February 2205 part 8
February 10th 0830 hours/Interceptor MkIII Yari, 40 light seconds from Saturn
Rear Admiral Jack Ryan opened the tight beam comm link to the Pan Euro warship Red October and the rest of US Task Force 2. "We are approaching Titan with Saturn itself masking our approach. With luck this will hide our presence as we close. Don't expect it. Whatever these aliens are, they are not fools. We have no idea what is at Saturn. Reports from other landings would indicate they only have two or three warships, but with the moons and rings of Saturn they could easily hide twice that many. Fight as if we were outnumbered and this was the Earth you were trying to liberate. Hold nothing back. Or next time this might be the Earth. All ships to Battle Stations and shields up when we reach 15 light seconds from Saturn. Good hunting."
Jack turned off the comm link and watched the sensor returns as they closed on the large ringed planet. 'They could have anything hidden here. The entire US Fleet could hide in those rings alone. If I was ever going to conduct an ambush, this would be the place. If it is, we need to make the broadcast to the Defiant. No sense them walking into it also.'
0836 hours/Patrol Vessel 24, orbit of Titan
The Commander of Patrol Vessel 24 sensed the transmission of the Light Support Vessel hiding within the rings of the large planet. Four ships were approaching from the far side of the large planet. All four were moving faster than any ship in the Strike Group. They were here far sooner than had been anticipated. The Strike Group was to have left before the native race could arrive.
'We cannot escape. Armed Colony Vessel 8 could not outrun any of the standard enemy warships, but not even the Patrol Vessel can outrun these. They have three Patrol Vessels and one Heavy Patrol Vessel. This Strike Group is not to use the defensive systems and maneuvers until given orders by the Commander of Fleets, but we will die for nothing if we do not. We will only throw away our lives.'
The Commander of Patrol Vessel 24 altered the field at his station. Orders sped through the ship and across the vacuum of space.
0837 hours/ASV Red October, 5 light seconds from Saturn
"New contact. Romeo Class times one. Designating as Romeo One. Range four point seven light seconds bearing one two two ascension minus two. Velocity two thousand kilometers per second with delta vee of one three zero kilometers per second. Heading of two eight zero degrees."
Commodore Stephan Vasilikos heard the Sensor Officer as the contact information appeared on his screen. 'They don't have an unarmed freighter out here by itself, and it has definitely seen us.'
"Weapon Conn, firing solution and launch on Romeo One. Helm, hold course and speed."
Moments later the drive cut out long enough for two Scorpion Missiles to separate from the ship. The world turned blue grey again as the drive re-engaged and the Red October rocketed on toward Saturn.
The Sensor Officer cut in again. "A new contact times two. Designating as Alpha One and Tango Two A."
The Sensor Officer continued to call out information as Stephan pulled up the data on his monitor. 'Now the fight starts.'
0838 hours/Armed Colony Vessel 8, 0.75 light seconds from Titan
The Commander of Armed Colony Vessel 8 could sense the four enemy ships. They were beginning to turn. The Heavy Patrol Vessel and lead Patrol Vessel would pass behind the large ringed planet before the mass driver could be brought to bear. The trailing two enemy Patrol Vessels would not find safety behind the large planet though. A message from the Commander of Patrol Vessel 24 designated the closest of the enemy ships as the target while the Patrol Vessel launched a torpedo toward it.
'The enemy ships will be skimming the rings of the large planet when our weapon reaches them. It will do them little good. The debris may fool the sensor on the torpedo, but not the mass driver. A ship moving that fast can only maneuver so much. It will not be enough.'
The Commander felt the fields build as the long and heavy cylinders began to spin. One hollow cylinder inside of the other. Each nearly as long as the ship, and each with a magnetic coil spiraling in opposite directions. Each enormously heavy and slowly building speed as they reached velocities of thousands of revolutions per second. Then a packet of charged metallic hydrogen would be fired into the center of the cylinders by a smaller mass driver. The packet would be thrown forward by the cylinders' revolutions and carefully synchronized changes in polarity of the coils. The packet would pick up a small portion of the momentum from the two enormous cylinders, but it would be enough to drive the small packet to nearly the speed of light. And then that packet would cross the vacuum of space to find its target.
