February 2205 part 23
February 24th 1527 hours/Heavy Escort Tatianna, 0.5 light seconds from Victoria
Captain Natasha Piotyr locked her station as she called out orders. "Comm, all ships, lock stations, battle stations. New course on heading three zero seven. Drives to full. Shield generators online. Full sensor transmits to Earth." Natasha knew that the Attack Escorts Elise and Keely Sereg were not officially hers to command, but she was sure that neither Commander Breiholz nor Commander Bortz would question her orders.
'The new course will take us away from the three Alphas and two Tango Twos. We need the time to get our ships up to combat velocity. With the Tangos already at over nine thousand kilometers per second and the Alphas at fourteen thousand, we don't stand a chance unless we give our drives a chance to catch up.'
"Captain, multiple aspect changes on Tangos, apparent use of a maneuver protocol. Tangos slowing as they approach Victoria. Magnetic pulse detected."
Natasha saw on her monitor as the sensors recorded the detonations of the alien weapons impacting among the habitats on Victoria Colony. Multiple prompts appeared as numerous distress broadcasts began to come through on the comm channels. Natasha closed out all of the comm updates and switched to the tactical display. A red circle suddenly appeared around the red icon of the leading Tango and she heard the Weapon Conn call out, "Target lock on Tango One and Two. Firing solutions coming online."
Natasha knew that not all of the ships in her group had come to battle stations, but waiting for them wouldn't save anyone. "All ships, launch on Tango One." Natasha watched the display as contact indicators for outbound missiles appeared from the Tatianna, Elise, and Scarlett. 'At least we got four bays operational in the first minute.' Natasha watched as three new contacts appeared from the Alphas, as they targeted the launch signatures from the Pan Euro ships.
"Captain, two missiles have lost lock on Tango One. Remaining missiles have broken up on final attack runs. Inbound missiles have lost tracking."
Natasha's monitor flashed with numerous prompts as she rapped her knuckles hard against the armrest controls. She cleared off the clutter and focused on the display. 'How are we supposed to fight them if we can't even get a missile close?! The alien missiles missed but that won't last forever.’
The display showed that the five Pan Euro ships had reached combat velocity, while the Tangos were continuing to slow and employ the alien version of the maneuver protocol as they fired on the colony.
"Captain, second launch from Alphas. Range to Alphas of four light seconds and holding. Inbound intercept in twenty seconds."
Natasha watched as the display showed the Tangos closing with the colony while three inbound missiles from the Alphas closed on her group. 'No matter how much damage the Tangos do to the colony, if we don't engage the Alphas we are dead.' "Weapon Conn, all ships, new target. Firing solutions on Alpha One. Launch." Natasha felt the drive cut out as the two bays on the Tatianna deployed their missiles, and then restarted.
Natasha’s display disappeared as the bridge went dark and was filled with clouds of argon. A heartbeat later the cloud was gone, vented into space. Her monitor was dark, as was the bridge lights. A few monitors flickered back to life giving a dim light to the compartment. Natasha plugged her finger into the direct feed port at her station and saw her HUD fill with data. Red damage warnings filled the display. 'All of the magnetic field generators are off line, but the sensor array, drive, and both launch bays are still online.' Natasha patched her station through to the radio repeaters on the bridge and found they still worked. "Weapon Conn, time until next launch?" Natasha grew more nervous as the seconds crept by silently, until she finally heard a response. "Captain, next launch ready in fifteen seconds. Compiling solution on Alpha One." Natasha didn't recognize the voice, but someone was still alive at the Weapon Conn station. "Launch when solution complete."
Natasha pulled up the sensor display and clenched her fingers as she saw that Alpha One still displayed an active magnetic field. 'Doctrine says the Tatianna should attempt to break off while the other ships turn into the Alphas, but we need every missile we can get on that target if we hope to get any through. The Tatianna will still be in range regardless, as we can't outrun the alien ships. Doctrine will just make the Attack Escorts an easier target if they turn into the Alphas.' The grey haze of acceleration disappeared for a moment as Natasha heard some call out, "Missiles Three and Four away."
