Posted by: Zume
« on: November 09, 2009, 09:06:47 PM »The Terpla'ns - Chapter 7.75
Galaxy Admiral Danmor spent the last four hours in Command One aboard the Granite-1 space station orbiting Bedrock Prime. The Aboms, having entered the system almost six days ago, divided into three main formations. One had taken station over the Gravel Pit warp point, preventing reinforcements from entering. Another formation headed for the Tire Iron fortifications, first engaging Fighter Replenishment Station #13 and its 48 F0 Hatchets. By the time the Abom ships reached FRS #14 they were met by 504 F1 and 96 F0 Hatchets. Again, thanks to those damnable jammers the Aboms only lost 74 fighters and two destroyers. After sending a mere frigate to polish off FRS #14 the Abom force started a bombardment of the Tire Iron fortifications, starting with the BS5Rs. It was combination of SBM-Lt and stand-off fighter missiles, a process that was going to take time, time that the Aboms had in abundance.
As for the third main force it was on the move, most likely waiting for word from the second force concerning the destruction of FRS #13. Currently 6 light-minutes from Bedrock Prime, the third force went directly toward asteroid colony BA-04, destroying the fighter base but not the fighters, for Danmor had them fall back to Granite-1. FRS #6 and #7, however, were allowed to keep their squadrons and oppose the massive fighter waves sent against both in passing. Instead of charging in full-bore the Abom squadrons engage the F0 Hatchets at range with laser packs. It wasn’t totally one-sided as the Hatchets had laser packs as well, destroying a total of 14 Sharks before being destroyed themselves. Losing 96 outdated fighters to bag 14 more capable Abom ones did sting one’s pride, but Danmor rationalized it by telling himself that the enemy had 14 less fighters for the main fight.
Regarding the main fight Danmor currently had at his command 332 F1 and 292 F0 Hatchets on Granite-1. The lunar colony had 72 more F0 Hatchets, and the 72 from BA-04 gave him a current total of 768 fighters. For the station its armament consisted of 80 capital launchers, 8 capital primaries, 4 capital force and 4 spinal force beams with which to engage enemy ships. Defensively there were 26 capital and 24 datalink-enabled point defense mounts, 12 overload dampners and enough armor for twenty dreadnoughts. Danmor also had all the building slips cleared. 21 Sprinter destroyers, all but complete save for hetlasers and half of their point defense mounts, were sent to Brickyard along with all four large mobile shipyards. Of the eight smaller cruiser-hulled mobile shipyards seven ‘went to ground’ on the six asteroid colonies and on Bedrock’s lunar colony. Also cleared for space were 24 BS6s, each with almost three months work done. A BS5B from the Tire Iron defenses, the last to undergo refit, was also in orbit. With their work complete the two tugs used to position the bases in orbit had been sent away to Brickyard. Only four scouts formed what remained of the former mobile forces in Bedrock, keeping an eye on the Abom forces at the Gravel Pit and Tire Iron warp points.
Danmor had already settled on a strategy. As the enemy would soon figure out the BS6s were nowhere near complete they were going to charge in, lending jamming assistance to their fighters and armed pinnaces. So occupied the Hatchets would focus on eliminating as many fighters as possible. Granite-1 would ravage any missile-armed ship that came in range, but the real targets wouldn’t come close until all opposition was cleared.
To date the Aboms elected to land troops on Axis worlds instead of bombarding them. They even garrisoned colonies on asteroids and miserable airless worlds, according to their own admission via a massive wave of courier drones sent into Bedrock weeks earlier, broadcasting their accomplishments. Long-range scanners had determined that there was a smaller group of ships trailing the main Abom force approaching the planet. Danmor suspected that it was the troopships, and he issued a new order. F0 Hatchets from the asteroid colonies BA-3 and BA-5 as well as FRS #4, 5, 8 and 9 will come to Bedrock Prime, timed just as the Abom fleet would be within spitting distance of Granite-1.
A new light code appeared on the master holoimager in the command center. Danmor was informed that three ships, at least cruiser-sized because they were moving at .117c (suggesting engine detuning), had moved ahead of the Abom fleet. Escorting them was an undeterminable number of fighters. Having destroyed no less than six Abom scouts as they attempted to get definite reads on the orbitals it appeared they were trying a reconnaissance in force. Since the implied cruisers had to approach the orbitals directly so their long-range scanners weren’t obscured by the planet, Danmor decided not to engage them with the station’s weapons. He still wanted to keep the Aboms in the dark as the true number of fighters embarked on Granite-1, especially the F1s, and the station’s own impressive firepower. Only 120 of the improved Hatchets were used previously to intercept the scouts just short of the 10 light-second mark. If they were foolish enough to engage the defenses with fighters alone then Danmor had no qualms in using his full strength, gutting the Aboms squadrons even as they atomized the BS6s as well as the very station he was on.
Danmor noted that the master plot had the trio of Abom ships arriving in an hour. Enough time for dinner, most likely his last.
********
In addition to the three main Allied formations the Axis noted there were five smaller ones. Three of them were composed of armed pinnace tenders of the Privateer and Chaq-B classes. With their flight groups restored with Whales drawn from the larger Buccaneer tenders these three groups were tasked to sweep an area up to 90 LMs from the primary stellar component of all scanner and comm buoys. For the other two, each comprised of six CAs and carrier elements loaded with 96 Shark fighters, they were ordered to destroy all the small space stations and asteroid fighter bases that were within 10 LMs of Bedrock Prime.
In the auxiliary control of the DN Captain Avma a familiar pain wracked Flag Admiral Tulcus Jki. Ever since recovering from wounds sustained in Hagelkorn she felt infrequent, twisting, stabbing pains in her gut. It didn’t matter if she was peacefully asleep or wide awake, but never did the pain assert itself just before or during combat, until now. With an effort she kept her voice uncolored by discomfort. “Admiral Barsus, what is the status of the two interdiction flotillas?”
Barsus noted the death grip Jki had on the armrests of her chair, belying the calm of her voice. He had seen this once before in the wardroom when Jki’s wound acted up. She blamed the pain on some bad anchovies she had for lunch but Barsus knew better. “They’ve just made contact, Flag Admiral. Each flotilla has been intercepted by 96 F0 Hatchets, but with datalink jamming and supporting fire from the Kioshos our own losses shouldn’t be crippling. We’ll need to destroy two more asteroid fighter bases as well as four more of those small space stations placed within the belt to ensure that no F1 Hatchets can reach Bedrock. ”
Jki blinked concern. “Barsus, what is composition of the fighters heading for Bedrock?”
“All of them are F0 Hatchets, Admiral. At total of 312 are on course for the planet, and with their speed it’s clear they’re carrying no ordnance. They will reach Bedrock and have time to refuel and be armed. Unfortunate that we couldn’t intercept them with our Sharks.”
“It wouldn’t have been practical, Barsus. Our Sharks would’ve carried no weapons either in order to catch them. If we had the new F2 model they just perfected on Yoshibo it would’ve been a different story.” Jki’s eyes widen slightly as she spotted a light code on the main screen advancing closer to an arbitrarily marked point. “I see the heavy probe is just two minutes from definitive scanner range of the planet.”
Barsus looked uncomfortable. “It would be better if the Axis attempted an intercept. The chance to reduce our fighter force before the main attack should’ve been irresistible.”
“It’s three Jajers and 240 Sharks,” Jki said. “They may think it isn’t worth the effort to eliminate this particular probe. Too much opposition, unlike the six Sloops they destroyed earlier.”
A secondary monitor at the command station beeped for attention. Barsus obliged. “Admiral, the Jajers have stopped detuning. 60 seconds to maximum ECM generation, 90 seconds to definite scanner range.” The two minute time lag was scarcely noticeable as the Jajers beamed their findings directly to the flagship from the very beginning. Still it felt like an eternity, Jki wondering if the space station and the inferred orbital bases had obliterated the trio of ships with long-range missile fire in the interim.
“Ships pulling back at full tactical speed, Admiral,” Barsus finally announced thankfully. “They were targeted by all the orbitals but no weapons were fired. Data is being processed… On the main screen.”
Jki’s eyes appreciably widen when 24 symbols representing type-6 bases appeared along with the sunburst icon of the space station. Then they closed a little, for she suspected something. “Mr. Yos,” she said, “your opinion on this finding?”
Working at a console on Jki’s right Yos stood up and gave the main screen a contemplative look. “Admiral, while they had the chance to indulge themselves and eliminate our fighters, the Axis should’ve at least engaged our cruisers. That they hadn’t tells me those bases are not equipped with capital launchers. The scanners on the Jajers indicated that each type-6 base, roughly analogous to ours, is less than 40% complete. I submit that most of the complete tonnage was slated for defenses, explaining why they didn’t fire when they had the chance.”
“Perhaps, Yos. I suppose their impulse control has improved. It could very well be the reverse, and the bases are mostly weapons, giving a one-time punch and a petty sense of satisfaction.” Jki leaned back into her command chair, eyes locked forward. “Admiral Bersus, we’ll proceed with the engagement plan. The troopship group will continue behind us at a range of 15 light-seconds. All squadrons will launch once the fleet is 20 light-seconds from Bedrock Prime.”
“Aye, Aye, ma’am.”
********
Like an anthill disturbed by heavy footfalls the tiny defenders of Granite-1 and lunar fighter base FB-1 spilled out of their launch bays alert and angry. 696 were launched while the other 408, in a holding pattern around the station, were down to just 20 minutes of life support when the Allied ships reached the 12 light-second mark. Dividing into three groups, the main body was composed of 772 F0 and 92 F1 Hatchets. Of the other two groups, each composed of 120 F1 Hatchets, they went on wide, separate courses. The station’s small craft, ranging from cutters to cargo pinnaces, also launched and took position over the massive construct.
