by T J Bryan
"Yes, but the price was too high."
"The price in war is always too high," replied Silvi. "However, those new slow missiles and their cycle time will do Megra no good. And the seeker mines are useful only if our ships venture too close to Megra to avoid them. Their size and the speed at which they move means to me that they cannot go far. And once coalesced a well placed caster or even a few 'K's will take all of them out. It's just a matter of our adapting to their new weapons."
Toni shook her head. "I knew that we had developed seeker mines, but it never occurred to me that the Megra might do something similar."
"The mines are still on the dock here at Holgata?"
"Yes. I was to receive an update on how they worked, and where Emmitt Wong and the Naval Department thought they might be useful, and then the Megra showed up. I should have taken the time earlier. Instead I wanted a party. How stupid of me."
Silvi could see that the loss of Skuld and Róta was causing great pain to Toni Hamilton. Silvi too would miss captains Eon Stallings and Jason Mills as well as their crews. Abel's insistence that crews rotate among the OCN fleet had resulted in Silvi knowing most of the 18 crew who had died. She knew them by name and after having spent hours in the mess laughing, joking, and just working on the bridge she also felt the very real loss of so many. Silvi also knew that there would be more.
Chapter Ninety Seven
New Horizons - Destructor New Hildr - Year 3248 March 3 01:20
Farn stood on the bridge of the Destructor New Hildr as they entered New Horizons having traveled from Sargon via Eos, Desdemona, and Larissa finally arriving in New Horizons 120 days after leaving Wu. The SAR Mist had preceded their entry by 20 minutes and provided New Hildr with scans as she entered. However the scan were useless. New Horizons formed by three white dwarfs was awash in cosmic gasses and dust. Enormous electrical discharges from a gigantic cosmic storm had made any attempts at scanning useless. Even short haul communications between New Hildr and Mist were subject to interference. Vision out the vid screen could at times simply be obscured by dust and gas not to mention the startling bright electrical discharges. Farn knew that the dust and gas obscured six gas giants which orbited the trinary suns on highly irregular orbits as well as numerous planets and planetoids. Sometime in the galactic past a passing huge object with an enormous gravity well had disturbed the system as it passed through and system chaos had resulted. In more than a million years some stability in the system had resulted but only after hundreds of collisions, gravity distortions, and the shattering of planets.
Two planets however were habitable and were called the Mother and Daughter, however from the bridge of New Hildr the habitable planets, and indeed most of the system was entirely obscured from Farn's viewpoint at the entry portal. She would have to venture in system on reaction engines and with some caution.
Farn had received the Q Ball message about new weapons systems and hoped that the Megra had not yet deployed them at New Horizons. The attack at Wu may well have been an attempt to test the effectiveness of these weapons, but Farn would take no chances.
Sohail, Captain of the damaged New Horizons Armada ship De Magnete stood on the bridge as well. Farn notice he was leaning in toward the vid screen as if that would allow him to see more.
Farn turned to Sohail, "And when you departed from New Horizons six months ago your Mother planet was under attack by 9 Megra ships?"
Sohail turned toward Farn. "Yes. We were defending the Mother with our fortress moons. Our fleet had been destroyed by their powerful weapon. The Daughter had been evacuated."
Farn fully expected to find a dead world at the Mother planet given the lapse of time, a destroyed defensive fleet, and the power of 9 Megra ships. She would know only when they could approach the Mother planet and her pilot Hilde Einarsson had estimated the time to arrival at the Mother to be 32 hours. If the system had been reasonably clear the journey would have taken less than half that time, but the chaos of a system of shattered planets, pulverized planetoids, and fragmented asteroids as well as the pandemonium of electrical discharges in the milky gas clouds made swift travel impossible.
Sohail continued, "Your pilot has our best route in to Mother. These gas clouds have formed thick bands and it is best to travel between the bands if possible. When transiting a band very slow speed is advised for the bands contain much dust and rock."
