1: Dawn Of Thunder
Third Edition
Author: chaos_eternus
When Earth is threatened, the USA and the UK join forces to protect our world…with help from an old friend.
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Chapter 5
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Outer Space – 3 Months Later
USS Prometheus limped slowly into the sol system, her drives damaged, her weapons off-line and a corona of debris, hull fragments and bodies surrounding the heavily damaged vessel.
“USS Prometheus to Sierra-Golf-Charlie, come in SGC.”
“ Prometheus to SGC, come in please SGC.”
“No response, sir.”
“Very well, keep on trying.”
“ Prometheus to SGC, come in SGC.”
“HMS Thundersdawn to Prometheus , you're coming in pretty weak, signal strength two”
‘HMS Thundersdawn ? What the hell?!' The limeys have no space force, but who else uses a HMS designation?
“HMS Thundersdawn, this is a restricted” Colonel Ronson glanced at the readouts on the comm. Panel and his eyebrows rose in shock “and encrypted channel, please identify yourself.” It wasn't a request.
The reply sounded amused, but stunned the Prometheus 's bridge crew “Roger, this is Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth the Second's Spacedock Facility Number 1, call-sign Thundersdawn in Mars orbit, do you require authentication at this time?”
Grimacing, and wondering to himself how the limeys had managed to pull that rabbit out of the hat, Ronson replied slightly acidly, “Negative, bounce my transmission to Sierra-Golf-Charlie please.”
“Roger that, be advised you are just signal strength two. Bouncing your transmission now”
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SGC
Hammond looked up startled as feedback surged momentarily through the rooms speakers, announcing to all that a transmission was inbound “Sierra-Golf-Charlie, this is Thundersdawn ; we have a bounce transmission from Prometheus for you.”
Cheers filled the control room, SG-14 had witnessed Prometheus being ambushed from an observatory on PX-239, but had been ‘encouraged' to leave before they could tell if Prometheus had survived or not.
“Sierra-Golf-Charlie, This is Prometheus .”
The cheers grew louder as Ronson's voice hit their ears, the Prometheus was safe. O'Neill looked at Hammond and said “Why a bounce transmission?”
A look of concern crossed Hammond face, but before he could call Prometheus up, another message came through.
“This is Prometheus, we are declaring an emergency.”
The cheers stopped, dead.
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HM Spacedock Thundersdawn
The comm. Officer's hand smashed down on a protective glass covering to the right of his console, then he jabbed at the red button within. Instantly alarms sounded through out the base, and the lights throughout the base dimmed as power was diverted to weapons. Ignoring the slight thunder rumbling through the deck as the stations crew rushed to stations, he tapped the intercom on.
“GQ, all hands man General Quarters, this is not a drill, all crews to rescue stations, all crews to rescue stations, this is not a drill.”
The airlock behind him cycled open, and extra crew came crashing through, racing to their GQ stations.
“Report!” Lieutenant Peters, now a Captain, and Officer in Command of Thundersdawn barked as she strode through the airlock, throwing a uniform top over her head.
“Ma'am, USS Prometheus is inbound, and she just declared an emergency.”
“Captain has the bridge.” she announced to the room at large as she tried in vain to tie her auburn hair up out of the way, disgusted she gave it up.
Turning quickly to the comm. Officer she asked “any idea of the nature of the emergency?”
“Coming through now.”
“On speaker please.”
“…Lost at least 20 crew, some compartments still not responding, someone could be in there, we just don't know.”
She reached over the comm. Officer and opened the channel,
“ Thundersdawn here, any sign of a tail?”
“Negative on that, not picking anything up, but sensors are compromised as hell, we could be within weapons range of a Ha'tak and still not know it”
“Roger that” disgustedly, she closed the channel.
Great, that meant they would have to maintain battlestations for hours until she knew Prometheus hadn't been followed, which would tire her people out even more, slow down the construction and if any attack did come, well they would be up the creek without a paddle, unlike some, they didn't have advanced weapons systems.
Shaking her head, she turned to the comm. Officer appraisingly. She had been looking for a competent Executive officer (Exec) after the last one failed medical; maybe she didn't have to look any further?
Her mind made, she said “Good work and right decision taking us straight to GQ, rescue stations. You're now Exec, now tell me what we have available.”
“Ah, yes, ah” the comm. Officer was surprised but he quickly rallied “Tugs 1-5-5 and 1-5-1 are docked, all 1-4 series craft are down for bug-fixes and won't be available for at least 48hours, all bar 1-4-6 are on earth anyway, 1-5-2 and 1-5-4 are inbound with Priority 1 supplies, ETA is only an hour, and 1-5-3 is immobile, providing power to the asteroid mining facility that's under construction.”
Peters nodded, her eyes going distant as she mentally flickered through the available option, “As soon as they arrive, I want 1-5-2 and 1-5-4 unloaded and ready to go, get the crews into 1-5-5 and 1-5-1, and move them to a suitable rendezvous ASAP!”
“Captain, We still have one of the life support modules the initial construction crews used here, what about loading Med-evac equipment into it, and using it as a lifeboat, ma'am?”
Impressed and pleased with her new Exec, Peters quickly replied, “Do it!”