The Allies had 768 Sharks devoted to the main body of the fleet. Lashed by datalink jamming and shipboard weapons it was a given that the Hatchet horde would be too weak to do any meaningful damage. As for the troopships they had considerable escort (including the carriers) as well as the protection of 180 Sharks and 60 Hamthen AFSC (now designated as Gars). While the fighter battles were going to be brief and very violent it was the run on the orbitals that remained an imponderable.
At full dreadnought speed the Allied ships engaged ECM and entered maximum SBM range one minute later, putting the main Hatchet horde 8 LS out. First to fire was a trio of Oknib DNs, their SBMs with bomb-pumped laser warheads reaching, ever questing to obtain a solid lock on the distant target. Of the ten that managed to latch onto Granite-1 six got past point defense and inflicted their hurt on the massive construct, though less than 1% of the armor was destroyed. Return fire fell on a Disam capital missile cruiser. Of the 80 SBM-Lts fired 18 got past point defense and stripped the Disam of its armor. In all Grantie-1 lost 7.4% of its armor in the first exchange.
The second exchange was at 8.75 LS range with the Hatchets now 4.75 LS distant. The armor-denuded Disam had come about and was out of range, so the master fire-control officer on Granite-1 selected an Oknib, the laser-tipped missiles taking away half of the big ship’s armor. Fewer missiles got through in reply but the station lost a further 7% of its armor. Slowing a bit, the Hatchets were 2.75 LS from the Allied fleet with the Sharks still within the jamming envelope. The fleet, now 7.5 LS from the orbitals, was treated to a true full-blooded exchange with Granite-1. The huge space station still had some SBM-Lts left on its external racks, 39 of the original 134, and combined with the external load on the BS5B the Oknib faced 68 missiles barreling at it. Point defense swatted 23, and those that got through shattered the armor and ripped up the interior. Three engine rooms, five launchers, and two point defense mounts were ruined. It was also at this point that Granite-1 and 14 of the incomplete BS6s showed that they were armed with spinal force beams, lashing out at a Nikazu class battleship, scoring five hits.
Return fire from the Oknibs, Disams, Reliants, and Matriarchs was still composed of SBM-Lts fired from internal launchers as well as external racks. For ships with limited number of capital launchers they had been spitting out antimatter SBMs in loiter mode until now, firing them along with antimatter CMs to augment their external loads of SBM-Lts. While lasers slash across the exterior of Granite-1 antimatter fireballs blossomed across the enormous construct’s station-keeping field like leprous boils, melting armor plate like it was butter over an oven. Overall 14% more armor was eliminated.
As the fleet came within 6.25 LS range the anticipated clash between the fighters happened. With a slight bit of engine modulation the Hatchets bobbed and weaved so that they were 1.25 LS out from the fleet, but facing out to all points of the compass. Regardless of what the Shark squadrons did every Hatchet had the opportunity to fire on their enemy opposite number. With so many proximity-fused close attack missiles being thrown around it was like a whole brick of firecrackers going off at night. Gun packs, used by both sides, picked up were the missiles left off. Combined with distant Dc fire, the Allies bagged 676 Hatchets for the loss of 266 Sharks.
Granite-1 continued to shed armor like it was going out of style. The Sharks, delegated to finish the Hatchets (all of which were F0s), were surprised when sensors picks up a troubling sign. All the Hatchets jettisoned their gun packs, came about as one, and bore straight in towards the fleet. All 188 went for the Nikazu hit by the initial spinal force beam barrage, the Coral Reef. The captain elected to meet the charge head-on, enticing the enemy pilots to commit themselves to their attack. More importantly, she wasn’t about to be forced aside by suicidal fools. Of the 40 that stayed on target 5 were shot down. The impacts on the drive field were spectacular, reminiscent of bugs hitting a car’s windshield at speed. Badly crippled, the Coral Reef kept its heading towards the orbitals, for the captain also knew that the Axis would spend their new force beams on her command to finish it off rather than start fresh on a new target.
The capital missile units slowed to 0.033c, placing them 5.75 LS out and employing maximum ECM. Only the BC-hull units benefited the most, degrading even the improved fire control on the space station. From the Allied ships’ capital launchers came antimatter-tipped missiles, causing Granite-1’s capital point defense to work overtime. While the Sharks dispatched the Hatchets the fleet, now within standard missile and capital force beam range, accelerated the demise of Granite-1. The fleet also fired the rest of its external ordnance, bathing the station in deadly fireballs even as force beams crushed and battered their way into the hulking construct’s core.
As the Coral Reef’s captain had predicted the Axis commander, Danmor, elected to finish off the battleship with spinal force beam fire. Even the crippled Oknib was consigned to the Great Ocean by Granite-1’s missiles. However, with its armor value at a mere 23% the station’s demise was at hand. With range down to 3.75 LS and the Sharks 0.75 LS closer more beam weapons came into play. Force, laser, and energy beams picked up were the distant missile ships left off. With high interest Jki witnessed as the first of ten shipyard sections disintegrate and belch debris from their cleared slips. Decks of cargo holds and living spaces vented to space, more often than not the resulting flotsam included suited bodies of the yard workers. The fleet’s primary beams focused exclusively on the BS5B, making it a weaponless hulk that was threat to no-one. The Hazen and Valhallan ships found the station mounted a brace of overload dampners, negating the various energy beam hits with ease. For the 24 BS6s, even those without internal weapons, they played their trump card in the form of external capital missiles. Three more Nikazu BBs and two Tamaya CAs erupted into splinters. While Granite-1’s CM-Lts focused on a fresh Oknib, its primary as well as spinal force beams on the BS6s fell on a Cqux. Shields held but six primaries lanced engineering spaces, weapon mounts and crew spaces.
The Sharks, each still equipped with one FRAM along with a gun pack, moved to a range of 2 LS. Just behind them the fleet continued its relentless pounding. Due to the massive refit conducted when spinal force beams were perfected the weapons sections of Grantie-1 were the most protected. All the shipyard slips were destroyed as well as 90% of the fighter bays. Another Oknib was destroyed with the Cqux losing its passive defenses. With plain optics it was hard to discern the fine features of the station as clouds of frozen atmosphere hugged the exterior like so much river fog.
As one the 52 small craft moved away from Granite-1 and closed on the fleet on a ramming course. The besieged Cqux was destroyed by the piloted metal hailstorm but was avenged almost immediately. Both the Sharks and the fleet found that the Axis did have datalink jammers, only activating them at the last moment. It didn’t really matter for Granite-1, and the BS6s were knocked out of their datalinks as well as the fleet came within 1.25 LS of the orbitals. In a final burst of defiance the great station used its point defense to kill six more Sharks with the BS6s claiming 54 more.
That left 442 Sharks, and with each firing a single FRAM they went after BS6s that had spinal force beams. Antimatter-spawned fireballs covered and then consumed eight of the bases. Major pieces of debris began the inevitable process of a decaying orbit, raining down onto planet in the following days and weeks. As for the other bases they were either destroyed or gutted by capital energy beams, both Hazen and Valhallan sending over marines to secure the hulks for study.
Granite-1 now resembled a set of barely-connected components than a proper station. Its purposeful cylindrical sections had multitudes of hull breaches and power functioned erratically if at all. Once the central core experienced direct damage life pods spilled out of the disintegrating construct like wind-driven pollen. All 18 Terpla class DNs, including the Captain Avma, focused their weaponry on the dying orbital. It was a spectacular disincorporation as the last of the major connections failed, each distinct part separating from the whole. For decades to come, the orbital path once occupied by Granite-1 will be noted as a hazard to navigation.
“The battlespace has been secured,” Barsus said formally to the Flag Admiral. “Lunar and planetary spaceports have been neutralized by neutron warheads. The lunar fighter base has been dispatched by laser fire.”
Jki’s eyes fluttered, having been transfixed on the repeater screens before her. “Excellent. Mr. Yos, order the Eyuts to assume orbit and begin deployment of recce and kinetic bombardment satellites. Update the main plot.”
“Aye, Aye, Flag Admiral.” Yos made adjustments to the master screen, zooming out the perspective to include the trailing troopships, and the two Hatchet groups about to intercept them. Again with deliberate maneuvering the Axis fighters were at 1.25 LS range, dishing out death even as they got generous portions in return. In all the Sharks, Gars, and the ships that could reach that far smashed 185 of the 240 F1 Hatchets for the loss of 66 Sharks. No Gars were destroyed as the Axis pilots were expressly told to attack fighters and not Abom anachronisims.
A sharp mind, Terpla’n Admiral Kamani, commander of the troopship task group, knew what the Hatchets were going to do next. All ships slowed to 0.05c and employed as much ECM as possible, each captain given discretion to alter course. The Hatchets weren’t going to suicide against carriers as fighter losses ensured the Allies had more than enough hanger space for their needs. No, they were going after the troopships, the Hatchets limited sensors showing the unmistakable signature of packed hulls. Largest of the troopships were the three Fkolns, one of which was named the Belynda. With Hatchets coming from both sides the captain of the Belynda, Hauc, elected to go straight ahead as any turn to port or starboard would provide the suiciders an opportunity to conduct a head-on attack.
