Year three in the Voyage of Andromeda. The adventure that started in Among the Stars, and Beyond the Farthest Planet continues in Far From Home.
CHAPTER 27 A
"Start engines." Kate ordered.
"Aye Captain."
The large engines rumbled to life. They all felt the vibrations under their feet. The smaller ships started and rose away from Andromeda to give the big ship room.
"All engines are running at one hundred percent, Captain." Bella reported from the Engineering console.
"Shields up."
"Shields up and also at one hundred percent." Rhea stated from the tactical station. "Weapons are charged."
"Kacey reports that all the smaller ships are out of the way."
"Anything on the boards?"
"The only ships are Kaceys and they are holding at five kilometers."
"Rich take us up one quarter impulse."
"Aye captain, one quarter impulse." He pushed the thrusters forward and the ship rose slowly.
"Increase speed to one half impulse."
"Increasing to one half impulse."
Andromeda gained speed as she rose higher and higher.
"We are ten thousand kilometers above the Brin world." Anya reported. "We have left it's gravitational pull. Course has been set for Verna."
"Thank you. Rich lock in our course to Verna, warp five."
"Yes ma'am. Course locked in."
"How long until we arrive?"
"At this speed thirty four days."
"Have all the stingers landed?"
"All except for those scheduled to be out."
"Raise shields over the Hanger, advise Kacey and her people of our course and increase speed to warp six."
"All shields are raised. All systems are up and working at peak capacity. Shuttles and stingers notified of course and speed."
"Put them on screen." The screen lit up showing the position of the smaller ships. "How many are cloaked?"
"Seven."
"Location?"
"Most are holding ten kilometer from us." Anya adjusted her computer screen. "Kacey and three others are eight thousand kilometers out."
Kate sat quietly for several minutes.
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As soon as Andromeda cleared the planet's pull, Kacey pushed her throttles forward. "Alpha squad members scheduled to be out, remain and fan out. All others land." She ordered. "Shuttle three take a position ten kilometers to port with shuttles one through five. Stingers six through eleven the same on starboard. Stingers twelve through fifteen, come with me. The ships sped off.
Her good luck charm clamped between her teeth, coffee by her side, soft strains of violin music filled the shuttle. She turned her sonar on and checked all her readouts. She checked her distance. "eight thousand kilometers and Kate has not contacted me, she thought. Kacey looked up and found the video camera was working, yet nothing from the Bridge. "Good I really do not want to talk to her yet." The little voice was also silent
"Colonel we are now ten thousand kilometers away from Andromeda."
"I am aware of the distance Sargent. Do you have a problem with the distance?" Kacey asked.
"No ma'am."
"That is good to hear. Follow me." Kacey increased her speed to put more distance between her and Kate.
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"Kacey is approaching twelve thousand kilometers away." Rhea reported.
"Is she cloaked?"
"No and there are three stingers with her."
"On screen." Kate ordered. "Andromeda to Shamrock."
"Go ahead Andromeda." Kacey replied.
"Are you pushing the speed and distance for a reason?"
"Nope." Came the terse reply.
"Anything to report?"
"Not a thing, Captain." Kate winced at the use of her rank.
"How much further do you intend to go?"
Kacey looked directly at the camera. "Until I reach the halfway point."
"Time to head back?"
"Not until I reach the halfway point in my shift. Shamrock out."
Kate seethed at the blatant insubordination. She turned to Liam for his guidance and he only shrugged. The turned to look at Anya whose raised eyebrow seemed to say, What did you expect?" Kate knew Anya and even Natalia were willing to forgive her, but Kacey was glacially slow in letting go of her anger would not.
"She is now fifteen thousand kilometers out." Rhea reported.
"How long until she reaches the half way point in her shift?" Natalia asked.
Kate pulled up the flight roster. "Thirty five minutes. At her current speed how far out will she be?"
Rhea put the figures into the computer. "Close to twenty seven thousand kilometers."
"Damn."
"She has never gone that far out before. Is something bothering her?" Rhea asked.
