Sleight6

The last section of the operation began. As Armor Squadron protected the Explorer and Milo Squadron flew escort for the transports, Bottle Squadron (who had been waiting on standby shortly after the fighting had begun), flew from the Titan on a direct course for Palla. The commanding officer of the bomber squadron, Commander Vetinh, prepared his squadron. Turning on the squadron wide radio, he yawned loudly. To get shot down and die was something that pilots couldn’t help—it was the way of life. Losing one’s cool, on the other hand—that was unforgivable. “Okay, troops,” he drawled, “You know the deal. Let’s go drop some hammers.”

The squadron flew in formation down to the construction site and broke off. Changing from the triangle formation they had been in, they switched to a single file line of twelve bombers, and flew over the site where the guards who had remained alive in the hit-and-run operation the trigger-happy Special Forces guys had undertaken stood wondering what had happened. As each bomber flew over the site, they dropped two bombs each, then peeled off at high speeds, eager to catch the last of the dogfight in space. The parts that had taken years to build were blown to pieces in seconds. The last bomber dropped his two and did a friendly barrel roll, readjusting his course to catch up with his squad mates.

Bottle Squadron was too late in joining the fight. The last of the Pallan fighters had been picked off, and Armor and Milo Squadron was returning to the Titan. Bottle Squadron joined them.

The gravitational power of the collapsing wormhole was growing stronger by the second. No longer could Broadaway keep the Explorer at a safe distance, not without going to translight speed. The Titan, who had long ago moved to a safer distance, dared not move any closer to the ship without risking damage upon itself. “Can we get a tractor on the Explorer?” asked Andreyavich, eyes glued to the viewscreen watching the scene unfold before his eyes.

The Science officer shook his head. “Negative, sir, we’re out of tractor range.”

Andreyavich and his Executive Officer exchanged worried glances.

With less than a half a minute to go, the bridge crew of the Explorer watched as Bottle Squadron struggled and strained their significantly smaller engines to fight against the pull of the wormhole. The Explorer’s aft end, which was closer to the wormhole than anything else, was already being sucked in. “I’ve identified the singularity, Captain,” announced the Science officer over the howl of wind that appeared seemingly out of nowhere. “The moment we hit that, sir, we’re space dust!”

“Distance to singularity?” Mansel asked, now gripping the back of his chair to keep from falling over as the Excelsior-class ship listed to port. Before the Ensign had a chance to reply, Lieutenant Hardy broke in.
“Titan reports go, Captain!”

“Broadaway!” Mansel shouted over the howling wind as the Explorer’s nacelles were pulled into the collapsing wormhole, “go!”

Mass already weighed down by the Explorer’s entrance into the wormhole; Lieutenant Commander Broadaway strained to move his hand to the engage button. Finally, as the Explorer was about to be swallowed whole by the unstable element, the Navigations officer managed to push the button. With a overstrain of power that blew all the main systems, including structural integrity and life support, the Explorer tore out of the wormhole and made for translight speed out of the Osuna Sector.

“Thank you, Captain Andreyavich,” said Mansel facing the Russian Captain on his viewscreen. “You assistance is much appreciated.” The kidnapped officers had been returned back to Explorer, some receiving medical treatment in sickbay. The others, for the most part, were back at their posts, unharmed.

The Explorer’s life support and structural integrity had been fully restored, thanks to Lieutenant Commander Fleury and Lieutenant Patterson.

Andreyavich shook his head. “It was no problem, Captain,” he said. “It was good exercise for my pilots. Can’t let them get rusty.”

Mansel smiled. “Once again, thank you. If you ever need some help, you can count on us.”

“Thank you Captain.” Andreyavich cut the transmission.

“Well,” said Commander Vaughn, “I take back all that I said about it being boring. I’ve had quite enough excitement in the last few weeks to satisfy me for a while.”

“Glad to hear it,” said Mansel. “Because it’s back to mapping star systems for us.”

The bridge crew groaned.

“Mr. Broadaway, set our next course, please,” said Mansel. “I’d like to be away from this area as soon as possible, if you don’t mind.”

“Of course, sir. The coordinates are set.”

“Go.”

The Explorer, having surviving its second adventure, shot off at translight speed, to encounter more unknowns and face new challenges.