Of the 55 Hatchets set on crushing death, 18 kept up with the sudden deft changes made by the Belynda’s helmsman to the ship’s base course. 14 were shot down, leaving the final four to complete their mission. One-third of the big ship’s shields were flatten, and it needed the rest as the last 37 Hatchets manevuvered to the edge of their performance envelopes and targeted their remaining close-attack missiles. With everything being thrown at them, and still firing as singletons, the Axis pilots succeeded in reducing the Belynda’s armor by 53%. This was seen as final proof that had the Axis possessed antimatter warheads they wouldn’t have failed to use them in this battle.
Even with knowledge of the basic layout of Bedrock Prime in regards to its population centers and terrain it took thirty minutes after the battle to find a suitable site to land the 165,000-strong 3rd Expeditionary Corps of the CSA. With reports and scanner contacts coming in from scout ships, all the fleet’s captains, and especially Jki, had willed for an additional hour for the troopships to complete their task. The Axis had other ideas.
********
They were tired. Had they an actual god to pray to instead of invoking an abstract named Providence then the Comensal pilots would be bleeding from the knees and knuckles to be lucid at the right time. It wouldn’t have been so bad if more of the small stations were built, or that more squadrons were equipped with F1 Hatchets. Still, every pilot knew that numbers meant everything. For that reason Admiral Danmor had sent new orders when the Abom fleet was one day out from Bedrock Prime. F0 Hatchets from asteroid colonies BA-2 and 6 and FRS #2, 3, 10, and 11 were flown to BA-3 and 5 and FRS #4 and #9 respectively. This resulted in 48 Hatchets having to stay ‘airborne’ for the better part of a day. Piloting a fighter was demanding and stressful enough, but to wait, basically floating in space until practically out of air and then land in one hour cycles was taxing patience and strength. It was akin to the ancient tale of a merchant carrying twice as many birds in a cargo hold by the simple expedient of having half of them flying at any one time.
Every pilot wanted to engage the enemy, and they knew what Danmor wanted from them. Loaded with weapons, a F0 Hatchet launched from BA-3 and 5 would just reach Bedrock Prime. The enemy knew that range, and could easily evade the fighters by simply pulling out of range. But they can’t, especially since such a move would leave ground troops without orbital support. Perhaps more importantly a loaded F0 could be overhauled and shot down by a partially-loaded Abom F1. This only left the option of conducting a suicide attack. Unloaded, a F0 would be hard to engage with a F1. Factoring in laser packs, however, it was possible for the whole Hatchet force to be eliminated before reaching the planet.
At this point a simple act of guile was used. Working to a timetable, the Hatchets from FRS #4 and #9 reached BA-3 and 5. They were serviced along with the ‘flying birds,’ and two groups of 168 Hatchets each made a bee-line for Bedrock Prime. By manipulating the drive field of their fighters the Comensal pilots make it appear they were carrying a full load when in actuality they weren’t. Putting faith in their plan and giving the traditional lip-service to Providence the pilots hoped to startle the enemy with their true speed. It was expected that the majority of the fighters would break past with the enemy following impotently just beyond weapon range.
Only seeing what the Axis was showing, Jki sent out her Sharks to intercept. Divided in two groups, the 556 Allied fighters were armed with a close-attack missile and a gun pack each. Expecting their enemy to go down fighting the Allied pilots were surprised when the Axis groups went to full speed and divided into three sections each. For both intercept groups they were only able to take down 112 Hatchets, leaving 224 to close on Bedrock Prime. Impotently, just outside the reach of their gun packs, the Sharks trailed behind the Hatchets. Admiral Reas, commanding the carrier force of the fleet, briefly considered sending out a brace of carriers. Dropping external ordnance, as many Shark squadrons as possible would land, rearm with laser packs, and force an intercept. Math and time worked against Reas as well as fate, for the work showed that the Hatchets, taking a least-time course, would reach the troopships over Bedrock Prime with a minute to spare. Simply put, the Sharks should’ve been launched earlier.
Jki saw the numbers as well. To protect the troopships now entailed using an ancient naval tactic – the picket line. She had the fleet form a crescent 2.25 LS across and out from the planet, centered on the Hatchets’ most direct route. It had the virtue of making the Axis pilots even more committed. They couldn’t slow down briefly to say out of the engagement envelope of the fleet’s point defense for that would let the Sharks catch up. Nor could they ‘turn the corner’ on the picket line as the ships involved would simply move to follow. No, the only thing the Hatchets could do was jinx at the last possible moment and pass through the picket line at a spot of their own choosing. It was the best that could be done in the time allowed, and Jki hoped it would be enough.
Like filings attracted by a magnet the four subgroups of Hatchets, having been on intercepting courses, merged just short of the picket line. With Sharks still nipping at their heels the Axis fighters plunged straight ahead, only turning to port 0.75 LS from the ships before intersecting the line. The Hatchets were still engaged by the bulk of the defenses and a great many were shot down by lasers and metal slugs moving at c-fractional speeds. Only 64 of 224 survived, driving onward towards the troopships and to one in particular.
Still offloading soldiers and material, the troopships couldn’t leave orbit and deny support for the enlarging ground presence of the 3rd EC. This especially extended to the allocation and control of kinetic bombardment satellites, all of which were handled by the three Fkoln transports. Having been subjected to a suicide attack previously the crew of the troopship Belynda were braced for a fresh onslaught. A gut feeling that they would be singled out was verified when all 64 Hatchets homed in on them. While their fatigue was banished the Comensal pilots were relatively inexperienced for only 44 held true to their attack run. Listening to the combat chatter between the orbiting ships the hundreds of communication officers in the fleet were privy to what was being said on the bridge of the Belynda. The comm line was left open, everyone that paid attention at that particular moment heard the Belynda’s captain, Hauc, yelling at the incoming suiciders to ‘keep your filthy planes away from my ship.’ Last-ditch firing of proximity-fused sprint-mode missiles and point defense nailed 14 Hatchets. For the other 30 they slammed into the massive ship, collapsing the restored shields and knocking out the rest of the armor. What followed were crushed shuttle bays, collapsing holds, and barracks and quarters rendered without pressure and air. 40% of the ship’s crew became casualties with 200 soldiers killed by shrapnel as a bulkhead gave way in their embarkation station. Three of the Belynda’s four surgeries were destroyed, so the call went out for medical shuttles to evacuate wounded via the ship’s undamaged bays. For the remaining 20 Hatchets, desperately trying to come about to conducting another ramming attack, they weren’t so much shot down as dynamited like so many fish in a pool.
Jki had her ships resume station over Bedrock Prime. With her staff in attendance, she took in the reports from the dispersed formations, factored in sustained losses and projected reinforcements, and considered the three routes of advance available. A short time later one route was ruled out. A Hokum ISN pinnace emerged from the Tire Iron warp point during the last stage of destruction of the guarding Axis bases. Not too much later another pinnace appeared and transmitted a report from one Lord Admiral Janus, requesting a meeting with the CSF admirals. Recognizing it as a golden opportunity to enhance relations between the Commonwealth and Imperium, Jki accepted the request of her opposite number in the Hokum Fleet to a visit. With the assembled forces under her command Jki knew it wouldn’t fail to impress the Imperium officers.
********
Under the conditions for the visit, set by Jki, her protocol officer and Mr. Yos, the Hokum were permitted to bring three ships, a battlecruiser and two small carriers, into Bedrock and escorted to the planet by a Sloop scout. Once there Admiral Janus and her party went aboard the Captain Avma, Jki’s flagship and veteran of the Short War six years previous. There was some passing concern that being aboard the warship that wiped the decks with Hokum hulls would engender some resentment among the guests. Jki addresses this, saying that curiosiity and fascination would overrule whatever bad feelings the Hokum may harbor against the ship.
Unlike the ceremonial dress version of the standard shipsuit worn by the Tepla’ns, the Hokum had ornate vests and laceless shoes. Aside from the four arms, the Hokum were similar to the Valhallan and Tzelan in terms of height and bipedal structure. Covered in fine, short fur, the race had no real need for clothing. The same can be said of the Terpla'ns, but most Hokum have only seen Terpla'ns in uniform. One had to wonder how the imperial race would react seeing the ship's crew in off-duty dress.
After the greetings were exchanged in the Avma’s shuttle bay the visitors were given an abbreviated tour of the ship. One of the stops was the wardroom. Along the walls were expansive paintings of the ship as well as its pre-space progenitors. There were also display cases that contained scaled models, plaques and framed documents. Lord Admiral Janus was drawn to one painting of particular. Both of her left hands rested on her hip while her front right hand pointed to the richly detailed artwork. “Captain Dojan,” she said, the translation program giving her voice a dulcet tone, “can you tell me the story behind this particular painting?
Walking deliberately since his back pair of legs was missing, Dojan stood by Janus’ left side. “It’s a depiction of the Avma as she appeared during Battle of Coral Bridge.” The translator conveyed his tone of satisfaction perfectly. “I was the Avma’s second officer at the time.”
A smile came across Janus’ face. “I’m sorry to say I don’t recall seeing you then, Captain. Perhaps that is because Admiral Ayrth limited access to the INS officers being held prisoner on the Avma after Coral Bridge. Apart from the obvious intelligence officers and sly questions advanced by others, Ayrth was a gracious host.”
“So this marks the first visit aboard the Avma of your own volition, then,” said Jki impishly as she came up Janus’ right. “Next to Lord Admiral Dornal, you were the most senior officer to enjoy Ayrth’s hospitality. That meant you and Dornal had the privilege of meeting him in his cabin to discuss the welfare of the other ISN prisoners. Because of your rank, I imagine Ayrth gave you and Dornal a tour of the ship’s no-vital areas.”
