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Chapter 90 - The Administrator[]
CRS Francis Drake
Whirlwind class Destroyer
Tharkad system
Lyran Commonwealth
3150
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CRS Frances Drake
"Well?" Star Commodore Jordan Sukhanov asked.
"They tracked our scans, and counter-scanned us. The audio indicated she was speaking on a suit mic, Ovkhan." the sensors officer reported.
"They were running depressurized when they hailed us. Either their life support was down or they were expecting us to fire on them unprovoked." Star Captain Lori, his executive officer, noted.
"Hm. Considering this was Jade Falcon territory until '49 and that ship is clearly part of a peacekeeping operation. I am unsurprised that they would be ready for battle." Jordan commented. "The Charging station and civil support are nice to see."
"I almost wonder what the inside of that battle-wagon looks like." Khan Lankenau noted, "The design is very well laid out, and did you notice their escorts?"
"The smaller warships, big corvettes or small destroyers? Aff. Those gun-mounts look complicated on the smaller ships-I have no doubt at all that against a single opponent, the destroyers can deliver a cruiser's broadside from any angle, but for how long?"
"Long enough. The battleship is almost supernumerary." the SaKhan said, "Except as a command center. Watch officer, who was that person on the other end of the radio?"
"According to media, she is Kapitan Elizabeth MacAulliffe from Arluna. Daughter of a former Duchess and sister to the current duke of that world. She has ten years in the Coast Guard and commanded a destroyer during the war with the Jade Falcons."
"How many battle stars?" the SaKhan asked.
"Eighteen months of continuous offensive operations while commanding the LCS Iron Hill. The battleship is new, the commander is young for a spheroid commander with so much responsibility, but our sources indicate the whole LCN is loaded with younger officers due to the purge of 'social admirals'."
"How notable is she?"
"Her public file on DBS credits her with the sinking of the CJF Turkina's Pride over Coventry in '48. OvKhan, her vessel at the time was one of those weird-looking little destroyers. The profile indicates she lost her own ship as well in the engagement and spent ninety one hours in a space-suit waiting for search and rescue, before being detailed to the yards and assigned that battleship."
"Nice to know they assigned a hero to greet us at the border then." the SaKhan said it mirthlessly. "She was ready to fire on us, Quiaff?"
"Aff, I think so."
It still sent a chill down the SaKhan's spine. Ninety one hours living in a skinsuit. Waiting in the black for someone to find you, is a nightmare only sailors of the black can really grasp. The utter loneliness and the vastness of space, with only your breath for company, drinking recycled waste, and waiting without going mad.
Even a Clan warrior would be risking madness in those conditions.
"We almost do not need to come. If the Lyrans have such spacers, they will surely never cave to demands to surrender it." he mused aloud.
"A voice of support may be needed regardless, OvKhan." the Watch officer noted, "Trillian is known for her admiration of Stone, and the Ghost Bears passed through ahead of us. Bekker is very enamored of the Republic...and they brought a Leviathan that has been upgraded."
"We will see what we see..assuming we can get there in time!"