Free Insurrection (Athena Lee Chronicles Book 5) by T S Paul Page A

bared her sharpened teeth and jumped from the chair directly at Sergeant Sveldig. The surprised sergeant jumped back firing his shotgun directly at her removing most of her head in the process. The rest of the stunned bridge crew opened fire on the Marines.
     
    Ducking behind the Captain’s chair Lieutenant Mutai began firing at the pirate in control of navigation. Sergeant Sveldig yelled at the volunteer troops to “close the damn door.”
     
    Pirates seeing the navy personnel began firing through the open door. The volunteers rushed back to the door to punch in the locking numbers. They began taking fire, and two crewmen went down in a spray of blood. As the fire intensified remaining crew member John Bigbootee one of the janitorial staff managed to get to the door. Slipping and sliding in the blood and gore he entered the numbers that closed and locked the door. Inside, the bridge fire fight was still going on. A pirate sitting behind the communications console opened up on the Marines with, of all things, a rocket launcher, blowing a giant hole in the navigation station. Another hit with the rocket launcher blew Private Khat to pieces as he tried to pull the sergeant to safety. Shots from all sides killed the rocketeer in seconds.
     
    The bridge was now a smoking ruin. Navigation was a total loss. Communications was still on fire and weapons had smoke pouring from it. Not being a bridge officer Lieutenant Mutai only knew the basics. The ship was in jump but would exit into the Hong Kong sector in less than an hour. The ship ‘could’ still be controlled from CIC if they could recapture it. Everything rested on the Captain and his force of cooks, now.
     
     
     
     
    ___
     
    Minerva had given the flight squadrons five minutes; they did it in three. Within three minutes the station was fully armed and operational. The Paney was still coming in at an odd angle. Min ordered one squadron of fighters to intercept the destroyer. The other was to patrol the system.
     
    Militia commander Bob Conrad was the commander of the Black sheep fighter squadron. His unit was composed of misfits and one-offs. Most of his pilots flew Fuglies and Stuka’s. When the FLEA scientists had dug into the warehouse looking for things to fight with, they had uncovered a few hanger queens and fighter prototypes. Someone had taken the idea of a vid ship and had twisted it. He now flew Fuglie 1 which closely resembled something a Sith lord would fly. The fighter had nice guns with a really cool targeting system. The problem was that the controls were very touchy. He would need all of his skill and experience to fly this thing.
     
    “OK sheep, form up. ‘Dive bomb’ get back into formation!”
     
    “Sorry ‘Papa-san’ I hit the wrong switch.”
     
    “Dive bomb, put down the sandwich and start flying. Don’t lie to me.”
     
    Commander Conrad call sign ‘Papa-san’, sighed and thought, “Fighter pilots are nothing but big children.”
     
    “Everyone knows the mission. Don’t fire first. This ship could be on our side! If they do ‘attack,’ take out their engines and power supply first. The Paney is an anti-pirate destroyer is designed to destroy fighters! Let’s go.”
     
    The rogue destroyer was still at the systems edge. The fighters would not be able to intercept for at least thirty minutes.
     
     
    ____
     
     
    Alvin-the-taker was angry now. This whole charade was poorly planned. He should have taken control of the ship the first night they were on it. He just had to listen to that Dammed Governor who told him to wait until needed. What a crock of crap that was! Somehow, the Navy pukes had figured out they were not really replacements and had been prepared for his move. To keep control of the ship they NEEDED to take that damned engine room!
     
    “Alvin, Alvin. I found it, I know how they knew!” His computer hacker Carson was chasing after him. His bodyguards grabbed the young fool before he got himself