by Kal Spriggs
“What, like an ambush?” Woodard asked.
“Yeah,” Mel nodded. She brought up the system on the display. “They wouldn't know exactly where we planned to emerge, but they could project our path and position forces near likely areas.” She highlighted the orbit of the system's gas giant, as well as the two points where their course crossed the debris belts in the system.
“Either of those three points would be logical spots for us to drop out of strategic warp,” Mel said. “Plus that gives them broad coverage of the system.... assuming they have a force large enough to do it.”
“It would give them a better chance to box us in,” Fenris rumbled.
“So what do we do about it?” Tank asked.
“That,” Mel stared at the display, “is an excellent question.”
***
Colonel Frost watched the count-down timer on his display with more tension than he would like to admit. It had taken more luck than skill for one of his scouts to locate the mercenary battlecruiser. It was even more luck that his ships and his ally’s ships had been in position to make intercept.
Thankfully they're trolling for standard pirates, he thought to himself. That tactic would benefit them if that was all they faced, but Colonel Frost had far more at his disposal than any but the most ambitious pirate warlord could claim.
His own force was more than most planetary militias could boast. A mixed squadron of corvettes, three Intrepid-class destroyers, and two Predator-class light cruisers hung in position near the outer debris belt. The two cruisers had been recent acquisitions, the ships purchased from renegade Protectorate officers who wanted cash to start new lives more than they cared about trying to regain their previous power.
It was a force strong enough that, if Guard Fleet had known he'd assembled it, they would have launched a task force in pursuit. But Colonel Frost had carefully managed that knowledge. Most of the captains hadn't known of more than one or two other ships. Even his supply personnel had been kept in the dark, thinking they were stockpiling for a possible future instead of maintaining existing ships. And if I'd been successful aboard the Fenris, I would have a battlecruiser as my flagship...
That thought burned like acid, but he pushed it out of his mind. It was time to focus on the present. Besides, he didn't need a battleship, not when he had two dreadnoughts in support.
He couldn't help but grin as he stared at the icons of his allies. Admiral Mizra, late of the Harmony Protectorate Armada, had not gone to Drakkus. He had gone to Vagyr, apparently, where he'd restocked and rearmed his ships, but while he'd departed in the direction of Drakkus, he had looped around to a hidden military depot in Protectorate space, where his squadron had prepared for war.
Only one of the dreadnoughts were in the system. Admiral Mizra's flagship, the Center of Harmony, was the center of the largest formation, positioned in the orbit of the gas giant where they thought the mercenary battlecruiser would most likely emerge from strategic warp. Like all the ambushing vessels, it's drive was down, in standby mode, waiting for their enemy to emerge.
The Pride of Harmony had four Tsunami-class cruisers in formation around it, along with two Targe-class carriers and a full squadron of corvettes. It was a huge force, especially for the fact that no one even suspected it was present in Protectorate Space.
And that's not even everything... Colonel Frost's icy blue eyes went to the icons at the inner debris belt, where the other element of Admiral Mizra's force awaited. That one was substantially smaller, in part because they didn't expect the Tenacity to come so deep into the star system, but also in part to make it easier to conceal their presence from the various civilian mining vessels operating in the mineral-rich inner belt.
That formation was “only” two Tsunami-class heavy cruisers, five Predator-class light cruisers, and six Intrepid-class destroyers. While the enemy battlecruiser might be sufficient to defeat that force, it would not be a one-sided fight, and the other two formations would be able to box the ship in if it stayed to put up that kind of fight.
And there's still a second dreadnought and heavy cruiser following them, waiting to drop out of strategic space on top of them... Colonel Frost's blue-eyed gaze went back to the timer on his display. The sheer quantity of vessels arrayed to take down a single mercenary ship staggered him a bit. He had spent so long operating on the margins, barely able to scrape together the resources to hit the Guard, often having to resort to terrorist attacks merely to draw attention to his organization and stay relevant.
Yet now, now he had allies... however temporary their mutual interests might be. Perhaps more long-term than I originally planned... His information might give them Nashim Rao, which was a favor they might well remember, especially if they really planned to go toe-to-toe with Guard Fleet to retake control of the Protectorate.
Yes, Frost mused, things are looking very good...
***
There were three likely locations for Fenris to emerge from strategic warp in the Gallan system. If they'd only been interested in ambushing a potential pirate, any of them would have worked, but the best would have been the emergence near the orbit of the gas giant. The large stellar mass would provide something of a back-stop to help box in the pirates. It was also distant from the system's mining operations, which lowered the chance of any civilian casualties.
Traveling at relativistic speeds, possible only through warping space around them to travel faster than light, Fenris flashed past the gas giant, through the outer belt, then through the inner belt, and finally back out through both, all faster than a human mind could really comprehend. Only as they reached the outer system did Fenris disengage his strategic warp drive and drop them out of FTL.
The two pursuing ships operated on light-speed sensors, and Fenris would have vanished then reappeared on those sensors, but so fast that they would have gone past in the time that even automated systems could register the change.
That meant that the two pursuing ships emerged from strategic warp almost three full light-minutes past Fenris's emergence... well into the outer system.