The Commander of Armed Colony Vessel 8 felt the flash as the packet of metallic hydrogen was ejected from the ship. It was obvious already that the torpedo of Patrol Vessel 24 had lost its lock amidst all the debris of the great rings. Moments later the Commander could feel the sensors pick up the four inbound torpedoes from the two enemy ships. The Commander altered the field at his station and activated the small rapid cycle mass driver. 'Now our second mass driver shall prove its worth.'
Interceptor MkIII Sai, 0.5 light seconds from Saturn
"Magnetic Field Generator Banks One through Eight off line. Banks Nine through Twelve still operational."
Captain Todd Allison heard the reports from Engineering as he watched the sensor returns. 'It must have been the mass driver. We had no contact info.' Then his attention was drawn by reports from the Sensor Conn.
"Captain, new magnetic signature from the Tango. Low powered and high frequency. Intermittent signature. Captain, Missile Two has just lost drive bloom. It seems to have broken up."
Todd pulled up the sensor returns. 'What luck. We have had a few reports of missile failures in the last two years and we get one on the first launch.'
"Track the magnetic anomaly. Transmit to comm station for relay to the Yari."
"Captain, aspect change on Tango Two. Multiple aspect and velocity changes. They seem to have a version of the evasive maneuver protocol."
Todd looked at the data as it scrolled across his monitor. 'smeg, what else can go wrong.'
0839 hours/Armed Colony Vessel 8, 2.5 light seconds from Saturn
The Commander of Armed Colony Vessel 8 struggled to stay at his station. The new evasive maneuvers were throwing the ship violently in dozens of directions. Ten inbound torpedoes had already been targeted on the ship and four more were closing. Every time the drive shut down to allow the Armed Colony Vessel to reorient the small mass driver would hurl another pattern filled with hundreds of tiny metallic hydrogen spheres. Pattern after pattern would converge on the inbound torpedoes. Two inbounds had been torn apart by the new small mass driver while others had lost their lock or failed to make intercept. The remaining inbounds had managed to overload the magnetic field generators and the baffles, tearing into the empty troop compartments of the Armed Colony Vessel.
'The first target has disengaged but still has its magnetic protective field up. The second enemy Patrol Vessel has also been engaged but is showing no signs of damage. It has now moved too far for us to target and we will have to engage the third enemy Patrol Vessel.'
The Commander felt the flash of the huge mass driver and then could feel through the sensors as first one, and then a second inbound torpedo broke up as the enemy weapons crashed into the mass of projectiles thrown into their paths. Then a third enemy torpedo that had been targeted on Patrol Vessel 24 broke apart. 'We may not survive this, but the enemy will use all of the weapons that they have to destroy us. They will be helpless when this is done.'
The Commander sensed as the remaining enemy torpedo detonated and the wash of heat and particles forced Armed Colony Vessel 8 to shut off its drive and vent. The field at his station told him that his ship had suffered badly. The small mass driver had been destroyed and the large one had lost alignment and would be unable to function. Then he sensed the torpedo from Patrol Vessel 24 collapse the magnetic field around the second enemy Patrol Vessel, causing it to vent damaged sections of its hull into space.
'At least our drive shield has survived. The enemy will not know how bad our damage is.' The Commander altered the field at his station to ensured that the Armed Colony Vessel 8 would continue on at its best speed toward the enemy warships.
'We can give Patrol Vessel 24 a little more time.'
Interceptor MkIII Kama, 3.25 light seconds from Saturn
Commander Jason Collins III pulled up data on his HUD. 'Half of the bridge systems are down, to include my monitor. At least the direct connection is still up. It looks like the targeting array and launch bays are still online.'
"Helm, come about, course two one zero, full combat speed. Weapon Conn, get the next launch online and away." Jason checked the sensor returns and saw another missile break up as it approached the Alpha. 'Damn it. Eighteen missiles away and six have broken up. It has to be something the aliens are doing. And now we have another inbound tracking us.'
"Range is too great for another launch, Captain." Jason knew that the weapon crew was right. There was nothing to do but hope the inbound missile lost tracking as it crossed the five light seconds between the ships. "Captain, Tango is breaking up. Intercepts from the Yari and Red October tore her apart."
