The Terpla'ns - Chapter 7.50
The fog had lifted from the Pardel Memorial Spaceport, located within the Comensal colonial enclave on Elotoshani Prime. Waiting for the incoming pinnace was Prime Commander Konset. On that pinnace was the replacement for Konset’s disgraced former boss, System Admiral Joncan. Scuttlebutt in high civilian official circles was that the colonial governor had the authority to select the replacement, hence the rather quick turnaround time. System Admiral Wanfel was recalled from retirement on Open Campus, a colonized former Eloto world three transits out. As head of OC’s university and kept informed of the overall Axis R&D program Wanfel was a logical, and closest, replacement. The pinnace landed without incident, the wheeled steps brought up to the main hatch.
Dressed in a new uniform and with creases so sharp they appeared able to cut paper Wanfel went down the steps, finding Konset at the bottom. The junior officer saluted. “Welcome to Elotoshani, Admiral. The staff is assembled at the main research office for your official acceptance of duty posting ceremony.”
Wanfel returned the salute. “Good. I have read your recommendations that you forwarded while I was in transit, Konset. Some of them I need more direct information from the parties you mentioned before I can come to a decision. However, there is one thing I want you act on as soon as I’m official emplaced. Those abom research teams on the escort shuttle and armed pinnace programs. I want them and their immediately families arrested, tortured, interrogated, and executed for high crimes against the AFC and the Comensal race. It’s high time we rid ourselves of abom assistance on military R&D programs once and for all.”
“Yes, Admiral.”
At last, Konset though,
a superior I can relate to whole-heartedly.
In the weeks that followed Wanfel grew more and more disgusted of what he read and personally investigated. For Konset it was as if he was looking at his twin that had a twenty year advantage. He saw the supremely subtle and deliberate miscalculations and sabotage the Eloto aboms had committed over the years. This even included the original strikefighter program, developed in response to the use of fighters by the Nu’Chut AIs. By his estimation Wanfel calculated the Eloto delayed the program by four months. In both his and Konset’s opinion that act alone cost the AFC two battles. For some reason the succession of First Leaders had turned a blind eye and allowed the aboms to live so that their scientific acumen could be utilized, for both military and civilian applications. Both Konset and Wanfel vowed to discover the reason why if only to satisfy their curiosity.
Wanfel hoped the aboms taken care of by Konset would’ve produced more information before they were executed. As it was only four more aboms were picked up, tracked down and similarly disposed of when their DNA was found at the ‘dead drops’ the researchers used to collect new orders from the Eloto resistance. His interest in the case ended there as the Anti-Abomination Security Police (ASP) handled all investigations regarding Eloto.
As a senior officer of record Wanfel was given a 10,000 acre parcel of land on Eloto to do as he pleased. With a fondness of mountain vistas he chose a site in the north of the main continent. That an Eloto town was located next to the magnificent lake at the base of the mountains was only a minor detail. A regiment of the 650,000-strong occupation army was sent in and made the inhabitants tear down their centuries-old homes and businesses. Even the sewer system and underground electrical were torn up and filled in. When the landscaping was complete a casual visitor wouldn’t believe that the site had been inhabited at all. As for the displaced Eloto they were billed, not paid, for their labor on the grounds that they were ‘trespassing’ on Comensal property. Duly stripped of land and of wealth the disposed aboms were shipped to one of their major cities, on another continent, and summarily left for local authorities to take care of. As Comensal workers began to construct the house on the property Wanfel looked forward to the day that he could hand it over to his granddaughter on a world finally free of abom infestation.
********
With the arrival of several Allied task groups in Circuit Run there was a need for a designation for the assembled formations. With her new rank and powers Flag Admiral Tulcus Jki officially called her augmented command the Second Field Fleet. She had all the task group commanders and their staff chiefs come aboard the
Captain Avma and assemble in the conference room. It was crowded and warm, yet none made a fuss. Not even the prickly Humarshan officers, and especially not Admiral Kager Shal. However, it was the way that Shal moved his upper left eye that told Jki that he still harbored some smoldering resentment.