Farn nodded in reply. Sohail had provided a detailed map of the system including the safest routes from the Larissa entry portal to the Mother. Unfortunately in Farn's mind this put New Hildr and Mist on a predictable path to the planet. Farn was relying on surprise, but if the Megra knew the OCN had arrived then they might easily jump her ships along the prescribed route.
Farn turned her attention again to the detailed map of the Mother planet and its' three fortress moons. The moons were called Saint George, Saint Vardan and Saint Menas and each had gigantic rail guns powered by very large fusion engine installations which lay deep within the moon itself. At the time Sohail had left New horizons these rail guns were the only defence of the planet and he had indicated that the constant kinetic bombardment of the moons was taking a toll and that eventually the fortress moons would fall. Like the planets, the moons had distorted elliptical orbits and while their passage was predictable, one was usually visible over the capital city of Breaking Dawn. However, there were a few days a year when no moon hung over the city. And without a fortress moon to protect the Capital of Breaking Dawn the city was exposed to kinetic bombardment.
Farn had reviewed her tactical options with New Hildr's Captain Siggy Ivar. High speed attacks within this system were ill advised. Sohail had said that any high speed run was bound to hit something and at speed even a small rock could spell disaster. So Farn and Siggy knew they could not use the inherent speed advantage of SARs over dumbbells. However the Megra would have to reduce speed as well. They too would need to proceed slowly. This was going to be a slow speed fight they realized. Casters with their enormous speed might well be useless here, but the 'K' missiles with their powerful tracking systems might well dodge many, but not all of the obstacles. After speaking with Sohail at length Farn thought that a 50% loss rate from debris on 'K's was probable in a fight. But so too would Megra be hindered and firing off anti-matter missiles amongst the chaos of the system might well doom the offending Megra ship.
"And tell me again Executive Operator Sohail how your ships were attacked and destroyed?"
Sohail who had continued to look at the vid screen turned to Farn. "Our ships had what you call plasma guns. Our ships had many, very many, and they served us well over 700 years. But Megra had plasma guns as well and they were very long range. Our ships died before they could even scorch a dumbbell. But the worst loss was at our Armada base on a moon of the Daughter planet. They used some missile with enormous power. The entire base and 18 of our ships simply disappeared in a flash. There was nothing we could do but die."
An anti-matter torpedo though Farn. Again Farn realized that the Megra would be most cautious with their anti-matter torpedoes in this chaotic system, but in the attack on the fleet they must have taken a chance.. The OCN had never engaged dumbbells close enough to use plasma cannons and Farn simply had no idea of the range of dumbbell cannons.
"All your Armada has been destroyed?"
"A few ships may have survived and are hiding far out in the system. Perhaps with the mining colonies. But as an effective fighting force the Armada is destroyed."
Farn saw the pain on Sohail's face as he made the admission that his fleet was no more. "And at what distance did the dumbbells fire their plasma weapons?"
Sohail replied, "Our plasma guns were good for 10 kilometres, but the Megra stood off at 40 kilometres and butchered our ships."
Farn had little understanding of the physics of plasma cannons, but she knew that the largest plasma cannons that had been fitted on Greayson Dreadnoughts had a range of 95 kilometres and those cannons required huge capacitors a
nd an energy reserve that no dumbbell could match. For tactical consideration Farn decided that a range of 50 to 60 kilometres was the best Megra could do, and probably less.
Farn continued, "And at what position will we be able to hail New Horizons on comm?"
Sohail replied, "The bands are thickest farther out from our suns. The bands near the Mother and Daughter are much thinner and communications is usually possible at between 500,000 and 400,000 kilometres." He paused a moment. "Of course that depends on weather."
By 'weather' Farn knew he meant galactic weather.
"And when you departed for Wu what was the disposition of the Megra ships?"
"Three Megra were positioned above Breaking Dawn. They were trying to bombard the city. However at least one moon was above to protect the city. The other six Megra followed our moons in orbit constantly bombarding them with kinetic bombs."
