“And quickly,” Maddox added. “My watch shows we’re back in the fight in ten minutes.”
“We could disperse, try and get some ships away,” Novak suggested.
“No,” Maddox said. “This is where we make our stand. This is where we fight. Alvarez was right about one thing. The Terran Republic needs a victory, a big one. We’re going to give it to them.”
“Or die trying,” Dixon said.
“Got it in one, Lieutenant,” Corrigan said. “If you want to live through this, then we need ideas, and we need them now. Call up all the specifications we have on Goliath. There’s a weak spot. Somewhere. We’ve just got to find it.” Cracking a smile, he said, “Any ideas?”
Chapter 21
Shaking his head, Rojek looked up at the monitor, and said, “That’s one big damned bastard out there, Commodore. We’ve got some intelligence reports on her design and construction, but far from enough.” Gesturing at the image slowly rotating on the holodisplay, he added, “That spherical design is unconventional, but they’ve made it work well. She’s bristling with thrusters, enough that she can turn in less than ten seconds to aim at any target she can see, and her targeting sensors are among the best in space.”
“If she’s so good, why hasn’t she already destroyed us,” Maddox asked. “There must be some weakness.”
“Maybe,” Vaughn replied. “I was on the task force that collated the intelligence reports on her, after the Interstellar Squadron encountered her at Barnard’s Star. She’s a pure warship, but that’s also a weakness. She’s got a very short range, extremely limited endurance, and almost no real facilities for the comfort of a crew. Her sensors are powerful, but focused. Very little long-range ability, far less than even one of our light vessels.”
Nodding, Maddox said, “Meaning that she’s designed to operate in conjunction with other warships, such as the two cruisers fleeing around the far side of the planet right now.” Looking at Vaughn, she added, “Quite a coincidence that someone with your particular skill set should find herself out here facing the enemy, isn’t it?” Vaughn blushed, and Maddox continued, “We can discuss that in more detail later. What about a multi-vector attack? Take her from all sides at once?”
“That might get us some early hits, but there’s a serious danger that she might just destroy us one at a time, especially if we stay within firing range for long enough to do any good.” Rojek frowned, then added, “We’re going to need to get in close, ma’am. Damned close, and we’re going to have to trick them again. At least we’ve got Goliath out of her nest. That’s a start. We’ve just got to take full advantage of that.”
“We’ve got four ships, counting Avenger,” Maddox said. “All of them at full combat readiness, none with any significant damage.” Turning to Rojek, she said, “Go ahead and explain to me why we shouldn’t just cut and run.”
“Commodore, a chance like this might never come again…”
“It’s no chance at all unless we can conjure up some sort of a battle plan,” she retorted. “Right now that plan boils down to praying for a miracle. Just what is going on, Major?”
Taking a deep breath, Rojek began, “We don’t really have time for this, Commodore. Can’t we discuss this later…”
“I think we need to have this conversation now,” she replied.
Glancing at Vaughn, he said, “The short version, ma’am is that all of this was a set-up by Fleet Intelligence. With the goal of getting Goliath into a position where the Interstellar Squadron, supported by Avenger, should take its best shot to destroy or, at least, damage that brute out there. We figured that if we could at least knock a few chunks off it, that might be enough to convince the Belters to keep it safe for the duration, rather than continuing to engage our ships.”
“Then you must have some sort of a plan.”
“We’ve got full tactical data, Commodore, and that’s all I can give you for the moment. She’s vulnerable at the rear. Her entire design philosophy is based around the concept of executing an overwhelming attack. Racing right for a target and reducing it to its component atoms with sixteen heavy particle cannons. We incorporated some of the design elements we were able to learn into the modifications on Avenger. She’s got the strongest punch in the Fleet. If she can strike it home.”
“Meaning that we’ve got to find a way to let them take that shot.” She looked at the display again, and said, “I suppose you’re assuming that we take the obvious approach. We charge in, guns blazing, and try and distract Goliath for long enough to allow Avenger to sneak around the rear, perhaps feigning an escape, before hoping for a lucky shot.”
