Chapter Ninety: Disengagement

Chapter Ninety: Disengagement

Carver V, November 11th, 3018

"Think they got our message?" Stone asked his XO. "Because if this works, we'll have some very unhappy Stewart's upset at us."

"I think that we'll find out soon." His XO responded. "We're going to be lifting off and only covering our own asses up there, so I hope they don't pursue."

"If they do, we'll leave ''em in the black." Stone shrugged. "And stranded here on Carver V too."

"I'm still not sure this will work, but we're willing to take the chance anyway." The Staff Sergeant who had given Stone a reaming for tempting Murphy earlier said.

"Well sergeant, if it doesn't work then we'll just have to fight it out, all this does is prevent us from having to duke it out with someone who we have no information about." Stone replied.

"We've got your back sir." The XO stated, "We're just keeping you apprised of the potential issues that may come up."

"Well, now it's a game of us lifting off with our loot before they can stop us." Stone said as he rolled his neck. "Let's make sure everyone's accounted for and get moving."

November 12th, 3018

"We've reached orbit sir, timing our launch at the same time they dropped in through atmosphere was genius sir." Stone's XO said as they cleared the atmosphere. "It rendered them temporarily blind to us lifting off."

"Now we just have to get to the jump point." Stone replied. "We don't know what kind of aerospace assets they had, so we're going to stay on alert." Stone stroked his small goatee. "Have our company of Marines ready to board their Jumpships. Unless they hot charge their K-F Drives they won't be going anywhere."

November 18th, 3018

"I'd hate to be one of those pilots right about now." Stone's Staff Sergeant muttered. "Poor bastards didn't stand a chance."

"Better them than us." Stone's XO replied. "And they should be able to be recovered in the vacuum, it's not like we went after them to ensure pilots were killed or anything."

"Point," The NCO responded. "But still not somewhere I'd like to be," He shuddered. "Keep my feet on the ground thank you very much."

"Stow the talk," Stone said after a minute. "I'm trying to listen in and see how our Marines are doing."

"What Jumpships did they jump in with?" The XO asked.

"A Star Lord, and an Invader." Stone responded. "I figure the extra collars were used for infantry transport if they were planning on taking and holding this world."

"That would confirm the data our people picked up from the burn in." the Staff Sergeant agreed. "You would need the greater amount of infantry too, the Capellans don't tend to just lay down and let you subjugate a world for some reason."

"Brainwashing." The XO replied. "It's also the only way that the servitors and caste system is enforced." He shrugged. "It's why the production on previously Capellan worlds is so high within a couple of generations."

"Socio Economics degree?" Stone asked.

"Yep," The XO agreed. "The Marksman are helping me pay off my doctorate." He grinned. "And I get to see it in action everywhere we go."

"Doesn't seem like a practical thing to have." The NCO said with a shrug. "But to each their own."

"Marines are reporting that they've taken the Star Lord and Invader." Stone reported from the headset. "They'll be ready to jump out of the system in a couple of days. The charge time here is almost a full eight days."

"We'll turn over prisoners to the MRB later." Stone said with a shrug. "This new "Free State of Stewart" will probably want their crews back."

New Dallas, November 25th, 3018

"We want to be careful hauling this stuff off of the surface of the dome." Mathis cautioned, using his demolitions experience to fall back on. "I know that the DroST's can take some of the damage, but we don't want to have to dig through the entire structure to get them out of there."

"We know Lieutenant." One of the combat engineers said. "We're doing this as carefully as we can."

"Just making sure no one is getting cocky here." Mathis said with a shrug. "Last thing we want is to bury some of our guys in there.'

"It'll take us another couple of days in order to clear off the dome enough to get the DroST's out." The engineer advised. "Are we still loading up the combat vehicles we found in there?"

"Yeah, we'll be loading up the Mule's to capacity, and some of our extra crews are grabbing those individual 'mechs we found scattered around the city."

"It was what, two lances scattered around?" The engineer asked. "At least that's what I thought I heard over the comms."

"Yeah, two lances of damaged Royalgrade machines for the most part." Mathis agreed. "Good mix of Assaults to Lights too."

"Nobody salvaged them?" The engineer asked. "That seems odd."

"They were found in some of the areas that were the most irradiated." Mathis shrugged. "They're going to need a full scrub down before they're usable again anyway."

"Might want to have one of the machine shops do a full rebuild on em." The engineer replied. "Might be one of the better ways to scrub and get rid of some of the rads."

"Well, in a week or so, we should be headed back to Kentares IV, and then it'll be up to the teams there to fix everything up."

"Mathis," Dunham's voice came through the comms system. "Can you give me a status update?"

"Engineer just told me it'll be a couple of days before enough is cleared out to move the DroST's." Mathis reported. "Why? Is something wrong?"

"No, just looking to get an update, we're starting to move the last of the combat vehicles out now." Dunham replied. "And the Mules are just about finished loading up, so all we will have left to do is get those DroST's up to the Age of Discoveryand we can head on home."

Kentares IV, December 6th, 3018

"Hull," Packer walked into my office. "We just had a pretty significant fleet of Jumpships appear at the jump point, and they say they're here to speak to you."