The SS Hammerhead

"Sir! Sir! Sirrrrrrr!"

The command center was buzzing with the noise of twenty command workers but one voice came above all of them.

"SIRRRRRRRRRRRR!!!!"

"WHAT, Lieutenant Strife!" Commander Jake was fed up and was in no mood for Lt Strife yelling at him constantly like an insane school boy. "What! What! What! What! Whaaaaaaaat!" The whole room suddenly went quiet. The Commander was known for his very short temper, and had in the past punched the lights out of anybody who would annoy him too much, but this was an exception.

"Sorry, Sir! But there's a heavy duty space cargo ship on a collision course and it is not answering any of the messages, Sir! Should I issue the evacuation order, Sir!" The Commander went straight from anger to a pale face.

"What defence weapons do we have for this situation!" The Lieutenant went straight to the inventory console. A cold pale face came over Lt Strife.

"N... None sir!" The Commander looked over to the overhead viewer and swiched it on.

"Zoom 200%" The Commander instructed the console. The response came up on screen.

zooming 200 %.........

"Target object in area 593,961."

targeting..........
locked on target

"Identify object."

identfing..........
identified object

"Print up report on viewer."

printing up report..........
report as follows:
ship. ss cargo ship hammerhead
cargo. raw metals
crew. 457
destination. space station alpha 7
current record. missing
end

"Scan target SS Hammerhead."

scanning..........
scan complete

"Print up scan report."

printing scan report..........
scan report as follows
ship. ss hammerhead
cargo. none
crew. none
heading. alpha 7
range. approx. 600 km
speed. 2 km/s ***warning collision imminent!***
hull class. heavy duty
weapons. none
armor. heavy
end
suggest evacuation. minimum time 0:05:00

"Sir, should I send the order?"

"WHAT DO YOU MEAN 'SHOULD I SEND THE ORDER?' YES! SEND THE FUCKING ORDER!!!" The Commander yelled out and then started down the corridor to the one man escape pods.

Strife looked at the others.

"That size ship would leave nothing left when it hits!" Said one of the many scared faces.

"What are you doing here! Get the fuck out! Now!" Strife then hit the evac butten and then grabbed the mic. "THIS IS NOT A DRILL! GET THE HELL OUT NOW!" He then grabed the computer console. "Save and repeat message."

saving..........
saved. starting repeat of message

"Computer, download yourself to manual arm com on my signal." He looked around in fury for the arm com.

"COLLISION IMMINENT! YOU NOW HAVE 0:04:30 TO REACH MINIMUM SAFE DISTANCE! THIS IS NOT A DRILL! GET THE HELL OUT NOW!"

Strife then found the arm com under the Commander's chair.

"Computer, now download."

now downloading to arm com..........
downloading completed

"Great, now which is the nearest escape pod room that still has pods left?"

"Room 101. Down the corridor, take a left turn and continue to the end. It is the first door you come to." Responded the arm com.

Strife then started down the corridor immediately getting into the crowd of panicking miners and office workers.

"COLLISION IMMINENT! YOU NOW HAVE 0:04:00 TO REACH MINIMUM SAFE DISTANCE! THIS IS NOT A DRILL! GET THE HELL OUT NOW!"

Strife then reached the escape pod room and quicly found an empty one and started it up.

"COLLISION IMMINENT! YOU NOW HAVE 0:03:30 TO REACH MINIMUM SAFE DISTANCE! THIS IS NOT A DRILL! GET THE HELL OUT NOW!"

Then Strife's pod came into trouble.

"LAUNCH! DAMN IT, FUCKING LAUNCH!"

"The escape pod main launch power lines are missing from system!"

"So what happened then Sir?" said Lt Theo.

"Pardon!" Captain Strife now returning back to the present day. "Well," he then looked down at his cold dinner, smiled and continued. "Well I ran around like a mad man crying out! Well I think you would yell out and cry if you thought you were going to die and there was nothing you could do about it." He paused to see if there was anything he could eat left warm, and then continued. "Well then the computer cut in."

" SIR! SIR! SIR!!!!"

"What!!" It then realised how annoying it is when someone constantly says your name or rank out.

"Sir the escape pod next down is fully operational! And empty! Sir."

"I wouldn't have even thought about looking around at the other escape pod, if I didn't have the computer I wouldn't be here now."

"So you just headed for the nearest colony like the others right?"