'At least we got the next launch away,' she thought as she watched the three inbound indicators close on the Tatianna. The sensor display on her HUD turned grey again as the drive restarted and slammed the ship forward, then clouded as the alien weapons detonated. Moments later the sensors cleared and the display showed the six outbound missiles from her Pan Euro group closing on Alpha One. Only this time the display showed the indicator that Alpha One’s magnetic protective field was down and that Alpha One was initiating an aspect change as it began to turn away from the battle. 'Can't shoot them all down every time, can you? Your turn is coming.'
Natasha checked the status of the Tangos. They were only fifteen thousand kilometers from Victoria, had slowed to only a few kilometers per second, and were still firing their mass drivers into the habitats and troop concentrations on the asteroid. Still not a threat. 'If we let Alpha One break off, it is five on two with our six launch bays against their two. But we haven't even dinged the fields on Alphas Two and Three, while Alpha One has shown no signs of venting to clear damage. If we are going to do any real damage we can't let it slip away, but that will put us nose to nose with the last two Alphas.' Natasha hesitated for a moment, and then made her decision as she opened the 'All Ships' comm link.
"All Attack Escorts, change course to maintain range on Alpha One. Primary target is Alpha One." Natasha changed over to the internal repeaters. "Helm, maintain current course and speed." Natasha watched the sensor returns as Alpha One grew more and more distant. "Helm, turn to hold Alpha One within five light seconds. Don't let that ship slip out of range." The drive cut out several times as the Tatianna began to come about and deployed two more missiles. Natasha watched as the outbound missiles closed on the fleeing Alpha. First one veered off, and then the second lost tracking. But three of the four missiles from the Attack Escorts maintained lock. Two of the three missiles broke up on approach but the last pushed through and detonated, clouding the returns on Alpha One.
"Captain, Alpha One venting. Drive restart detected. Alpha One continuing to disengage."
'These new Alphas aren't invulnerable.'
1531 hours/Patrol Vessel 17, 3 light seconds from enemy colony
The Commander of Patrol Vessel 17 tried to keep up with the vast amount of information carried by the changes in the field at his station. 'The magnetic protective field is down and the rapid cycle mass driver is off line. The enemy Patrol Vessel has been destroyed and Patrol Vessels 7 and 24 are closing rapidly with the enemy Attack Vessels. All the vessels are rapidly changing aspects to shake torpedo locks. All of them except this ship. We need to be a target the enemy can't refuse. Draw them a little farther along.'
The Commander of Patrol Vessel 17 reached his perception out through the sensors and could feel as Armed Colony Vessels 3 and 7 came about on a new heading and restarted their drives. 'In a few moments the ships of the native race will draw in range of the Armed Colony Vessels’ mass drivers. Then it will be a battle of four on four.' The Commander sensed as the four torpedoes of the native race passed through the formation of Patrol Vessels 7 and 24. The rapid fire mass driver of Patrol Vessel 24 destroyed one while another enemy torpedo lost tracking in the trail of high energy particles from the two Patrol Vessels’ drive blooms. Even as the last two enemy torpedoes closed on Patrol Vessel 17, the Commander could sense the torpedoes from PV24 and 7 closing with an Attack Vessel of the native race and detonating, collapsing its protective field and causing it to vent. A moment later the magnetic pulses of the Armed Colony Vessels washed over the Commander of Patrol Vessel 17 as the two packets of metallic hydrogen raced past.
1532 hours/Attack Escort Elise, 4.5 light seconds from Victoria
"Captain, Tangos coming about. Magnetic pulse detected."
Commander Dana Breiholz's monitor displaying the sensor returns clouded from the wash of ions and radiation as the Attack Escort Keely Sereg disappeared in an enormous explosion only two thousand kilometers away.
'Oh Brittany, not you.'
"Captain, Tangos showing active drive blooms at four light seconds. Accelerating and closing. Alpha One confirmed destroyed. Alphas Two and Three continue with rapid aspect changes at range of two point five light seconds."