Jki had met the admirals the previous day, having hosted a formal diner in the
Avma’s wardroom. All were toasting Jki’s good fortune and congratulated her on the promotion. Then it came Shal’s turn. As a rule Humarsh respond quiet readily to alcohol, and it didn’t help matters that Shal consumed half a glass of vintage seaweed wine while waiting his turn. With his common sense suppressed Shal asked if Jki was going to conduct a mass transit involving all the ships in the fleet. Such an action was suitable for an officer that employed overkill before in the UWL War, he stated, and he saw no reason why Jki should stop now.
The other admirals gave Shal their equivalents of a harsh look while Jki looked at him impassively. Having read Shal’s dossier she knew that his younger brother Bagger Shal had commanded the warp point bases in the UWL home system during the war. She suspected that primary beam fire from the Captain Avma, her command, while in the process of rendering the base harmless had killed Bagger. As for Kager himself he was among the most senior of UWM line officers and that this was his first task group (and combat for that matter) command. Though she could’ve responded in Terpla’n and let the computers do the translation Jki spoke in faintly accented Humarshi. She laid down the law like a ton of bricks, telling Shal that she had a perfect working relationship with Rear Admiral Khal, and that he held no grudge about the UWL War. Alcohol or no, if Shal was going to be an impediment to the function of the fleet she was going to relieve him of his duty and ship him home in a pinnace, putting Khal in his place. That got through to Shal and his wine-enabled indignation, and he managed an acknowledgement before the next admiral offered his congratulations.
Ignoring Shal’s baneful eye Jki rang the conference room buzzer, getting everyone’s attention. “Officers of the Fleet,” Jki announced to the room’s occupants, “we now have an update of the Bedrock defenses that oppose us. As you’re about to see there’s been substantial changes. Captain Yos will provide the details.”
With a remote in hand Yos turned on the three holoimagers built into the length of the conference table. He highlighted the points of interest as he spoke. “Four hours ago we finally got a pinnace, the twenty-sixth, to come back from Bedrock. The number of type-5 bases has remained constant, but there has been an addition of 26 type-3 bases. 24 of the newcomers are arranged in groups of four that surround the warp point at a range of 0.5 light-seconds. It’s expect that these bases are either armed with plasma guns, in which case their job is to kill ships, or improved point defense with which to shoot down Whales and Sharks.
“As you can see our pinnace literally arrived during a shift change. The CAP was being replaced with fresh squadrons. From the numbers involved its clear the CAP is comprised of 30 squadrons and that the overall number of squadrons is at least 120.” Yos let that fact linger for a moment. “Also from those numbers, and the routes the fighters took, there are six BS5Vs along with a suspected Axis carrier group that’s beyond the range of the pinnace’s scanners.
“In addition to the bases and CAP squadrons our pinnace picked up three groups of assault shuttles patrolling at a distance of 0.5 light-seconds from the warp point. Each group was comprised of 19 assault shuttles, suggesting a minimum of 224. Regarding the remaining two BS3s, diametrically opposed to each other at a range of 3 LS from the warp point, their function is unclear but it’s possible they serve as shuttle bases.
“IDEW strength remains at 1200 and, of course, we have no idea if the number of mine patterns has been increased from the 1200 indicated from previously captured data. Aside from the suspected carrier group there were no Axis ships within range of the pinnace’s scanners. Labeled as a fleet base, Bedrock’s defenders wouldn’t have failed to include warships in the defenses, even assault corvettes, had they any at their disposal.”
Crajen Admiral Dowel raised his left claw arm. “Excuse me, Captain, but was the pinnace able to determine if the fighters it saw were of an improved generation?”
Yos blinked acknowledgment. “The energy readings were unmistakable, Admiral Dowel. They are analogous to our F1 Sharks.”
“Wonderful,” Bulani Admiral Vekken injected. “What’s to say they have antimatter loads on those Hatchet fighters of theirs?”