“Drives going to full power,” Fenris growled. “Confirming identities... one dreadnought and one cruiser. No IFF transponders active. I've labeled their grouping Bogey One.”
“Well,” Mel said, “thank you, Mister Woodard.” She gave Tank a smile and nod. “Fenris, go to Plan B.” Now that they knew it was a dreadnought that they faced, their priority had shifted from fight to flight.
“Multiple additional drives coming online,” Fenris reported. “Ten... twenty-five... thirty-five additional ships. Three additional groups, two of ten and one of fifteen. I've labeled the largest as Bogey Two, the other two are Bogey Three, and Four.”
Mel couldn't help but give a low whistle. Thirty-five ships... That was far more than a squadron, that was a massive number of ships. It was a substantial threat to even a Guard Task Force. And all of them are here for us...
“The second dreadnought is positioned on the far side of the system, near our planned emergence point,” Marcus sounded subdued. She didn't know if that was because of the scope of what they faced or if he might have come to the realization that there were people with significant grudges against the Guard... and they were starting to put together serious resources.
Little bit of both, I'd imagine. “Perfect,” Mel said. They'd pushed through the system in the hopes that they would buy space and time. Fenris had already brought up his tactical drive and they were headed perpendicular to their original course, rapidly putting more space between them and their enemies. “How long until you can bring strategic warp online?”
“Ten minutes,” Fenris growled. The time always varied, based on the exotic particle buildup from when a ship emerged from strategic warp. Those particles needed time to dissapate, or else they could have serious effects on a warp field, ranging from triggering a collapse to distortions of the field that could have disastrous effects upon a ship and crew.
“Bogey One is
moving to intercept, looks like they're sticking together, so they aren't keeping up,” Fenris noted. “No warp missile launch, yet.”
“Maintain full speed and course,” Mel ordered. If the enemy launched warp missiles, they wouldn't have very much warning, the most advanced warp missiles traveled at point nine of the speed of light. At this range, could have as little as eighteen seconds notice from launch to missile arrival... hopefully that would give Fenris enough time to evade or shoot them down.
“Bogey Two is moving, dreadnought has separated, now labeled Bogey Two Alpha,” Fenris reported. Mel's gaze tracked that motion. Warp combat was like chess in many ways, it was about limiting your opponent's moves and presenting obstacles... and that dreadnought going on its own was like a queen having the run of the board.
“Warp fighter separation from Bogey One and Bogey Two,” Fenris announced. “No warp missiles, yet.”
Warp fighters and warp missiles didn't have a standard warp bubble, they were too tiny to mount a full-up warp drive. Instead, they projected a warp envelope, a tiny, narrow pocket. They were fast, faster than even the most powerful warp drives in tactical warp, but they had limited maneuverability. A warp drive ship could alter direction and speed instantly, simply by changing the geometry of its field. A warp fighter or missile had to make long, gradual turns, or else stop and physically turn the vessel with reactionary thrusters.
“Maintain course,” Mel ordered. Those warp fighters would only be dangerous as they drew close. They were slower than warp missiles and they normally mounted bombs or short range conventional weapons, which would only be a threat if they were able to get with range.
“Go evasive if they're able to get within ten light-seconds,” Mel said. “Or if they launch missiles.” Missiles were faster and mounted larger warheads, but they had less maneuverability than the fighters.
The five forces continued to draw in. Right now, Fenris had an open route out of the system, but it was clear that the fighters had been launched to close that. Whoever was in command, they'd launched those fighters to cut the corner, driving to cut off Fenris's most likely avenues of escape. Those fighters were traveling at point seven of the speed of light. By the time that Fenris had a read on their positions and courses, they were already far along those courses.
Space was three-dimensional, though, and those fighters were mostly on a plane. “Fenris, execute course delta,” Mel ordered.
Their course altered, now driving upwards, perpendicular to the plane of the system. Mel didn't like it as much, their opponents could still cut the corner, but the delay in their sensors from when Fenris executed the maneuver to when they detected it would delay their response.
I just need to buy a little more time...
***
Admiral Mizra peered at his display and wondered if he could afford to use some of his stocks of precious warp missiles. Knowing that Nashim Rao was aboard that ship should have been enough... would have been enough, but for the fact that once he used them, he had no means to replace them.
I'm a renegade, little better than a pirate, now, because of him... he took everything from me.
That was why Admiral Mizra had ordered his flagship, the Center of Harmony, to separate. He wanted, needed, to be the one to intercept the enemy ship, to have Rao at his mercy.
Part of him toyed with the idea of pretending to accept their surrender and then destroying their ship anyway, but there were far more imaginative methods to kill Rao. Besides, he thought, a battlecruiser will make a fine addition to my fleet.
Granted, generating an intercept with warp capable ships when one group didn't want it was very difficult. Normally he would have used warp missiles to destabilize the enemy's warp drive and then intercepted. But at these ranges, that would have used a large number of his warp drive missiles, if it was even possible at all. Warp drive missiles could barely see a target at all and with their limited maneuverability, a ship like a battlecruiser could shift vectors enough to force Admiral Mizra's ships to saturate a vast area with warp missiles.