“You are correct, Flag Admiral,” Janus admitted in a playfully conspiratorial tone. “He also told me that it was you who commanded the carriers in Coral Bridge. I was inspired by your example to undergo fighter training myself. As for visiting areas of this ship,” she gestured with her right rear arm, “this is the first time I’ve been in this compartment. I would’ve remembered those intricate ship models.”
Jki grinned. “As well as this.” She had Janus go over to a section of the wood-paneled bulkhead adorned with plaques etched with Terpla’n headshots. “Aryth told you about my carrier command, but forgot about this, and you would have remembered it.” She pointed to the first plaque with justifiable pride. “I was the Avma’s first captain and a keel owner.”
A look of genuine surprise came across Janus’ face. “You honor me, Jki. So Ayrth’s cabin was originally yours, as he told me that it was the cabin of the Avma’s various captains from the beginning. Tell me, is that ‘lungfish’ still aboard?”
“Flip? Oh yes, that little affectionate cuss is still aboard. He certainly remembers me after all this time.”
“What of Aryth?” Janus asked with sincere curiosity. “Has he been promoted? He told me he was entertaining the possibility of being the chief naval advisor to the president or becoming the commandant of the naval academy.”
Jki’s grin drooped as sour memories came bubbling up to the surface. “He would’ve been the next commandant if it wasn’t for the Axis. He was killed when his command ship was destroyed in the Borehole assault a few months ago.”
Janus looked crestfallen. “That is regrettable. Upon learning that this ship was the Avma I half-hoped to see Aryth. He was a gracious host.”
Before Jki could respond, Benevix, Janus’ intelligence officer, injected himself into the conversation. “A fascinating collection of history you have here, Admiral Jki. Your navy has amply proven its ability to knock the Axis back on its heels. With the forces at your disposal the Axis can’t hope but fall like so many rotted wooden doors being kicked in.”
For those that knew Terpla’n mannerisms (which meant none among the Hokum present, even Janus) they would’ve seen the way Jki’s eyes flexed to express displeasure. She had been listening in to various conversions around the wardroom and found Benevix to be the most inquisitive. The translation program worked so well she could discern a tone of unwarranted smugness. “Even rotted wood can leave splinters, Mr. Benevix,” she said pointedly. “I’m going to show you some of those that got splinters.”
With guests in tow, Jki went the Avma’s sickbay. Every bed was occupied with a Terpla’n or an E’sani, many of which were covered in medical appliances. “The troopship Belynda was beset by two waves of suicide attacks conducted by Axis fighters,” she told the Hokum, several of which were having trouble looking at the scene presented to them. “Only armor damage was done in the first attack. Despite our best efforts, enough survived in the second attack to complete their ramming runs. The ship sustained significant internal damage. Most of the troops were landed on Bedrock previously, but 200 still on-board were killed outright. Of the crew, 800 of 2000 became casualties.”
She gestured to the occupied beds. “These are the worst of the wounded. Disregarding their own safety, they went back time and again to rescue trapped crewmates and soldiers. Even when they found the people they sought to save were dead, they still went back in find the living. As you see, the odds finally caught up to them.” Her eyes settled on Benevix. “What we experienced here in Bedrock we can expect in every Axis system from now on. That means far more splinters for every rotted door we kick in.”
********
The second day of the Hokum visit was limited to a formal declaration of appreciation, presented by Janus, and a dinner in the Captain Avma’s wardroom. It also marked the first time the Hokum were in the presence of representatives from most of the races allied with the CPS. It took some adjustment for the INS officers, finding that expecting and experiencing was not the same thing. Those races that the most similar, such as the E’sani, Tzelan, Tuphon and Vallahan, served as an anchor of commonality. With the Humarsh, however, with their triangular-shaped heads, it was like looking at a prop from a movie set.
As head guest, Janus sat to the right of Jki with Hamthen Admiral Levv sitting on the left. Of all the Allied contingents in the 2nd Field Fleet, Levv’s was the smallest, composed of just two Wall Cloud AFSC carriers and an Ice escort cruiser. It was here that Janus made know during the dinner of the Axis records captured from ships and on Crimson Expanse. Records that showed the Axis as the malignant cancer of a civilization as it really was. Janus expressed on the behalf of the Imperium that the ISN would contribute even more towards the defeat of the Asteroid Axis and their genocidal machinations.
On the third and final day the ISN officers had meetings with their CSF counterparts. Discussions on Comensal guerilla activity and tactics were at the top of the list for both sides. Axis fleet and fighter tactics were also discussed. As for Janus she was first given an exclusive tour of the Avma’s bridge. Since Janus was the guest, Captain Dojan extended the invitation as it was his ship. Jki could’ve imposed herself and made Dojan give the bridge tour, not to mention the ship, but didn’t. Even though she made the Avma her flagship Jki felt no compelling need to see the bridge of her old command. It was close to three years since the last time she was on its deck, and only then as part of a tour for the Hamthen Mr. Skuu.
After the third Hagelkorn assault, Jki was certain the bridge was refashioned in the same manner that auxiliary control was done. It was to her private delight that, despite having new consoles, the bridge layout was the same. Only the primary flat panel screen at the captain’s station was retained from original equipment, the faint scratches made by Jki’s ancient compass still evident. Janus noticed this, and how much larger the control space was than her cruiser command a decade earlier. She hadn’t even been aboard one of her own navy’s dreadnoughts, so she made a note of it to visit an Indomitable or Implacable to compare it with the Avma.
Next came the meeting in Jki’s cabin. Both admirals had their respective marine guards wait outside, having just one observer, if he could be called that, attending. While it may have been six years, as far as Flip the lungfish was concerned it was just yesterday when he saw Janus enter. With his head above the top of the 30-gallon aquarium and working his tail to perform his namesake, Flip was prevented from coating Janus’ tunic with water by Jki’s intervention. Wrapped in a towel, Flip was handed to Janus, tail still working as if nothing changed. It took a few ‘num-num’ cubes of freeze dried worms to placate Flip, resting like a rock at the bottom of a lake.
In all Jki and Janus talked business for over an hour of their three hour meeting. In brief both admirals described their respective campaigns to date, commenting on the evolution of Axis tactics and expectations for the future. At the very least, assaults into systems heavily fortified by the Axis would see more suicide attacks similar to what happened in Bedrock. Jki ventured the notion that the enemy, having exhibited technologies currently employed by the CSF and very likely would introduce the armed pinnace in the near future, would be mounting fresh counteroffensives against the CSF and ISN. Janus agreed, also adding that spoiling attacks conducted by the Axis would be more destructive, having been shown that with enough armed pinnaces anything could be accomplished. Following this Jki made an offer. As co-belligerents without a formal military pact between them, several mutually advantageous dealings weren’t possible, such as the sharing of battlefield intelligence. Informal exchanges of information, as Jki pointed out, could occur when a ship on one side encounters another while conducting active operations in an enemy system. Sensing what Jki was heading towards, Janus added to the notion that if both sides encountered an Axis force in the same system they should co-operate to ensure its destruction.
Noticing that Janus still had Flip in her front pairs of arms the whole time, holding it like an infant, Jki had to satisfy her curiosity. With minicomp in hand the flag admiral brought up a picture she received in the most recent mail from home. “Admiral Janus,” she said, holding the minicomp with the screen facing out, “do you have grandchildren?”
********
It was late in the Captain Avma’s officer mess. The trio of ISN ships had left three hours earlier, and the CSF officers were giving their preliminary reports of their meetings with their counterparts to Jki. Looking on from an aquarium attached to the bulkhead near the kitchen hatch was Flip, busily rearranging gravel every so often as he prepared to turn in for the night. He had no audience as everyone was giving Jki their full attention.
“Even though the Hokum invaded and occupied just one Comensal planet,” said Field Colonel Casvek, operations officer of the 3rd Expeditionary Corps, “it has played out on Crimson Expanse just as it has done on Citadel, Borehole, and Meadow. What this means for Bedrock and Forger's Gate, if the Comensal stay to their script, we can expect them to begin their uprisings two months after their regular troops ‘surrender’.”
Jki blinked, giving Casvek an intense look. “Did your counterpart mention any of the specific items as reported by Professor Peth Wenns?”
If Casvek felt disgusted his eyes didn’t show it. “Yes, ma’am. Ever since the civilians on Crimson Expanse took up arms there had been no signs of any Comensal child below the age of six. On occasion battlefield investigation teams found graves of children, all having been poisoned. This seems to lend credence to Wenns’ theory, one that is shared by a Hokum professor named Alba on Crimson Expanse. By age six the mind of a Comensal child is most receptive and impressionable. Both professors believe the adults had such young children killed so that they wouldn’t be turned away from their native culture.”
Admiral Barsus guffawed. “Such a sanctimonious and selfish act on their part. To sink so low, in my opinion, makes one think that the Comensal killing off their own offspring is no different from plowing under wilted fields in the hope for a better season.”
“Colonel, what does this mean for Bedrock? It’s the largest populated Axis planet we’ve invaded so far,” ask Admiral Reas, commander of the carrier groups.
Casvek didn’t blink. “It means, Admiral, that a minimum seven million children will be euthanized when the uprising begins. Comensal have also done this on asteroid outposts and lunar colonies that we haven’t directly occupied.”
Jki moved her gaze from officer to officer, more often than not finding a twinge of consternation. It was the first time for most of them hearing what Casvek was saying. When Bedrock goes the same route as the other occupied planets then the news couldn’t be kept under wraps. There will be those asking questions if it was worth the effort to garrison Comensal worlds, especially when the whole population participates in guerilla warfare and kill their own young children so they wouldn’t be captured and ‘converted.’ Truth be told, Jki was finding herself becoming one of those that would ask questions.
