Alpha One - Chris Burton [66]
Carla was keen to raise the subject of Titan once again, but Jake soon changed the subject to his parents and his scheduled visit next weekend and to the next Top Gun event. They talked as they walked and, ten minutes later, arrived at Carla’s apartment. She took the hint and didn’t bring the subject of Titan up again. She kissed Jake on the cheek before they parted company, having agreed to meet up later with Steve on campus for a drink. Jake returned to his apartment and sat at his work station once again. Studying is getting harder, he thought. The work load, the stress and my personal life…
Chapter Thirty-One
Halo 7
The fleet remained at high alert despite the diminishing threat from the Partacians. There were no further skirmishes since the gas cloud, although the Partacians kept watch out of range. The Halo 7 remained at alert status and the crew stood down. The real battle was yet to come, and they needed down time prior to battle.
We are within 12 hours of the Partacian border and within 48 hours of the Sentinel Fleet. We have not yet detected any Sentinel activity, but this is as anticipated with the Sentinel fleet gathered in front of the main Alpha Fleet.
Hoskins was in the process of drafting his Ship’s Log. This was a daily chore, but one he enjoyed as it helped him to get any issues off his chest and into perspective.
Halo 7 received new orders from Fleet command. We have been temporarily re-classified as a Class B ship of the line and will partner the Defiant as the two lead ships supporting the Flagship when we assume attack posture. This places the ship under greater risk, and the crew will have to be at their best if we are to come out with credit. We will be under close scrutiny. The new orders are currently classified with just Commander Jacques and myself aware, at present.
Hoskins was interrupted as his first officer entered the ready room. He suspended the log entry on his palmcorder.
“Morning Commander. What can I do for you?”
“I wanted to discuss the new orders sir. Off the record. I am a little concerned.”
“Why?”
“Are we combat ready to take on the Sentinel Fleet as a main assault vessel? This is the front line.”
Hoskins interrupted. “We have been upgraded to a B class ship, Jean-Luc. Admiral Shenke has shown a great deal of faith in us, especially with the debacle surrounding our CAG errors. We have to grab this opportunity by the horns. We have the element of surprise and forty-eight other ships to back us up, not to mention the main fleet.”
“Jonathan…”
The two officers reverted to first-name terms in the privacy of the ready room because it made both of them more comfortable.
“There are still some unknowns with the ship’s capability. I am not saying we should not be heavily involved. Perhaps it would be more prudent to select a different ship to front the attack.”
“I understand your concerns and, given that we are close to battle, they are inevitable. We need to remind ourselves why we are here and what we have. This ship is battle-ready and has a formidable arsenal and an excellent crew.”
“Jonathan, I take issue with us being battle-ready, but my main concern is that this element of surprise factor is almost irrelevant. We will be in open space and detectable from before we reach weapons range. They will have time to create a significant response before we can attack. If they concentrate their efforts on us then, we are dead in the water.”
“This was always the case Jean-Luc. We knew the odds would be stacked against us and this task force would need a kill rate. That’s accepted with a high number of anticipated losses. This is war and it is not nice. It is repugnant. Shenke is a good commander and has the balance right. We are in the firing line and shall remain so as long as we have the capability.”
“Are you prepared to make