Jason heard no one celebrating. Everyone knew that in seconds it could be their turn.
The Kama shook as the drive cut out and blasts of argon filled the ship, gushing into space from the breaches in the hull or vent shafts designed to clear debris. Red damage indicators flashed on Jason's HUD. Engineering reports flooded the Kama's intercom. "Captain, Particle Accelerators Two and Four off line. Targeting array damaged. Failure on linkage in Bay One. It looks like the missiles in Bay One have vented." The reports continued to come in. Jason heard the Helmsman report that the ship was decelerating.
'We aren't going to be able to break off. This is going to be it.'
"Captain, the Sai is altering course and falling into formation with us. We have a sensor feed from the Sai. It looks like the Alpha is turning toward the Red October and Yari. The current launch from the Alpha isn't tracking the Kama. The Alpha is turning away from us."
Jason tried to relax, but couldn't. One thought kept running through his head. 'The aliens have already pushed two of our ships out of this fight, and the only ship we have destroyed is a souped up freighter. The Yari and Red October are going to face the real warship now.'
0840 hours/Interceptor MkIII Yari, 4.5 light seconds from Saturn
"Whoever that son of a bitch is, he is good. Helm, bring us to course zero three one and maintain range to the target. Weapon Conn, get me a targeting solution on the Alpha as soon as it clears Saturn." Jack looked at the sensor returns. The Alpha had managed one launch on the Yari before it had turned. The only missile from the Yari that had maintained its lock as the alien ship made a run toward Saturn had broken up nearly a light second away from its target. The missiles from the Red October had then lost tracking as the Alpha slipped behind Saturn.
"Sensor Conn, have you reacquired the target?" Saturn was big and the Alpha had been angling away when it disappeared behind the planet. If the Alpha changed course it could be running with the planet between them. Trying to stretch the range while the Yari circled.
"No contact Admiral. Hold, Alpha on bearing three five seven. Aspect change. Alpha passing behind Rhea. We have lost contact again."
"Damn him. Helm, course zero four five. Sensor Conn, lock him up as soon as he clears that moon." Jack waited until the Alpha reappeared. 'Sure enough, he's coming about.'
"Helm full about, hold range at five light seconds to contact. Weapon Conn, lock firing solutions and launch." The world changed from blue grey to normal as the drive shut down and allowed the maneuver thrusters to bring the ship about, then the world turned back to grey as they restarted. Jack watched the sensor returns as the Red October mirrored the Yari. 'Commodore Vasilikos may be insubordinate and unconventional, but he knows how to fight. So does this alien.'
The drive shut down again and two more missiles to deployed from their bays. Jack watched as sensor returns confirmed that the Red October had also launched another pair of missiles. The sensors also showed that the Alpha had launched a single missile in return while the the data on the Alpha began to shift rapidly. 'They finally figured out Brenna's maneuver protocol. It was only a matter of time. I hate being the one to find out though.' Jack watched as one missile after another lost its lock and swerved off course. Then, as the last missile began its attack run from a quarter of a light second out, it also broke up. 'Damn it. Get the next launch online. Some of these missiles have to get through. Helm, begin evasive maneuver protocol. At least we can make it harder for them."
0844 hours/Patrol Vessel 24 6.25 light seconds from Saturn
The Commander of Patrol Vessel 24 held tightly to his station as the ship pitched and weaved. Again and again the rapid fire mass driver hurled clouds of projectiles at the incoming torpedoes. Again and again the enemy weapons failed to maintain a lock on the Patrol Vessel or were destroyed. But not all of them. 'That last group managed to sneak one more past the defenses and collapsed the protective field. Our ship can't continue the evasive maneuvers much longer. We are slowing down too much. With only two torpedoes left this fight will be over soon.'