"Nope. I thought about it though, but in the end I had two minutes until the ship hit and it was going as slow as it could possibly go and it was a danger to all space users, so I salvaged her and only just missed the asteroid! Well there I was, I just got a new ship under the salvaging laws and I just saved billions of credits worth of precious ore. So they gave me my promotion, and a high rank in the chain of comand in the starship fleet, and offered to upgrade my new ship to a combat cruiser. The SS Hammerhead. But her history before that is total mystery to me, but that was five years ago!"

The overhead buzzed, "Captain Strife, the fleet Commander is on the intercom for you, Sir!"

"Well that's my dinner gone. Look like we got our marching orders."

Strife then headed to his command room. When he got there he checked himself out in the mirror to see if he was presentable and straightened himself out, then turned the intercom on.

"Yes, Sir," Strife said calmly, knowing that what he was going to hear was bad news.

"Argh there you are Strife," the Commander started his usual routine to soften the blow to the bad news he had to say. He knew that everyone knew about it, but it never stopped him. "The Besta fleet is falling and needs our help to stop the human renegades from getting their hands on Jaston! You know that that planet can not defend itself, and what they found in that crater is definitely alien, and we cannot allow the renegades to get their hands on it! At all cost! Out." The Commander then turned his com off to talk to the others in the fleet and tell them the same thing!

The news left Strife a little down but it was the renegades who started the whole war with each other. None know what started it. One day the renegades just declared independence from the Earth star fleet. But they didn't care much because all the renegades were on some planets which didn't have any major purpose or any think crucial. The only planet that had anything big was Mars, being so close, which became their home planet in time.

"Sir." Lt Theo ran down the corridor, "Well Sir, was it the marching orders?"

"Yes, Theo." He took a deep breath before continuing. "The Besta fleet is falling around Jaston. We are to go and give it back-up and support. We leave immediately for Jaston."

"The Besta fleet?! That's the strongest in the star fleet!"

"I know, I know." He turned and headed to the bridge. "Are you coming Lieutenant?"

"Yes, Sir." He ran and caught up with Strife, and headed for the bridge.

"Captain on bridge!" The whole bridge jumped up to their feet and saluted, Strife returned the salute.

"At ease. I got an announcement to make to the whole ship!" He walked to his chair, sat down, turned the computer on and turned the overhead on.

"Crew of the SS Hammerhead, this is your Captain speaking. As of 04:00 hours the Besta fleet was attacked by the human renegades and sustained heavy loses. We are to bring back-up and support the the besta fleet. We, as the rest of the fleet, are to step up to full battle status. We are to leave to the Jaston system immediately. Captain out!" He turned the overhead off.

"Lt Jessie, set course to the Jaston system and awaite the Commander's orders."

The whole fleet sat around for fifteen minutes waiting for the Commander's orders, but then the silence was broken by Theo.

"Sir." Strife turned and looked at Theo expecting some bad news, which he was actually hoping for!

"Yes?" Strife said, hoping more and more for bad news. He didn't mind what, just enough so they couldn't go to battle. Like the engine was damaged or the weapons were not working, he just didn't care.

"This is just like that movie we watched last week. Oh what was it called?" Theo thought hard. He looked scared in the corridor but now he was excited, no, eager for battle. Why? All battle contains is death and destruction. Why did he want to go to battle? Strife turned his head to answer.

"The titan wars!" Strife then fell back into his chair and put his head into his hands as his hope was dashed from him. He still didn't know why Theo wanted to go to battle. Did he want to die? Did he have a death wish? Whatever was wrong with him would have to wait until after the battle. If they were still alive that was.

Then, after twenty minutes, the order finally came. The order that had many possibilities, death or victory, honour or disgrace. Only the grim future held the dark secrets that awaited them.

"All ships set course for Jaston."

Fifteen minutes later they arrived at the space station Besta 5, where they awaited the order to engage the enemy at Jaston. By know it had been almost an hour since they got their marching orders.

Strife was still puzzled with Lt Theo. It was bothering him so much he called him for lunch in his qurters that day to talk about it, so he could finally have peace of mind again, so he could concentrate on the unknown fate that awaited them at Jaston. He had a bad feeling about the battle, not that he thought of it much since his mind was on Theo and his death wish. Then the door opened and Theo popped his head through.

"I'm not late am I?" Strife smiled to hide his thoughts.