End Chapter 7
--Zume
Galaxy Admiral Danmor spent the last four hours in Command One aboard the Granite-1 space station orbiting Bedrock Prime. The Aboms, having entered the system almost six days ago, divided into three main formations. One had taken station over the Gravel Pit warp point, preventing reinforcements from entering. Another formation headed for the Tire Iron fortifications, first engaging Fighter Replenishment Station #13 and its 48 F0 Hatchets. By the time the Abom ships reached FRS #14 they were met by 504 F1 and 96 F0 Hatchets. Again, thanks to those damnable jammers the Aboms only lost 74 fighters and two destroyers. After sending a mere frigate to polish off FRS #14 the Abom force started a bombardment of the Tire Iron fortifications, starting with the BS5Rs. It was combination of SBM-Lt and stand-off fighter missiles, a process that was going to take time, time that the Aboms had in abundance.
As for the third main force it was on the move, most likely waiting for word from the second force concerning the destruction of FRS #13. Currently 6 light-minutes from Bedrock Prime, the third force went directly toward asteroid colony BA-04, destroying the fighter base but not the fighters, for Danmor had them fall back to Granite-1. FRS #6 and #7, however, were allowed to keep their squadrons and oppose the massive fighter waves sent against both in passing. Instead of charging in full-bore the Abom squadrons engage the F0 Hatchets at range with laser packs. It wasn’t totally one-sided as the Hatchets had laser packs as well, destroying a total of 14 Sharks before being destroyed themselves. Losing 96 outdated fighters to bag 14 more capable Abom ones did sting one’s pride, but Danmor rationalized it by telling himself that the enemy had 14 less fighters for the main fight.
Regarding the main fight Danmor currently had at his command 332 F1 and 292 F0 Hatchets on Granite-1. The lunar colony had 72 more F0 Hatchets, and the 72 from BA-04 gave him a current total of 768 fighters. For the station its armament consisted of 80 capital launchers, 8 capital primaries, 4 capital force and 4 spinal force beams with which to engage enemy ships. Defensively there were 26 capital and 24 datalink-enabled point defense mounts, 12 overload dampners and enough armor for twenty dreadnoughts. Danmor also had all the building slips cleared. 21 Sprinter destroyers, all but complete save for hetlasers and half of their point defense mounts, were sent to Brickyard along with all four large mobile shipyards. Of the eight smaller cruiser-hulled mobile shipyards seven ‘went to ground’ on the six asteroid colonies and on Bedrock’s lunar colony. Also cleared for space were 24 BS6s, each with almost three months work done. A BS5B from the Tire Iron defenses, the last to undergo refit, was also in orbit. With their work complete the two tugs used to position the bases in orbit had been sent away to Brickyard. Only four scouts formed what remained of the former mobile forces in Bedrock, keeping an eye on the Abom forces at the Gravel Pit and Tire Iron warp points.
Danmor had already settled on a strategy. As the enemy would soon figure out the BS6s were nowhere near complete they were going to charge in, lending jamming assistance to their fighters and armed pinnaces. So occupied the Hatchets would focus on eliminating as many fighters as possible. Granite-1 would ravage any missile-armed ship that came in range, but the real targets wouldn’t come close until all opposition was cleared.
To date the Aboms elected to land troops on Axis worlds instead of bombarding them. They even garrisoned colonies on asteroids and miserable airless worlds, according to their own admission via a massive wave of courier drones sent into Bedrock weeks earlier, broadcasting their accomplishments. Long-range scanners had determined that there was a smaller group of ships trailing the main Abom force approaching the planet. Danmor suspected that it was the troopships, and he issued a new order. F0 Hatchets from the asteroid colonies BA-3 and BA-5 as well as FRS #4, 5, 8 and 9 will come to Bedrock Prime, timed just as the Abom fleet would be within spitting distance of Granite-1.
A new light code appeared on the master holoimager in the command center. Danmor was informed that three ships, at least cruiser-sized because they were moving at .117c (suggesting engine detuning), had moved ahead of the Abom fleet. Escorting them was an undeterminable number of fighters. Having destroyed no less than six Abom scouts as they attempted to get definite reads on the orbitals it appeared they were trying a reconnaissance in force. Since the implied cruisers had to approach the orbitals directly so their long-range scanners weren’t obscured by the planet, Danmor decided not to engage them with the station’s weapons. He still wanted to keep the Aboms in the dark as the true number of fighters embarked on Granite-1, especially the F1s, and the station’s own impressive firepower. Only 120 of the improved Hatchets were used previously to intercept the scouts just short of the 10 light-second mark. If they were foolish enough to engage the defenses with fighters alone then Danmor had no qualms in using his full strength, gutting the Aboms squadrons even as they atomized the BS6s as well as the very station he was on.
Danmor noted that the master plot had the trio of Abom ships arriving in an hour. Enough time for dinner, most likely his last.
********
In addition to the three main Allied formations the Axis noted there were five smaller ones. Three of them were composed of armed pinnace tenders of the Privateer and Chaq-B classes. With their flight groups restored with Whales drawn from the larger Buccaneer tenders these three groups were tasked to sweep an area up to 90 LMs from the primary stellar component of all scanner and comm buoys. For the other two, each comprised of six CAs and carrier elements loaded with 96 Shark fighters, they were ordered to destroy all the small space stations and asteroid fighter bases that were within 10 LMs of Bedrock Prime.
In the auxiliary control of the DN Captain Avma a familiar pain wracked Flag Admiral Tulcus Jki. Ever since recovering from wounds sustained in Hagelkorn she felt infrequent, twisting, stabbing pains in her gut. It didn’t matter if she was peacefully asleep or wide awake, but never did the pain assert itself just before or during combat, until now. With an effort she kept her voice uncolored by discomfort. “Admiral Barsus, what is the status of the two interdiction flotillas?”
Barsus noted the death grip Jki had on the armrests of her chair, belying the calm of her voice. He had seen this once before in the wardroom when Jki’s wound acted up. She blamed the pain on some bad anchovies she had for lunch but Barsus knew better. “They’ve just made contact, Flag Admiral. Each flotilla has been intercepted by 96 F0 Hatchets, but with datalink jamming and supporting fire from the Kioshos our own losses shouldn’t be crippling. We’ll need to destroy two more asteroid fighter bases as well as four more of those small space stations placed within the belt to ensure that no F1 Hatchets can reach Bedrock. ”
Jki blinked concern. “Barsus, what is composition of the fighters heading for Bedrock?”
“All of them are F0 Hatchets, Admiral. At total of 312 are on course for the planet, and with their speed it’s clear they’re carrying no ordnance. They will reach Bedrock and have time to refuel and be armed. Unfortunate that we couldn’t intercept them with our Sharks.”
“It wouldn’t have been practical, Barsus. Our Sharks would’ve carried no weapons either in order to catch them. If we had the new F2 model they just perfected on Yoshibo it would’ve been a different story.” Jki’s eyes widen slightly as she spotted a light code on the main screen advancing closer to an arbitrarily marked point. “I see the heavy probe is just two minutes from definitive scanner range of the planet.”
Barsus looked uncomfortable. “It would be better if the Axis attempted an intercept. The chance to reduce our fighter force before the main attack should’ve been irresistible.”
“It’s three Jajers and 240 Sharks,” Jki said. “They may think it isn’t worth the effort to eliminate this particular probe. Too much opposition, unlike the six Sloops they destroyed earlier.”
A secondary monitor at the command station beeped for attention. Barsus obliged. “Admiral, the Jajers have stopped detuning. 60 seconds to maximum ECM generation, 90 seconds to definite scanner range.” The two minute time lag was scarcely noticeable as the Jajers beamed their findings directly to the flagship from the very beginning. Still it felt like an eternity, Jki wondering if the space station and the inferred orbital bases had obliterated the trio of ships with long-range missile fire in the interim.
“Ships pulling back at full tactical speed, Admiral,” Barsus finally announced thankfully. “They were targeted by all the orbitals but no weapons were fired. Data is being processed… On the main screen.”
Jki’s eyes appreciably widen when 24 symbols representing type-6 bases appeared along with the sunburst icon of the space station. Then they closed a little, for she suspected something. “Mr. Yos,” she said, “your opinion on this finding?”
Working at a console on Jki’s right Yos stood up and gave the main screen a contemplative look. “Admiral, while they had the chance to indulge themselves and eliminate our fighters, the Axis should’ve at least engaged our cruisers. That they hadn’t tells me those bases are not equipped with capital launchers. The scanners on the Jajers indicated that each type-6 base, roughly analogous to ours, is less than 40% complete. I submit that most of the complete tonnage was slated for defenses, explaining why they didn’t fire when they had the chance.”
“Perhaps, Yos. I suppose their impulse control has improved. It could very well be the reverse, and the bases are mostly weapons, giving a one-time punch and a petty sense of satisfaction.” Jki leaned back into her command chair, eyes locked forward. “Admiral Bersus, we’ll proceed with the engagement plan. The troopship group will continue behind us at a range of 15 light-seconds. All squadrons will launch once the fleet is 20 light-seconds from Bedrock Prime.”
“Aye, Aye, ma’am.”
********
Like an anthill disturbed by heavy footfalls the tiny defenders of Granite-1 and lunar fighter base FB-1 spilled out of their launch bays alert and angry. 696 were launched while the other 408, in a holding pattern around the station, were down to just 20 minutes of life support when the Allied ships reached the 12 light-second mark. Dividing into three groups, the main body was composed of 772 F0 and 92 F1 Hatchets. Of the other two groups, each composed of 120 F1 Hatchets, they went on wide, separate courses. The station’s small craft, ranging from cutters to cargo pinnaces, also launched and took position over the massive construct.