The Commander felt the drive stop for a moment allowing a torpedo to launch and for the small mass driver to hurl another pattern into space. As the drive restarted the ship again twisted and turned violently. With each change in direction or speed the drive would cut out and the small mass driver would fire again. One after another the four enemy weapons broke up as they began their attack runs. 'We will survive a short while longer. With the protective field down the mass driver is our only hope. We would have been destroyed by now if not for the new system.' The Commander observed through the ship's sensors as the torpedo detonated. The enemy Patrol Vessel lost its protective field and began to vent. Then its drive restarted. 'At least we have damaged another enemy ship. If our last torpedo can find its mark, perhaps we will destroy at least one of the enemy ships.'
Surprise washed over the Commander of Patrol Vessel 24, both his own and the crew's. 'The enemy ships are turning away. Disengaging. We must have caused more damage than we suspected or perhaps they are also low on torpedoes.' The Commander altered the field at his station and Patrol Vessel 24 began to turn away and accelerate.
'We must notify the Commander of Fleets that the enemy is aware of our new defensive measures, along with their effectiveness in this engagement.'
1045 hours/Washington DC, Earth
Admiral Bradley Walters looked at the men and women gathered in the room. Another 'Emergency Meeting' of the Defense Cabinet and various congressional heads had been called. 'For once, we really need this one. What's worse is that we need Lieutenant Commander Ryan back here to analyze this data, not parked on a moon at the fringe of the Solar System. As soon as the drop is completed on Titan we need to get someone out there to fetch her home.'
A voice brought Bradley back from his thoughts. "Admiral Walters, we have seen your briefing on the engagement. You stated that the aliens lost one warship and one unarmed vessel. You also stated that the last warship was able to disengage. With the speed advantage of the ships in Task Force Two, why was the last alien ship allowed to escape?" Secretary of Defense Adam Richards wore a particularly disapproving scowl as he spoke.
"Honorable Secretary, as I covered earlier the Interceptor Kama had sustained considerable damage and was no longer combat effective. The Sai had suffered damage to her shield generators that would take time to repair and was ordered by Rear Admiral Ryan to escort the Kama as it moved away from the engagement. The Yari was also damaged and had only eight missiles left of its original twenty eight when it disengaged. Rear Admiral Ryan has indicated that he did not feel he could win the engagement and had only the minimum ordinance left to assure the safe return of his Task Force." Bradley looked at Secretary Richards. 'He's not done yet. He wants a scapegoat for this.'
"Admiral, was not the Red October still available to assist the Sai in continued attacks on the alien warship?" Bradley watched Secretary Richards as he leaned forward on the table accusingly. Almost threateningly.
"Honorable Secretary, I need not remind you that we do not command the Pan European Confederation Armed Science Vessel Red October, which was withdrawing. Two warships acting in concert had been unable to defeat the alien warship. It is unlikely the Interceptor Sai would have been able to succeed alone, and it was the only ship of Task Force Two with functioning shields. Risking the Yari or Kama while damaged would have been foolish." Bradley turned away from the table to face Secretary Richards squarely. 'If he wants Jack's head or my head, he's going to have to do better than that.'
Now it was Congressional Defense Committee Chairperson Harland Meyers turn to look for someone to blame. "You stated that of the thirty Hera Missiles used during the battle, nine of them broke up or failed prior to their attack runs. Has the increased production of wartime caused a drop in the quality of the missiles being used?"
Bradley turned to face the table again, intentionally avoiding the Congressman. "The Red October also launched twenty missiles during the engagement and six of them also suffered failures during the last three hundred thousand kilometers of their approaches. The Pan Euro has not suffered this level of malfunctions or structural failures in any previous engagement we have sensor records of. It is unlikely that both the Euro and we suffered the same manufacturing issues during the same engagement. We believe that it is some new alien defense against our weapons. What it is at this time is unknown." This last part bothered Bradley. 'We need Megan to look at this. There was a new magnetic reading during the battle. Whether it has anything to do with our loss of missiles is unknown, but she and her team would have the best shot at figuring it out.'
The room was quiet for a few moments before Secretary Richards spoke again. "You also indicated that they have managed to duplicate the Pan Euro Maneuver Protocol. With both the maneuver protocol and a new defense system, what does this bode for future engagements?" Bradley turned back to face Richards. 'The man is a politician and a snake, but he knows combat. He spent enough time as an instructor at the academy before he got this appointment. He knows what could be important.'