Jki had Yos step back as she answered the question. “We’ll cross that bridge when we come to it. Gods know they’ve had plenty of time, money, and urgency to replicate our weapons. Even with their apparent lack of ships to augment the close-in defenses a convention assault will be prohibitively expensive. However,” she held out a hand to keep the assembly quite, “we’re not going to mount a full-scale mass warp transit either. Only the first wave will involve mass transits of specific class types. The composition of the first assault wave is set with the majority of units coming from Admiral Bettz task group, followed by the Tuphonese contingent and the Quagaar. Included in the first wave will be 882 Whale armed pinnaces, the entire strength drawn from the field fleet. Selected units from the other task group assault flotillas will be chosen for the second and third waves. I’ll leave it to Admiral Bettz of the Endril Military Service to explain the nature of her flotillas.”
Bettz rose from her saddle-like chair, eyes sweeping the room. Her shipsuit had a transparent back panel so that the symbiotic chlorophyll living under her equally transparent back could receive light. The translation program gave a voice a melodic tone. “Gentlemen, in any warp assault the main problem faced by the attacker is being hemmed in by mines, preventing freedom of movement and the maximum use of ECM. Given the apparent strength of the Axis CAP and likely armament of the close-in BS3s, not to mention the distant missile bases, it becomes imperative in this operation that a path in the minefields is cleared as soon as possible. This will allow our dreadnoughts and battleships to move at full speed and decisively destroy bases at point-blank range and allow our missile ships to enjoy maximum ECM protection.
“As many of you have already seen my task group is practically one big assault force. Aside from the squadrons already serving on the front, my navy spent the bulk of its resources in creating four new classes of ships: a dreadnought assault minesweeper, a frigate minesweeper, an escort with jamming ECM and an explorer prime to absorb mines and laser fire alike. Much of the construction is only two years old or less. Aside from the Crams and Nikazu-Vs I have only two fleet carriers and an escort that can contribute to any action beyond this assault. My losses with be extensive, but with Betrik’s blessing we will scourge the Axis and hasten their fall to Hell that much sooner.”
Following a raucous set of agreeing words and sounds Jki had the assembly go silent. “Once the repairs are complete on the ships involved in the Connectors battle we will launch our attack. For the rest of this meeting we will formulate contingencies on the possibility that the Axis does reinforce the warp point in the interim.”
********
Looking quite pleased, System Admiral Hovwen watched her patrolling squadrons in the holoimager aboard the
Sun Crown, her carrier command ship. As the light codes floated in their orbits before her eyes she reflected on the past three weeks. It seemed an eternity, having the carriers form a distended chain from the asteroid belt to the Circuit Run bases to deliver the F1 Hatchets and sending the F0s to the asteroid fighter bases. The long in-system trips allowed the pilots to familiarize themselves with their new mounts. Combat drills and mock attacks were the order of the day.
Unlike the F1 Hatchets on the warp point CAP, carrying full loads of close-attack missiles, her carrier squadrons were primed for sustained dogfighting with two gun packs and a close-attack missile on each fighter. Even better, word was received that the technical details to construct antimatter generators required for missile warheads had reached Bedrock via the ICN. Galaxy Admiral Danmor assured Hovwen that in seven days, ten at most, construction would commence. In two weeks she could count on having enough FRAMs to equip all of her squadrons and those of the fighter bases for two full strikes.
Further good news was that datalink jamming was in the final stages of testing and would be available for refits and new construction within two months. Along with the Machete armed pinnace and Stiletto escort shuttle programs, finally reaching fruition, the AFC could rock the Aboms on their heels and push them back. All the way back to Hamthen and beyond, and if Hovwen had her way this time there will be no ground operations. Just orbital bombardments to wipe out Abom populations in….
A transit alarm filled
Sun Crown’s bridge as well as every bridge of the Axis warp point defenders. One after another three massive ships, designated as superdreadnoughts, emerged from the warp point. Already fixed on a close-up in the holoimager Hovwen watched as the 30 CAP squadrons arrowed in, only to wince as the display was populated with hundreds of new light codes. After interpenetration losses the 3 SD were joined by 14 DN, 28 BB, 54 FG, 62 ES, and 84 EX. Far more disconcerting were some 668 armed pinnaces that had survived transit and their run through the minefields. Having arrived in nine distinct groups, those pinnaces were over the close-in BS3s and BS5s. The patrolling assault shuttles and the defenses of those bases that went active to decimate those obviously FRAM-armed intruders were clearly inadequate.
