by T J Bryan
Holgata station, shortly after powering up the hub, had installed 8 tubes for the 32 'K' class missiles that were her defence. An additional 32 sand casters as well as five diamond dust casters had been added to the autoloading system at the hub. Toni now ordered that the tiny defence station located within the hub be manned full time and that the crew was to expect hostilities at any moment.
If Hrist did not return to Jamon on schedule then she knew Abel would dispatch another SAR or probably two. Wu Station was simply too critical to the Commonwealths' future and she knew Abel would not hesitate a moment in sending ships. She thought some more. If Hrist did not return by say two or three days of her expected arrival in two weeks Abel would act. If Abel sent ships to Wu because of the delayed arrival of Hrist they might arrive at the earliest at early in 35 days. Farn with the destructor New Hildr might arrive somewhere between the 40 to 60 days after.
Toni leaned back in her soft chair. Time, she thought is my enemy. Resources will be coming, but when they will actually arrive was only a guess. So much in traveling the void could go wrong and delay a ship or squadron. Of reinforcements from Jamon if Hrist was late she was certain. The number of reinforcement ships was at best a guess but certainly at least two SARs. As for Silvi that was only speculation but good speculation at that. For Farn and her powerful ship Toni decided to simply cross it off. Farn's voyage was very far, fraught with danger, and a very, very long way off. No, thought Toni. I must assume that only Abel's reinforcements will arrive within a month and a half. That's about all we can really count on. Should the Dumbbells prove hostile and decide to act sooner than reinforcements should arrive Toni was resigned to her fate. Just watch the clock she thought and hurry the station completion forward.
Toni stood, left her office, and walked to the bridge of Wu Ascending. The bridge was always manned and the potential for visitors from wherever Dumbbells came from only heightened the need for preparation. If attacked the plan was for the liner to take the construction engineers and run for Nelots. The Captains' office was just off the bridge and upon the captains desk sat their only Q Ball. A visual recording device monitored and recorded any change of state on the ball at all times. Messages were necessarily short and transmitted as numbered codes. Toni picked up her code book and looked for a code or series of codes to inform the Commonwealth and Abel of their new risk of invasion.
109 was the basic code she was looking for. Followed by 098 and 009. Toni sat at the desk and looked intently at the wall clock. After a full minute she rolled the ball and slowly painfully entered the three codes.
109 - Invasion probable. 098 - Send reinforcements. 009 - Quiet at this moment. Then for almost an hour she rolled the Q Ball to a coded sequence to spell out the threat. 'Dmbel.'
About twenty minutes later the Q Ball moved and Toni counted out a single number.
001 - Message received.
Now Toni sat back with her code book in hand and waited for a more detailed if brief reply. She did not have to wait long. The numbered messages slowly came in. The entire message package took well over twelve
hours to complete.
- Preparing Fleet
- Depart tomorrow
- Five
- SAR
- One
- Crusher
- End of message.
Toni breathed a sigh of relief. If the fleet left tomorrow they might well arrive within 25 days. If only the Dumbbells would give her that much time. With two SARs in system the fleet would add five more. That would give me seven. And the Crusher Toni knew was powerful and extremely well armored, but even this fleet when assembled would be challenged by even a single Dumbbell with its anti-matter torpedoes. Toni winced as she thought back to her encounter with the Dumbbell at the battle of Fitz. Toni remembered reading Farn's dispatch where she had seen two Dumbbells working together. She knew, even with the expanded fleet, if the Dumbbells came with more than one ship the odds would well be in the favor of the invader.
Toni found her arm was beginning to throb with pain. But she dismissed the pain and returned her thoughts to the problems at hand.
However, other than vigilance, Toni knew there was little she could do but press on with the completion of Holgata Station.
On the hour Toni held her video planning session with Captain Smilot, and Captain Baxter of Hrist. Tom Baxter had been Toni's pilot on the old Kára and she had full confidence in him and his crew.
Toni began speaking, "Let's start this planning session with the assumption we are about to be attacked. If the Dumbbells turn peaceful then we will have wasted our time, but I hardly think their intent is trade."