The Allies had 768 Sharks devoted to the main body of the fleet. Lashed by datalink jamming and shipboard weapons it was a given that the Hatchet horde would be too weak to do any meaningful damage. As for the troopships they had considerable escort (including the carriers) as well as the protection of 180 Sharks and 60 Hamthen AFSC (now designated as Gars). While the fighter battles were going to be brief and very violent it was the run on the orbitals that remained an imponderable.
At full dreadnought speed the Allied ships engaged ECM and entered maximum SBM range one minute later, putting the main Hatchet horde 8 LS out. First to fire was a trio of Oknib DNs, their SBMs with bomb-pumped laser warheads reaching, ever questing to obtain a solid lock on the distant target. Of the ten that managed to latch onto Granite-1 six got past point defense and inflicted their hurt on the massive construct, though less than 1% of the armor was destroyed. Return fire fell on a Disam capital missile cruiser. Of the 80 SBM-Lts fired 18 got past point defense and stripped the Disam of its armor. In all Grantie-1 lost 7.4% of its armor in the first exchange.
The second exchange was at 8.75 LS range with the Hatchets now 4.75 LS distant. The armor-denuded Disam had come about and was out of range, so the master fire-control officer on Granite-1 selected an Oknib, the laser-tipped missiles taking away half of the big ship’s armor. Fewer missiles got through in reply but the station lost a further 7% of its armor. Slowing a bit, the Hatchets were 2.75 LS from the Allied fleet with the Sharks still within the jamming envelope. The fleet, now 7.5 LS from the orbitals, was treated to a true full-blooded exchange with Granite-1. The huge space station still had some SBM-Lts left on its external racks, 39 of the original 134, and combined with the external load on the BS5B the Oknib faced 68 missiles barreling at it. Point defense swatted 23, and those that got through shattered the armor and ripped up the interior. Three engine rooms, five launchers, and two point defense mounts were ruined. It was also at this point that Granite-1 and 14 of the incomplete BS6s showed that they were armed with spinal force beams, lashing out at a Nikazu class battleship, scoring five hits.
Return fire from the Oknibs, Disams, Reliants, and Matriarchs was still composed of SBM-Lts fired from internal launchers as well as external racks. For ships with limited number of capital launchers they had been spitting out antimatter SBMs in loiter mode until now, firing them along with antimatter CMs to augment their external loads of SBM-Lts. While lasers slash across the exterior of Granite-1 antimatter fireballs blossomed across the enormous construct’s station-keeping field like leprous boils, melting armor plate like it was butter over an oven. Overall 14% more armor was eliminated.
As the fleet came within 6.25 LS range the anticipated clash between the fighters happened. With a slight bit of engine modulation the Hatchets bobbed and weaved so that they were 1.25 LS out from the fleet, but facing out to all points of the compass. Regardless of what the Shark squadrons did every Hatchet had the opportunity to fire on their enemy opposite number. With so many proximity-fused close attack missiles being thrown around it was like a whole brick of firecrackers going off at night. Gun packs, used by both sides, picked up were the missiles left off. Combined with distant Dc fire, the Allies bagged 676 Hatchets for the loss of 266 Sharks.
Granite-1 continued to shed armor like it was going out of style. The Sharks, delegated to finish the Hatchets (all of which were F0s), were surprised when sensors picks up a troubling sign. All the Hatchets jettisoned their gun packs, came about as one, and bore straight in towards the fleet. All 188 went for the Nikazu hit by the initial spinal force beam barrage, the Coral Reef. The captain elected to meet the charge head-on, enticing the enemy pilots to commit themselves to their attack. More importantly, she wasn’t about to be forced aside by suicidal fools. Of the 40 that stayed on target 5 were shot down. The impacts on the drive field were spectacular, reminiscent of bugs hitting a car’s windshield at speed. Badly crippled, the Coral Reef kept its heading towards the orbitals, for the captain also knew that the Axis would spend their new force beams on her command to finish it off rather than start fresh on a new target.
The capital missile units slowed to 0.033c, placing them 5.75 LS out and employing maximum ECM. Only the BC-hull units benefited the most, degrading even the improved fire control on the space station. From the Allied ships’ capital launchers came antimatter-tipped missiles, causing Granite-1’s capital point defense to work overtime. While the Sharks dispatched the Hatchets the fleet, now within standard missile and capital force beam range, accelerated the demise of Granite-1. The fleet also fired the rest of its external ordnance, bathing the station in deadly fireballs even as force beams crushed and battered their way into the hulking construct’s core.
As the Coral Reef’s captain had predicted the Axis commander, Danmor, elected to finish off the battleship with spinal force beam fire. Even the crippled Oknib was consigned to the Great Ocean by Granite-1’s missiles. However, with its armor value at a mere 23% the station’s demise was at hand. With range down to 3.75 LS and the Sharks 0.75 LS closer more beam weapons came into play. Force, laser, and energy beams picked up were the distant missile ships left off. With high interest Jki witnessed as the first of ten shipyard sections disintegrate and belch debris from their cleared slips. Decks of cargo holds and living spaces vented to space, more often than not the resulting flotsam included suited bodies of the yard workers. The fleet’s primary beams focused exclusively on the BS5B, making it a weaponless hulk that was threat to no-one. The Hazen and Valhallan ships found the station mounted a brace of overload dampners, negating the various energy beam hits with ease. For the 24 BS6s, even those without internal weapons, they played their trump card in the form of external capital missiles. Three more Nikazu BBs and two Tamaya CAs erupted into splinters. While Granite-1’s CM-Lts focused on a fresh Oknib, its primary as well as spinal force beams on the BS6s fell on a Cqux. Shields held but six primaries lanced engineering spaces, weapon mounts and crew spaces.
The Sharks, each still equipped with one FRAM along with a gun pack, moved to a range of 2 LS. Just behind them the fleet continued its relentless pounding. Due to the massive refit conducted when spinal force beams were perfected the weapons sections of Grantie-1 were the most protected. All the shipyard slips were destroyed as well as 90% of the fighter bays. Another Oknib was destroyed with the Cqux losing its passive defenses. With plain optics it was hard to discern the fine features of the station as clouds of frozen atmosphere hugged the exterior like so much river fog.
As one the 52 small craft moved away from Granite-1 and closed on the fleet on a ramming course. The besieged Cqux was destroyed by the piloted metal hailstorm but was avenged almost immediately. Both the Sharks and the fleet found that the Axis did have datalink jammers, only activating them at the last moment. It didn’t really matter for Granite-1, and the BS6s were knocked out of their datalinks as well as the fleet came within 1.25 LS of the orbitals. In a final burst of defiance the great station used its point defense to kill six more Sharks with the BS6s claiming 54 more.
That left 442 Sharks, and with each firing a single FRAM they went after BS6s that had spinal force beams. Antimatter-spawned fireballs covered and then consumed eight of the bases. Major pieces of debris began the inevitable process of a decaying orbit, raining down onto planet in the following days and weeks. As for the other bases they were either destroyed or gutted by capital energy beams, both Hazen and Valhallan sending over marines to secure the hulks for study.
Granite-1 now resembled a set of barely-connected components than a proper station. Its purposeful cylindrical sections had multitudes of hull breaches and power functioned erratically if at all. Once the central core experienced direct damage life pods spilled out of the disintegrating construct like wind-driven pollen. All 18 Terpla class DNs, including the Captain Avma, focused their weaponry on the dying orbital. It was a spectacular disincorporation as the last of the major connections failed, each distinct part separating from the whole. For decades to come, the orbital path once occupied by Granite-1 will be noted as a hazard to navigation.
“The battlespace has been secured,” Barsus said formally to the Flag Admiral. “Lunar and planetary spaceports have been neutralized by neutron warheads. The lunar fighter base has been dispatched by laser fire.”
Jki’s eyes fluttered, having been transfixed on the repeater screens before her. “Excellent. Mr. Yos, order the Eyuts to assume orbit and begin deployment of recce and kinetic bombardment satellites. Update the main plot.”
“Aye, Aye, Flag Admiral.” Yos made adjustments to the master screen, zooming out the perspective to include the trailing troopships, and the two Hatchet groups about to intercept them. Again with deliberate maneuvering the Axis fighters were at 1.25 LS range, dishing out death even as they got generous portions in return. In all the Sharks, Gars, and the ships that could reach that far smashed 185 of the 240 F1 Hatchets for the loss of 66 Sharks. No Gars were destroyed as the Axis pilots were expressly told to attack fighters and not Abom anachronisims.
A sharp mind, Terpla’n Admiral Kamani, commander of the troopship task group, knew what the Hatchets were going to do next. All ships slowed to 0.05c and employed as much ECM as possible, each captain given discretion to alter course. The Hatchets weren’t going to suicide against carriers as fighter losses ensured the Allies had more than enough hanger space for their needs. No, they were going after the troopships, the Hatchets limited sensors showing the unmistakable signature of packed hulls. Largest of the troopships were the three Fkolns, one of which was named the Belynda. With Hatchets coming from both sides the captain of the Belynda, Hauc, elected to go straight ahead as any turn to port or starboard would provide the suiciders an opportunity to conduct a head-on attack.