Dana clenched her hands. 'I don't want this command. I want my friend back.' Dana forced herself to look at the display in front of her. "All ships come about to course two seven five. Cease evasion protocol. Drives to full combat velocity. Target Alpha Two." The kaleidoscope of colors from the evasion protocol slowed to the steady flicker between the grey-blue haze of acceleration and the normal view of the bridge as the Attack Escort Elise stuttered its drive to allow the maneuver thrusters to bring the ship onto a new course. Dana watched the sensors recording the appearance of two more alien missiles closing on the Attack Escorts as they launched their own missiles in return. The seconds seemed to crawl by as her ship came about and the alien weapons closed.
Dana's monitor showed the alien weapons detonating around the Attack Escort Scarlett, knocking the ships magnetic fields off line and forcing its drive to shut down as it vented damage from the hull. Dana stared anxiously at the returns until the ship's drive bloom reappeared. She shifted her focus to the outbound missiles and saw that only two of the three were still tracking Alpha Two, and then one of the missiles broke up. 'Damn it.' The last missile detonated along Alpha Two's course but the ship emerged with its magnetic field still up. Dana's gaze was suddenly drawn to the flashing returns as the sensors recorded the Scarlett breaking into dozens of pieces.
"Engineering, drives to red line. Weapon Conn, continue launches on Alpha Two. I don't care how poor the solutions are. Give those Alphas something to deal with and get us the hell away from those Tangos." Red prompts appeared on her monitor as Dana heard Engineering announce, "Field Generator Banks One through Eight off line."
'This isn't working. Guess I will be seeing you soon Brit.' Dana watched as the sensor returns cleared for a heartbeat as the drive cut out, allowing the launch bay to deploy another missile. Dana grabbed the armrests of her station as the display recorded a contact rushing by on the port side only kilometers away.
The Elise shook violently and the bridge filled with white clouds of argon. As the argon cleared Dana could see the red flashing indicators on her monitor that the magnetic field generators were down and that damage indicators along the port side had lit up. The world shifted to grey-blue again as the drive restarted and the ship plowed forward again.
'Cargo and missile storage on the port side are breeched, but at least the drive and launch bay are still online. The Phoenix Array seems to be functioning but with the drive redlined it isn't doing us much good.' Dana checked the sensor returns and then turned them off in disgust. "Weapon Conn, status on the next launch."
"Captain, next launch in twenty two seconds."
'Maybe we will even live that long.' Dana watched as the seconds ticked by, expecting each one to be the last. She listened as the crew reported another missile away. As they reported the drive restart. As they reported increased radiation readings from alien missile detonations. But no damage reports. Dana tried to relax as the seconds continued to tick by.
"Engineering, reduce drive to standard output, standby to increase to redline. Helm, change course thirty degrees starboard. Sensor Conn, get me a clear fix on the Alphas." Dana waited as the drive emissions reduced and the Elise came about slightly to clear the blindspot created by the drive shield.
"Captain, Alphas and Tangos have broken off. They are moving toward Victoria. Range to Alphas of six point five light seconds."
"Comm, transmit full sensor record and status to Earth. Request for additional orders. Let them know that the aliens hold the space around Victoria."
Dana could only watch as her monitor filled with the distress calls from the civilians and military units on Victoria.
1536 hours/Patrol Vessel 24, 2 light seconds from enemy colony
The Commander of Patrol Vessel 24 began the transmission to the Commander of Fleets. His former command, Patrol Vessel 17 had been destroyed. Patrol Vessel 7 had exhausted its supply of torpedoes while Patrol Vessel 24 had only a single torpedo remaining. Armed Colony Vessel 3 was parked near the enemy colony while Armed Colony Vessel 7 had landed to resupply the troops there and provide reinforcements from the division it carried. Three of the five enemy warships had been destroyed with a fourth damaged before it disengaged.'
'We have won this battle, but only by the thinnest of margins. If the native race returns that will change quickly.'