The first Abom ship fired, one of the SDs, picking on a BS3 with antimatter-armed CAMs, crushing the shields and 43% of the armor. Another BS3 became active and fired its full armament of plasma guns and sole hetlaser into a SD. Of the 16 plasma shots seven were shot down, and even with the CAMs failed to collapse the shields, though some armor was lost from the laser it. An improve point defense instillation did nail a Whale armed pinnace, however.
What Hovwen and the WP Defense Commander didn’t know at that moment was that most of the ships were Endrili built and crewed. For all the Axis knew the big ships were assault carriers, and the Endrili fed this illusion by restricting their point defense and weapons in this opening exchange to match the appropriate class of assault carrier their ships pretended to be. The SDs were actually
Gravity Wells, and the
Nikazu-Vs and the
Cram minesweepers were practically identical in electronic signatures. Thus the fire from active CAP squadrons would spread between four suspected carrier classes when their actually was only one present.
For the Endrili they thanked Betrik that as few of the plasma-armed BS3s became active as they did, but witnessed two other classes of BS3s in action. One was quite similar to the first except that all the plasma guns were replaced by improved point defense. Of the third class it was armed with a battery of advanced missile launchers. Together both took terrible swipes at the Whales. Despite the effect of transit the Whales groups over the BS3s and BS5s obliterated their targets, finishing what the CAMs on the big ships started. On the Whale called Wholly Mackerel one Lt. Davke, second in command of the entire armed pinnace force, let out a whoop of delight as his flight wing took out an entire BS3. As for the patrolling assault shuttles they concentrated over the close-in BS5Bs in three groups, those shuttles that cleared for action firing on the Whales as those craft fired on the BS5Bs.
Of the 30 CAP squadrons 10 got active – 5 from the bases and 5 from Hovwen’s carriers. No ship was destroyed though two supposed BB(V)s (already heavily hit) and a suspect DN(V) were critically damaged. The imagined SD(V), actually a
Gravity Well, soaked up the close attack missiles and still had armor left. Meanwhile five active Axis bases with buoy control equipment coordinated their efforts and fired 200 IDEW-f and 300 IDEW-e buoys. One BB(V), two BB(MS), and three
Perditions, all having been on the receiving end from active BS5Bs and BS5Rs, were finished off with one BB(V) having only an intact magazine left. None of the small ships were out of the action thanks to their overload dampeners.
Hovwen was stunned. All the close-in bases were either destroyed or practically so. She doubted that the defense commander was alive given the carnage she witnessed. Nevertheless the 18 crashed-launched squadrons from the BS5Vs and the carriers headed for the warp point even as the second enemy wave made their entry. Three more SDs, two DNs, and a CA appeared. Of the 25 BBs on the warp point 10 showed they were assault carriers, launching 50 squadrons armed with pairs of gun packs and close attack missiles. Those ships in the first wave carrying regular pinnaces launched them, with one coming about and returning to Circuit Run. One BB(V) followed the pinnace and left as well. 42 cutters were launched from the Endrili
Noisemakers. Filled with marines, these cutters made for those Axis bases that were weaponless. For the rest of the first wave ships, they stayed on a heading that placed them before a patch of the minefield that lost five patterns from clearance charges fired from the FGs. At maximum engine modulation, EDMs deployed and ECM fully spun up a force of 2
Gravity Wells, 11
Perditions, 14
Crams, 54
Firewalkers, 20
Magnets, 10
Noisemakers, 70
Energy Sinks, and 14
Damage Sinks charged the mines. The big ships with their multiple point defense mounts easily handled the mines and the armor of the
Firewalkers held. Not one ship was lost due to the mines.