Of the 55 Hatchets set on crushing death, 18 kept up with the sudden deft changes made by the Belynda’s helmsman to the ship’s base course. 14 were shot down, leaving the final four to complete their mission. One-third of the big ship’s shields were flatten, and it needed the rest as the last 37 Hatchets manevuvered to the edge of their performance envelopes and targeted their remaining close-attack missiles. With everything being thrown at them, and still firing as singletons, the Axis pilots succeeded in reducing the Belynda’s armor by 53%. This was seen as final proof that had the Axis possessed antimatter warheads they wouldn’t have failed to use them in this battle.
Even with knowledge of the basic layout of Bedrock Prime in regards to its population centers and terrain it took thirty minutes after the battle to find a suitable site to land the 165,000-strong 3rd Expeditionary Corps of the CSA. With reports and scanner contacts coming in from scout ships, all the fleet’s captains, and especially Jki, had willed for an additional hour for the troopships to complete their task. The Axis had other ideas.
********
They were tired. Had they an actual god to pray to instead of invoking an abstract named Providence then the Comensal pilots would be bleeding from the knees and knuckles to be lucid at the right time. It wouldn’t have been so bad if more of the small stations were built, or that more squadrons were equipped with F1 Hatchets. Still, every pilot knew that numbers meant everything. For that reason Admiral Danmor had sent new orders when the Abom fleet was one day out from Bedrock Prime. F0 Hatchets from asteroid colonies BA-2 and 6 and FRS #2, 3, 10, and 11 were flown to BA-3 and 5 and FRS #4 and #9 respectively. This resulted in 48 Hatchets having to stay ‘airborne’ for the better part of a day. Piloting a fighter was demanding and stressful enough, but to wait, basically floating in space until practically out of air and then land in one hour cycles was taxing patience and strength. It was akin to the ancient tale of a merchant carrying twice as many birds in a cargo hold by the simple expedient of having half of them flying at any one time.
Every pilot wanted to engage the enemy, and they knew what Danmor wanted from them. Loaded with weapons, a F0 Hatchet launched from BA-3 and 5 would just reach Bedrock Prime. The enemy knew that range, and could easily evade the fighters by simply pulling out of range. But they can’t, especially since such a move would leave ground troops without orbital support. Perhaps more importantly a loaded F0 could be overhauled and shot down by a partially-loaded Abom F1. This only left the option of conducting a suicide attack. Unloaded, a F0 would be hard to engage with a F1. Factoring in laser packs, however, it was possible for the whole Hatchet force to be eliminated before reaching the planet.
At this point a simple act of guile was used. Working to a timetable, the Hatchets from FRS #4 and #9 reached BA-3 and 5. They were serviced along with the ‘flying birds,’ and two groups of 168 Hatchets each made a bee-line for Bedrock Prime. By manipulating the drive field of their fighters the Comensal pilots make it appear they were carrying a full load when in actuality they weren’t. Putting faith in their plan and giving the traditional lip-service to Providence the pilots hoped to startle the enemy with their true speed. It was expected that the majority of the fighters would break past with the enemy following impotently just beyond weapon range.
Only seeing what the Axis was showing, Jki sent out her Sharks to intercept. Divided in two groups, the 556 Allied fighters were armed with a close-attack missile and a gun pack each. Expecting their enemy to go down fighting the Allied pilots were surprised when the Axis groups went to full speed and divided into three sections each. For both intercept groups they were only able to take down 112 Hatchets, leaving 224 to close on Bedrock Prime. Impotently, just outside the reach of their gun packs, the Sharks trailed behind the Hatchets. Admiral Reas, commanding the carrier force of the fleet, briefly considered sending out a brace of carriers. Dropping external ordnance, as many Shark squadrons as possible would land, rearm with laser packs, and force an intercept. Math and time worked against Reas as well as fate, for the work showed that the Hatchets, taking a least-time course, would reach the troopships over Bedrock Prime with a minute to spare. Simply put, the Sharks should’ve been launched earlier.
Jki saw the numbers as well. To protect the troopships now entailed using an ancient naval tactic – the picket line. She had the fleet form a crescent 2.25 LS across and out from the planet, centered on the Hatchets’ most direct route. It had the virtue of making the Axis pilots even more committed. They couldn’t slow down briefly to say out of the engagement envelope of the fleet’s point defense for that would let the Sharks catch up. Nor could they ‘turn the corner’ on the picket line as the ships involved would simply move to follow. No, the only thing the Hatchets could do was jinx at the last possible moment and pass through the picket line at a spot of their own choosing. It was the best that could be done in the time allowed, and Jki hoped it would be enough.
Like filings attracted by a magnet the four subgroups of Hatchets, having been on intercepting courses, merged just short of the picket line. With Sharks still nipping at their heels the Axis fighters plunged straight ahead, only turning to port 0.75 LS from the ships before intersecting the line. The Hatchets were still engaged by the bulk of the defenses and a great many were shot down by lasers and metal slugs moving at c-fractional speeds. Only 64 of 224 survived, driving onward towards the troopships and to one in particular.
Still offloading soldiers and material, the troopships couldn’t leave orbit and deny support for the enlarging ground presence of the 3rd EC. This especially extended to the allocation and control of kinetic bombardment satellites, all of which were handled by the three Fkoln transports. Having been subjected to a suicide attack previously the crew of the troopship Belynda were braced for a fresh onslaught. A gut feeling that they would be singled out was verified when all 64 Hatchets homed in on them. While their fatigue was banished the Comensal pilots were relatively inexperienced for only 44 held true to their attack run. Listening to the combat chatter between the orbiting ships the hundreds of communication officers in the fleet were privy to what was being said on the bridge of the Belynda. The comm line was left open, everyone that paid attention at that particular moment heard the Belynda’s captain, Hauc, yelling at the incoming suiciders to ‘keep your filthy planes away from my ship.’ Last-ditch firing of proximity-fused sprint-mode missiles and point defense nailed 14 Hatchets. For the other 30 they slammed into the massive ship, collapsing the restored shields and knocking out the rest of the armor. What followed were crushed shuttle bays, collapsing holds, and barracks and quarters rendered without pressure and air. 40% of the ship’s crew became casualties with 200 soldiers killed by shrapnel as a bulkhead gave way in their embarkation station. Three of the Belynda’s four surgeries were destroyed, so the call went out for medical shuttles to evacuate wounded via the ship’s undamaged bays. For the remaining 20 Hatchets, desperately trying to come about to conducting another ramming attack, they weren’t so much shot down as dynamited like so many fish in a pool.
Jki had her ships resume station over Bedrock Prime. With her staff in attendance, she took in the reports from the dispersed formations, factored in sustained losses and projected reinforcements, and considered the three routes of advance available. A short time later one route was ruled out. A Hokum ISN pinnace emerged from the Tire Iron warp point during the last stage of destruction of the guarding Axis bases. Not too much later another pinnace appeared and transmitted a report from one Lord Admiral Janus, requesting a meeting with the CSF admirals. Recognizing it as a golden opportunity to enhance relations between the Commonwealth and Imperium, Jki accepted the request of her opposite number in the Hokum Fleet to a visit. With the assembled forces under her command Jki knew it wouldn’t fail to impress the Imperium officers.
********
Under the conditions for the visit, set by Jki, her protocol officer and Mr. Yos, the Hokum were permitted to bring three ships, a battlecruiser and two small carriers, into Bedrock and escorted to the planet by a Sloop scout. Once there Admiral Janus and her party went aboard the Captain Avma, Jki’s flagship and veteran of the Short War six years previous. There was some passing concern that being aboard the warship that wiped the decks with Hokum hulls would engender some resentment among the guests. Jki addresses this, saying that curiosiity and fascination would overrule whatever bad feelings the Hokum may harbor against the ship.
Unlike the ceremonial dress version of the standard shipsuit worn by the Tepla’ns, the Hokum had ornate vests and laceless shoes. Aside from the four arms, the Hokum were similar to the Valhallan and Tzelan in terms of height and bipedal structure. Covered in fine, short fur, the race had no real need for clothing. The same can be said of the Terpla'ns, but most Hokum have only seen Terpla'ns in uniform. One had to wonder how the imperial race would react seeing the ship's crew in off-duty dress.
After the greetings were exchanged in the Avma’s shuttle bay the visitors were given an abbreviated tour of the ship. One of the stops was the wardroom. Along the walls were expansive paintings of the ship as well as its pre-space progenitors. There were also display cases that contained scaled models, plaques and framed documents. Lord Admiral Janus was drawn to one painting of particular. Both of her left hands rested on her hip while her front right hand pointed to the richly detailed artwork. “Captain Dojan,” she said, the translation program giving her voice a dulcet tone, “can you tell me the story behind this particular painting?
Walking deliberately since his back pair of legs was missing, Dojan stood by Janus’ left side. “It’s a depiction of the Avma as she appeared during Battle of Coral Bridge.” The translator conveyed his tone of satisfaction perfectly. “I was the Avma’s second officer at the time.”
A smile came across Janus’ face. “I’m sorry to say I don’t recall seeing you then, Captain. Perhaps that is because Admiral Ayrth limited access to the INS officers being held prisoner on the Avma after Coral Bridge. Apart from the obvious intelligence officers and sly questions advanced by others, Ayrth was a gracious host.”
“So this marks the first visit aboard the Avma of your own volition, then,” said Jki impishly as she came up Janus’ right. “Next to Lord Admiral Dornal, you were the most senior officer to enjoy Ayrth’s hospitality. That meant you and Dornal had the privilege of meeting him in his cabin to discuss the welfare of the other ISN prisoners. Because of your rank, I imagine Ayrth gave you and Dornal a tour of the ship’s no-vital areas.”