Rojek nodded, and said, “I figured it was better for you to come up with that yourself, Commodore, and if it is any consolation, I’ll be standing right behind you when the end comes. These ships are expendable. There are six battlecruisers of more recent design under construction at Gateway Station right now. They’ll be ready long before the Belters can build a new Goliath. We figure she’s been fifteen years a-building, in some secret shipyard out on the far frontier. Though we never did find out where.”
“Major, if you think I’m going to re-enact the Charge of the Light Brigade because your seniors haven’t got even the slightest element of tactical imagination, I’m afraid that you are very, very much mistaken. I do not plan to sacrifice three of the most powerful ships in the Republic Fleet for nothing. Hell, I doubt Avenger would even get to take that shot. If I was on Goliath’s bridge, I’d spot that decoy play in a second and ignore the battlecruisers.” She glared at Rojek, and said, “What support did you build in for that plan? Did you prepare the ground on Goliath?”
“We couldn’t get any agents on board, ma’am, and that’s not for lack of trying. I lost half a dozen good friends in the last attempt. They’ll know that Goliath is our primary target. That only makes sense. What they don’t know is how we’re going to do it.” He paused, then added, “They also know that you are on board, ma’am. That was part of the bait. We went along with Admiral Alvarez’s idea. Meaning that they’ve got access to your psychological profile, and for that matter, mine also.”
“What about the rest of the crew?” she asked. “Corrigan?”
“Alvarez picked him. We’ve got to assume that they were informed.”
“Fine.” Turning to Vaughn, she said, “How’d you like to earn a nice big promotion, Ensign? Get those Lieutenant’s bars on right now.” Gesturing at Goliath, she added, “We’ve got about five minutes to come up with a miracle. You’ve studied her. You’re more familiar with her than anyone else around here. If anyone knows a weak spot in her defenses, it’s got to be you.”
“Ma’am, I’ve only been out of the Academy nine months,” Vaughn protested. “The Goliath analysis was my first assignment, and I didn’t do that much more than hold the coffee for the engineers…”
“Meaning that you saw everything. Where do I point my ships, Ensign? How do I bring that beast down? Details aren’t needed.”
Glancing at Rojek for a moment, she said, “If it was me, ma’am, I’d do everything I could to get Avenger behind them. That’s the only really vulnerable part of the entire ship. They had to compromise with the armor at the rear. A precision shot might catch their oxygen reservoir, cripple them, maybe even take out their power distribution network.”
Nodding, Maddox said, “That’s fine, Ensign, but that’s a goal, not a battle plan. What about their sensors?”
“They’ve got excellent forward short-range sensors, but they’re totally dependent on other ships for their longer-range work, as well as warp tracking. Maybe…” She paused, smiled, and said, “Commodore, we’re thinking about this the wrong way. We don’t have to fool the commander of Goliath. We’ve got to fool Admiral Malek. He’s the one who will be providing tactical planning and sensor interpretation. Goliath isn’t even able to carry a staff. It’ll have a subordinate officer in command.”
Maddox grinned, then said, “That promotion will be approved w
hen we get back to Earth if I have to blackmail every officer in Personnel to do it. That’s the answer.” She looked at the trajectory plot, then said, “We’re going after Hyperion and its escort. We’re going after Malek. That even fits with the strategy. Knock out the sensors and flee the system.”
“We might be able to catch them if we red-line the engines,” Rojek replied, “but that won’t accomplish our mission. Goliath is still the target. If we knock out Hyperion, I suppose that will be a nice bonus prize, but while that big brute is still flying around out there…”
“Oh, don’t worry, Major, I’ve got that covered. You see, I helped work on Avenger’s warp drive, and there’s an option on the table that I don’t think has been considered. Actually, it was Commander Corrigan that gave me the idea.” Looking at the trajectory plot, she added, “Goliath’s heading around the planet now, but she’s going to have her back to it within the next three minutes, charging for us. Malek will undoubtedly order her into the fight in a bid to protect his own damned hide.”
“Probably, but how does that help us?” Rojek asked.
