The bulkhead slid open, revealing an empty hallway. Hickory moved towards the flight deck. As he angled towards a door on the right, out stepped a Tevarin.

The Tevarin immediately raised a weapon, but Hickory was already in motion. Driven by instinct honed over decades of shady deals with shadier characters, he pushed the barrel of the alien weapon to the ceiling with one hand while twisting the body of the weapon with the other. The rifle came free from the Tevarin’s grasp and clattered across the floor.

Hands quickly seized Hickory by the throat, lifted then slammed him down on the deck, knocking the wind from his lungs. The two rolled around, exchanging body punches and elbows. Hickory could tell that the Tevarin was trained in fighting, but not experienced. Hickory on the other hand, had been in plenty of fights, but never been formally taught. He snaked his arm around the back of the Tevarin’s head and found an access panel into the Tevarin’s suit. He opened it and ripped. He must have snagged the power cords because the faceplate went opaque, completely blinding the Tevarin. Hickory used the distraction to wriggle free and dive for the discarded weapon on the floor.

Drahk finally managed to restore power and clear his helmet in time to see the Human raise his own rifle at him.

“Don’t. . . move. . .” Hickory said between labored breaths.

“Do it,” Drahk hissed in near perfect Human. “I am not afraid.”

Hickory hesitated, but it wasn’t because the Tevarin was speaking his language. There was something familiar about the dialect. He was about to ask when —

“Freeze!”

Hickory and Drahk turned. A group of Marines stood at the end of the hall, weapons raised. One young Marine whose eye was almost swollen shut from a nasty shiner stepped closer, looking down the sights of the rifle Hickory decided not to take.

Hickory tossed the Tevarin weapon aside and put his hands up.

“I guess those cells of yours aren’t good for holding anybody for long,” was all Hickory managed to say before the butt of a rifle cracked him in the side of the head.

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