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The Doctor had be working diligently to get her back to a stable condition. He wasn't sure how much help he can be without months of recontruction surgery and several transplant surgeries. Not to mention his update of what's going on in combat doesn't help either. The Doctor cursed in his frustration. While all this was going on, Lauren's mind played a final major flashback.
During slipspace jump to Charybdis IX
The Mind's Attrition was en route to Charybdis IX for redeployment. There had been no serious attacks other than Insurrectionist skirmishes. FLEETCOM had ordered for the Mind's Attrition to be sent and be backup.
Reynolds was on the bridge with his first officer, Mathison, and his other bridge crew, including Cochraine. Even though the last flashback was a couple years apart, Reynolds and Lauren were still having some minor problems and resentment towards their loss of a child.
Reynolds: "What is our ETA for Charybdis?"
Helm: "Approximately 10 more minutes, Captain."
The voice was as emotionless as Reynolds. The atmosphere on the bridge was still a little tense between Reynolds and his helm officer. Mathison could sense it, but every time he asked Reynolds about it, he deflected the question.
Reynolds: "Thank you, Commander Cochraine. Mathison, what is the ship deployment over Charybdis?"
Reynolds and Mathison were both looking over the holotable. The image displayed showed Charybdis IX including the UNSC fleet deployment. Mathison pressed several buttons and the image soomed in on the stationed fleet.
Mathison: "There are currently 3 Charon-class frigates, the UNSC Olympic Might, UNSC Tom Sawyer, and the UNSC Salt of the Earth. There are also two Halcyon-class ships: the UNSC Illustrated Defense and the UNSC Not Going to Take It. They are in position with the three frigates in front of the cruisers. Judging from the reports they sent FLEETCOM, the next predicted attack will be less than an hour away."
Reynolds was circling the table. His hand cusping his chin. He was thinking.
Reynolds: "What have been the Insurrectionist fleets contained?"
Mathison: "On average, several civilian ships converted for combat, and two Charons."
Reynolds: "Which two?"
Mathison looked around the bridge to see who was listening in. Reynolds caught on to Mathison's move and repeated his question, despite most of the bridge crew looking at the two.
Reynolds: "Which two, Commander?"
Mathison: "The Fallen Brotherhood and the Tiger's Pounce."
A couple of the bridge officers were disappointed. They had friends or family on board either ship and hearing that they defected broke their hearts.
Mathison: "Usually what the tactic is, is that the civilian ships jumped first, and engaged our ships, and while we were distracted, the frigates came in from either side, flanking and surrounding the fleet. However, due to the Defence Fleet's size and strength, they hold out every time and send the Insurrectionists into a fiery retreat."
The holomap showed the battle scenario that Mathison described in detail.
Mathison: "I recommend that once we arrive, we move to the far side of the planet. When the Insurrectionists arrive, we can flank the civilian ships and block their retreat."
Reynolds nodded in agreement.
Reynolds: "What is our ETA?"
Cochraine: "About five minutes, Sir."
It was then that the Mind's Attrition exited slipspace, where they were surrounded by a large Insurrection fleet. Cochraine reacted in time to clip the Mind's Attrition off a Halcyon's side. The ship rocked violently throwing Reynolds and Mathison as well as a couple other bridge officers to the floor. Cochraine was still seeted still trying to keep the ship from hitting something.
Reynolds: "Commander! What the hell are you doing?!"
Cochraine: "It wasn't me, Sir!"
Reynolds got himself to his fleet. He was angry over the situation.
Reynolds: "Mathison! What's our status?"
Mathison went to the command chair and began echoing the scans he was receiving.
Mathison: "We're in the heart of an asteroid field... about... 25 lightyears from the Charybdis system. From the initial scans, there is a large power source in an asteroid about 50,000 kilometers off our starboard side. Furthermore I've detected 15 ships ."
Reynolds: "Any chance of them being friendly?"
Reynolds watched as Mathison was routing his scans into the holomap and the table displaying the 3D image of those scans.
Mathison: "Negative Sir. It appears we've dropped into an Insurrectionist base of operations.""
Cochraine: "Captain, we have contact in less than 10 seconds!"
Reynolds: "What are you waiting for, Lauren? Get us the hell out of here and back on course to Charybdis IX!"
Cochraine: "My console is registering as this being Charybdis IX, Sir. I'm already attempting to manually find the correct coordinates."
Mathison: "Sir, five seconds until contact!"
Reynolds: "Get our weapons up! Prepare for firing! Lauren, set us a course out of here!"
