SONG OF THE BATTLE OF OPERATION TIGER

 

Due to a cascade of accidents, inept leadership from the Brass, and cross-communications between American and British forces,

German E-Boats have evaded British patrols, been spotted, but neither American nor British are on the same radio frequency

so the convoy of Exercise Tiger is about to be massacred without warning.

It is up to the crew of the lone Higgins craft, Rocinante, to do what they can.

SONG OF THE BATTLE OF OPERATIONTIGER

“It is better to stand and fight.If you run, you will only die tired.”

– George Armstrong Custer

 

Fear iced my blood. ‘Who isgoing to steer Rocinante?’

‘I am, of course. Do you have sufficientmastery of  differential and integralcalculus to calculate where this craft must go to direct the repelled torpedoesinto the E-Boats surrounding us?’

In my mind, Sentient’s voice wasa living sneer. ‘I have observed Man from his very beginnings, and I havenever seen a worse leader of men.’

‘You put me in this spot in thefirst place.’

‘“Bah! If you had but seen what Ihave seen, walked the paths of nightmare that I have, and endured the lonelyages as civilizations rose only to crumble, you might have some smallunderstanding of me.’

I felt unseen fingers squeeze mynose. ‘Just because you picked your teams in your head, your men are notmind-readers to divine your choices.’

‘Merde.’

‘Fortunately, I imitated yourvoice within their helmets and notified each individual. Also, I have initiateda fuller instruction of how to use the Stinger missiles.’

My nose was squeezed again.Harder. ‘You failed to mention the BCU coolant unit of Argon gas which onlylasts 45 seconds, then must be changed, turning it counter-clockwise.”

‘Shit.’

‘Yes, feces is what your trainingwas worth. You are also quite possibly the worst instructor of men I have everobserved. Oh, and on board a sea vessel, it is hatch not door!’

‘I am a librarian not a warhero.’

‘Hero? You are a barely adequatesoldier. You must become more than what you perceive yourself to be. Bah! Icannot believe I am directly entangled with any of this.’

‘Welcome to the club.’

‘The direct use of force is sucha poor solution to any problem that it is generally employed only by smallchildren and large nations.’

I started to yell for my eight toclimb into their lowered chairs, when Sentient chided me. ‘Just speaknormally. The sensors in your helmet will speak directly to theirs.’

‘But mine ….’

‘Looks outwardly like atraditional Spartan helmet, but it is much like theirs inwardly.’

“Into your seats, Spartans!” Isnapped, angry at Sentient. Again.

I jerked as a tall standard shot upfrom the middle of the deck. I frowned. It was topped by a strange Americanflag. The rows of stars were off somehow. Then, I realized why. There were 51stars.

‘I was feeling nostalgic for thefuture.’

I sighed. Anotherincomprehensible statement from Sentient.

I climbed into the shooter’s seatas the Stinger swung up from its housing and onto my right shoulder.

I frowned. These bulkheads werehigher than any other Higgins I had ever seen.

‘Rocinante is not a Higginsobviously.’

Theo clambered into the seat nextto mine. I spoke again. Milder.

It was not their fault that I hada Dark Passenger.

“Remember, Gentlemen, there isalready a missile in the pipe, and the E-Boat must be at least nine feet awaywhen you fire.”

To my right, Cloverfieldprotested as Lt. Stein got into the shooter’s seat. “Hey! When did I get to bethe spear carrier?”

“When you told me aboutAuschwitz, James.”

On the opposite bulkhead, Reese,Porkins, Dee, and Sam had already decided who would be the shooter.

The hinged seat rose swiftly. My stomachdecided to stay on deck. Salty spray from the ocean parting easily at ourpassage wet my face, stinging my eyes.

That would teach me to go alldramatic with an exposed face.

Suddenly, Rocinante lurchedviolently going starboard at a rate a Higgins boat couldn’t possibly attain.But then, Rocinante wasn’t in any way what she appeared from the outside.

Were any of us?

Explosions all around us.Screams. All from the E-Boats scattering as their own torpedoes detonated intoone another.

Though I didn’t utter a word, Iheard my voice in my helmet speakers. “Now! All of you. Fire on the E-Boat toyour port side at twenty degrees. NOW!”

I’ll give my Spartans this: eachof them, even the hardly battle-hardened Rabbi fired immediately. I followed aheartbeat later.

There were more explosions, morescreams, more blood in the water. More recriminations from Sentient.

‘You were slow. Fortunately, Iexpected that and shifted Rocinante accordingly.’

‘How can I ever thank you?’ Imind-spoke sarcastically,

‘By being better.’

I ignored her and said, “Ejectthose Argon batteries.”

Sentient snapped in my voicethrough my speakers and theirs. “Catch them as they eject and throw them withall your strength at the craft to your starboard.”

I was so stunned that I failed tofollow those orders. Sentient ripped control of my body from me and followedher own orders. The E-Boat She/I hit with my BCU coolant unit bellowed with theimpact of what looked like a dozen sticks of dynamite.

Clouds of shrapnel swirledtowards us, then veered away to hit one unlucky attack craft. More screams. Onefrom Porkins.

Reese yelled so loud that Isquirmed at the pain of his bellow in my ears.

“Franklin! You all right? Answerme, man!”

Porkins groaned in my speakers.“Just got my head rung good by that big piece of metal. I thought the hull wassupposed to repel stuff like that.”

Reese’s relieved voice camethrough my speakers. “The hull, Numb Nuts! The hull. The air above itapparently is not so protected. Everyone! Keep your heads down as much as youcan.”

‘Porkins is right. He should nothave been hit. I sense Mr. Morten in this.’

‘But he is all the way back inNew Orleans!’

‘His reach is long … as youshould remember … which is why I have … Sister Ameal protecting your Helen.’

‘What?’

‘Hush! Focus on the moment.’

‘What moment?’

‘The two additional E-Boatscharging us. Courtesy of Mr. Morten I would wager.’

“Damn!” snapped Cloverfield in myhelmet’s speakers. “The convoy has caught up to us. Those ricocheting torpedoesmight hit one of them!”

And of course, as soon as he saidit, one torpedo veering off from us did just that.

Soldiers from the stricken shiptumbled overboard into freezing waters …

and because of the late,unlamented Captain Sturges, those doomed men were uselessly wearing their lifevests around their waists.

How were we going to rescue thosemen with these high bulkheads … with two E-Boats shooting at us?

 How?

“The Spartans do not ask how manyare the enemy but where are they.” – Plutarch