Battle: This One's For Dad

Posted on Sun Aug 4th, 2019 @ 9:41pm by Lieutenant Commander Jacob "Jack" Devine

Mission: Preludes
Location: Space; USS Achilles
Timeline: 2376
Tags: Battle

Freely winced as he saw an enemy craft lance Jacob’s shield in the closing distance, but only seconds later, his own cannons replied. Freely’s fighter came in behind them, and he assigned each target a weapon system, and opened fire. The sweet sound of his phaser cannons echoed throughout his craft, both phaser turrets and torpedoes ripping through metal and flesh. Swooping low, he avoided debris, and brought his F180 on a sharp turn, satisfied with Jacob’s last kill. (Apparently, the boy managed to nail one with a torpedo, which was difficult on its own, even with computer help)

“Good job kid! Now follow me,” he told the boy, the last explosion reflecting back on his visor through the canopy window. Sensors confirmed that none of the attacking enemy flight remained, and Jacob’s fighter only sustained minor impacts on its forward armor. “Computer, lock course and vector sensor feed to my visor.”

His main view changed to a three-cut window, one displaying the now drifting Achilles, another Jacob’s fighter, and the last a picture of his squadron, waiting for him.

He felt anger bubble over him with a hot-fire blanket.

Jacob's fingers felt stiff around the throttle and his eyes were starting to blur. He brought his ship around as requested, wondering if he'd ever be able to fly a solid F180 again. The shimmies and drags of his wounded bird were already mentally adjusted somewhere inside the depths of his brain to the point that he wasn't sure he could go back to normal.

"Papa-bear to all units, form up. D-Shape, on my tail." Freely's voice carried across the comm..

Jacob knew the D was for diamond, what he didn't know was where his ship belonged in the assigned pattern. Most of his simulated flight time had more to do with solo ops than actual squad plays. He could watch the others take their places on the HUD and fill in the empty spot, but that would take entirely too long. Swallowing his pride, he asked. "Papa-bear, where does this Ghost go?"

"Papa-bear to Ghost, form up on the 3 o'clock, over," Freely said quickly, his voice indicating that there wasn't much time. "We'll be sweeping in soon, so be ready to avoid enemy fire, by rolling, and wedging back into formation. You got it kid?"

"If I don't, you'll be the first to know." Jacob replied with a slight smirk as he climbed to the appropriate position now marked out clearly on the HUD display. "I copy Papa-bear, Ghost out."

As they moved in formation towards their next target, Jacob fought the temptation to roll out and continue on his own. They were counting on him, but with his lack of experience he felt sure he would somehow let them down. Yet, if he could go back to what he had been doing, there'd be a few less fighters out there. *No!* He told himself. *This one's for dad, and we do it his way,follow the leader.*

The group of F180s moved in perfect formation towards the enemy destroyer. As they got closer, Jacob found himself dodging enemy fire right along with the rest of the wing members. The closer they got to the destroyer the more of a target they became. In a fit of aggravation, Jacob programmed into his F180 a series of shots that would take out two of the enemy fighters who seemed intent on dogging them.

Just before Jacob squeezed the trigger, he caught his lower lip between his teeth in an almost hereditary gesture very much like his father. In fact, at that moment it was easy to deceive himself into thinking that none of this was real and that it was his father flying off his port side in a mission that was purely simulated.

"Die you blood sucking skeetas!" Jacob cried out as he rolled starboard and fired the preprogrammed arsenal. His eyes danced with the light of two explosions arcing across the hulls of the enemy fighters.

Jacob made a face as the calls came across the comm in his direction. He'd forgotten that they all could hear him now. The subspace chatter died down as they moved in for a pass at the destroyer's forward hull with Freely calling the shots.

"Keep biting it, kid," Freely offered, between frantic commands.

The Diamond formation drove a wedge of firepower into the destroyer's hull before they were pushed aside by their need to avoid the volley of returning torpedoes scattering across their path. The destroyer like the Achilles seemed on its last leg, so Freely led his squadron back around for a second run.

