by D. J. Holmes
Though he was concerned, Johnston raised his chin as he stood up a little straighter. He had not enjoyed what he had done. A part of him did not like himself for it. And yet, if he hadn’t, it was all too easy to imagine what a hyper velocity missile fired from the window he was looking out would do. “If I had to, I would do it again,” he said to himself and to anyone else who cared to listen.
Chapter 14
In an interstellar war there is almost nothing worse than a powerful surprise raid behind your frontlines; it forces you to redeploy ships you planned to station elsewhere; it hurts the fleet’s moral; it causes your civilian population to question your ability to protect them; and it can severely damage or even cripple the supply chain of your military industrial complex. However, all this is balanced by the risk the attacker has taken, for in order to do enough damage, the raiding fleet must be of sufficient strength, and if they are surrounded and destroyed then the war can turn in the opposite direction the attackers hoped.
-Excerpt from Empire Rising, 3002 AD.
IS Viper, unnamed system, 5th November 2483 AD (twelve days later).
Rear Admiral Becket sat with her head pressed against her command chair’s headrest. Her and Admiral Shraw’s ships were sitting on the edge of the third system they had come to since splitting with the other components of her combined fleet. For the last hour they had been in stealth waiting and watching. Even if there are some hidden Karacknid ships, she thought, we should be able to handle them. In the last two systems they had destroyed every orbital installation they had come across. There had been minimal resistance. Just a handful of Karacknid ships had been present. None had survived. The system in front of her was even less impressive than the two she had just raided. There was only one inhabited planet and besides a few stations orbiting it, there was nothing else of interest within the system. From what Viper’s sensors could detect, the planet itself was essentially an agricultural world. That explained their lack of orbital stations. Beyond those needed to store and transfer the food products, nothing else was needed.
Just as she leant forward to give the command for her fleet to advance, a number of new contacts appeared on the main holo display. Becket bit back what she was about to say as alerts blared. “New contacts!” Viper’s sensor officer announced as she tapped her command counsel to end the alarms. “Multiple new contacts accelerating into the system.”
“Acknowledged,” Captain Rogers responded. “I want a full count of the contacts and our best estimate of their size and type.”
As Viper’s bridge officers and Becket’s staff officers got to work, Becket looked at the contacts on the holo display. The gravimetric sensors were suggesting there were ninety of them. Based on the shift passage they had just exited they must have come from the frontier. Becket had memorized all the intelligence and star maps of the Valley the Kalassai had shared with Captain Kansas. “It’s the border fleet from system AX-17,” she guessed. “It has to be. There’s no other Karacknid force that should be coming from that direction. Not unless they have additional ships operating in the area.” Their appearance told Becket two things. One, word was out that her fleet had punched through the Karacknid’s border. The fleet in front of her was no doubt pulling back to regroup and contain her advance. Two, the fleet didn’t know exactly where her ships were. Instead of heading towards the planet to protect it, the fleet was on a direct course for another shift passage that led deeper into Karacknid space. It was the very passage Becket had intended to take her ships down after raiding the planet in front of her. “Get me a COM channel with Admiral Shraw,” she requested. They needed to decide what to do.
“The game is afoot,” Becket said when Shraw appeared from her command chair’s holo projector. “They are beginning to respond to us.”
“They are indeed,” Shraw replied as he showed his teeth. “I must say, planning it out and finding ourselves in the middle of all this are very different experiences.”
Becket nodded. “I wouldn’t argue with that.” The goal of her entire campaign was to tie up and draw into the Valley as many Karacknid ships as possible. In the confusion and fog of war Becket hoped to be able to pick her battles carefully and flee when necessary. That was all very good in theory. Now it was for real. “What are your thoughts?”
“I don’t like them getting in front of us,” Shraw answered. “If they can combine with a defensive squadron or two they’ll stop us being able to raid some of the more important systems. Or worse, if they head further into the Valley they’ll be able to combine with whatever reinforcements are eventually sent against us.”
“If we engage them it could be the end of our attack,” Becket commented. Combined, she and Shraw had one hundred and forty ships. Even with Shraw’s inferior ships they would outnumber the Karacknids, but it would be a close enough fight that they would take losses. “You’re right though, we cannot allow them to get ahead of us. They could catch either of our fleets out once we split up. Or if they pass us by they could outflank Maleck or Faroul.”
“Perhaps we could encourage them to tip the scales in our favor,” Shraw said as he laid out his idea.
Becket listen closely and nodded. “It could work. Your ships could find themselves caught out however.”
“We’ll take that risk,” Shraw insisted. “If it goes badly and we have to fall back, then we have to fall back. We knew from the beginning we couldn’t stay hidden in Karacknid space indefinitely.”
“Then let’s see if we can get this Karacknid commander to dance to our tune,” Becket said as she showed Shraw a predatory smile she knew would communicate her eagerness to the reptilian Admiral.
“I will speak to my Captains and we will prepare to play our part,” Shraw said as he revealed his razor-sharp teeth again and cut the COM channel.