Reynolds watched the holotable show the incoming ships.
Cochraine: "I can't! Our slipspace drive is disabled! We only have impulse engines! Starting evasive maneuvers!"
The Mind's Attrtion took a hard bank to the left as Cochraine was doing her best to get the ship into an optimal combat position.
Mathison: "Sir, weapons systems are down too! We're defenseless."
The Insurrection ships were now hovering over the Mind's Attrition, but not firing. It didn't take long for the ship to rock hard again.
Mathison: "Sir! All hangars have been compromised! We're being boarded!"
Reynolds pressed a button on the holotable.
Reynolds: "All hands, scramble all forces! We are being boarded! Seal the bridge!"
Mathison: "I can't, Sir! I've been locked out!"
Reynolds: "Lauren, you do it!"
Cochraine pushed a few buttons but with no luck.
Cochraine: "I can't I'm locked out here too."
The other bridge officers tried their stations and none of them responded. The bridge was locked out of all commands. Reynolds turned back to the holomap, thankful at least it worked and had full functionality.
Reynolds: "Fireteams Gamma and Foxtrot, report to the bridge, on the double!"
The broadcast was made ship wide. Mathison and Cochraine were distributing weapons to everyone, preparing to repel any hostiles. When everyone had a weapon, Mathison went to the other end of the holotable. He was starting to help organize their forces with Reynolds and hope to kill all of the Insurrectionists.
Multiple minutes had passed until the bridge doors opened to reveal the lead squad of Insurrectionists. Mathison and Reynolds took the defensive position with the other bridge crew. Mathison backed up from the line that was firing at the invaders. He then shot a couple of the officers. Reynolds and Cochraine whirred around to the assailant which was Mathison.
Reynolds: "What the hell are you doing, Mathison?!"
With Reynolds' and Cochraine's backs to the invaders killed the rest of the bridge crew, only holding Cochraine and Reynolds at gunpoint.
Woman: "Put your guns down... now."
The woman was doing her best to resist killing Cochraine, whom she had her magnum at the back of the head.
Woman: "Well done, Benedict! Now download the information and let's go."
The woman was looking up at Mathison smiling slyly. Mathison went to the command chair. He entered a series of commands releasing the lockout on the bridge. He then began downloading all of the tactical information of the sector to a PDA. When it finished, Mathison returned to the woman's side.
Woman: "Very well done, Benny. Now let's go."
Two of their marines took the weapons nearby with them leaving Reynolds and Cochraine alone and defenseless on the bridge and still held at gunpoint. When the Insurrectionists backed far enough out of the bridge, the doors began to close. When they finished closing, Mathison locked out the door overrides, and then shot the panel. They managed to make it a few meters when the requested fireteams ambushed Mathison and the invaders.
Mathison: "Stand down, teams. The Bridge crew stopped them, we're going to help out in the hangar bays. Go and give the bridge some reinforcement."
The fireteam captains nodded running towards the sealed bridge doors with their respective teams. When Mathison and his team were out of sight from the fireteams, they began running back to their docked pelican.
Back on the bridge, Cochraine and Reynolds were trying to figure out a plan while the Insurrection was retreating.
Cochraine: "What are we going to do, Marcus? Now that they have the information they were after, they'll probably destroy us. Quite honestly, I don't want to die. Not like this at least.
Lauren began crying into his lap. Reynolds wrapped his arms around her head, holding her like a child crying over a cut.
Reynolds: "I- I- don't know. Nothing much we can do. Even with the lockout removed, systems are still down. I guess there is nothing we can do."
Lauren sobbed harder.
Cochraine: "I'm sorry about the baby, Marcus. I never apologized, but I wish we did still had have it."
Reynolds held her closer.
Reynolds: I know, Lauren. I forgive you."
Reynolds was watching the holotable and that's when several new contacts appeared. It caught his attention so much so that he stood up leaving Cochraine to cry on the floor. Instead, she was shocked Reynolds left her side. She stood up to see why, and she then saw the reason and excitement filled her.
Cochraine ran to the other end of the holotable and brought up the details of the new contacts.
Cochraine: "They're ours! It's the Charybdis Defense Fleet!"
Reynolds watched the ships move in to engage the Insurrectionists from the bridge window. Cochraine approached him, and wrapped one of her arms around his waist. Both were smiling as they watched their rescuers saved the day.
Cochraine's mind began to drift back into darkness, shaking the rest of the memory apart.
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03-05-2013
Linear Mode