Kate looked at her and nodded. "What is her speed?
"Warp seven."
"Increase our speed to warp eight and advise the smaller ships. As soon as we are within range get a tractor beam on her shuttle and pull her in." Kate ordered.
"Captain?"
"Do it."
"Captain, may I speak to you privately?" Anya asked.
"Certainly. Commander you have the Bridge."
Kate left the Bridge followed by Anya. Inside the Ready Room, Anya stated, "Kate she is still very angry with you. What do you think her reaction will be if you force her to land?"
"So I am just supposed to sit back and let her put herself and her pilots in danger?"
"Not at all. I agree with catching up to her, but not with using a tractor beam to force her to land." Kate sighed and laid her head on Anya's shoulder. Anya's arms surrounded her. "There us no right was to handle this Kate. Wait until she loses the anger."
"You do realize that we could be grandmothers before that happens. I betrayed her trust. She may never forgive me."
"Be patient Kate and give her time. She will forgive you. She loves you."
"Captain Jensen to the Bridge."
"On my way." They walked out of the Ready Room. "Report."
"We are picking up weapons fire."
"On screen. How far away?"
"Ten thousand kilometers."
The screen showed Kacey and the stingers that were with her battling eight ships. "This is Captain Jensen to all stinger pilots. Colonel O'Malley is under attack. Prepare to launch all stingers in five minutes. Report readiness in four. Go to red alert and drop our speed to warp seven so the stingers can launch, then resume warp eight. Power up all weapons. How long until we intercept?"
"Seven minutes, Captain."
"Hanger to Bridge, we are ready to launch."
"Launch." Kate ordered. Andromeda was soon surrounded by the smaller ships. "Increase speed and engage the enemy at will."
"Will do Captain."
They watched the battle on the view screen. They could see all the stingers as they darted around the larger ships.
"Where is she?" Kate asked. "Is she cloaked?"
"Kate there is no information on the location of her shuttle. If she is cloaked, her computer is not sending her location."
"Keep searching. We have to find her." Kate ordered. "Andromeda to Shamrock." Silence was her answer. "Shamrock respond." Still silence. "Shamrock, Kacey damn it respond." Kate ordered. "What about her internal camera?"
"It is on but not transmitting.
Kate felt her heart pound in her chest and found it hard to breathe.
CHAPTER 27 B
"Where is she?" Liam asked
"I don't know." Kate said her voice cracking. Liam placed a comforting hand on her arm.
"Her computer is not sending her position. She is not answering any hails" Natalia choked as tears of worry filled her eyes. Anya put her arm around the younger woman.
"Andromeda to Shamrock. Come in Shamrock. Kacey respond." Static was the only sound. "Keep hailing her."
"Stinger twelve to Andromeda."
"Go ahead Stinger twelve."
"Captain, several ships uncloaked less than a thousand kilometers from our position and fired on us without provocation. Colonel O'Malley's shuttle took several direct hits. We are also unable to raise her. She was able to activate her cloaking device before we lost communications."
The sounds of the battle came over the radio. "We will be there shortly Stinger twelve." Kate stated. "As soon as possible target their weapons and fire. Continue to scan for Kacey's shuttle.
The Stingers and Andromeda entered the battle. The smaller ships dated around the much larger ships laying down a steady stream of fire. Andromeda's big guns locked on to the attackers.
"Captain with the stingers darting around we can not get a clean shot without hitting one of them." Rhea stated.
"All Stingers back out of the line of fire." Kate ordered.
The smaller ships quickly moved out of the way. The big guns opened up and hammered away at the enemy. Soon two ships were dead in space and a third showed multiple hull breeches yet still fired at Andromeda. Other enemy ships backed off from the superior fire power of Andromeda. The guns on the damaged ship fell silent.
"Captain we are getting a very strange reading from that damaged ship." Rhea reported. "It is a build up of energy. Looks as though they activated the self destruct."
"All shuttles and stingers back off. That ship is about to explode."
