“What else can we do? That fleet has a dreadnought leading the charge,” Admiral Timerton said, a little testily.
“Sir, if you would. Have your fleets both swing wide and come in at an angle at the point you can meet the Squilla. It may make them split their fleet. To take the system, they have to destroy the entire Tretrayon fleet. They won’t continue straight for Tretra and risk you hitting both flanks. I will hit them hard from behind and take out as many as I can. I’m sure that by now they know what happened to their squadron. Maybe they will turn a few ships to meet me,” Harmon said. “And we won’t be directly behind the target when your ships fire. I am not interested in catching a stray missile or laser shots.”
Admiral Timerton looked thoughtful. “So, you think catching them in an X attack may cause them to split? Interesting. We have time to swing out pretty far. Maybe they will split their fleet. We’ll send you the coordinates of where the X will cross after we crunch the numbers based on their speed and ours,” Admiral Timerton said.
“Sir, may I suggest that you attach a missile frigate to each of your light cruisers? They can attach underneath like they would for gate passage. It would give those ships a lot more fire power. That many missiles coming from a light cruiser will confuse their commander. They probably have a good idea of the ships remaining in system, but I don’t think they have the sensor reach to make out individual ships yet,” Harmon said.
“I like it. It will beef up those three ships. They can coordinate their shielding for added strength, too,” Admiral Timerton said, impressed.
“Sir, we will be in range of the Squilla in time for the X to start crossing. We will attempt to hit the dreadnaught. If you would send that information over, I will have my lieutenant commander run over the numbers, and we’ll set our speed accordingly,” Harmon said.
“You mean have them run them through a computer? Absolutely. It shouldn’t take long out here,” Admiral Timerton said.
“No sir, my lieutenant commander will run the numbers herself. She won’t need a navigation computer,” Harmon said. He signed off immediately after saying this.
“You know you just confused the squat out of him,” Clip said.
“Yep, I know,” Harmon said. “You ready for this?”
“We’ll be ready. We’re trying to figure out if we can get the scrambler missiles to confuse the Squilla’s technology. We tried it, but it didn’t work. I don’t think I have enough time to reprogram it, even with Jayneen’s help. If I had that much knowledge of the Squilla’s technology, I’d hack their ships and get them to shoot each other,” Clip said with a grin.
“It would make life easier,” Harmon said.
* * * * *
Chapter Twenty-Two
“We’ll be within missile range in five minutes, sir,” the ship’s tactical officer said.
“Thanks, Adam,” Harmon replied.
“Battle stations…All hands battle stations,” Harmon announced over the ship’s comm system.
“Four ships turned and are now heading to meet us. It looks like a heavy cruiser, a light cruiser, and two destroyers,” the tactical officer said.
They had been chasing the Squilla fleet for almost three days. The Squilla commander was no fool; he had seen the ship’s capabilities when it engaged his gate guards. He sent the squadron around early enough for them to have time to engage. He could not have them just turn around; it would have taken too long to slow down after performing the turnover maneuver and begin reverse thrusting. It would have put the ships at a major disadvantage with speed and maneuvering.
“They have launched…all four ships, a total of fifty-six missiles incoming,” the tactical officer said, looking back at Harmon.
Down in the DB, Jayneen announced the incoming missiles at the same time to the room.
“One, fire a spread of twenty-four shotgun missiles. Have them detonate two seconds prior to the meet point,” Clip said.
“Roger, sir,” defense position one said. “Missiles away.”
“Get the next batch ready. They’ll fire another salvo shortly,” Clip said.
“Launch a full spread of missiles. Target the destroyers. They are going to start pumping out missiles like there is no end to them, Bev,” Harmon said to the weapons officer.
“Roger, sir. Missiles outbound,” she said. “We can fire another round before we get within main gun range.”
“Do it as soon as the tubes are loaded. Target the light cruiser with them,” Harmon said.
“Helm, can you give us a little angle, so we can bring more cannons into the volley?” Harmon asked.
“Yes, sir. At least two more,” the pilot answered.
“Wait, belay that. Here’s what we will do,” Harmon said, standing up. He had an idea.
“Zerith. You got me?” Harmon called back to the power plant on speaker, so the bridge crew could hear the plan.
“Yess, I am here,” Zerith answered.
“Are you eating again?” Harmon asked, amazed. “Never mind, I know the answer. Look, I want to run something by you. Can we cut all thrust and perform half of the turnaround maneuver as if we were going to reverse thrust, but stop halfway?”
“We can, it sshould be no problem. We will be flying ssidewayss with our flank exxpossed to the enemy, and we will losse forward thrusst for that time,” Zerith said, perplexed.
“Can we do it repeatedly?” Harmon asked, getting excited.
“Yesssss,” Zerith said. Even for him, he stretched out the answer.
“Great. After we fire this salvo of missiles, I am going to direct helm to start the turnaround. We will cut thrust and stop halfway, then halfway, complete turnaround, and then continue…doing that.” Harmon said.
“You intend to sspin the sship long enough to fire the cannonss from each position,” Zerith said. “Nicce.”
“Clip, will that keep you from using the defense lasers?” Harmon asked.