Even one or two hits would be hard to achieve, but timed with fighter strikes, it would be enough. But every missile he used now was one less he had to retake Harmony. Warping into the system and engaging the Mercenary Peacekeeper Force at close range with warp missiles would be devastating, it would be the best way to defeat them.
So Admiral Mizra weighed his desire for revenge against his hope for the future. There was a good chance that the enemy ship would evade one of his forces, probably the inexperienced Guard Free Now force. If they did that, then they'd escape with the knowledge that his force hadn't fled the area.
Rao might escape. But Admiral Mizra would still have his most potent weapons.
***
Mel glanced at the timer. Nineteen minutes remained before they could escape into strategic warp. Fenris had projected courses, along with maneuver spheres, across the system. Bogey Two couldn't catch them in a straight up pursuit, even with the dreadnought separating from its escort. But Bogey Three and Four were better positioned, angled so that, in coordination with the fighters, they could pin Fenris down. Heavy firepower would prevent him from engaging the strategic drive and the other forces could engage them.
The light speed sensor delay must have reached their opponents and Mel saw them shift course, the fighters adjusting their position upwards first, the other ships adjusting as Fenris's emissions reached them. There was something about the delay, though, something that made her frown in thought.
***
“We are so far out of position...” Colonel Frost growled.
He wasn't commanding any of the ships personally, he left that to those who had the experience. Yet the inexperience of his captains was obvious, even to him. His formation lagged, several of the ships taking extra time to adjust course as they tried to maintain their broad, wall formation.
He understood the basics. For ships without regular practice operating in a formation, the wall was the best form. It maintained ship dispersion and allowed the vessels of the formation to fire their weapons unimpeded. Yet, even with such a relatively simple formation, ships lagged in their positions. The entire force's course shifted as they adjusted course to intercept the enemy battlecruiser. Several ships turned early, other ships turned late. They were spread out enough to avoid collisions, but even to his inexperience eye, the force looked amateurish.
At least we are too distant from our allies for that inexperience to be so marked. At their current distance, the finer maneuvers of their ships would be hard to notice. Still, Colonel Frost gritted his teeth as two of his corvettes drew dangerously close, their drive fields actually flaring as their edges drew near and the exotic particles within reacted.
For once, he actually felt grateful that his force was well clear of the fight.
***
“Bogey Three,” Mel highlighted the enemy formation on their tactical display. “The other formations, they've gone into inverted cone formations, better to intercept us, right?”
The others on the bridge stared at her. That's right, I'm the only one with a Fleet background... “Look, the lead ships fire on us, the trailing vessels have a bit more time to see how we react and stage their maneuvers and fire accordingly. The lead ships are the smallest and hardest to hit, the trail ships have the most firepower. It gives a force a few more seconds to discern patterns before they bring their weapons to bear.”
Those formations were spread out over several light-seconds, designed to intercept a single target. That kind of formation wouldn't work against numerous foes, as it would leave their lead ships exposed to massed fire.
“Bogey Three is in a wall formation.” Mel went on, “It's a basic formation, good for putting massed firepower on targets.... okay for interception. They're spread out for an interception, but...”
“There's been three incidents thus far of drive flares, when two or more ships are too close together.” Fenris growled. “That suggests they're not well
practiced and they may lack a central command.”
“So that formation is different... why?” Marcus asked.
“Doesn't matter,” Mel tapped in orders on her console. “Look, if we head at this vector...” she input a line that drove towards Bogey Two's fighters. “Then it will look like we're going to brave their fighters and make a break for it. Fenris, show the enemy courses if they adjust for that.”
The display shifted and now the course of Bogey Two Alpha, the separated dreadnought, drew dangerously close to them, well within weapons range if the enemy fighters managed to slow them.
“Now, if we jog back at this point...” Mel painted another line, this one diving back at the enemy, directly past Bogey Three.
“You want to go into them?!” Marcus stared at her, aghast.
“I like it,” Brian nodded, “take as many of them with us as we can.”
“No,” Mel zoomed in on the interception with the other force. “If we dodge down at this angle, and then upward right before we hit weapons range...”
“That's a pretty basic maneuver,” Marcus growled.
“Yes, but these ships are the least capable,” Mel pointed out. “They're almost colliding out there, as it is. If we go into them, maybe volley some warp missiles to keep them nervous...”
“While the other three formations and a dreadnought sandwich us from the other sides?” Marcus asked, waving a hand at the main display. “Not to mention all those fighters. They'll be able to hit us from four sides!”
“Mel's projected course will minimize the chances of that,” Fenris growled.
“As long as we time our course right, remember, they have a delay from when they can see us execute our maneuvers. They're after us... and that gives us the advantage.” Mel ran a hand through her blonde hair. “This is all about the timing... and if you keep arguing, we'll be out of it. Fenris, execute the turn.”
She would have felt better if she had someone besides the ship had understood what she was doing. They knew the basics of shipboard operations, but they didn't understand the tactics. She just hoped her enemies didn't understand it either.