On the split vid screen Toni saw both Tom and Captain Smilot nod in agreement. She continued, "The Admiral will be sending us five SARs and the new Crusher. They will depart tomorrow and should be here in 24 or 25 days assuming the Girots passage is open. Silvi and the Destructor Ragnarök with her two escort SARs are scheduled to arrive in the next 30 days, however we must assume that she will not arrive in time to provide assistance. I am also excluding Farn's arrival in time for help."
Toni paused a moment, "Therefore until the Fleet arrives in 25 days we are on our own except for the anticipated arrival of Brynhildr. My plan for both of you is as follows. Captain Smilot please target your sand casters now on the entry portal from Severan. You may wish to station your revenue cutter together with Captain Baxter. Even that plasma cannon your cutter has may be useful. Captain Baxter you are to proceed to a location behind the portal and prepare an array of casters and 'K's. To both of you I want to make sure you understand our risk. If a Dumbbell actually is successful in entering Wu System we will be destroyed. One monitor, this unfinished station, and one SAR will not be able to stop one Dumbbell armed with anti-matter torpedoes. Our only hope short term, is that if they enter, we hit them with everything we have upon entry. Fire and keep firing until we have nothing left. Catch him as he enters at a dead stop. I have calculated that sand casters fired from Wu Station would be at the portal within 30 seconds and traveling at full speed. That will certainly blister their paint and if they have fired antimatter torpedoes upon entry the casters may well detonate the torpedoes within the kill zone of their ship. Captain Baxter, upon their entry, you will be immediately behind them. Fire a mix of casters and 'K's and remember the weak spot on Dumbbells is the connecting section that bridges the two spheres. You will be close enough for at least four dead on hits before they can do much of anything. Make those hits count and then keep on hitting them. Fire until you are empty and then run for it."
Toni paused to gather her thoughts. "Here at Holgata Station we will fire first casters to protect Wu Station in hopes of blocking their torpedoes and perhaps causing damage. When we are out of casters we will continue with 'K's. Upon first sight of their entry the Liner Wu Ascending will depart for Wu Station, take on as many of her citizens as possible and immediately depart for Nelots. Captain Smilot you must arrange a swift and efficient evacuation of your people. The liner was designed for a passenger load of 1,000 with a crew of the same size. Your population will easily fit, but any delay will doom both your people and the liner."
Captain Smilot nodded and then made a suggestion after a long pause. "Can we tow the old Ragnarök hulk out to the entry portal. It will be of little use now, but if we place it before the portal then we will know if the ship entering the system is friend or foe."
Captain Baxter asked, "What's the connection?"
Smilot replied. "If the ship entering the system is a friend they will simply stop and wait to be inspected or granted entry. If it intends no good it will simply shoot. Then we will know its' intentions regardless of any failure to respond to a hail."
"A very sound idea," responded Toni.
Smilot and Baxter had few additional ideas or questions and they both knew that Toni Hamilton was right. If the Dumbbell made it into the system all was lost.
Chapter Eighty
Jamon System - OCN Crusher - Y
ear 3247. August 22 ET: 06:14.
Abel stood on the deck of OCN Crusher Class ship which was named New Kára. He had come for a last inspection of the ship before its' planned departure in two hours to Wu Station. Lennie Karrlson, New Kára's pilot was busy running pre-flight diagnostics and her Captain Ana Njall was standing next to the Maintenance Station as overall ship diagnostics were completed. Helen Rebbah had at first refused to assume the Commodore's position and responsibilities, but when she realized the full threat to Wu and the OCN she had reluctantly agreed to be Commodore of the Wu bound Fleet. Abel had given the fleet a name; the Second Fleet. In some sense he thought of Silvi's squadron, although small and now somewhere in the void looking for Hypsistos, as the First Fleet.
Helen was pacing across the deck which Abel knew was unusual. Helen was one of the most thoughtful and least nervous ship commanders he had ever known. But clearly she was nervous.