"No, no, sit down. What do you want to eat?" Theo sat down and looked at the order menu on the food dispenser.

"I'll have the special of the day." Theo was wondering why he asked him to lunch in his quarters, they usually ate in the canteen, he knew that there was something on his mind.

"Here you go, Theo." Strife placed the food infront of him and he noticed that Theo was looking at him in a very odd way. He then when to speak but Strife cut him off, "Theo are you alright? I know it may seem a bit stupid, but I swear you are looking forward to the battle! I mean, you could die soon. Have you got a death wish or something!? We have known each other for five years, I went to combat academy with you, if there is anything wrong, I mean stress or something, you can tell me, I'll get help for you. Anything you need, all you need to do is tell me. Theo we're best friends, remember that!" Theo stopped, looked at him oddly then started looking at him in a concerned way.

"Sir, sorry, Strife, as a friend I have to say you have been acting stressful. Are you sure you're okay? You're usually the first into the fight, but now you're looking for way out?" Strife looked at him strangely. How the hell did he know he was looking for a way out? He tested to see if he could hear his thoughts by calling him names and asking questions in his head, but all Theo would do is look at him and eat his food.

"How did you know I was looking for ways out, Theo?" Theo swallowed and then answered him.

"Well if you didn't leave your computer diary on you chair then people wouldn't be able to read it. Don't worry, I moved it into your ready room." Strife looked confused. He new what Theo was saying, he guest he was to busy worrying about his friend to notice.

"Theo you're right, I am acting odd. This is not me, I'm going to the med lab!"

Strife headed to the med lab but they just said it was a stress bug someone had planted in his head. So they removed it with great difficulty, but within five minutes he was his usual self and was ready for battle, but the mystery remained of who had planted the bug. But there was more important business to attend to. Like kicking some arse!

"The SS Hammerhead, asking permission to leave dock." The order to engage the enemy was given and Strife was raring to go.

"Permission denied, Captain! You havn't been given you cargo!" Strife looked at the mission orders and was thinking that there was a mistake.

"Docking Control, the SS Hammerhead is no cargo ship."

"I know but this order is from higher authority!"

"Fine. What is it?" Strife was fed up with this and just wanted to go.

"They are the special forces assault team, to reclaim the alien artefact."

"Fine, send them on. Now!" Strife was mad, fed up and scared. The only way for the renegade to have control of the alien artefact was through destroying the Besta fleet, the strongest fleet around. At least, so they thought anyway.

"Cargo on board. You may now leave, SS Hammerhead."

"Finally. Let's go. We'll be last now, we're ten minutes late already!"

The whole warp tunnelling took twenty minutes, and when they got there they were shocked.

"Sir, the whole Delta fleet has been destroyed!" Strife looked at the viewer that showed nothing but debris of the Besta and Delta fleet.

"Shit! What the hell is going on? What the hell happened to them? What on Earth could do such damage?" Strife looked hard at the wrecks.

"Sir! Two ships moving on a interception course!" Yelled out Theo.

"Charge all weapons! We may be late but we are not leaving until we have avenged their deaths! Engage the engines to combat speed and kill those sons of bitches!"

The two ships moved slowly through the debris of the previous battle, which gave the SS Hammerhead an advantage: having once been a heavy duty class cargo ship meant the front hull was designed to smash any rocks or debris out the way like paper! The SS Hammerhead had the first shot before the enemy could even get around from dodging the SS Vengan's wrecked hull. The SS Hammerhead had a very special weapon on board, being the only ship with the room for it.

"Sir the cutting laser was a direct hit! It cut the whole front off the ship!"

The cutting laser fired again, this time blowing the other ship to pieces, which was unusual for a attack ship of their kind. Two more came out on the same path and were destroyed just as easily.

"This was what destroyed the fleets?" Theo looked at Strife in horror.

"Sir there's a vessel twice our size heading in on us!"

The unknown vessel was twice the size and mass, and it too knocked the debris out the way like paper. It opened fire and hit the top hull blowing a large piece off!

"Sir the hull mass is down 30%!"

The vessel fired again and again, but only one shot made it past the floating scrap. The shot hit the front hull causing some serious damage.

"Sir the front hull is too damaged to knock the debris aside, it's just making the damage worse. We can't withstand another hit like that, it would blow us to pieces!"

"We're not running! Fire everything! Blow that piece of shit to pieces!"