With a grin, Maddox replied, “Now how does an intelligence officer survive in the field with such a bad memory as yours? Tell me, Major, just how did Avenger get away from Earth in the first place, with the warp drive disabled by Lieutenant Carter?”
“With a blind warp jump, anchored gravitationally at Triton,” Rojek replied. His mouth dropped, eyes widened, and he said, “Ma’am, that was a crazy stunt to pull once, and the chances of our successfully pulling it off a second time have to be the longest of long shots…”
“Avenger’s capable of it, and if Corrigan gets his trajectory right, they’ll pop in right behind them and take them out of the fight with one well-placed shot. If they don’t, then at least the rest of the squadron will have a chance to fight its way out of the system. We’ve got a chance for that clean sweep we wanted, right here. We’re going to take it.”
Shaking his head, Rojek replied, “This is crazy, Commodore.”
“I’m not the one who lured her here without a workable battle plan, Major. I get the sense that Fleet Intelligence has been improvising rather more than might have been advisable with all of this. Now you’re going to get to pay the price.” Reaching for a microphone, she said, “Maddox to Hunter.”
“Hunter here, ma’am. That beast out there is looking awfully big on our forward sensors. If we’re going to engage, then we need to get into some sort of combat formation right away, before they disrupt us.”
“That is precisely my intention, Commander. The fleet will form up into tight arrowhead formation, and execute a course change to place us on an intercept trajectory with Hyperion and her escort. We’ll leave Goliath in our wake, at least for the moment. Our priority is to knock out her sensors. Blind, she’s far less of a threat.”
“Aye, ma’am,” Hunter replied. “I don’t much like the idea of leaving that bastard in our wake, though. If they manage to execute…”
“Avenger will form up in the rear of the formation, Commander, to cover any potential attack by Goliath. At the very least, she can probably hold them off long enough to give us a chance to deal with the threat. Execute my orders at once, Commander.”
“Aye, aye, ma’am. Course change is already computed, and Glorious is moving into the lead. We estimate that we will be engaging the enemy in twelve minutes, unless they do something unexpected.”
“Always expect the unexpected, Commander. That’s the best way I know to win a battle. Flag bridge out.”
“You’re not telling him the whole picture?” Rojek asked. “If you don’t trust him, then there are other officers you could place in command.”
“I fully trust Commander Hunter,” Maddox replied. “I don’t trust, however, that there isn’t someone on that bridge, or on the bridge of one of the other ships in the formation, who isn’t in contact with the enemy. It doesn’t have to be a senior officer. A junior communications technician will do.”
“Your paranoia is admirable, Commodore,” Rojek said. “I approve.”
“I’m pleased to hear it,” she said. “Looking at the display, she added, “And now comes the main event. Let’s see if we can start improving the odds a little. It’d be nice to salvage something out of this.” Taking a deep breath, she said, “Contact Avenger, on tightbeam. I’d better brief Commander Corrigan. He’s going to love this.”
“Knowing him,” Rojek said, hastening to set up the communications link, “I think that’s probably a surprisingly accurate assessment.”
Chapter 22
“She’s got to be out of her god-damned mind!” Dixon said, looking at the tactical updates from Glorious. “I’m astonished that we lived through attempting that warp jump once, and she wants us to do it twice, under combat conditions, no less?”
“That’s the order,” Corrigan said. “What do you think, Lieutenant?” he asked, turning to Carter. “You know this ship better than anyone else. As far as I am concerned, you’re the only one even remotely qualified to judge as to whether this is feasible or not. Never mind what anyone else thinks about it. What do you say?”
Carter looked up at the readouts, then said, “Avenger is undamaged. By design, it now appears, to allow the enemy to capture us intact. We’ve had a chance to give our warp drive a good shakedown, so we have a lot more familiarity with the systems as they stand. I’d say that we should be able to pull this off, Commander, at least in theory, but it’s going to need a lot of skill and more than a little luck. I’ll have to go down to Engineering and ride the panel myself. If we get the power levels wrong, then we’ll burn up in the atmosphere or worse, end up emerging short.”