Datalink jammers on all the
Crams and
Noisemakers switched on to full power, making the remaining 20 CAP squadrons fall into disarray. The Whales used maximum ECM and orbited the warp point, firing internal guns and point defense at the buoys and at those assault shuttles that still pestered them. Nearly 300 IDEWs were nailed like so many clay pigeons. Those point defense systems on the
Crams and
Perditions that weren’t engaged in minesweeping opened up on the arbitrarily-labeled northern buoy park, knocking out 39 unfired buoys with the
Nikazu-Vs waiting for their turn to transit back to Circuit Run took out 6 in the southern buoy park. The regular pinnaces claimed 14 more.
Even in the face of such crushing odds the Axis crews were grimly determined to inflict harm on the Allies. One BS5E scored direct hits for all six of its spinal force beams, punishing the armor of one Crajen
Avami assault carrier. Those CAP squadrons that did go active, and despite firing as singletons, inflicted grievous harm on the Avami. As for the 50 Allied squadrons, with their Endrili pilots reciting the Prayer of Damnation either verbally or internally, they stayed on the warp point and destroyed their Axis counterparts in their entirety.
Also looking doom straight in the face was the junior Axis officer that found herself in control of the IDEWs. She decided to fire the remaining 92 IDEW-e and 200 of the IDEW-ls. The e-hulked
Nikazu-V was destroyed by a laser hit as well as four
Energy Sinks and three
Damage Sinks. For the other ships the damage didn’t really matter. With tractor beams on the
Perditions and
Firewalkers engaged the Endrili swept away the last of the mines in the northern patch, clearing a route for other to follow. The two Gravity Wells and the
Perditions and
Crams able to make 0.083
c moved onto the northern BS3, being greeted by the 38 crash-launched assault shuttles that made a head-long ramming course on a single
Perdition. 29 missed and continued toward the warp point while two broke past the point defense barrage, inflicting armor damage like golf balls against vinyl siding. A brief bombardment by antimatter sprint missiles brought down the BS3’s shields with the
Gravity Wells’s energy beams causing some internal damage.
The third wave was made of six Crajen-crewed
Luttfomi minesweepers, passing five
Nikazu-Vs and a
Magnet returning to Circuit Run. 34 squadrons launched from the two intact second-wave
Avamis and
Salyfs, armed just like the first wave fighters, heading to rendezvous with the
Perditions. The third
Avami just had one intact hanger bay left, launching its sole fighter into the void before it was finished off by spinal force beam fire. It was shortly joined by the first
Gravity Well, for the lack of overload dampers burnt out half of the point defense instillations. With armor practically all gone it just took the fire from three BS5Rs to finish it off.
The senior surviving Axis officer commanding the defenses issued new orders. All Hatchet squadrons already launched turned from the warp point and headed for the northern BS5Rs, the obvious targets of the Allied assault ships. All armed bases within range opened up on the speedy
Crams as they were the source of datalink jamming. Knowing that the remaining unfired IDEW-Ls would be finished off by the Whales the commander ordered their use. Only light damage was done by the 65 buoys as the affected ships were built to take it.
Both
Salyfs, the two
Avamis, a
Nikazu-V and another
Magnet went back to Circuit Run, being replaced by six
Tamaya CAs. The second wave fighters had caught up with the
Crams and
Perditions which in turn were now 0.25 LS from the northern BS3 and 2.25 LS from the northern BS5Rs. Now directly threatened all three bases let loose with a full, coordinated volley of internal and external capital missiles on one
Cram while the spinal force beams worked on another that had its hull breached. Even with the point defense of its two partners the ship receiving the deluge only stopped 62 of 86 missiles, barely retaining any armor. Next, the second trio, 7.75 LS distant, fired SBMs with laser warhead, scoring 14 hits and wrecking two engine rooms. Another
Cram, already damaged internally, was practically dead with just its jammer operating and an engine tuner with no engine to tune.