"We need to analyze it further but the initial assessments are not good. Not only do they have their own version of the maneuver protocol along with a system capable of interdicting our missiles, but initial analysis has also shown that it took nearly twice the number of successful intercepts to collapse the shields of the alien Alpha as compared to previous engagements. It is possible that this was not a standard Alpha, but we must assume that it now is. The armed Tango also demonstrated the defensive system and much more powerful shields than during the previous engagement at Triton. The aliens are obviously improving their warships in response to the current combat environment." Bradley paused to let what he had said sink in. Several members of the cabinet were talking in hushed tones. Others were studying the data on the display. 'This war is shifting again. We started behind the aliens in technology. It shifted so that we had near parity technologically with more ships that we could deploy. Now it is shifting again. We appear to have a numerical advantage, but we need it just to hold our own. At least the aliens have settled for raiding. Perhaps their new emphasis on ground combat is an indication that they no longer have the resources to field larger groups of ships.'
Secretary Richards spoke again. "We will schedule another meeting for tomorrow morning to hear the results of the analysis. For the moment, what is the current disposition of our forces near Titan and what plans do we have for them over the next twenty four to forty eight hours."
Bradley was glad he didn't have to worry about his expression. It wouldn't be good. "Rear Admiral Ryan has transferred his flag to the Interceptor Sai. At this time it should have returned all of its shield generators to operation. The Kama is currently docked with the Sai and is transferring her crew, ordinance, and supplies. Damage to the ship is extensive and it will need to be scuttled following the completion of the transfers. The Yari has also suffered damage to many systems and will attempt to make a rendezvous with the Pan Euro Third Battle Group in the belt. There it will dock with Pan Euro Mobile Shipyard Two in the hope that repairs can be affected that will prevent the need to scuttle the Yari also. The Pan Euro has indicated that the Red October will remain on station with the Sai at Titan until the Defiant can arrive to land troops, at which time the Red October and the Pan Euro cargo ship will rejoin the Pan Euro Third Light Battle Group at Victoria in the belt. Plans for the Defiant and Sai following the landings are not yet set."
Secretary Richards began to turn pale. It was Congressman Meyers who found his voice first. "You are saying that not only are the alien ships more dangerous, but that Task Force Two will lose the Kama in the next few hours. And that the Yari may suffer the same fate, and regardless will be down for repairs for some time to come. That Task Force Two will be reduced to just one Interceptor?"
"That is correct."
Secretary Richards stood and gathered his things. Then he looked toward Bradley. "Admiral, you will need to issue orders for the Steadfast and Resolute to return to Mars. Their deployment at Victoria is no longer tenable."
1156 hours/Queen Victoria, Earth orbit
Admiral Brenna Muldoon looked over the data that had arrived a few hours ago from Commodore Vasilikos and the Red October. The engagement had been successful in clearing the space around the Chinese colony on Titan, but it had cost the US an Interceptor, left another badly damaged, and the entire group was now short on ordinance.
'Stephan has always had a knack for putting his ships in the wrong place, for the wrong reasons, and coming away from it with victories that we desperately needed. This battle didn't win much in the way of destroyed alien ships or vital real estate. It was far more important.'
Brenna pulled up data on the Alpha and Tango Two that had engaged the Red October and US Task Force 2. 'He just showed us what the alien ships are now capable of, before we blundered into a battle that could have destroyed our fleets.' Brenna pulled up the sensor data and analysis on the alien ships. 'Stephan also put the Red October right where she needed to be. The US ships there had combat arrays, but the Red October is a science vessel. The data she was able to get was astonishing. We have been attempting to create an anti-missile system since the beginning of hostilities. The big question was if it was possible. The aliens have managed to develop it first, but now we have that data. With the projections for the newer and smaller classes of missiles coupled with small laser batteries and the data we have from this battle, we should be able to field an anti-missile system in the next few months. With a new drive, new missiles, and an anti-missile system we should be able to construct ships more capable than ever projected before. Even the Chinese Cruisers will become obsolete.'
Brenna looked at the data from the alien ships on her monitor, and then at the Pan Euro fleet deployment lists. 'We just need to survive long enough.'