The SS Hammerhead fired everything they had and smashed a lot of the front hull off, but it wasn't enough to do any serious damage to the titan. It just kept coming. But then there was a bright flash, and then everything went dark!

"Sir there's a solar eclipse!" Theo yelled out franticly. "We can't see the vessel!"

"Good, then they can't see us! Head towards the moon and hide us behind it so they can't see us, then fire the rear cutting lasers in the general direction of the vessel!"

The SS Hammerhead headed towards the moon. This was their last chance of survival, there was no other way they could stand a chance against the titan that lerked in the darkness behind them. The darkness made it hard to see the debris that littered the area.

The debris started to fall down into the atmosphere of Jaston, the only thing that was left of the battle, which they missed by ten minutes. Ten minutes that saved them from a massacre. Or could it have gone a different path if they had been there? That would forever be one of the universe's secrets.

The cutting laser hit one of the vessels. Now they knew where it was they fired in the same area hitting it again and blew more of the front hull off. They fired more and more, hitting it all over its huge hull. Bit by bit pieces came off. Then it was their turn. It fired at them.

"Sir, incoming, 40m...35m...30m...25m..." The fiery weapon blast came closer, a green ball of energy. If it hit them it could be death, or the gods owed them a very big favour!

The blast came close to the floating debris, but it seemed that the debris was not going to save them this time. The whole ship lifted up as the engines were hit hard. But they were still alive! But the engines were blown to pieces. They'd have to rely on protection from the blast. One false move and they were dead. The dark no longer hid them from the fires, and scorch marks glowed in the dark like a bonfire to guide it to its kill. But they were not dead yet. The gunners did not have any orders but they fired like mad men. They fired all they had got down the clearing the titan weapon left behind it. All the blasts hit blowing large holes in the vessel now feeling pain at last. The top layer of hull armour was gone and the cutting laser sliced into the vessel, causing a number of small explosions. But there was no way of telling if they disarrayed it or not until it shot back with its smaller weapons, hitting the top and rear of the SS Hammerhead and causing damage. But not as much as the super weapon the vessel had on board.

"Sir we sustained heavy damage. Any more hits from any weapon and we're dead!" Now Theo was truely scared. Strife was trying to do several jobs at once.

"Theo, is that titan downed?" Strife turned to finally see what was going on behind him instead of outside.

"We don't know. All we can see is a glow from the damaged area the cutting laser hit, sir. It's not enough to tell if she's gone or not!"

"What's the damage report?" Strife asked, knowing the limit she could take.

"Sir, she's fucked. The engines are down. The top can't take another hit. The sides are barely holding on! The hull is at 23%. Shielding gone. The hangers are damaged so much that the fighters can't launch and the cutting laser is damaged. The main ion-cannons are okay. The laser turrets are smashed on the sides, missing on the top, but the bottom are okay. In fact the bottom's the only thing that's not been hit!" Theo looked around to the console to check the rest of the damage. "There are fires on decks one through to ten and seventeen to twenty, and the ammunition room is close to the fire on deck nineteen. But the fire team are keeping it back." Theo then looked at the console knowing what was next.

"What are the casualties like? And give me the list of the ones whose jobs are vital to the ship." Strife braced himself for what he was about to hear.

"Well...ahem...the death count is 136. 76 injured. There are five jobs that need filling in engineering and two gunners are needed, and Lieutenants Jessie and Stevenson are dead. They controlled communication and piloting." Strife looked at the two bodies laying on the floor. He looked at his feet to find that Jessie's blood covered the floor at beneath them. He then turned his attention back to the battle.

"Sir we will be in position in five...four...three...two...one...in position behind the moon. Hitting front thrusters. We are stable, Sir! We did it!" Strife gave a sigh of relief, but then noticed another vessel in front of them. And then more stood out. He could now see five vessels hidden in the brightness of the eclipse.

"Theo get on communications. Hail the five vessels in front of us."

"But, Sir, we can't. The eclipse is jamming radar, communications and everything else that will find us except visual!"

"Can you identify them, Theo?" Everyone on the bridge stopped and looked hard at them, but it was too bright to see anything else but some small black dots. Theo turned and nodded. "There's just no way of telling yet, Sir."

"Yet?" Strife asked Theo.

"Well when we get engines back online we could get in closer, and if we get within a certain distance you will be able to send a weak signal. But they will be able to sort it out to find out what you're saying."