By sheer numbers the
Perditions and
Crams wrecked a northern BS5R with antimatter sprint missiles and hetlasers. Another BS5R had 40% of its shields collapsed. As the fifth wave entered the range closed to 1 LS, the assault ships turning to relative port and letting loose with blistering broadsides, completing the destruction of the northern BS5R group. The 205 Crajen fighters escorting the big ships were ready to dogfight the 234 Hatchets coming at them, made easier due to the blanket coverage from the
Crams’ jammers. It was a messy furball that sprawled around the ships, and if one missed a chance to lock-up on an enemy it was only a matter of moments to get a new opportunity. Hatchets lobbed close-attack missiles like they were going out of style, proving the ancient adage that being close counts both for nuclear fireballs and hand grenades. Along with point defense fire the Allies shot down all the involved Hatchets but at the cost of 36 Sharks.
The Whales, having finished the ‘mowing’ of the buoy parks, had gathered into one group and moved on the southeast BS5Rs. Behind them was the debris of the last of the assault shuttles spat out by the southern BS3. Among that debris was the Endrili armed pinnace force commander, leaving Lt. Davke in charge of 550 Whales, 241 of which still had 3 FRAMs each. Davke was no longer concerned about the Hatchets as they were going clockwise around the warp point, heading for the assault ships now coming about to relative port again, this time at 5 LS distance from the warp point and 4 LS from the northwest fighter bases. Twelve more squadrons of Hatchets reached their Crajen counterparts, dying like flies but claiming 17 Sharks in the process. Ten further Hatchet squadrons were 1 LS out, but were within the field of fire for the Perdition and Crams’ point defense. 16 Hatchets disintegrated in a forest of fiery nuclear blossoms.
The Endrili fighters over the warp point were released from their holding position once it became clear the Hatchets were going after the Crams. Halfway to their targets the 21 Hatchet squadrons from the southern BS5Vs turned about, now intent on engaging the 49 Shark squadrons coming after them. The squadrons accepted the challenge, though without the benefit of jamming they would acquire significant casualties of their own. Just like the previous battle over the
Crams the battlespace was a scene of violent chaos. 63 Sharks were eliminated in the twisting, contorting dogfights that also claimed all 126 Hatchets.
With the sixth wave accompanying, the ships of the third and fourth waves moved out at dreadnought speed and turned to engage the northeast BS5s at a range of 4.5 LS. The six
Luttfomis had engaged their engine tuners earlier, thus they were a little bit closer. Three of the ships were Hazen
First Colonels, firing their capital primaries into the hull of the NE BS5E. Four point defense mounts were lanced as well as a spinal force beam. The bases retaliated by firing their full external missile loads as well as beams at one DN, which happened to be the
Captain Avma. Only ten CMs got past interception and EDMs along with seven spinal force beam hits, yet the
Avma’s shields held. Back to the northwest the Allies were beginning to appreciate the hitting power of the new Axis beam weapon as seven of them slammed into a
Cram, collapsing restored shields and reducing armor protection to a mere 25%. The third wave of 44 Hatchets had closed and engaged the Crajen Sharks, only taking nine down with them into oblivion.
With the Whales rushing them the SE BS5Rs fired their point defense, harpooning 10 of the 550 deadly craft at 1 LS range. As they knew the Whales carried an external laser pack each the bases fired their external CMs at five
Firewalker FGs, furthering damaging and crippling them. With so many laser packs in contention there was no doubt: one BS5R was vaporized with another knocking on death’s door. Davke allotted the fire of those Whales still carrying FRAMs while considering the southern BS5Vs, his next targets.
Hovwen needed no further prompting. Of the 13 Hatchet squadrons left 8 were hovering around her carriers with five (five!) from the former CAP having landed and being rearmed at this very moment. She considered herself fortunate that the Whales were on the far side of the battle and that the Abom Sharks had expended their limited close attack missile loads in the dogfights with the Hatchets. Following orders from Admiral Danmor, Hovwen had her carrier group pull away from the area at full speed, making for the Bedrock/Gravel Pit warp point. She had no way to know that Flag Admiral Jki was in the battle, aboard her flagship which was now closing on the NE BS5Vs. With one part of her mind formulating defensive response in case of pursuit Hovwen watched the ongoing death of the defenses. The NW BS5Vs were now under the influence of the
Crams’ jamming. Despite this, and with CM-LT fire from the SW BS5Rs one Cram was nearly destroyed in exchange for the crippling of the two fighter bases and their designated protector. Assault shuttles from the
Perditions took off and attached themselves to the bases’ hulls, disgorging boarding parties in a bid to capture the bases and prevent their self-destruction.