“No, they are positioned over the entire ship. Let me just say that this may be the craziest thing I have ever heard you say, and I have heard a lot. We’re going to go spinning into battle. I am on a ship of fools,” Clip declared.
“I think it will work,” Jayneen said.
“You’re encouraging this? Really?” Clip asked.
“That’s what I’m talking about, Jayneen! Positive thinking, keep it up!” Harmon said. “Get ready.”
“The destroyers have launched another spread of forty missiles,” tactical announced.
“Launching twenty, sir,” weapons said immediately after.
“Fire forward cannons and start the turns,” Harmon said, strapping in.
“Launch a spread of twelve shotgun missiles,” Clip ordered as he felt the cannons fire. The ship began turning.
The shotgun missiles detonated, sending their pattern of steel pellets toward the incoming missiles. Of the initial fifty-six, only eight made it through.
Clip ordered the defensive lasers to fire at extreme range.
The first volley of missiles from Salvage Title met the two destroyers. The destroyers’ repeating lasers had destroyed sixteen of them before they reached the ships. One hit the lead destroyer, overloading its forward shields and causing some damage. Three missiles met the second destroyer. There had been a malfunction with some of its repeating lasers. It was a bad time for a relay to burn out. The first missile overloaded the shield. The next two missile’s warheads, with their shaped charges, penetrated deeply into the ship and exploded. It could still maneuver, but all missile tubes were offline with no hope of repair without a shipyard. It started to turn away.
Two missiles made it past the defensive lasers of Salvage Title and struck the port side shield and rocked the entire ship. The shields held, but several boards burned out. All four cannons on that side fired in order, and the ship turned again.
“Port shields down to eighty percent. Repair crews are working on them,” Clip called up to the bridge.
The next salvo of shotgun missiles
detonated, taking out thirty of the next incoming volley. The defensive lasers continued to fire their crisscrossed pattern.
The next twenty missiles were aimed at the heavy cruiser. The ship’s repeating lasers were able to destroy eighteen of them. Its shield barely held. The heavy cruiser started turning to keep from getting hit there again.
The first two energy blasts from Salvage Title’s cannons ripped longitudinally through the first destroyer. One of the blasts hit a magazine, and it detonated, finishing the ship. The mounts retargeted on the light cruiser and pounded its shields. The next four tore through them and began ripping the ship apart. The rounds kept coming in, and it wasn’t long before a blast went through the ship and hit the fleeing destroyer trying to hide behind it. The ship blew up with a spectacular blast. The engagement was now down to the heavy cruiser and Salvage Title.
Four missiles impacted against the Salvage Title and rocked it to its core. There was damage to the shields, and several other panels blew. The repair crews were busy putting out electrical fires all over the ship.
“Starboard shields are down to fifty percent. That was rough; we’re doing what we can,” Clip called up.
The pulse cannons continued to fire on the heavy cruiser as it attempted to turn away. It was destroyed before it could bring its main guns to bear on Salvage Title. The Squilla had several powerful lasers that could cause major damage, but they were weapons that required the ship to close in on an enemy. Harmon never let them get that close.
* * *
Aboard Violent Seas, Commander Two N’Litoh rose up on all eight legs on his commander’s platform and ordered all ships to fire missiles. He nodded his eye stalks in satisfaction as fifty-six missiles streaked out from his heavy squadron.
He had seen the information on the devastation the lone ship had caused on the light squadron left to guard the gate. It should have been a simpleton’s task. He did not know the commander of that squadron but was convinced it had to have been the worst three who had ever commanded. It would not happen to his squadron. There was a reason he was next in line to command a full fleet. Hesitation was not it.
“Incoming missiles,” his tactical officer said. “Twenty.”
“That’s it?” scoffed N’Litoh. This would be over soon. He watched the screen and was surprised to see so many of his missiles detonate or go spinning off before they ever reached their target.
“What just happened?” he demanded, pounding his big claw.
“They were met by some defensive weapon. We were not tracking anything,” the tactical officer said.
“The destroyers have launched a second volley,” tactical said, shortly after.
“Good,” answered N’Litoh.
“The enemy has launched twenty more and appears to be turning,” tactical said.
“They are running, the cowards,” N’Litoh said, settling back onto his platform.
He watched in horror as four missiles made it past all the repeating lasers and struck the destroyers. He had launched first, yet their missiles reached his ship before his reached theirs. One missile blew against Ocean’s Revenge, and its shields flared and winked out. It began turning. Three missiles hit Hidden Depth, and two of them exploded within it.
He stood up on all eight legs again and heard the commander of Ocean’s Revenge calling about electrical fires and repairing the weapons console. Energy blasts destroyed Ocean’s Revenge before they could get their shields back, and then began hitting the light cruiser, Shell Crusher. Two blasts hit its forward shield, causing it to flare a light blue with waves rippling across it. Whatever was hitting it was powerful. The next four literally tore the ship to pieces.
Several of the next wave of energy blasts went through the wreckage of the light cruiser and struck the fleeing destroyer. It wasn’t long before the weapon was turned on Violent Seas.
The communications officer on his ship had just enough time to send the information and the video footage to the task force commander before the bridge of the heavy cruiser blew apart with most of the ship.