1603 hours/Queen Victoria, Earth orbit
Admiral Brenna Muldoon looked at the collection of messages and orders she had prepared for transmission. First were the orders directing the Attack Escorts Elise and Kathleen to Mars, along with the Red October. There was also the order directing the crew of the Heavy Escort E. Avery to report to stations and proceed to Mars. The four ships would then be designated as the Third Light Battle Group. Accompanying the Heavy Escort Avery would be Mobile Shipyard One. It would continue the work installing the final banks of magnetic field generators onto the newest Heavy Escort. 'It would be faster if the work could be completed here, but we can't wait.'
The next set of orders were essentially orders to herself, directing the Fourth Battle Group to move from Earth to Mars as escort for the scheduled civilian shipment of Scorpions Missiles and other required supplies normally delivered to the Third Light Battle Group. 'The composition of the Third LBG hasn't changed, just the ships that are in it. They need those supplies. If that civilian liner were to be lost those ships would be crippled even more severely than they are now. A full Battle Group to protect a single civilian freighter may be a bit much, but we can't take the risk.'
Brenna sent the orders to the Comm Station for transmission to the required ships, with copies to all the interested parties ground and space side. Then she brought up the next item, a message to Rear Admiral James Gauld of US Task Force 1. It was a request to allow the Third LBG to assist in the defense of Mars, under his direction. It also requested the assistance of the US Spaceworks in assisting with emergency repairs of the Attack Escort Elise when it arrived at Mars.
The last message was to Rear Admiral Robert McNeely authorizing him to violate the Chinese exclusion of ships within one light minute of Saturn if it became necessary to assist the Chinese in defense of their colony on Titan. Doing so would be at his discretion, but preparations should be made for such an event.
Brenna sent the two messages to the Comm Station for transmission as she leaned back in the chair in her quarters. 'The paperwork is done. That is the easy part. The hard part will be finding a solution to this mess.' Brenna tapped at the monitor and brought up the reports and records from the engagements at Titan, Hektor, and Victoria. 'In the next few hours or days I need to come up with a way to deal with the new alien defenses. The records show that less than half of our missiles are achieving intercept courses now that the aliens have begun employing their new maneuver protocol. Worse, only half of those that maintain a lock survive to reach their target, the rest being destroyed by the new alien close range defensive system. Coupled with the stronger magnetic protective fields of the alien ships, the Captains in the field are finding it impossible to engage the enemy successfully. The Pan Euro, US and FSC have lost nine combat ships to destroy a single Tango Two and one Alpha.'
Brenna pulled up the roster of active Pan Euro ships, and the list of known US ships. 'With what we have left, I don't know that we can take out the ships we have faced so far.' Brenna shut off her monitor and watched the screen go black.
'And I doubt what we have seen is all that they have available for this attack.'
2245 hours/Adirondack Defense Command Center, US
Admiral Bradley Walters watched the assembled staff as they set up the undecorated concrete room as an ad hoc briefing room and command-communications center. Two young civilian technicians hooked up a pair of monitors on the table Bradley was seated at. Bradley watched as the screens sprang to life. The young Commander seated beside him, Victor Jones, immediately began to pull up data and reports.
"Are we ready Gentlemen?" Secretary Adam Richards walked in and towards the large table that dominated the front of the room. Bradley watched as Richards took his seat.
Bradley stood and faced Secretary Richards. "Sir, we have begun formal analysis of the sensor and ship logs from the engagement at Hektor, and the initial analysis of the logs forwarded by the Pan Euro. It will take several more hours before we are able to complete a formal analysis of the data from the engagement at Victoria." Bradley looked over to General 'KJ' Foxx and saw that he was preparing to speak also. "The data shows that the Alphas and Tangos operating in the belt are the newer models, with stronger shields and missile interdiction systems. The Echo appears to be the basic model we have encountered before and should prove vulnerable to our current forces. The aliens are in two separate groups. The first appears to be composed of two Alphas, an Echo, and a pair of Tango Twos. The second was composed of three Alphas and a pair of Tango Twos, but lost one Alpha in the engagement with the Pan Euro Third Light Battle Group. This gives a total of four Alphas, an Echo, and four Tango Twos active in the inner system. We must anticipate these groups combining for further operations now that the alien offensive has begun."