"I don't know Abel?" Helen said. "Putting me in charge of all this..." Helen looked about at her very busy bridge crew of 30. "I'm not a combat captain. You know that."
Abel had let Helen continue to deny her capabilities but he knew she was the right choice to get the Second Fleet to Wu as quickly as possible.
"Helen," Abel said. "Your job is critical. Get the fleet to Wu. Then hand command over to Toni Hamilton. What you lack in battle experience you more than make up for in organization and leadership. Just get the fleet to Toni. Then you can assume your more traditional role. However, if you are attacked along the way remember try to press on to Wu. Avoid conflict if possible on the way there. If the Dumbbells get to Wu in her current state we might loose everything."
Helen sat in the Commodore's chair just off to the left of the Captain's chair. On this voyage Captain Njall would do most of the work and Helen thought she could simply smile and act as if she knew what she was doing. It was Njall's responsibility to get New Kára to Wu and Helen's greater responsibility to get the Second Fleet in its' entirety to Wu in time.
Abel was pleased with New Kára and even more so with her crew. Almost every station was manned by an experienced crewmember and Abel personally knew all of them. The Crusher had a small marine's barracks and twenty two OCN marines had set up camp under the leadership of now Lieutenants Wain Peters and Jerry Renner.
The fleet was simply too large for Abel to address them all on the dock before departure. Abel found himself wondering how this had all come about from such a small beginning three years ago.
"Are you ready Commodore Rebbah?"
"Yes Admiral Stoneman we are ready for departure."
"Put me on Second Fleet comms please Mr. Narlton." Abel said.
Abel picked up the microphone, keyed it open, and took a breath. "Women and men of the New Kára, Randgrid, Eir, Goll, Skuld, and Róta; the Obsidian Commonwealth Navy expects every woman and man to do their duty."
At that Abel handed the mic to Captain Njall and departed New Kára.
Abel walked quickly to his new office in what had become the Naval Wing of the Collegium. Bennet Nolo, his aide de camp and bodyguard followed. Now that the Second Fleet was off Abel had a Commonwealth to defend. Walking swiftly to his office he reviewed in his mind his available resources.
Greenland and Iceland were moored just outside the Habitat and Abel had decided it was best to distribute them elsewhere in the system where they would not present an easy target. Here in the system he had four SARs available and crewed for defence including the Banshees. But for the Banshees' age he would have dispatched them to Wu long ago as they were one of the most aggressive and combat successful SAR crews he had. But he knew they would remain in system for at least another year and in some sense he was glad they were here. If the Jamon system were attacked he knew he could count on Sváva and her Banshees.
Two additional SAR's had been brought to the Old Mining Dock for re-commissioning and Abel knew there were only a few left intact SARs left in the zone. These two 1011 and 1056 were battle scarred and required that the Fabricators Alliance spend considerable time plasma welding several split seams in their armor. Diagnostics had indicated that with the welds the ships would be serviceable, but the repairs would never match what Greayson could complete in her yards. Abel now had the luxury of four additional certified crews and several more in the annex pipeline. In recent months the real challenge of the OCN had become not the availability of crews, but organization and management here at the Habitat. But his greatest concern was munitions. As the Second Fleet sailed to support Wu and Holgata Stations they carried almost a quarter of the available munitions. An intense battle at Wu, even if successful, might well weaken the OCN.
Abel walked across the courtyard and glanced at the newly rebuilt State Visitors Quarters and was once again reminded that the madman Thorgaut was still on the loose, but at least there had been no recent bombing incidents. Abel realized that professor Hamza Lynn's speculation that Arne had used all his deadly explosive mix might well be correct, but he also knew that Arne would become more desperate with time. He would either seek more chemical precursors to his bombs or try a different approach to terror. And the Habitat orbiting Jamon in the void was full of exposures.
