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Debacle
© 2021 by Walter Reimer
Thumbnail art by
Major Matt Mason
Jax half-turned in his seat. “Message from Commodore Bury, Ma’am.”
“Thank you,” and Meredith dipped her head to look at the repeater screen to her right as the pangolin’s face appeared. “Yes, Commodore?”
Bury looked – stricken, and the mare felt a pit opening up in her stomach. “Captain, I’m linking your ship to the Hammer’s main plot. You – you have to see this,” and the A Quiet Life’s main display shrank to an inset, and was replaced with the communications feed of the battle developing outside the system.
Meredith’s ears went back as her jaw dropped. “What?”
The Colonial force was made up of two divisions of the Second Fleet and three divisions of the Fourth, opposing the entire Confed Sixth Fleet. The numbers were generally equal, but as the mare watched, two wings of Colonial ships had moved forward in response to a withdrawal by the Confedders, allowing the enemy force to turn the defenders’ flank.
“That was an obvious feint! What the hell is the Admiral thinking?” Meredith asked.
Bury’s voice was brittle as she replied, “That’s just it – there’s two Admirals, and each one wants to run things to their own taste.” One division’s flagship, shorn of its escorts, succumbed to a barrage from four Confed battlecruisers that had boxed it in and prevented it from escaping. “This isn’t going well,” the pangolin said.
“No, it damned well isn’t,” the golden palomino mare declared as one of the Second’s divisions lost its place in the formation and was scattered. “Is Faraway - ?”
“Yeah, their system and planetary defenses are on alert,” Bury replied, “because they’re seeing the same thing we’re seeing.”
Meredith drummed her fingers on the arms of her chair. “Your orders, Commodore?”
“Hm? Oh, um . . . let me try to get in touch with the Admiral – our Admiral, that is.” The repeater screen went blank, but the main display continued to show the battle as it degenerated into a melee.
Bury came back on. “We’re falling back to Base Florian,” the pangolin said. “We’ll come back after the battle.”
“To do what,” Jax muttered, “surrender?” The rat bit back whatever he might have added to his question and began setting up the navputer to calculate a course through hyperspace.
Orders were passed to the other ships in the combat support element, and one by one the ships inphased and left the Faraway System as the remaining Colonial ships disengaged from the battle and retreated to bolster the system’s defenses.
“On course, Ma’am,” Jax said as their ship inphased.
“Thank you.” Meredith’s voice was flat, with just the tiniest bit of a quaver at the end to betray her emotions to the freighter’s command crew.
Nearly a day later, Meredith was looking tired and ungroomed, having only stirred from the bridge long enough to use the toilet or get something to eat or drink. She took a gulp of her coffee and suppressed a belch, causing Jemel Fikset to glance at her. “Um, Boss?”
“Hm?”
“Go get some sleep.”
Meredith shook her head. “Not until I know we’re safe, Jemel. The Colonials got fucked back there; I only hope that your aunt wasn’t in charge of the part we were assigned to.”
“I hope so too,” the wolf said fervently. He stiffened and put a finger to his earpiece. “Message from Hammer to all ships.” The mare nodded, and the wolf touched a switch.
“ – Far. All ships, acknowledge. Repeating. This is Commodore Bury of Hammer. We’ve lost contact with Base Florian, and the assumption is that the base is destroyed. Change course and increase speed to This Far. All ships, acknowledge.”
“Acknowledge, Jemel, and best course to Magus Station.” Meredith raised her coffee to her lips again.
Trying not to notice her shaking paw.
© 2021 by Walter Reimer
Thumbnail art by
Major Matt MasonJax half-turned in his seat. “Message from Commodore Bury, Ma’am.”
“Thank you,” and Meredith dipped her head to look at the repeater screen to her right as the pangolin’s face appeared. “Yes, Commodore?”
Bury looked – stricken, and the mare felt a pit opening up in her stomach. “Captain, I’m linking your ship to the Hammer’s main plot. You – you have to see this,” and the A Quiet Life’s main display shrank to an inset, and was replaced with the communications feed of the battle developing outside the system.
Meredith’s ears went back as her jaw dropped. “What?”
The Colonial force was made up of two divisions of the Second Fleet and three divisions of the Fourth, opposing the entire Confed Sixth Fleet. The numbers were generally equal, but as the mare watched, two wings of Colonial ships had moved forward in response to a withdrawal by the Confedders, allowing the enemy force to turn the defenders’ flank.
“That was an obvious feint! What the hell is the Admiral thinking?” Meredith asked.
Bury’s voice was brittle as she replied, “That’s just it – there’s two Admirals, and each one wants to run things to their own taste.” One division’s flagship, shorn of its escorts, succumbed to a barrage from four Confed battlecruisers that had boxed it in and prevented it from escaping. “This isn’t going well,” the pangolin said.
“No, it damned well isn’t,” the golden palomino mare declared as one of the Second’s divisions lost its place in the formation and was scattered. “Is Faraway - ?”
“Yeah, their system and planetary defenses are on alert,” Bury replied, “because they’re seeing the same thing we’re seeing.”
Meredith drummed her fingers on the arms of her chair. “Your orders, Commodore?”
“Hm? Oh, um . . . let me try to get in touch with the Admiral – our Admiral, that is.” The repeater screen went blank, but the main display continued to show the battle as it degenerated into a melee.
Bury came back on. “We’re falling back to Base Florian,” the pangolin said. “We’ll come back after the battle.”
“To do what,” Jax muttered, “surrender?” The rat bit back whatever he might have added to his question and began setting up the navputer to calculate a course through hyperspace.
Orders were passed to the other ships in the combat support element, and one by one the ships inphased and left the Faraway System as the remaining Colonial ships disengaged from the battle and retreated to bolster the system’s defenses.
“On course, Ma’am,” Jax said as their ship inphased.
“Thank you.” Meredith’s voice was flat, with just the tiniest bit of a quaver at the end to betray her emotions to the freighter’s command crew.
Nearly a day later, Meredith was looking tired and ungroomed, having only stirred from the bridge long enough to use the toilet or get something to eat or drink. She took a gulp of her coffee and suppressed a belch, causing Jemel Fikset to glance at her. “Um, Boss?”
“Hm?”
“Go get some sleep.”
Meredith shook her head. “Not until I know we’re safe, Jemel. The Colonials got fucked back there; I only hope that your aunt wasn’t in charge of the part we were assigned to.”
“I hope so too,” the wolf said fervently. He stiffened and put a finger to his earpiece. “Message from Hammer to all ships.” The mare nodded, and the wolf touched a switch.
“ – Far. All ships, acknowledge. Repeating. This is Commodore Bury of Hammer. We’ve lost contact with Base Florian, and the assumption is that the base is destroyed. Change course and increase speed to This Far. All ships, acknowledge.”
“Acknowledge, Jemel, and best course to Magus Station.” Meredith raised her coffee to her lips again.
Trying not to notice her shaking paw.
Category Story / General Furry Art
Species Horse
Size 120 x 75px
File Size 38.7 kB
dang... dang dang and dang....
this piece goes well with your story Walt: https://www.furaffinity.net/view/41041685/
V.
this piece goes well with your story Walt: https://www.furaffinity.net/view/41041685/
V.
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