* * *
“Zerith, talk to me. How are the plants holding up?” Harmon asked.
“He is busy with Kylatilaarnot. There was a fluctuation in fusion plant three. How may I help you, sir?” Vera asked.
Harmon was surprised to hear Vera in the power plant and not in the engine room. “Hey Vera, let them both know that I am about to ask the helm to push it to the limit. We have a timeline to make. Can the engines take it?”
“It is not good to push them to the red line for too long, but I understand that we have no choice. They are as ready as they can be,” Vera said.
“Helm, push it. We have to make those coordinates on time,” Harmon ordered.
Salvage Title headed in-system to the designated area to join the battle. As they chased the Squilla fleet, repairs were being made to the shields. They would need every bit of protection they could get. There were sixteen ships in the Squilla fleet, and one of them was a dreadnought, a ship nearly twice the size of Salvage Title.
* * * * *
Chapter Twenty-Three
“Tretra’s Pride. Salvage Title,” the comms officer called the flagship.
“Captain Tomeral,” Admiral Timerton said as he appeared on screen.
“Sir, we will be in range to engage in six hours. From what we can see, the timeline is holding. It appears to us as if the Squilla have split their forces. The dreadnought is still headed straight in,” Harmon said.
“It is. Intel says it is escorted by two destroyers and a carrier. It doesn’t look like a fighter carrier, either. It looks as if they intend to put troops on the surface of Tretra. I have second fleet hitting their port side and third hitting starboard. I had the three beefed-up light battlecruisers, the flagship, and its escorts in reserve; they are no longer in reserve. I just gave orders for us to meet and come in at a slight angle of the dreadnought. We can’t afford to leave anything in reserve,” Admiral Timerton said. “We have to stop them here and then worry about the second wave that will be in system in a week.”
“Sir, may I make a suggestion?” Harmon asked.
“By all means,” Admiral Timerton said. “Your advice has been solid; we made a big mistake by not commissioning you years ago. Rest assured, there will be changes made after this war has been concluded. If I survive, that is,”
“There won’t be much in-ship fighting, if any, today. Send your Marines, their mechs, and equipment to Tretra. If that carrier makes it through to the surface, it’ll be frost hunting them down. The Squilla have those single passenger tanks. They aren’t as mobile as a mech, but they pack a frost of a punch. I don’t know how many troops they can put on the ground, but one is too many. The ground defense forces are going to need all the help they can get,” Harmon said.
“You’re right. I can afford to send about half of them. The rest will have repair crew duty on the ships,” he said. “The fleet has its orders. We’ll meet after it’s over. I’d like you to be in the meeting to plan for the next wave if we survive this one.”
“I’ll be there, sir. Salvage Title out,” Harmon said, cutting the call. He settled back and waited on reports of the repairs. They would need all the shielding they could get.
* * *
The battle began when the Squilla missile carrier launched its first salvo, which was met with Tretrayon anti-missile missiles. Mixed in with the group were jamming missiles, and this time they actually had an effect on the Squilla missiles. The two sides closed in on each other as missiles flew. Fighters were launched, and before long, it was as chaotic a space battle that has ever been recorded.
There were three separate fronts with Salvage Title chasing down the dreadnought and its escorts.
“Fire a full spread at the dreadnought,” Harmon ordered.
“Missiles away,” weapons said.
“Clip, hand the fighters off to tactical. I want to send them after that carrier, before it turns loose its dropships,” Harm
on said.
“Alright, but if that dreadnaught launches fighters against us, our guys will be outnumbered at least two to one,” Clip answered.
“I know. I’m banking on them slipping by,” Harmon responded.
“Sir, the destroyers have launched missiles. It looks as if they are headed away toward the flagship,” tactical said.
“We will be within main weapons range in two minutes, sir,” weapons said.
“We can’t afford to cut thrusters. Fire the forward cannons as soon as the banks charge, and don’t stop. If we get that dreadnought, maybe we can take some of the resolve out of the commanders across their task force,” Harmon said.
The pulse cannons began firing. One after another, they fired with a nine second gap between them. Harmon continued to order missile launches, and they got off three volleys with the forward cannons. The last one was aimed at one of the destroyers before they were able to turn and use the port cannons.
Clip used eight more salvos of the shotgun missiles to try to defeat the Squilla missiles that were aimed at them. When it was all said and done, the ship had taken enough missile strikes to bring the forward shield down to thirty-five percent. The repair crews were scrambling to fix the shield generators.
The energy blasts finally got through the dreadnought’s shielding and began to wreak havoc on the ship. Unfortunately, it was after the dreadnought and its escorts had destroyed Tretra’s Pride’s escorts and two of the light carriers. The troop carrier didn’t make it to Tretra, but it wasn’t for lack of trying. It did manage to release four dropships, but they were taken out by a combination of Tretrayon fighters and the sleek fighters from Salvage Title.
Four Squilla ship commanders broadcast their equivalent of the white flag. Tretrayon Marines boarded their damaged ships and began shuttling the personnel to one of the remaining Tretrayon frigates. From there, they would take them to Tretra to place them in makeshift holding cells.
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