"Good morning everyone." The new Admiral greeted us, his yellow badge telling all of us he wasn't trusted yet, and must be new to his rank. "Can you two girls wait outside, while we grownups talk?"
"That won't be happening Admiral." Lowell replied. "Your prominent display of your badge tells everyone in this room they know more about what's going on than you."
"I'm not briefing children." He replied.
"Your right, there are no children in here; Cadet Garis, and myself are here because we hold special positions aboard the Starcarriers. Your badge tells me I'm not allowed to say more Admiral." That had the desired effect.
"What..." The man was interrupted by Grandpa.
"Be careful of your next question Albert. You know as much as your allowed. Brief them, or leave and turn in your rank."
"Yes, Admiral Bradford." He swallowed hard then continued. "I have been asked to formally request the current Starcarrier's presence at the annual Solar Sailer's Regalia."
"We have reason to believe one of the schools participating in the Dinghy Drop competition we'll be attacked. The altitudes we are looking at are to low for a standard battle group, but your fighters and drones should be ideal for the locations." The new Admiral finished
This smells funny to me. "Admiral, why are you recommending the use of drones and fighters to be deployed?"
"We aren't sure of the drone's capabilities."
"You aren't allowed to know. You want both crews there, we'll go, but we'll decide how much firepower is required. We are going to need a list of possible targets for these insurgents." I heard Susan retort.
"Now listen here, Cadet, I've worked my life for this, I'll not be insulted by a child who doesn't even have hair in their special place!"
Mom, and Captain Garis stood up at the remark. They weren't allowed to speak yet, but everyone in the room was furious at the remark.
"Admiral, if you insult my niece like that again, you will not be able to brief the carrier group ever again." Heather replied through gritted teeth.
"Captain, I'm aware of your field promotion, you don't have that authority."
It was my turn. "Admiral, you are in over your head, and don't even know it. So quit being a jerk. You are grossly out classed, and don't even have the clearance to know by how much. If you continue insulting the Tsunami's crew, I can assure you that Typhoon will back her up in a ship to ship duel. Do you think your battle cruiser flagship could stand up to two Starcarriers? I know that each of my fifty bombers are capable of taking out your paper-tank ship, and my friend over there can thread her 12 foot wide drones through a 12 foot 1 inch hole at Mach 1.7." I set my hand on Mom's arm and waited for her to sit.
"We are now keenly aware of who you think you are, so let me introduce myself. I am Cadet Elizabeth Bradford. This is my mother, Captain Danielle Bradford. And that gentleman there is my grandfather Rear Admiral Logan Bradford. Is there any further questions about our qualifications to threaten you? No, of course not, and if there were, we couldn't answer them."
Susan leaned back in her chair, "since Beth introduced herself, I guess it's only proper I do so as well. I am Cadet Susan Garis, this is my guardian, and ship's captain, Captain Heather Garis; and our ship's Executive Officer Commander Lowell Bradford."
The look on the admirals face was brilliant.
"I told you to be careful, when this battle group makes a threat, consider it a promise. Admiral." Grandpa said. "I think it's time you leave so we can discuss your request."
The man nodded and left the room. Grandpa took his place at the front. "Okay girls, what do you think?"
"It reeks." Susan quipped.
"I agree, but I want to go and find out why." I added.
"What do you mean, Beth?" Uncle Lowell asked.
"The way he specifically asked for drones and fighters to be deployed in Atmo. Those vessels have been designed for null conditions. We would need to swap out our fighters for ones designed for those conditions, and that would leave us vulnerable in transit, as well as sitting ducks during the show."
"I agree with Beth on those points, but I think we would only need to refit one of us with the Atmo fighters, null on the drones and bombers. The carrier fit entirely for space can sit away from everything in Jump-Space ready to fall back to normal if things get hot. The jumper could also leave a field active, if we have enough fuel on board, so the sister ship doesn't have to power up her jump drive."
A case of literary theft: this tale is not rightfully on Amazon; if you see it, report the violation.
"Good idea Susan." Mom said. "Beth, you think we can run the Planetside part of this plan? Tsu's jump drive is stronger than yours, and better equipped for interdiction maneuvers like this."
"Sounds good to me." I look at Susan and grin. "We all know she likes lazing around anyway!" I took off running after the jab about her breakdown on her Zero Flight.
"Hey Beth, isn't this your Zero Flight?" Tsu said as I stopped at the door. " don't forget the half second delay between full broadsides. The Mass Accelleration Cannon's recoil crushes your life support pods otherwise."
And there is her reminder that I still hadn't changed my fireing solution matrices.
"Alright girls let's go," Uncle Lowell protested. "Have we found anyone suitable for the boys yet dad? We are kind of out numbered here."
"Not yet. Let's see how these two make out before we commit to someone on that front."
"Could you hurry with it? Hurricane is getting anxious, and earthquake is not too happy to be left behind." Susan said.
"I thought you said you couldn't communicate with them when your out here." Mom asked me.
I pulled the Captain's headset from my pocket at the same time Tsu did. Mom started laughing.
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12 hours into mission
Tsu is still in position, her jump field is charged and ready to pull me out if anything goes wrong. The Dinghy Drop just started, this is what I'm here for. So far everything looks good, the drones and fighters are protecting the lines.
14 hours into mission
Things in the competition have really started to heat up. Tsunami's jump drive is still spooled up, now I see why mom recommended her for that, I know mine wouldn't handle that draw. Wait, where did that drone go. I just lost another one.
"Mom, I think we have company. Typhoon is loosing drones, and it's not because of a storm; and they shouldn't be getting low on fuel yet."
"Alright, keep an eye out, I'm recalling the fighters to high-Atmo."
"Alright. I'm still on the possible kidnapping targets."
Almost all my drones are gone now. So I send a private message about it to my sister. I feel her link come into my room, she looks around, and then cuts the link. A few minutes later, I loose my last drone.
"Mom, the drones are gone."
"Okay, you know what to do."
At that, I pull the safeties off my MACs and rotate them out ten degrees, so they aren't aiming at each other. The Electomagnetic Coil Cannons got loaded, and I charged the capacitors; this will end up being the first time a Starcarrier has been used in combat. I feel my unconscious body sweating, both nerves and anticipation. I felt like I needed to say something.
"Mom, Typhoon says she is sorry. She doesn't want to hurt anyone, and is afraid she will have to."
"I understand, Beth. Your doing a good job keeping her calm. I don't want her to hurt anyone either. Tell her that's why her sister is waiting where she is."
"Mom, put on the headset."
A few seconds later, I pull mom's vision into my room.
"What's this?"
"Careful what you say, you are talking out loud while your in here. This is how Tsunami and I see the world, at least while we are working." I point to one of the screens I've been moving around. " I need you to get tactics to look here. I think there is a ship there." The sensor sweep over that area is too quick."
"Alright Typhoon. I'll get them to look at it."
As soon as the beam stopped moving past them, I saw them clearly.
"Butcher." I sent to Tsu. I rounded my turrets to my dorsal, while rolling myself to point both broadsides of MACs toward the ship. Only a few of the ECCs could point in that direction, so I started fireing.
As soon as I could, I fired the MACs, remembering the delay. Most of the crew on board were thrown off their feet by the recoil of the massive drivers. Just as the second volley was loose, all my sensors went white. Tsu pulled me out.
I fell out of my room, and woke up. I walked to the bridge, and looked at mom. The next thing I remember is waking up in my pod in the MedBay.