"Were the bombs nuclear?"
"No. The were just large rocks they gathered from the system and propelled onto the surface of the moon."
Farn had one last question. "And when will Breaking Dawn have no moon above for protection."
Sohail looked at the bulkhead clock and Farn could see him calculating in his head. "In five days there will be no protection. The moonless night will last," here again Sohail paused to convert his time standard to that of the OCN. Farn could see him counting on his fingers. "No moon will hang over Breaking Dawn for 63 of your hours. Then our fortress moon Saint Menas will appear and 19 days later Saint George."
Farn thanked Sohail and together with Captain Ivar entered Farn's small office off of her quarters. Moments later she brought up on her vid screen Captain Elan Masters of the SAR Mist.
Farn began, "My original plan had been to try to knock off dumbbells one at a time and in this system we might well get a few before the others knew we were here. Communications in this system is almost impossible. With surprise and two ships coming at a given dumbbell we might well take them out with 'K's. I doubt they will fire torpedoes within these systems. However now we face a new challenge. If the Mother has not fallen, and if Breaking Dawn is still viable, then in five days the city will be exposed and defenceless. Therefore we need to assume a position that will allow us to defend the city. I further suspect that the three ships presently above breaking dawn will be supplemented by the others. If Breaking Dawn goes the Mother falls and there is no sense in continuing to attack the fortress moons. It may well be possible that all nine, if they are still here, will assemble above the city. If we can remain concealed we may well get the jump on them."
Captain Masters responded, "Sounds like a plan to me. But as they say, in battle plans are useless, but planning is essential.
Farn nodded. "Yes. We will remain flexible but let us always try to fight as a unit. Coordination between our two ships may be difficult given the electrical discharges, but if we are separated then we loose half our strength. We may well need at some point to read one another's minds as it were. To anticipate what you Captain Masters may do next or for that matter what Captain Ivar may do, may be our only chance at communications in battle. Our opponents will be as hamstrung in communications as ourselves and in a surprise attack that lack of communications may well provide us with a powerful advantage."
Farn continued, "Casters may well be worthless here as are their torpedoes, but they may still fire them in panic or in some unforeseen opportunity. We must prepare for the same. Here on New Hildr our 60 centimetre plasma cannons have a kill range of 65 kilometres and I suspect that is probably a bit further than the Megra, but only an engagement will tell. Mist has an effective kill range of 40 kilometres. And let us not forget our load of new seeker mines. I know these are untested but in a system so full of debris and junk as this one they may prove very valuable. Especially if we can lay them down where we know the dumbbells will travel. Or if we need to run we can lay them out behind us."
Captain Masters added, "And I have two of those diamond dust casters on board as well. The might be useful against a plasma discharge, but they have ever been tried in combat."
Siggy leaned back in the uncomfortable steel seat. "And if the system is lost?"
Farn replied, "If the system is lost, we turn tail and run home. We are here to assist New Horizons and if that is not possible we run. There is no sense in fighting over a dead system. We are needed, intact, within our own space."
The three continued discussing tactics and New Horizons' unusual system dynamics for over an hour and then adjourned. Their plan was simple. They would try to hide within the nearest dust and gas band to the Mother and locate the position of the Megra. Then if time allowed they would attack any single ship they found. If none were found then they would seek a double formation. In all likelihood the bulk of dumbbell ships would be over Breaking Dawn but there might well be stragglers. However when no moon was over the capital they would commit themselves to an all out fight to protect the city. Once again surprise was critical against so many ships.
New Hildr and Mist proceeded slowly into the New Horizons system. As they sailed through the first of six dense rings of dust Farn noticed that the distribution of the dust and gas within a band was uneven, and where the gasses were most dense vast electrical discharges could be observed. Great sheets of lightening would simply blast across the gas and dust covering 100,000 kilometres or more. The lightening, like the gas and dust distribution, was uneven and concentrated where the gas was most dense.