“Which will leave us helpless and vulnerable with the main armament of Goliath aimed right at us. They’ll take the shot,” Dixon warned. “They’ll have to. They couldn’t justify the risk of leaving us intact, even if it does take the shine off their victory.”
“Bottom line, Lieutenant,” Corrigan said. “Can we do this?”
“I think we can, sir,” Carter replied. “It’s risky. It’s risky as all hell, and I’m not going to deny it, but I believe that it can be done, and more to the point, I’d like to give it a try.”
Corrigan smiled, then said, “Head down to Engineering and set it up, Lieutenant. Do you need anyone else from the bridge crew to assist you?”
“No, sir, I think I can handle it with the help of Ensign Collins.”
Nodding, Corrigan said, “We’ll set everything up that we can from the bridge. You’ve got the call on when the execute this maneuver. Never mind tactical perfection. I’ll settle for putting us in place to take that shot. Crawford, we’re only going to get one chance to make this work, so it had better be the most perfect barrage you’ve ever fired.”
“Just get me in the ballpark, sir, and I’ll hit a home run for you.”
“Ten minutes to Hyperion, Commander,” Novak said.
“Better get moving, Lieutenant,” Corrigan said. “Give me a half-minute warning before you initiate the jump, and save me enough power for a full salvo from the particle cannons. The rest is up to you.”
“Aye, sir,” she replied, making her way to the elevator, taking a last look at the bridge as the doors slid shut. She’d spent years longing for this, longing for a combat posting that would give her the chance to truly demonstrate what she could do, just what her capabilities were. Now that she had it, a part of her longed to be back at Gateway Station, longed for the certainty of peace. Maybe Hanson had been right, all along. Maybe the quiet, predictable life was better.
“All hands, stand by your battle stations,” Dixon’s voice barked over the ceiling speaker. It was redundant at best. Aside from Collins, everyone else was on the bridge, was well aware of the situation. Except perhaps for the prisoners, locked in the docking bay or drugged in the detention block. In all of the chaos, she’d forgotten all about them.
They’d keep. They’d live or they’d die with the rest of them. Th
is battle, for all of its manifold sins, would at least be over soon, over in a matter of minutes. She reached for the wall, bringing up a tactical plot. It had simplified enormously over the course of the last few minutes. Most of the cruisers were gone, reduced to cosmic dust in what she had initially thought a glorious battle, before realizing that it had all been a trick.
All of it was a trick. The whole mission. Everything, since the start. Commander Corrigan wasn’t acting much like an escaped felon, and she’d noticed that even Novak had suddenly remembered that she was in the military, had begun to use ranks and proper terms of address once more.
She shook her head, turning back to the tactical display. Hyperion and her still-nameless escort were on the move, racing into the distance but unable to outpace either the battlecruisers of the Interstellar Squadron or Avenger. Or perhaps unwilling. It was entirely possible that Malek was deliberately drawing them in, hoping that Goliath would race to the rescue in time, would blot the ships hunting him down out of space before they could find their mark.
Behind them, Goliath loomed, large and deadly. She’d seen the footage taken by the Interstellar Squadron at Barnard’s Star, read the reports from the other encounters, but none of them could quite portray the scale of the monolithic warship beyond, a ship more powerful than anything she could imagine. Or would ever dare imagine.
Goliath wasn’t just a warship. It was a message, sent by the Belters to the Terran Republic. An expression of their military might and industrial will, showing just what they were capable of, what they would dare to do to any who chose to oppose them. A message that had been heard loud and clear back on Earth, many in the peace factions using Goliath as a symbol of the inevitability of Belter victory. A ship that couldn’t be beaten, couldn’t be destroyed. A message they were hoping to counter.
If all of this had been some sort of a scheme to lure Goliath here, to manipulate the situation to permit Avenger to take this one, desperate shot, then it might just be worthwhile. Goliath had been a Sword of Damocles, looming over the Republic fleet for months, forcing the evacuation of facilities that the Fleet was unwilling or unable to defend. With that menace removed, the war would be on a more even footing once more. They might be able to start inflicting punishment instead of simply receiving it.
Shadow of Oblivion Page 17