“You are correct, Flag Admiral,” Janus admitted in a playfully conspiratorial tone. “He also told me that it was you who commanded the carriers in Coral Bridge. I was inspired by your example to undergo fighter training myself. As for visiting areas of this ship,” she gestured with her right rear arm, “this is the first time I’ve been in this compartment. I would’ve remembered those intricate ship models.”
Jki grinned. “As well as this.” She had Janus go over to a section of the wood-paneled bulkhead adorned with plaques etched with Terpla’n headshots. “Aryth told you about my carrier command, but forgot about this, and you would have remembered it.” She pointed to the first plaque with justifiable pride. “I was the Avma’s first captain and a keel owner.”
A look of genuine surprise came across Janus’ face. “You honor me, Jki. So Ayrth’s cabin was originally yours, as he told me that it was the cabin of the Avma’s various captains from the beginning. Tell me, is that ‘lungfish’ still aboard?”
“Flip? Oh yes, that little affectionate cuss is still aboard. He certainly remembers me after all this time.”
“What of Aryth?” Janus asked with sincere curiosity. “Has he been promoted? He told me he was entertaining the possibility of being the chief naval advisor to the president or becoming the commandant of the naval academy.”
Jki’s grin drooped as sour memories came bubbling up to the surface. “He would’ve been the next commandant if it wasn’t for the Axis. He was killed when his command ship was destroyed in the Borehole assault a few months ago.”
Janus looked crestfallen. “That is regrettable. Upon learning that this ship was the Avma I half-hoped to see Aryth. He was a gracious host.”
Before Jki could respond, Benevix, Janus’ intelligence officer, injected himself into the conversation. “A fascinating collection of history you have here, Admiral Jki. Your navy has amply proven its ability to knock the Axis back on its heels. With the forces at your disposal the Axis can’t hope but fall like so many rotted wooden doors being kicked in.”
For those that knew Terpla’n mannerisms (which meant none among the Hokum present, even Janus) they would’ve seen the way Jki’s eyes flexed to express displeasure. She had been listening in to various conversions around the wardroom and found Benevix to be the most inquisitive. The translation program worked so well she could discern a tone of unwarranted smugness. “Even rotted wood can leave splinters, Mr. Benevix,” she said pointedly. “I’m going to show you some of those that got splinters.”
With guests in tow, Jki went the Avma’s sickbay. Every bed was occupied with a Terpla’n or an E’sani, many of which were covered in medical appliances. “The troopship Belynda was beset by two waves of suicide attacks conducted by Axis fighters,” she told the Hokum, several of which were having trouble looking at the scene presented to them. “Only armor damage was done in the first attack. Despite our best efforts, enough survived in the second attack to complete their ramming runs. The ship sustained significant internal damage. Most of the troops were landed on Bedrock previously, but 200 still on-board were killed outright. Of the crew, 800 of 2000 became casualties.”
She gestured to the occupied beds. “These are the worst of the wounded. Disregarding their own safety, they went back time and again to rescue trapped crewmates and soldiers. Even when they found the people they sought to save were dead, they still went back in find the living. As you see, the odds finally caught up to them.” Her eyes settled on Benevix. “What we experienced here in Bedrock we can expect in every Axis system from now on. That means far more splinters for every rotted door we kick in.”
********
The second day of the Hokum visit was limited to a formal declaration of appreciation, presented by Janus, and a dinner in the Captain Avma’s wardroom. It also marked the first time the Hokum were in the presence of representatives from most of the races allied with the CPS. It took some adjustment for the INS officers, finding that expecting and experiencing was not the same thing. Those races that the most similar, such as the E’sani, Tzelan, Tuphon and Vallahan, served as an anchor of commonality. With the Humarsh, however, with their triangular-shaped heads, it was like looking at a prop from a movie set.
As head guest, Janus sat to the right of Jki with Hamthen Admiral Levv sitting on the left. Of all the Allied contingents in the 2nd Field Fleet, Levv’s was the smallest, composed of just two Wall Cloud AFSC carriers and an Ice escort cruiser. It was here that Janus made know during the dinner of the Axis records captured from ships and on Crimson Expanse. Records that showed the Axis as the malignant cancer of a civilization as it really was. Janus expressed on the behalf of the Imperium that the ISN would contribute even more towards the defeat of the Asteroid Axis and their genocidal machinations.
On the third and final day the ISN officers had meetings with their CSF counterparts. Discussions on Comensal guerilla activity and tactics were at the top of the list for both sides. Axis fleet and fighter tactics were also discussed. As for Janus she was first given an exclusive tour of the Avma’s bridge. Since Janus was the guest, Captain Dojan extended the invitation as it was his ship. Jki could’ve imposed herself and made Dojan give the bridge tour, not to mention the ship, but didn’t. Even though she made the Avma her flagship Jki felt no compelling need to see the bridge of her old command. It was close to three years since the last time she was on its deck, and only then as part of a tour for the Hamthen Mr. Skuu.
After the third Hagelkorn assault, Jki was certain the bridge was refashioned in the same manner that auxiliary control was done. It was to her private delight that, despite having new consoles, the bridge layout was the same. Only the primary flat panel screen at the captain’s station was retained from original equipment, the faint scratches made by Jki’s ancient compass still evident. Janus noticed this, and how much larger the control space was than her cruiser command a decade earlier. She hadn’t even been aboard one of her own navy’s dreadnoughts, so she made a note of it to visit an Indomitable or Implacable to compare it with the Avma.
Next came the meeting in Jki’s cabin. Both admirals had their respective marine guards wait outside, having just one observer, if he could be called that, attending. While it may have been six years, as far as Flip the lungfish was concerned it was just yesterday when he saw Janus enter. With his head above the top of the 30-gallon aquarium and working his tail to perform his namesake, Flip was prevented from coating Janus’ tunic with water by Jki’s intervention. Wrapped in a towel, Flip was handed to Janus, tail still working as if nothing changed. It took a few ‘num-num’ cubes of freeze dried worms to placate Flip, resting like a rock at the bottom of a lake.
In all Jki and Janus talked business for over an hour of their three hour meeting. In brief both admirals described their respective campaigns to date, commenting on the evolution of Axis tactics and expectations for the future. At the very least, assaults into systems heavily fortified by the Axis would see more suicide attacks similar to what happened in Bedrock. Jki ventured the notion that the enemy, having exhibited technologies currently employed by the CSF and very likely would introduce the armed pinnace in the near future, would be mounting fresh counteroffensives against the CSF and ISN. Janus agreed, also adding that spoiling attacks conducted by the Axis would be more destructive, having been shown that with enough armed pinnaces anything could be accomplished. Following this Jki made an offer. As co-belligerents without a formal military pact between them, several mutually advantageous dealings weren’t possible, such as the sharing of battlefield intelligence. Informal exchanges of information, as Jki pointed out, could occur when a ship on one side encounters another while conducting active operations in an enemy system. Sensing what Jki was heading towards, Janus added to the notion that if both sides encountered an Axis force in the same system they should co-operate to ensure its destruction.
Noticing that Janus still had Flip in her front pairs of arms the whole time, holding it like an infant, Jki had to satisfy her curiosity. With minicomp in hand the flag admiral brought up a picture she received in the most recent mail from home. “Admiral Janus,” she said, holding the minicomp with the screen facing out, “do you have grandchildren?”
********
It was late in the Captain Avma’s officer mess. The trio of ISN ships had left three hours earlier, and the CSF officers were giving their preliminary reports of their meetings with their counterparts to Jki. Looking on from an aquarium attached to the bulkhead near the kitchen hatch was Flip, busily rearranging gravel every so often as he prepared to turn in for the night. He had no audience as everyone was giving Jki their full attention.
“Even though the Hokum invaded and occupied just one Comensal planet,” said Field Colonel Casvek, operations officer of the 3rd Expeditionary Corps, “it has played out on Crimson Expanse just as it has done on Citadel, Borehole, and Meadow. What this means for Bedrock and Forger's Gate, if the Comensal stay to their script, we can expect them to begin their uprisings two months after their regular troops ‘surrender’.”
Jki blinked, giving Casvek an intense look. “Did your counterpart mention any of the specific items as reported by Professor Peth Wenns?”
If Casvek felt disgusted his eyes didn’t show it. “Yes, ma’am. Ever since the civilians on Crimson Expanse took up arms there had been no signs of any Comensal child below the age of six. On occasion battlefield investigation teams found graves of children, all having been poisoned. This seems to lend credence to Wenns’ theory, one that is shared by a Hokum professor named Alba on Crimson Expanse. By age six the mind of a Comensal child is most receptive and impressionable. Both professors believe the adults had such young children killed so that they wouldn’t be turned away from their native culture.”
Admiral Barsus guffawed. “Such a sanctimonious and selfish act on their part. To sink so low, in my opinion, makes one think that the Comensal killing off their own offspring is no different from plowing under wilted fields in the hope for a better season.”
“Colonel, what does this mean for Bedrock? It’s the largest populated Axis planet we’ve invaded so far,” ask Admiral Reas, commander of the carrier groups.
Casvek didn’t blink. “It means, Admiral, that a minimum seven million children will be euthanized when the uprising begins. Comensal have also done this on asteroid outposts and lunar colonies that we haven’t directly occupied.”
Jki moved her gaze from officer to officer, more often than not finding a twinge of consternation. It was the first time for most of them hearing what Casvek was saying. When Bedrock goes the same route as the other occupied planets then the news couldn’t be kept under wraps. There will be those asking questions if it was worth the effort to garrison Comensal worlds, especially when the whole population participates in guerilla warfare and kill their own young children so they wouldn’t be captured and ‘converted.’ Truth be told, Jki was finding herself becoming one of those that would ask questions.
End Chapter 7
--Zume