Spike Harris

[Ant]

(Since it's been suggested that the missing entries were worth a read, I'm putting this here for reference and for possible future update.)

The following entries are taken from several previous story threads. Skip to Canaria Cafe or YTC-2362-Shuttle1 memory store for the missing entries from...wherever.

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This is the story of Spike Harris, a young Bretonian Armed Forces officer, whose parents were killed in an attack on a transport by Nomad ships.

He trained to become an officer and got married to Janine Fielding, a scientist in training at CRI.

He was given command of a ship capable of operating in the dense asteroid fields of Omega and Omicron sectors, the Assault Frigate Exeter.

His Nomad hunting and recovery operations with Excaliber Group of the SF may have helped in the later development of a planetary shield.

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Transcript of a GNN interview with Lieutenant Harris of the Assault Frigate Exeter.

GNN: "I understand you were involved in some of the engagements with the Hellfire Legion. Tell us how this all got started Lieutenant."

Lt Harris: "Well that would be when the Dreadnaught Atlas came and parked up outside [Planet] Cambridge. They started discussing piracy over comlink and scanning ships, when they were only supposed to be here for an equipment purchase. We told them to *censored* off, in a nice way of course."

GNN: "And they refused?"

Lt Harris: "Yeah. We gave them plenty of warning that they'd be floating in space if they didn't do what we asked."

GNN: "So you fired at them?"

Lt Harris: "Yeah we gave them a hammering, then they took off towards Omega 5, so we escorted them out that way."

GNN: "So that was it?"

Lt Harris: "Nah, they dropped out of cruise and opened up on us, so we hit them with Cruise Disruptors and vaporised their hull around them. I think they got most of the escape pods away alright."

GNN: "A frigate and a bomber destroyed a dreadnaught?"

Lt Harris: "Nah, just Exeter. Think Arawn got tied up with something else."

GNN: "And just recently I understand you took on an attack group threatening Cambridge again."

Lt Harris: "Yeah those lousy *censored* dumped some disease on the planet. That got the crew plenty riled up so we went up to make those Hellfire and Helghast *censored* suck space."

GNN: "You took on a Battlegroup alone?"

Lt Harris: "Nah, luckily Arawn and a friendly Frigate were able to help out. Reckon we'd have been *censored* without the help. The *censored* took out the medical frigate before we could do anything though."

GNN: "Thank you for your time lieutenant."

Lt Harris: "No problem. You got me away from the *censored* paperwork for a while. I just wish we could have stopped the lousy *censored* from releasing that plague. The boys are a bit riled up at not getting any shore leave."

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Target: Cambridge

The cocky smile was gone from the face of Spike Harris.
He leaned over the body of his wife Janine, gently brushing a strand of hair from her face.
Once she had been so beautiful, so full of life. Now here she was, lifeless, a contorted expression of pain on her face.

For a moment he envied his friend Mark Carlaw from the gunboat FireAnt, who had joined his family in death, who would not have to go on, to try to live with the loss.

Spike wondered for a moment at his luck.
He had survived the damage to the Frigate Exeter when the command deck had been hit.
He had fought and destroyed countless Nomad battleships.
He had fought the Phantom ship tagged as Darkstar and won.
Now he had survived an attack on Cambridge.
Checking reports on the Nomad experiments had kept him at the Command bunker later than usual. Why had he chosen to sleep in the bunker at the time of the attack? He could have returned home and been with Janine at the end...

He had signed on with the Sirius Federation for a reason, to protect Cambridge from just this kind of thing. By attacking the Nomads he had thought to protect all those dear to him.
The constant attacks on Cambridge by pirates and terrorists kept calling him back to Cambridge though.
And now a sneak attack had undone all he had fought so hard for.

How much damage had been done? Was there still any reason to try and defend a system constantly under attack?
He had heard rumours of a planetary shield under construction but was it just a rumour?

A look of grim determination crossed his face, replacing the grief.
He would report in and return to his post until these rumours could be confirmed.
He would keep the Exeter fighting and perhaps die to protect Cambridge.

One could hope.

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Spike Harris stood at ease on the Command deck of the Sirius Federation Assault Frigate Exeter, gazing out the forward viewscreen.
A half smile showed on his face as planet Cambridge came into view, sensors showing the new planetary defense shield as a faint shimmer.

"Helm. Make course for Cambridge Research Station and request docking clearance."

"Aye sir", came the prompt reply.

Lieutenant Harris thumbed the com relay to the hold. "How's the paperwork going on the collected Nomad items Ensign?"

A burst of static and what sounded like small arms fire came back in reply.
A brief silence and then an irate sounding voice. "Sir, we had a containment field failure and lost a couple of high quality items. Well we blasted the damned things anyway. We're fine now...situation normal...how are you?"

Spike Harris gave a terse reply and started pacing the command deck, a scowl crossing his face.

This was the second containment field failure in as many days. Hopefully the techs at Cambridge Research would be able to do something.
It was almost as if the Nomads had found a way to cancel the specialised fields. Not a problem at the moment but security would have to be increased when live cargo was being carried, especially in combat situations. A breakout could mean the loss of his prized ship, or worse.

"All hands, prepare for docking. Well done on a successful mission."

The Assault Frigate eased into it's berth, systems powering down until the next call to duty.