would charge up my lasers. Then you would see how your ten thousand machine pistols stood up to a mere dozen 9.2-inch Navy lasers.”
A new window opened. “Captain Hans Wirtz of the Biter , Admiral. We have, ah, recovered our freedom of movement, sir. I am advised that the guard detail that St. Petersburg has attached to each of its freighters has also regained full control of their ships.”
“Mannie?” Vicky said, nudging the mayor of Sevastopol.
“So we put a squad of Rangers on each ship. It seemed like a good idea.”
“And your Rangers,” Captain Wirtz added, “have fullbattle armor, something the security detachment that boarded our ship did not. Confronted by the prospects that they would bleed, and those with guns facing them likely would not, the security people surrendered to the obvious.”
“Well, I will not surrender,” the Lord High Commissioner spat. “Captain, your course is for the space station.”
“I beg to differ,” Admiral von Mittleburg said. “You will not come alongside my station with your lightly armed men. I like the air in my station, and it is hard to maintain it when there are bullet holes all over the place.”
“Captain, increase your speed,” the commissioner demanded.
“Your Lordship, I can’t increase my speed,” came from off his screen. “We are decelerating toward the station. If we go any faster, it won’t be there when we get there.”
“You know what I mean. Get us there and shoot anything that gets in my way. You have lasers. Use them.”
“You use them,” Admiral von Mittleburg growled, “and we will blow you out of space.”
“Admiral, Captain Wirtz again. I’m the closest to those transports. While the Biter doesn’t have the greatest of shots at his engines, I do have a decent one. More likely I’ll put them off-line than blow them all to hell. Of course, with his rocket motors perforated, he’s likely to miss the station and head off to freeze in space. After their air goes bad, of course.”
“Captain! Fire on that man,” the Lord High Commissioner screamed.
“Fire,” the captain ordered.
All three of the Golden Empress es fired all of their pulse lasers and long guns immediately.
Of course, no one took any time to aim them, so they dissipated their lasers into empty space although one shot from the Golden Empress 2 did come close to the engines of the Golden Empress 1 .
“Blow Reactor 2 to space,” came over the net in what Vicky took to be the voice of the skipper of the Golden Empress 1 . Immediately, all three transports dumped one of their two reactors.
“Now, my Lord High Commissioner of blowhards,” that voice continued, “we have one reactor. We can use it to slow this tub full of your asses so that it ends up close to the stationand we all get out of here alive, or we can use it to reload our lasers. No doubt we will be blown out of space before we finish the reload, but the call is yours. What will it be?”
The red face tried to say something, but suddenly, he was speechless as he clasped his chest. A moment later, he collapsed and disappeared from the screen.
“My God, I think he’s having a heart attack,” came from a man in a merchant captain’s uniform now visible on screen. “Medic! Do you goddamn security guards have any decent medics with you? Damn it! Somebody help him!”
“We will send our ship’s surgeon,” Captain Wirtz of the Biter announced. “Hold your deceleration and course steady so we can make the transfer.”
“You better make it quick. I don’t see this guy lasting too long.”
“The longboat is away with a medical team,” Captain Wirtz announced.
Vicky turned away from the screen. “Well, I didn’t see that coming,” she admitted.
“We created the situation,” Admiral von Mittleburg said softly, “and a lot of good men, and at least one bad one, provided the miracles. Interesting, is it not?”
“Are all days in the Navy like this?” Mannie asked.
“Some are
A new window opened. “Captain Hans Wirtz of the Biter , Admiral. We have, ah, recovered our freedom of movement, sir. I am advised that the guard detail that St. Petersburg has attached to each of its freighters has also regained full control of their ships.”
“Mannie?” Vicky said, nudging the mayor of Sevastopol.
“So we put a squad of Rangers on each ship. It seemed like a good idea.”
“And your Rangers,” Captain Wirtz added, “have fullbattle armor, something the security detachment that boarded our ship did not. Confronted by the prospects that they would bleed, and those with guns facing them likely would not, the security people surrendered to the obvious.”
“Well, I will not surrender,” the Lord High Commissioner spat. “Captain, your course is for the space station.”
“I beg to differ,” Admiral von Mittleburg said. “You will not come alongside my station with your lightly armed men. I like the air in my station, and it is hard to maintain it when there are bullet holes all over the place.”
“Captain, increase your speed,” the commissioner demanded.
“Your Lordship, I can’t increase my speed,” came from off his screen. “We are decelerating toward the station. If we go any faster, it won’t be there when we get there.”
“You know what I mean. Get us there and shoot anything that gets in my way. You have lasers. Use them.”
“You use them,” Admiral von Mittleburg growled, “and we will blow you out of space.”
“Admiral, Captain Wirtz again. I’m the closest to those transports. While the Biter doesn’t have the greatest of shots at his engines, I do have a decent one. More likely I’ll put them off-line than blow them all to hell. Of course, with his rocket motors perforated, he’s likely to miss the station and head off to freeze in space. After their air goes bad, of course.”
“Captain! Fire on that man,” the Lord High Commissioner screamed.
“Fire,” the captain ordered.
All three of the Golden Empress es fired all of their pulse lasers and long guns immediately.
Of course, no one took any time to aim them, so they dissipated their lasers into empty space although one shot from the Golden Empress 2 did come close to the engines of the Golden Empress 1 .
“Blow Reactor 2 to space,” came over the net in what Vicky took to be the voice of the skipper of the Golden Empress 1 . Immediately, all three transports dumped one of their two reactors.
“Now, my Lord High Commissioner of blowhards,” that voice continued, “we have one reactor. We can use it to slow this tub full of your asses so that it ends up close to the stationand we all get out of here alive, or we can use it to reload our lasers. No doubt we will be blown out of space before we finish the reload, but the call is yours. What will it be?”
The red face tried to say something, but suddenly, he was speechless as he clasped his chest. A moment later, he collapsed and disappeared from the screen.
“My God, I think he’s having a heart attack,” came from a man in a merchant captain’s uniform now visible on screen. “Medic! Do you goddamn security guards have any decent medics with you? Damn it! Somebody help him!”
“We will send our ship’s surgeon,” Captain Wirtz of the Biter announced. “Hold your deceleration and course steady so we can make the transfer.”
“You better make it quick. I don’t see this guy lasting too long.”
“The longboat is away with a medical team,” Captain Wirtz announced.
Vicky turned away from the screen. “Well, I didn’t see that coming,” she admitted.
“We created the situation,” Admiral von Mittleburg said softly, “and a lot of good men, and at least one bad one, provided the miracles. Interesting, is it not?”
“Are all days in the Navy like this?” Mannie asked.
“Some are
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