The NE BS5Vs switched tack and focused on the Hazen BCs. Lacking shearing planes, the BS5Vs would be prey to the BCs’ tractor beams. Once locked on and with shields down it would be an easy matter to lance the bases’ spinal force beams, most likely a prelude to boarding action. It was also a matter of expediency as BCs were faster to kill than DNs. They only succeeded in reducing one BC to a limping, bleeding wreck with another missing its passive defenses. The BS5E was destroyed, and with the
Luttfomis and
Terplas firing force beams and sprint missiles the shields on the two BS5Vs were downed. Tractor beams on the other two BCs locked on and, with the data provided by long-range scanners, lanced the spinal force beams on the fighter bases. Afterwards they proceeded to take out point defense mounts so as to allow boarding shuttles to land unmolested. The only other damage the bases scored before being silenced was an additional hit on the
Avma, scouring off 13% of the big ship’s armor.
Five more Whales were nailed by point defense before both remaining SE BS5Rs were destroyed. Already on course, the Whales then moved onto the southern BS5Vs. 17 more were lost in a barrage of point defense laser fire, but the two fighters and one defense base came apart like old ship models dropped to the floor. With both NW fighter bases neutralized by the
Gravity Wells’ energy beams that just left the SW BS5Rs with weaponry. For the six dispersed BS2s they were eliminated by the fifth wave
Disams, now freed from their supplemental mine clearance duty. No longer requiring additional bases to be boarded for investigational purposes the
Perditions and
Crams unloaded on the base trio, removing them from the continuum with great prejudice.
The battle lasted under seven minutes. Of the 16
Crams that survived transit 8 were destroyed while 3 of the 14 Perditions were lost. Only one additional Endrili ship, a Noisemaker, was destroyed by the southern BS5Vs four minutes after the last of the IDEWs were fired. As SAR operations were conducted by five designated transports the 2nd Field Fleet formed up in Bedrock. As they entered, each fresh ship fired mine clearance rounds from external racks and internal launchers into the remaining Axis minefields, clearing out two patches. While the ships reloaded their racks with EDMs and anti-ship ordnance Jki, her Chief of Staff Barsus and Intelligence Officer Yos took stock of the situation in the
Avma’s auxiliary control station, serving as Jki’s flag bridge.
“The Axis carrier group is still retreating at full speed to the Bedrock/Gravel Pit warp point, Admiral,” Barsus said, pointing to the relevant light code on the main screen. “They’ll reach the warp point in just under eleven hours. The scouts detailed to follow them closely are being chased off by F1 Hatchets; some squadrons were armed with stand-off fighter missiles. One Sloop had to turn back after being damaged by several missile-armed Hatchet squadrons. The minelayer flotilla and Task Force 22 will proceed to the Gravel Pit warp point once their external racks have been reloaded.”
Jki blinked acknowledgement, her eyes looking at the auxiliary monitors before her. “What is the current status of the boarding parties?”
“10 of the 12 actions have been completed, Admiral,” Yos said, his eyes focused on the monitor to his left. “The last two are on fighter bases that were subjected to energy beam hits. It appears that a high portion of their personnel survived. The fighting is particularly… intense. Additional marines have been dispatched to hasten the captures. Mobile yards will be called in shortly to begin detail examinations of all captured bases, especially those with the new heavy force beam mounts.”
“The same kind of force beam they used in Forger’s Gate, no doubt,” Jki commented. “Hopefully the examination teams will be able to shift through the pieces and give us more definitive information. They’ve also demonstrated their possession of SBMs as well as laser warheads. Had they possessed datalink jammers then they wouldn’t have failed to use them.”
Barsus looked concerned, his second pair of eyelids partially closed. “I wish we knew just how many fighters they have in the system. That space station in Borehole had 300 Hatchets. Bedrock could easily have twice that number, and that’s not even mentioning the asteroid colonies and the small stations that were indicated in the captured data.”
