WoWS1 Chpt 18

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==Weapons of War SagaChapter 18==
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Command Deck
HCS Victoria
Inner Oort Cloud, Sol Star System
2nd March, 2768
02:23 Unity City time
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Helen's perspective
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As I struggled awake I realized it was the sound of Vicky's alarms that had stirred me.
"What do we have?" I adjusted myself in the command seat.
"Contact. One of the reserve ships according to my databanks. An old Baron Class Destroyer IDing as the SLS Stringback. Clearly being run by the Rim Worlders as their Emcom emissions are way off from SLDF doctrine and training norms."
"Threat assessment?" I grabbed a bottle of water to help wake myself up.
"Enough you should suit up."
Neither of us had to say the obvious. Things had been going entirely too well with our little operation so far. While Vicky might not believe in Murphy's Law I sure did and it was smacking us right in the face right now.
I hated wearing the skin suit Vicky had done up for me full time. I tried for her for a while but it just got uncomfortable. So a compromise was reached. I agreed to wear it if things were about to get interesting. After all most of Vicky could be kept depressurzied at all times since she is a Caspar and not meant for long term human habitation anyway. So only having certain areas shirt sleeves comfortable wasn't a particularly huge risk.
As much as we hoped to bluff neither of us were foolish enough to count on it working.
"Time until they are here?" I secured the last bit of my skin suit.
"Two hours based on current sensor readings."
"Must be part of Amaris' forces to hassle the belter burrows they know about and saw our jump signature." I snapped the helmet into place.
"Very likely. Also very likely they are a green crew that is doing a shake down cruise. Would explain why they are coming in newtonian instead of performing an in-system jump." Vicky seemed almost cheerful.
I couldn't blame her in a way. She was about to get to do what she had been designed to do. Intellectually I knew no matter what I would be ordering people to their deaths as part of what I had now committed to doing. Either because I was fighting them or asking them to fight on my behalf.
"So a Baron eh? How bad is it really?"
"She can hurt us which is bad given our current strategic situation but it is old and with an evidently green crew? Good odds if they do go for shooting at us I can end them in one volley."
Vicky's flatness and casual disregard for human life sent a shiver down my spine.
I knew it was who she was under everything else but with how caring she could be towards me, it was still unsettling to say the least.
"They are trying to issue orders to me over the digital channel. With your brother's codes."
Please let the updated codes work.
"How goes it?" I was on the verge of panic.
"So far they seem confused but satisfied that I suffered a system fault that placed me out here in the Oort cloud instead of with the other Caspars. They are trying to feed me new instructions. I will not be able to keep the ruse up much longer."
I realized I had been holding my breath. With Vicky's answer I started breathing again.
"Then screw it. Bring us up to combat status. Condition Zebra through out the ship. Intercept course. Maximum burn."
I had practiced for this part as best I could and Vicky had even brought the engines up to maximum to help prepare me for what it would be like but it was still something else now that it was for real.
"They have matched."
"Tactical overlay to my visor please, Vicky. You're the professional here so show me your best work." I grunted through the 3g burn.
I felt the restraints dig into me as Vicky adjusted our course.
The icons of us and them growing closer on my visor with cones jutting out showing where each other's weapons could reach.
I stopped watching the clock as the cones drew closer and closer to each other.
It was becoming a dance now between Vicky and the enemy as Vicky started making more violent adjustments to her course and speed.
Despite it being only Naval Lasers and NPPCs I could still feel an ever so slight hum of vibration through the deck as Vicky opened up.
At this range with the enemy pumping out ECM Vicky did not end them in a single volley.
As Vicky tossed me around in the command couch I could feel a headache developing. The implant. I knew I would not be able to take this kind of thrashing for much longer before it started doing more harm than good to my brain as gravity caused it to move around at just different enough of a rate that was clearly already starting to add up.
With the headache it was hard to keep track of the fight but it was clear Vicky could burn harder and outrange the old destroyer.
As the smell of freshly cooked pancakes started flooding my senses Vicky finally stopped.
"We win?" I said gathering myself.
"Yes, but it seems you are unwell."
"Don't think the implant was designed with high G burns in mind, Vicky." I said as I undid my straps.
"Seems not."
I tried to stand and nearly did so. Fortunately before I fell Vicky's gestalt remote caught me. I didn't know where it came from. All I cared about was that it was now helping me to the medical bay.
blackness
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