fanfic_name = Gotterdammerung
chapter = Chapter XIV
author = Cicero Phelps
dedicate = Carla, who provides our forum; Jo, who is another wonderful woman, and all my friends on here and ff.net
Type = Angst
fanfic = Chapter XIV
Three seconds later, Henry Gloval, the admiral, sprang into action, striding out onto the bridge with confidence. “Communications, patch me through to the E.S.S. Enterprise and ask their ETA at St. Helens. I also want a full report from Max Sterling. Engineering, get me a status report on our structural integrity, all ship’s systems. Tactical, start putting your people on full weapons drills, and I want a squadron of VT’s in the air around the clock. Vanessa, Rick, Lisa, my office, now.”
Everyone jumped into action, as Vanessa’s second took over at communications, Lisa’s subordinate started the tactical procedures, and the Engineering officer started compiling reports. Admiral Gloval marched the trio into his office and shut the door.
“All right, it’s bad. They’re captured and held hostage, and Maistroff and Howe want our surrender in exchange for their lives,” he stated bluntly. “Obviously, surrender is out of the question, so I want options from you three.”
Rick asked, “What’s the tactical on their base?”
“We won’t have firm, reliable data until we hear from Max and Miriya, but their base is located underneath the Mount Saint Helens volcano, with a mile or two of rock as surface armor, and a miniaturized Omni-Directional Barrier as added shielding,” Gloval stated, as the desktop computer beeped.
He looked up quickly. “Telemetry from the Midway,” he replied to their questioning glances. “Seems that the defenses are a little more formidable than we thought. The base is ringed with Surface-Air missile launchers, and they have a division of Destroids to back up the infantry onsite. Their VT compliment is light, but the pilots are expert; Commander Fokker trained most of them during the GCW. Their kill/death ratio is better than even the Skulls. And that’s just surface defenses.
“Inside, the base appears to be a labyrinth, and the prison is five levels below the Earth’s surface. It’s guarded, it appears, by a squad of 5 soldiers. Now, how do we rescue them and end this whole thing?”
Vanessa raised her hand. “Just get me to the Midway, sir. I’ll link up with Max and Miriya and we’ll plan this out.”
“You, Vanessa,” Henry asked with quite some shock.
“Kim and Sammie are my cadre mates, Admiral, almost younger sisters to me, and Claudia, well, she’s like our mother. I feel useless just sitting here, waiting for the rescue mission. I want to be in on this one, you’ve held me on ship for the past few missions.”
Henry sat back, thinking, for a moment or two. “You’re right. Suit up, grab your gear, and link up with Max and Miriya. Whatever happens, I want you to be careful.”
Vanessa stood at her full height and saluted crisply. Henry returned the salute in a similar fashion, getting a strange sensation of nostalgia in his stomach, almost as if… Stop it, Henry, it’s too early to entertain those thoughts.
The intercom buzzed, and Rick swatted it on. “Admiral Gloval, it’s Max Sterling reporting in.”
“Give your report, Captain,” Henry replied.
“All cargo has been retrieved, sir, but we lost most of the ground force in the battle. Also, they’ve split their forces up; Maistroff is taking half of his forces towards New Macross, and leaving a rear guard to hold the fort.”
“Understood. We’re sending down an operative to assist you with the rescue/retrieval mission. Our officers are top priority.”
“Understood; I have Miriya making contingency plans with the SEALs as we speak. We’ll get your bridge crew back, sir,” Max reported.
“I am counting on you, Max,” Henry replied. “Good luck, over and out.”
Henry leaned back, steeped his fingers, and looked through his hands at Rick and Lisa, who were both staring at the desktop trying to think strategy. “So we have a problem,” he said simply, as he stood and began to pace. “Ten thousand soldiers, potentially, headed our way, and what kind of a defense do we have to counter it?”
“Well, we have about ten miles of anti-mech trenches, a couple hundred thousand mines, an Omni-Directional Barrier, eight thousand infantry, and five squadrons of VT fighters, plus an additional half-company of Destroids,” Lisa scanned the disposition sheet before her. “And the New Macross Citizen’s Militia, which formed mostly as a way of protesting how Maistroff was treating the Zentraedi, and who apparently tried to retake the streets before we liberated the city.”
“Irregulars,” Henry grunted, half in admiration and half in frustration, having organized and led similar outfits in the GCW. “How many of them are there?”
“Every able-bodied man in New Macross between the ages of 18 and 45, so that’s about…five thousand or so extra hands.”
“Can they be counted on not to run under fire,” Rick asked.
“I’m not sure, but we have less than six hours to find out,” Admiral Gloval remarked. “I’ll talk with their commander. What’s his name, Lisa?”
“Battalion Commander Krantz, sir.”
“Have him meet me in my office in an hour. We’ll have things to discuss.”
“Aye, sir.”
*****
Almost like my first ship’s posting, Vanessa thought, full of nostalgia mixed with anxiety for the immediate future. The smell of salty sea spray and the fall of heavy rain on the flight deck of the Midway, and she squinted her eyes against the stinging rain. Bringing the lapels of her peacoat closer to her, she stepped gingerly out of the helicopter, saluted the pilot in thanks, and walked towards the command tower.
“Good to see you again, Vanessa,” Max remarked, saluting her as she entered the bridge.
“And you as well, Captain Sterling,” Vanessa replied, then grinned. “How are you, Max? It’s been a rough few days.”
“Assuming nothing else goes wrong, we’re okay,” he replied, grinning as well. “So what brings you out this way? Admiral Gloval only said that he was sending an operative to help retrieve the captives.”
“You’re looking at her,” Vanessa saluted.
Max stood still, glued in place, his eyes wide with shock. “You volunteered to go in there and get them out?”
“Yes, Max. It may come as a shock, but we’re not completely helpless up there on the bridge crew. We do know how to handle weapons, and we are familiar with tactics, you know. We just don’t get out in the field much. But drastic times call for drastic measures,” she remarked with a confident smirk.
Max recovered smartly, offered his arm, and replied, “Well, then, looks like you, Miriya, and I have a little bit of planning to do.”
“Indeed, we do,” she smiled, playfully linking her arm in his.
State = Continuará/To Be Continue
feedback = Sí/Yes
email = Lightsaber01ATHotmail.com