(eng) Mike Shepherd - Vicky Peterwald 03 by Rebel

Author:Rebel [Rebel]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Published: 0101-01-01T00:00:00+00:00

CHAPTER 35

“WE’RE hit,” Damage Control reported. “Three strikes, fore to aft. Working on them.”

Captain Bolesław checked the countdown clock as it approached zero, then snapped, “Fire.”

“Five hits,” Sensors reported. “The Revenge is executing an evasion plan of its own.”

“Helm, go to Evasion Plan 3,” the captain ordered, and Retribution fell out from under Vicky as it did a hard, downward zig.

Captain Bolesław turned to her with a scowl. “That redcoat bastard was on the lead battleship after all,” he growled.

For the next half minute, Damage Control did what it could to mend the three hits. Meanwhile, the reactors reloaded the capacitors to the four twin 18-inch turrets forward and the same number aft. A glance at the screen showed the two task forces still backing toward the jump, decelerating all the way. The cruisers were still out of range of each other, and both those escorting the Empress’s Revenge and Retribution had opened up even wider intervals between themselves and the battle being fought by the big battlewagons.

As the seconds counted down to the capacitors’ being reloaded, Captain Bolesław spoke. “Helm, prepare to go to Evasion Plan 4 on my mark. Guns, check out what the evasion plan will do to your firing solution. Use a wider dispersion for your salvos if you must.”

“We’ll keep it tight,” came back a moment later, then “Ready.”

As the clock passed two seconds to reload, the skipper said, “Execute Evasion Plan 4.”

Retribution leapt up, even as its deceleration dropped off.

“Only one hit this time,” Damage Control reported.

“Three hits on the Revenge,” Sensors reported.

“Good,” Vicky growled.

“Still, we’ve taken more hits than they have,” Captain Bolesław growled, “and now our hits are scattered. It will take us forever to peel that ship’s ice.”

During the next minute, they exchanged two broadsides. They took out two of the Empress’s Revenge’s forward turrets with a trio of hits, but the Revenge got in a good one.

Vicky felt the air pressure drop, and the taste of ozone filled the bridge even before Damage Control reported. “We’ve got burnthrough aft. Power cables to turrets W and X are cut.”

“What shit-for-brains designer put two sets of power cables where one hit could take them out?” Captain Bolesław snapped. “Get a work-around to those turrets and get it now!”

“We’re on it.”

The captain glanced Vicky’s way and shook his head.

“We’re just swapping damage. This could go on forever,” growled Captain Bolesław.

“We can’t afford forever,” Vicky said. “Right now, we’re one to one, but when the cruisers get in range . . . and the destroyers.”

“Tell me something I don’t know,” the skipper snapped.

Vicky accepted the reprimand. She was wasting Bolesław’s time, telling him what he already knew. His time and his temper.

COMPUTER, ANALYZE THE EMPRESS’S REVENGE’S EVASION PLAN. DO YOU SEE A PATTERN?

The computer took longer than Vicky expected before answering, IT ONLY SLOWS ITS ACCELERATION. IT NEVER GOES ABOVE 1.25 GEES. ALSO, IN DODGING, IT TENDS TO GO HIGH MORE OFTEN THAN LOW.

“Captain, I have had my computer analyze the jinking pattern of the Revenge.

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