"Mr. Sohail?" Farn asked as she returned to the bridge. "What happens if one of your ships finds itself struck by layers of lightening?"
Sohail shook his head. "Those areas are to be avoided. In the early days of our colony we lost ships to those discharges. Ships hit by that much energy find themselves without controls, that is if the crew survives which often they do not. The heat generated is far, far more than found on the surface of our sun. Perhaps ten times more. Steel, carbon, metals of any kind cannot, withstand the heat and the electrical corona that will envelop a ship. Power like that melts conduits, power busses, control comps. No. Those areas are to be avoided."
Following Sohail's direction New Hildr and Mist passed uneventfully through four of the dense layers of gas and dust. The layers to Farn seemed like those Russian Dolls she had seen in an antique shop in the Habitat. You pass through one only to discover another. And the clouds were not actually rings but very broad bands which were thickest on the elliptic of the trinary stars and they thinned a bit toward what was the polar region of the three stars. However only between the bands was there any free void, and that was hardly free as it seemed cluttered with rocks and the remains of demolished planets. However within the space between bands some distant scanning was possible, however Farn withheld any scanning action fearing detection by Megra.
Farn remembered an old saying from a book she had read. 'The light that serves to see, serves also to be seen'.
Farn directed her ships to make the final approach on the far side of the Mother planet away from Breaking Dawn. The moon Saint Menas would be at that orbital location and Farn hoped they might catch one or two dumbbells unaware. As the OCN ships slipped into the gap between the fifth and sixth shell of gas and dust they travelled slowly to a rendezvous with Saint Menas. Soon they were travelling through the final band of gas and Farn had the Mist separate and travel further so that they might approach Saint Menas from two opposite directions.
Farn turned to Siggy Ivar. "Captain you have the con."
"Thank you Sir," replied Siggy.
Siggy remained sitting in the captain's chair. "Mr. Motts, please load 12 'K's and 12 casters. Charge the plasma cannon capacitors to full charge."
Moments later Molly Motts responded, "12 'K's loaded. 12 casters loaded. Plasma cannon capacitors at 97%."
Farn, who also sat in her Commodore's seat to the right of the captain knew that Mist would be loading a mix of casters and 'K's into its four tubes. Farn had set a time for entry into the clear, or clearer, zone just be
low the last shell of gas and dust. The boundary between the shell and the clear space was uneven so even the best timing might result in their appearance at slightly different times, but that might well play to their advantage.
Moments later New Hildr emerged from the gas shell and the moon Saint Menas loomed large on the vid screen. Siggy ordered a scan but found no ships. About two minutes later Mist descended through the cloud and also scanned with the same result. There was no dumbbell at Saint Menas.
Siggy looked at Farn and Farn said, "Let's hail the fortress moon."
Siggy picked up the mic from its' base on his chair. Siv Dahl on defence opened a broad spectrum channel. "Channel open Captain," called out Siv.
Siggy took a breath and then keyed the mic. "New Horizons Fortress Saint Menas, this is the Obsidian Commonwealth Navy ship New Hildr responding to your call for assistance against the Megra. Please respond."
Siggy continued sitting but there was no response. "Mr. Dahl, please repeat the message continuously for the next..."
"Incoming," called out Siv Dahl. "Rail gun rounds. Very high speed. Impact in 20 seconds."
"Take the rounds out Mr. Dahl" replied Siggy.
Both Farn and Siggy realized that whoever was managing the fortress on Saint Menas was taking no chances.
Siv Dahl fired two of New Hildr's eight plasma cannons and the incoming round disappeared 50 kilometres from New Hildr in a burst of plasma.
"Incoming, another round."
Siggy stood. "Mr. Sohail, please contact Saint Menas and inform them that we are friends."
Sohail stepped forward and Siggy handed him the mic.
"Saint Menas comm, this is Executive Operator Sohail of the New Horizons Armada ship De Magnete. Our voyage to Wu was successful. We bring OCN warships."