Becket informed her own commanding officers of their plan and gave orders for her ships to move into the system in stealth. Then she sat back in her command chair. For two hours she watched the Karacknid fleet pass through the system. Further analysis of the engine signatures of the Karacknid ships proved her guess correct. The fleet was made up of several battleships and a number of heavy cruisers along with supporting destroyers and frigates. According to the Kalassai intelligence the Karacknids had only a handful of Dreadnoughts stationed within the Valley and none along their border. That had been one of the reasons why Becket had chosen the Valley as the sector she wanted to attack. Any time now, she thought as she tried to estimate where Shraw’s ships were. They had entered the system in stealth forty-five minutes ago. Seconds later sixty-four new contacts appeared as Shraw’s fleet accelerated hard towards the system’s inhabited planet. Though Gramrian engines weren’t as powerful as Karacknid ones, Shraw’s attack was timed to ensure the Karacknid fleet could not reverse course to save the colony. At least, the battleships and heavy cruisers couldn’t.
What is your decision? she asked her Karacknid counterpart. When all the Karacknid warships decelerated she sat forward in her chair. At first it was hard to tell if they were decelerating together or splitting up. Then the Karacknid fleet diverged into two groups. “I want exact confirmation on how they are splitting up,” Becket demanded. She wasn’t seeing what she had been expecting.
“The computer has identified all of the engine signatures in the smaller group Admiral,” Lieutenant Armitage responded moments later. “Twelve frigates, ten destroyers and eight light cruisers. It’s about two thirds of their escort ships.”
Becket ground her teeth together. The Karacknid commander was keeping a significant proportion of his smaller ships with his capital ships. The small group of Karacknid warships wouldn’t be able to take out Shraw’s squadron. Not with the upgrades Shraw’s ships had received. But in a fair fight Shraw would take a lot of damage. Shraw’s plan had been to draw all of the Karacknid escort ships towards the system’s inhabited planet. Then Becket’s ships could reveal themselves and together she and Shraw could take out the Karacknid escorts. It
would have left the Karacknid capital ships lacking a serious amount of point defenses. “He knows Shraw’s ships are not all our force,” Becket guessed. “He must have received reports of our raids in other systems. He is holding back his main force.” Becket could see what the Karacknid commander intended. If Shraw’s ships were truly the only enemy ships in the system, then his smaller squadron could engage them and damage or cripple many. Then the rest of the Karacknid fleet could move in and finish the job. On the other hand, if there were more enemy ships, then he could pull his forces back and wait for reinforcements.
“What are your orders Admiral?” Commander Wilson, Becket’s Chief of Staff, asked as she turned in her command chair to look at Becket.
Becket stared at the Karacknid ships. She didn’t want to let the main Karacknid fleet escape. Not when she knew she would have to face them again. She glanced at Shraw’s ships. Every ship in the combined fleet was deemed expendable. That was the point of the entire mission; to cause as much havoc as possible, even if she lost her fleet. Finally, she glanced at a secondary holo plot and focused on the eight fast freighters that she had brought with her. Hanging back with the rest of her supply fleet, they were her safety net. She had hoped to hold them in reserve for a direr situation. Yet if she let the Karacknid ships in front of her escape, they would probably cause such a situation. “We are going to take the main Karacknid fleet,” she said. She glanced at her COM officer. “Contact Admiral Shraw. Tell him he is to engage the small Karacknid fleet. Launch our fighters and have them assist. Otherwise, make sure he knows he is on his own.”
“Aye Admiral,” Lieutenant Rondon responded from his COM station.
Becket turned back to Wilson and Captain Rogers. “Ready the fast freighters. We’ll have to use their missile pods and hope that evens the odds for us.” Both officers nodded and got to work. “Navigation, alter heading to seven three four point three. Keep us in stealth.” For another fifty minutes Becket watched as events unfolded. Shraw slowed his charge towards the system’s inhabited world. He also altered his course slightly as his squadron prepared to engage the Karacknid escort ships. The twenty-four fighters in Becket’s squadron covertly launched and stealthily made their way towards their targets. Then the time came for Becket to play her hand. “The fleet will go to full military power. Begin rolling missile pods,” she ordered. The gap between the Karacknid capital ships and their escort squadron had widened to the point where supporting one another was impossible. “Let’s kick some Karacknid ass.” She couldn’t help but add as her squadron announced itself by charging the Karacknid capital ships.
The main Karacknid fleet responded at once. Ceasing their deceleration, they turned to face the newest threat. Becket had eighty warships. She knew she could beat the Karacknid sixty in a fair fight even though the Karacknid fleet had a higher proportion of larger warships. She had no intention of letting the fight be fair. She couldn’t afford the losses such an engagement would inevitably produce. Not so early into her campaign.
Before her ships got into missile range Shraw and the Karacknid escort squadron began their battle. The Karacknids opened fire first, but, thanks to the momentum of Shraw’s ships, they fired their first salvo before the Karacknids’ missiles hit home. Then it was over to the point defenses of each fleet. Six Karacknid missiles got close enough to detonate their warheads. Four Gramrian ships were destroyed completely. One survived unscathed while another was badly damaged. It quickly fell out of formation.