Secretary Richards nodded. "What is the disposition of our forces currently?"
"We have given orders for the Vigilance and Steadfast to join Task Force One at Mars, but with the cargo of colonists they will not be able to arrive there until late on March Third. We have recalled the Sai from Saturn and it will move to escort the two Q Ships and will arrive at Mars with them. At that time the Sai will be assigned to Task Force One and Rear Admiral Ryan will assume command. Rear Admiral Gauld will assume command of the stationary defenses. This includes the six Defense Modules of Mars Station, Defense Station One, and Defense Station Two. Defense Station Two is not scheduled for operations until the First of March, but is capable of acting in the defense of Mars now." Bradley saw Commander Jones subtly move his hand toward the monitor in front of him, signaling Bradley that he needed to see whatever was on the display. "I believe General Foxx has information that needs to be addressed at this time." Bradley saw 'KJ' look towards his table and nod slightly
.Secretary Richards turned to face General Foxx and picked up a glass of water on the table. "General Foxx, do you have information that is pertinent to the current situation?"
General Foxx stood and moved to the display on the wall beside the large table. Tapping at small icons on the side of it, he brought up a map of the surface of Victoria. "We have been attempting to sort through the civilian broadcasts from Victoria, and have been able to identify that these domes," General Foxx began gesturing toward the display as he spoke and one after another domes changed from white to red, "have been destroyed by orbital strikes. We project that civilian survivors still number approximately one hundred thousand. Surviving elements of the Martian Light Division and Tenth Ukraine Division are scattered and mostly combat ineffective. All of their supply and ammo dumps have been destroyed or seized by alien forces. We have confirmed reports from the surviving elements of the Martian Light that the aliens are securing the remaining domes and capturing both personnel and data storage equipment. We have gun camera footage of both prisoners and computers being loaded onto a Romeo Class alien vessel that landed on the surface. Additional footage of alien bombers landing and lifting both prisoners and equipment to orbit has been acquired." General Foxx turned from the display to face Secretary Richards. "I have issued orders for the surviving combat units on Victoria to seize what equipment and supplies they can from any source and prepare to conduct guerilla operations as possible. The battle for Victoria is effectively over without additional landings or support. We have a platoon still holding one of the surface sensor arrays, but they will likely be forced to abandon the position in the next few hours. The array currently shows no alien vessels in close orbit of Victoria. It would appear that all alien vessels that participated in the attack have moved on."
Bradley stood again and held up a hand. General Foxx paused and looked toward him with a concerned expression. Secretary Richards looked at both of them and turned to Bradley. "You two apparently are working on something together that you haven't been sharing."
"I issued orders following the attack on Hektor for both the Steadfast and Vigilance to ask for volunteers to pilot launches back to Hektor. We needed to gain intelligence on the alien’s intentions there. The data from those launches arrived twenty minutes ago and has finally been decoded. It shows that there are no alien ships in the area near Hektor. Close passes to the surface show no alien troops or supplies. They are not attempting to evaluate the ruins for any intelligence. This data supports the conclusions from my prior conversation with General Foxx." Bradley turned back to 'KJ'.
Secretary Richards leaned forward in his chair. "And what are these 'conclusions'?"
General Foxx moved back to his table and leaned on it, a concerned look on his face. "Secretary Richards, the data on the landings and reinforcements at Victoria indicate that what was deployed was only a small fraction of the prior landings. This would indicate that the Tango Two in question may still have most of its division onboard. If the aliens have pulled the other two divisions off of Hektor for reorganization and resupply, this could indicate that they intend to continue ground operations in the inner system. Unless the aliens have been able to identify additional belt colony sites, the only populations the aliens have had contact with are at Titan, Mars, and Earth. The aliens have already landed elements on Titan. We need to consider the possibility that the next target could be Mars or Earth."