Having gotten his moves down in the first pass, Jacob was even more prepared for the second go. And then quite suddenly the forward F180 was taken out in a blinding explosion by an enemy kamikaze. Jacob veered off course, riding out the shockwave and tried to get back into position, but was prevented by two bogies who shepherded his craft away from the squadron.

Jacob dodged and weaved through space, attempting to be anything but a sitting duck. At first, Jacob was content to stay ahead of them, but that proved difficult with his warp drive down and his F180 running basic impulse. He had only one move in mind and he knew it was insane at best. If it worked, he'd be alive, but he'd also be spinning in space again. With a sigh, Jacob loaded the forward cannons, brought the thruster compensator offline, and fired the starboard thruster just enough to spin his fighter about. Firing off the guns Jacob's lips twisted in a sardonic smile as his spinning shot took out both bogies.

"HERE WE GO AGAIN!" Jacob shouted as his ship completed a couple revolutions. Remembering Freely's directions, Jacob was able to bring his fighter out of the spin before he turned another sickly shade of green.

"Freely to Ghost. You okay, kid?"

"Back in action, Papa Bear." Jacob replied as he managed to bring the fighter out of its spin and back to the rest of the squadron. Things were happening fast now. It seemed the Achilles had taken out one of the cruisers and was attacking the second. Jacob sincerely hoped that none of the orphans had been injured in that explosion.

Jacob fired off a few shots eliminating the fighter on Freely's six. "No one steals my spot." He murmured as he moved into place behind his squad leader and formed up for the next attack.

***

The big ships were either dead, decimated, or debris. With no base to return to and no hope of victory, somewhere in the neighborhood of thirty enemy fighters harassed what was left of the Federation pilots. They moved with an insanity of desperation that was senseless. When offered terms of surrender, two of them drove straight into Freely's craft with no apparent goal but to take him out with them. Fortunately, Freely was still armed, the oncoming fighters were not.

Jacob lost the second of his thrusters to a fly by pass from an enemy bogie. Without the thruster there was no way to correct his heading or course. All he could hope to do was drift wherever inertia took him. That's when he spotted the Matakai fighter floating free somewhere off the starboard side of a massive debris field. Jacob ran his fingers over the console of his F180. Yes, there was a beam out possibility, but it was a one time deal. And if he screwed this up, he'd most likely be dead. But, then, in his present situation he'd be dead in no time. Freely couldn't hope to protect him forever.

Tracking the course of Donovan's fighter, Jacob input the coordinates indicated and without further thought, pressed the button, activating the transporter. "I hope there's enough room in his ship for me." Jacob muttered as he felt the darkness close in and shift him from the F180 to the Matakai fighter.

Jacob materialized aboard Donovan's ship in the rear compartment. He sighed with relief to find the ship was made for two pilots. He glanced out the canopy just in time to see his fighter explode from enemy fire. Jacob shook his head and turned his attention to the pilot seated in front of him.

Com static was heavy in the cockpit, emanating the worried cries of Freely in a chatter of both battle commands and curses. His voice seemed unsteady; he was losing too much already.

"Donovan, so we meet at last." Jacob whispered, unable to focus more on the comm channels. "Pity you're in no condition to chew me out for this invasion of your space. Of course, a chewing out wouldn't be bad if it meant staying alive."

Sighing, Jacob turned his attention to the strange new fighter he had at his fingertips.

"God, I hope I can fly this thing." Jacob hissed as he ran his fingers over the console. It couldn't be too much different from the F180, all ships held certain principles to be true even if they arranged the controls differently.

"Shields at 2% and failing!"

Jacob groaned. "Now tell me something helpful."

“Throttle, check. Thrusters. check. Weapons, I think.” Engaging the drive section of the matakai fighter, Jacob moved just in time to see streaks of enemy fire pass the canopy. "2% shields. hey, knock it off! I'm trying to LEARN here!"

Finding the comm button, Jacob called out, "Papa Bear to Ghost."

There was a slight pause. "Kid!? You're alive? Where are you?"