Only five of Shraw’s missiles made it to attack range as they dodged all the Karacknid fire. However they were joined by twenty-four Spitfire fighters armed with plasma missiles. The Karacknid ships had clearly not been briefed on engaging Spitfires for they focused most of their fire on Shraw’s missiles. Only after the Spitfires released their missiles did they switch their fire. They failed to shoot a single one down. Sixteen struck home destroying or crippling each Karacknid ship they hit. Shraw’s missiles damaged another three. The odds had been significantly turned in Shraw’s favor. For another twenty minutes the battle raged on before the last Karacknid ship was destroyed. When it was over Shraw’s squadron had lost nine ships completely destroyed and three so badly damaged they would have to be abandoned.
Throughout the whole engagement Becket had her hands tightened into fists. She wanted to aid her ally. Letting the Gramrians fight alone felt wrong. Yet it made the most strategic sense. She knew Shraw would understand. But that didn’t change how she felt. “Prepare to fire,” she said venomously when the battle ended, giving voice to her frustration. Her ships were about to come into range of the main Karacknid fleet. And we’ll be firing first, Becket thought with satisfaction. Let’s see how they like our mark IV missiles.
From each fast freighter twenty missile pods carrying four missiles had been released. Viper and the other heavy cruisers in Becket’s fleet released another ten. In total it boosted her first salvo by over five hundred missiles. When her ships opened fire, one thousand seven hundred and eighty missiles were hurled towards the Karacknids.
In return the Karacknids were only able to put out nine hundred. Before the new multistage AM missiles could engage them, the Human missiles struck. Karacknid point defenses shot down hundreds. Many more missiles dodged everything that was fired at them. A quarter of a light second out from the Karacknid ships, the remaining missiles detonated. The energy from the thermonuclear explosions was forced through the focusing lenses and converted into high energy grazer beams. The beams crossed the distance to the Karacknid ships in a fraction of a second. Fire, debris, and atmosphere erupted from nineteen Karacknid ships. Secondary explosions ripped ten of them apart. The rest fell adrift of the battle or struggled to stay in formation and fight on.
Becket nodded in satisfaction. They had done enough damage to reduce the threat from the Karacknid missile numbers. Her ships were already veering away from the Karacknids. She wasn’t going to let the rest of them get into energy weapon range. They would be blasted into oblivion by missile salvo after salvo. Before her ships could fire again, the enemy missiles had to be dealt with. As in the previous engagements, the multistage missiles proved their worth. The Karacknid fleet had clearly not learnt of them yet. Nevertheless, Becket lost a frigate to a direct hit. A medium cruiser also suffered serious damage when a proximity hit overwhelmed her gaseous shields and burnt away much of her armor and external sensor nodes. Becket watched her for several seconds hoping no more damage would become apparent. When her engines cut out she held her breath. But no secondary explosions or reactor meltdowns materialized. “Get a damage report from Halberd and send her as much help as we can,” Becket ordered. She turned to Lieutenant Salaman and raised an eyebrow.
“Twenty seconds Admiral,” the tactical officer replied. “Firefly and Thrust are settling back into formation.”
“Fire as soon as they are ready,” Becket ordered. When the two ships lined up their missile tubes on the Karacknid fleet, over one thousand one hundred missiles were accelerated towards the Karacknids. When it took nearly a minute for the Karacknids to return fire, Becket smiled. Her crews were operating far more efficiently. May we continue to face unprepared Karacknid fleets, she thought. It was more of a wish than a real hope. Despite her crew’s skill and her ships’ new AM missiles, it took five salvos to finish off the Karacknid capital ships. To her dismay, Becket lost four warships and a further three suffered serious enough damage that she would have to send them home. The journey would be an extremely risky one. But there was no choice, she couldn’t afford to let them slow her fleet down. “Make sure you ask for volunteers only,” Becket said to Wilson when the battle was over. “I only want enough people to get those ships home. Spread the rest out among the fleet. Cover the casualties our other ships have suffered as best you can.”
“Understood Admiral,” Wilson replied as she gave Becket a nod.
“Send these coordinates to Admiral Shraw,” Becket said as she glanced at her COM officer. “He is to t
ake out the inhabited planet’s orbitals and then rendezvous with us at the next shift passage.”
As Shraw easily dealt with the defenseless orbital stations, Becket aided her command staff as they reorganized her fleet. She requested a COM channel to Shraw when his ships returned. “Another well fought battle Admiral,” she said as she greeted Shraw with a slight bow.
The Gramrian Admiral returned the gesture and showed his teeth. “It was. Though next time you will have to let my ships really get to grips with the enemy. We are ready to take them on face to face.”
Becket nodded. She thought Shraw and his fleet had just had taken on the Karacknids, but she understood what Shraw meant. As tactically crafty as the Gramrians were, they still liked to throw themselves against an enemy and fight to the death. “How are your damaged ships? We are going to have to dispatch several of ours back to your space.”