The smaller ships took cover behind Andromeda. When the enemy ship exploded, Andromeda took the force of the blast. The big ship rocked.
"The ships continue to retreat. Still no sign of Kacey's shuttle."
"Captain Jensen to all shuttles and stingers, fan out and look for Colonel O'Malley's shuttle."
"Roger, Captain."
"Colonel Anderson, if Kacey's shuttle lost power, would the cloaking device still function?"
"Unfortunately in this case, yes. Cloaking, sonar, heat and life support are all tied into a different power source."
"Damn that will make it harder to find her."
"Captain is the personal tracker monitor still connected to the main computer?"
Kate looked at Rhea who nodded. "Affirmative Colonel."
"Kacey has an active tracker in her. She asked me to activate hers before we left Brin."
"Why would she do that?"
"She did not say why, just asked me to turn it on."
"Thank you Colonel."
"Kate there is a very faint blip on the monitor and we are picking us her distress beacon."
"Where?"
"One hundred kilometers from here. Coordinates three nine seven two point zero three. Her shuttle is stationary." Anya reported.
"Did you copy that Colonel?"
"Yes ma'am we did. Stingers one through twenty come with me. The remainder fan out and remain with Andromeda."
"Colonel how long will that tracker stay active?"
"Until we shut it off or," he paused. "Or her life signs stop."
Kate heard Natalia's sharp intake of breath. "Anya take Natalia into my Ready Room. Dad you had better get mom."
"Aye Katie." He responded and quickly left the Bridge.
Anya helped Natalia into the Ready Room. Before the door closed she looked at Kate with sadness in her eyes. Natalia grabbed Anya and cried. Anya held her while she cried as tears filled her own eyes. The door opened and Liam brought Patricia into the room. She immediately went and put her arms around the two women.
"Liam I will stay here. You go be with Kate."
"Aye Patsy darling." He kissed the three and whispered. "The lads will be finding Kacey. Do not be worrying." Natalia nodded unable to speak. Liam returned to the Bridge.
Within minutes, the ships arrived at the coordinates. The blip was coming from a large barren rock. The Stingers flew over the rock searching for the shuttle. The scanners honed in on the blips from the tracker and distress beacon. They flew low over the uneven terrain searching for the shuttle which was still cloaked. They triangulated the blips.
"Shuttle three to Andromeda."
"Go ahead shuttle three."
"Captain according to our scanners, we are right above Kacey's shuttle, but the cloaking device is still on."
"Can we get a tractor beam on it?"
"Not without a visual Captain or at least knowing the exact location. What is the environment on that rock?"
"No atmosphere and temp is minus thirty eight degrees."
"Did you copy that Mike?"
"Yes ma'am. I am going to land as close as I can and see if I can get into the power hatch and shut off the cloak. I have an E.V.A. suit."
"All right Mike. We have you on screen."
"I will contact you when I am ready to leave my shuttle."
"Roger Mike."
No one spoke on the Bridge as they watched Mike land his shuttle. Fifteen tense minutes passed before they heard, "Captain I am tethered and ready to leave the shuttle."
"Be careful Mike. We do not want to lose either one of you."
"Understand."
The watched the hatch open and the white suited figure walked out. The tether line fed out behind him. He bent over and picked something off the rock face that he threw ahead of him as he walked. Some of the objects flew straight. Others bounced back at him. He threw several more.
"Captain, I found the shuttle. Instead of wasting time trying to find the power hatch, can you get a tractor beam in this area?" He motioned to an small area.
Kate looked at Rhea. "If we can get within a kilometer, we can."
"Bring us down nice and easy, Rich."
"Aye Captain."
"Bridge to Sick Bay."
"Sick Bay Doctor Kipling."
"Doctor we need medical personnel and equipment in the Hanger. Kacey's shuttle is stranded on a planetoid. Her injuries are unknown at this time."
"Help is on the way."
"Captain, tracker signal is very weak."
"Ready tractor beam." Kate ordered.
"Distance is one point five kilometers."