"I'm in another fighter, beamed out, think this is Donovan. Least it looked like the fighter trailing me earlier. Hard to say ‘cause he's out like a light and this bird's dodgy." Jacob pushed the thrusters, but watched in horror as torpedoes flew from the front of his newly acquired fighter and slammed into two enemy fighters somewhere off his nose. Jacob's eyebrows shot up. "Um, guess that's NOT the thrusters."

"Keep your fingers steady, kid," Freely tried to offer.

"I meant to fire the thrusters." Jacob explained with a nervous laugh. "I think I got it now."

"I've got you tracked on a tail degrees vector of one-niner-twelve mark four. I'm coming to you. Hold your six clear." The words came with experience, almost too fast.

"Best to keep clear of me to be safe." Jacob replied as a small squad of enemy fighters homed in on him. He watched them approach with growing horror. Their course was set and none of them so much as veered off the path by a foot. Jacob realized they were going to kill him or die trying. He preferred the latter.

Jacob looked out the canopy off his port side to see Freely. Just the simple presence of the other pilot helped calm him as he grabbed the stick of this strange new aircraft and fixed his fingers in position. The distance between him and Freely and the oncoming enemy fighters was closing fast. Jacob wondered why they didn't fire, but at the same time was glad that they had not.

"I'm your wingman, Ghost. Direct your course, and I'll cover."

Unsure of how to fire off more than what the manual trigger would unload, Jacob let Freely worry about laying down a widespread arc of firepower. Jacob, for his part, simply lined up the vectors and fired the weapons on this new ship in a manual fashion. With Freely's help they soon wiped out all five of the approaching bogies.

Jacob spoke into the comm. "Thanks, Papa Bear, how's it looking out there? Can we go home yet?"

Freely didn't appear happy. "We're not nearly done yet, kid."

"I'm tired, I smell, my brain feels like a lump of mashed potatoes, and I don't know what I'm doing," Jacob muttered over the comm. "And I've got no one to blame but myself. Don't think I don't know that."

"I'm not saying much until we get that bird landed, are we clear? How's Donovan?"

Jacob laughed, but the sound was more of nervous exhaustion than actual merriment. He moved in the seat to have a look at the other unconscious pilot. "Donovan's still breathing, at least that's a mercy. But other than that he's out like a light."

"Bloody," Freely muttered, his voice churning with emotion.

"Shall we get back into this battle and finish it up?" Jacob remarked with a sigh. "Three bogies three o'clock high."

"Your shields haven't leveled off yet, so tuck in behind me, and hold formation!"

***

A cheer erupted over the comm. after the last enemy fighter was destroyed. Jacob sighed with relief and leaned back in his seat. At last, at last he could relax. At least until it came time to bring this fighter back into the hangar. It was one thing to land the F180, but this bird?

"Ghost to Papa Bear, I've a slight problem."

"Now what?"

"I can bring this thing back around because there's more room for mistakes, but landing in the bay? Does anyone know how to do this?" Jacob asked, a nervous edge to his voice.

A silent pause. "Schematics should be available through the main computer. Try accessing some templates. Think you can handle it on your own, or should we beam you clear?"

Jacob smiled. "Yeah,give me a few minutes and make sure the others land before me and clear the bay area. If I go splat, I'd rather take out as few people as possible."

"Tower is tracking you anyway. Ten-four."

"Make sure they know Donovan needs a medic." Jacob said, "In the meantime I'll work on getting these controls figured out."

"I'm already on it, kid. Listen, when you land, we'll need to chat, alright?"

***

The other pilots had returned to the hangar, but Freely remained out in space with Jacob as the boy got ready to attempt a landing in the Matakai fighter.

"I'd ask for a round of drinks after this one," Jacob began, "but somehow I think that request would be denied."

"Focus on your bird, kid. We'll party when this is all over, and I count my men."

"Sounds good, but all I want right now is solid decking beneath my feet, a hot shower, and a bed." Jacob laughed. "And I almost forgot the important one, to land in one piece."

"Line her up, Ghost, and follow the tower's holographic markers that should appear on your forward display. Keep following the lines. Are you ready?" Freely said impatiently.