Abel turned to the left and passed a group of students, many of which were wearing OCN dress whites with gray lapels indicating their trainee status. When they spotted Abel they immediately stood at attention and saluted. As much as Abel hated saluting he returned the salute and hurried on to his office on the first floor. Prior to entering his office Abel took a quick look into the new Command Center he had created shortly before the arrival of the Q Balls. All stations of the center were manned although there was at this moment little for the crew to do. Their task was to simply watch and wait.
Emmitt Wong was sitting in Abel's now larger office looking out the newly installed blast proof windows. As Abel and Bennet entered Emmitt stood and greeted them.
Abel smiled at the sight of Emmitt. "Those headaches getting better?" asked Abel.
"Yes," replied Emmitt which Abel knew was a lie. Emmitt's head injuries had been severe and he had survived only because they got him from Abel's destroyed office to the doc-box in less than five minutes. To Abel's view Emmitt seemed fully recovered, but for occasional debilitating headaches requiring a return to the hospital.
Abel sat as did Emmitt, but Bennet as usual simply stood near the door awaiting orders.
"Any improvements on the munitions situation?" asked Abel knowing that there had been no improvement at all since their last meeting two days ago.
"No. We have continued to test that engine from the Theans and they are indeed copies of those found in the 'K's. If we can get them in quantity we could build replacements for the missiles. But we are still without the tech for the advanced guidance required, and as for the explosive capacity we still have a lot of work to do. Right now we can produce an explosion about one half of what a Greayson 'K' can do. While that's not insignificant it is a lot less than we need and that means that near misses are just that; misses. Only direct hits will suffice with the weakened warheads."
Abel thought a moment. "And as for the sand casters without GWP there is no hope."
"Yes, Casters use the same GWP as the ships. Just pushed to the limit of gravity well propulsion. Nomi has some ideas, but at this point they are un-formed. I am not sure that is the right descriptor; 'unformed.' But you know Nomi. Perhaps when she returns from Narlanda she will know more or perhaps have drawn a conclusion on GWP."
Abel thought a moment. "Emmitt why can casters fly in battle in system, while our GWP cannot be used around system gravity wells?"
Emmitt replied, "It's the GWP to mass ratio Abel. Take a caster. Lets say it has a one to one ratio of mass to GWP power. Now a ship like a SAR has a ratio of 2,000 to one. If the mass is small and the GWP power large then system gravity wells can be overcome by pure power and good guidance systems. But if the mass is large and the GWP power low, as in a starship, then you cannot overcome interference from surrou
nding massive objects."
"I see," replied Abel and then changed the subject. "Any clues from that bundle of pipes and wires Silvi sent back from the trades with the Xaman Ek?"
"No. I had three departments take a look but all just scratched their heads?"
Abel was about to stand and get a cup of coffee from the ever brewing urn on the sideboard when he asked. "How many of those inadequate 'K' warheads can we make in say a week or two?"
Emmitt looked puzzled at the questions. Abel simply said one word. "Mines."
"Ahh," replied Emmitt. Well we have built the jigs and we have plenty of fissionable material. We tested the early models with fissionable fuel rather than as fusion bombs. If you wanted a lot in a hurry I would suggest fission bombs. Nowhere near as powerful as the 'K' warheads but almost as good as our first efforts at a fusion version. We could build perhaps five a day and that's pushing it. Detonators would be easy we have them in the Miner's guild stock. We could detonate by proximity or on command."
"'Would 'pushing it' to build mines impact other developmental work?"
"No, in fact it might help with morale by keeping some of the fabricators busy."
"Then start building mines. I want to mine the entrance from Dello. Now don't get me wrong, the history of mines is not decisive in war, but they sure as hell can slow down an invading fleet. And occasionally you get a lucky hit. I want to mine the portal to help the Monitor Esjan in defending Jamon. And build me more for ship dispersal by the fleet if needed. Laying a group of mines in front of an invading ship or fleet might give their commanders additional worries."
Emmitt reached for his inter-tab made some notes and said, "I'll get started as soon as we are finished here."
Abel was about to ask Emmitt more about the needed guidance systems for 'K' replacements when his vid-com chimed. It was Professor Hamza Lynn.