Jki gave a secondary screen a glance, one that showed the inner system and the light codes of the mentioned colonies and stations. “Indeed, Barsus. They could funnel all the fighters from the Tire Iron warp point bases to conduct numerous fighter strikes on our forces as they come into range. To prevent that, we’ll sever the link between the Tire Iron bases and the asteroid belt along with the small stations between the Brickyard and Tire Iron warp points. We’ll send in the majority of Task Force 23 for this mission to remove the Tire Iron bases in their entirety.”
“Ideally we should have TF 23 attack before we do, Admiral,” Barsus injected. “It’ll mean fewer fighters for us to deal with later over Bedrock.”
“Agreed. With the rest of the fleet we’ll hold off from Bedrock Prime at a distance of ten light-minute until such time that the Tire Iron fighter bases have been destroyed. Once that’s accomplished we’ll move on Bedrock proper.” Jki turned to Yos. “The Axis fighters concentrated on shooting down our Sharks at the expense of taking out an additional Cram. Do you think the Axis will continue with this strategy of depriving us of our fighter cover, considerable as it is?”
Yos considered the question for his moment, his still gloved hands resting on top of a monitor. “While it will be a hindrance in the short run it won’t matter a month from now. We have enough crated fighters to replace our losses twice over. However, to minimize our losses, and to preserve our pool of experienced pilots, we should continue to exploit our datalink jamming advantage.”
“That’ll mean no long-range intercepts of enemy fighter strikes,” Barsus objected. “Engaging them so close to our ships would mean some would break through. Remember, our troopships will be coming along, for once the orbitals are destroyed we’ll be conducting landing operations.”
Jki gave Barsus a resolute look, outer eyelids wrinkled like stacked, sliced meat. “I agree with my Intelligence Officer. Building a core of experienced pilots will pay dividends in the months to come. Backed by the defensive fire of our fleet we’ll sweep the sky of Axis Hatchets and whatever they care to send via their chain of asteroid bases.”
“Admiral, what if the Hatchets at Bedrock play coy and stay near the orbital defenses? To use the jammers then would entail the jammer-equipped ships to go in with our fighters, and to defend them we need the rest of the fleet to follow as well.”
“We’ll cross that sea when we come to it, Mr. Barsus. If the number of Hatchets is as great as you think they are then our Sharks can’t fight them alone, not without entailing heavy losses. No, we’re going to take the fight to the enemy. All of those fighters they may have waiting for us will only prove their desperation. We’ll take their supreme self-confidence and make it what it really is – a desire to die in battle that won’t change the outcome one bit.” Jki blinked with her inner lids. “Mr. Barsus, Mr. Yos, I’ll be in my day cabin. Inform me when Task Force 23 has conducted their attack on the first fighter replenishment station.”
“Aye, aye, Admiral,” Barsus said smartly.
Axis System - Bedrock
System Type: Binary Star System
System Primary: Yellow
Planets:
1. Type: V -- Range: 2 LM -- Radian 3 -- No moons
2. Type: V -- Range: 4 LM -- Radian 1 -- No moons
3. Type: T (hab
-- Range: 6 LM -- Radian 3 -- 1 moon(s)
4. Type: AF -- Range: 10 LM
5. Type: Gas -- Range: 18 LM -- Radian: 6 -- 2 moon(s)
6. Type: Gas -- Range: 34 LM -- Radian 4 -- 2 moon(s)
7. Type: Gas -- Range: 66 LM -- Radian: 12 -- 2 moon(s)
System Secondary: Red Giant (Range: 264 LM -- Radian: 4)
Planets:
System Warp Points
1. Type: 15 - Range: 258 LM - Radian: 8 - CLOSED(500) - To Gravel Pit.
2. Type: 9 - Range: 291 LM - Radian: 6 - OPEN(300) - To Circuit Run
3. Type: 7 - Range: 27 LM - Radian: 12 - OPEN(500) - To Brickyard
4. Type: 15 - Range: 19 LM - Radian: 1 - CLOSED(500) - To Tire Iron