"Ready as I'll ever be." Jacob replied, bringing the fighter around and heading for the Achilles open hangar bay through the highlighted regions in front of him. He could tell that his approach was much too fast and slightly off center, so he fired the forward thrusters and listened to flight control's directions verbally and those of Freely's.

"Hold the nose down lower, and slow the descent. You're coming at it too hard. Level your pitch, and yaw with the region display. Just line them up."

Reducing his speed even further, Jacob glided into the hangar bay, slightly off center. One wingtip grazed the wall, emitting a shower of sparks before Jacob got it under control and brought the Matakai fighter to a full stop half on and half off the docking pad. He released the canopy after a bit of a search and yanked off his helmet. A team of medics swarmed about the cockpit. Jacob waved them off and pointed at Donovan. Two of them pulled the unconscious fighter from his cockpit while the third insisted on checking out Jacob.

Standing on shaky legs, Jacob hugged his sides and glared at the medic. "What I need is a hot shower, a fresh change of clothes, and a bed, in that order! What I don't need is you fussing over me. Take care of Donovan! HE needs you,not I."

"Son, easy there, it's just a preliminary."

Jacob caught sight of Freely getting out of his F180 and yelled over at the pilot. "Hey, Papa Bear, mind shoeing this medic away?"

"Crewmen, the kid's under my watch. I report any medical conditions, should any arise," He said slowly, shoveling a discarded piece of hair past his blood strewn face (apparently a section of glass splattered across the surface of his helmet, striking his face internally).

Jacob climbed out of the cockpit and lost his grip and took a quick double-take at Freely before he noticed the medic still standing near. The crewmen caught him painfully about the midsection before he hit the floor. Jacob hissed, and then bellowed, "Let me go! I can walk. I'm tired, not incapacitated."

"Look, buddy, at least let me have a look at your vitals." The medic pleaded.

Jacob gave a long suffering sigh as he stood still, his arms crossed in front of him and hugging himself. He watched the other medics carry Donovan away on a stretcher while the present medic ran a tricorder over his person.

"Slightly dehydrated, blood sugar on the low side." The medic said.

Jacob glanced at Freely. "Is it just me or is he saying I'm hungry and I could use a drink?" Rolling his eyes, Jacob faced the medic. "I think you'd find that true even about Papa Bear here. So, why don't you just pack up your tricorder and stand aside?"

"This also clearly shows that you've a couple of broken ribs." The medic said firmly. "I need to take you to sickbay and have the doctor fix that."

Still gripping his sides, Jacob shook his head. "I'll come later, after I've had a bath and something to eat, and a long, uninterrupted nap."

The medic gave a helpless look in Freely's direction.

"I'll take him," he quickly offered, gently scrambling over to Jacob's side.

"See that he doesn't forget to check in Lieutenant Commander." With an exasperated sigh and a shake of his head, the medic walked away from them and headed back towards sickbay.

Jacob stared down at his legs. They felt an awful lot like gelatin. He wasn't sure how far he'd get before he fell on his face.

Freely's hands glided over his shoulders, and shoved him gently towards the door, the pilot's voice coming in over his left shoulder. He said, with a harsh sigh, "I've lost too many pilots today. You need to get your act together kid, and keep yourself alive, you hear me?"

"I'm fine, but is there someplace I can clean up without going back to the holodeck or sickbay?" Jacob asked. "I'm not ready to be pounced on."

"I'll pounce on you if you think you can simply steal a fighter and get perfectly away with it! You're going to sickbay, *with* me. I've got several pieces of glass in my face, my left arm is shattered, and my legs are about to give out. I don't want a bath, I don't even care about what I look like! I just want to know that you are alright, and that's what my pilots have given their lives for. You follow me now, kid. This way." Freely's eyes glazed over his, and for an instant, would have told him to try his patience once more and die; he was in pain, that much was certain. But it was more than just pain.

Jacob knew that tone. He moved quickly, and said not a word more.

=*=

LtCmdr Jacob Devine
Squadron Leader
USS Andromeda

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Note: This post is actual character history pre-written. Contributions made by Jason, Patrick, and Jasvinder from Thunderfleet back in 2004.