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Sol (The Silver Ships Book 5)

Page 29

by S. H. Jucha


  The engines of each carrier were pushed to their limits to accelerate the ships and the massive rocks tethered outside their bays. At the instant required by each SADE, the ship’s controller slewed its carrier and cut the beams holding the asteroids along one side of the ship. Like a child’s ancient sling, the metal-rich rocks were whipped forward, sailing past derelict ships to race through the dark of space toward the enemy fleet.

  The carriers were returned to the staging point to start a second run, shooting forward to sling the asteroids tethered on the other side. Once having loosed both sides, the carriers reset at the starting point, and myriad vessels jumped into action, offering their rocky cargo up to flight chiefs, who activated the beams when the asteroids were in position.

  Once loaded, the SADEs signaled the carriers forward twice again to let loose each side of their loads. The Last Stand sent four staggered barrages of sixteen dense, rocky asteroids each, and the No Retreat threw twice that number in four of its own barrages.

  * * *

  “Admiral, the guide identifies an asteroid shower coming our way,” the battleship’s navigator announced.

  “Origin?” Portland asked.

  “Directly ahead, Admiral. The shower just passed the station.”

  “Now, isn’t that a coincidence?” said Portland, his mind racing.

  “A second wave of asteroids incoming, Admiral.”

  “Show me where both waves are headed.” Portland demanded.

  On the admiral’s central monitor, the ships of the fleet were laid out in textbook wedge formation, which gave Portland a surge of pride before he examined the incoming waves of asteroids headed at the flanks of his fleet. “How big are these?” he asked.

  “Huge,” the navigator replied. “The guide estimates them at around 8 to 10 meters across.”

  “What? Are you telling me these asteroids are the same size? That’s statistically impossible,” Portland yelled. He knew it was the Harakens again, but for the life of him he couldn’t figure out how they could be sending asteroid showers his way. What is your game this time? Portland asked himself.

  “Commander, have the lead destroyer in each of our flanking squadrons target an asteroid with missiles. I want four strikes against each asteroid. Let’s see what these accursed Harakens are hiding,” Portland ordered.

  Moments after the commander relayed the order, he reported, “Missiles away.” Time ticked by until he added, “Direct hits,” and finally, “The asteroids broke into large chunks, Admiral. They seem to be nothing but heavies … metal-rich ore formations.”

  “This makes no sense,” Portland mused out loud.

  “Admiral, the flanking squadrons are asking permission to spread out,” the commander said.

  “Yes, yes, permission granted,” Portland said absent-mindedly, waving a hand at the commander in dismissal. He was desperately trying to understand the purpose of the asteroids. “Commander, I want eyes on those asteroids as they pass by our ships.”

  “Yes, Sir,” the commander affirmed, and later reported, “Nothing behind the rocks, Sir,”

  “Incoming, Admiral. Two more waves. Identical in makeup, count, and direction,” navigation stated.

  “That tears it. It’s the Harakens doing this!” Portland shouted angrily.

  “To what purpose, Admiral?” the commander asked.

  “That’s the right question, Commander. I think it’s some trick of the Harakens to make us unsure of our actions, but it won’t do them any good. The squadrons have permission to move out of formation to evade the swarms, but check those rocks as they pass.”

  Twice more navigation announced incoming waves of asteroids, and twice more the admiral had the passing rocks checked for evidence of extraneous structures or fighters hiding on the back sides. “Nothing,” was the answer in each case. Again and again, the fleet separated to allow the huge rocks to pass through their formation, which no longer resembled the admiral’s textbook wedge.

  The first three double waves separated the wings of Portland’s wedge into six groups of warships. Then the final double waves of asteroids came directly at his battleship and surrounding cruisers, forcing two of the cruisers to one side and Portland’s battleship and a third cruiser to the other side.

  After the first waves, Portland was tempted to reform the wedge, but the subsequent waves convinced him he was right to wait. What these initial barrages accomplished was the disruption of Portland’s formation and the undermining of his command. Captains were wondering what type of humans they faced that had the technology to dissolve warships and hurl asteroids, and they were taking the waves of giant rocks as a warning sign to retreat.

  -30-

  Z sent to Julien.

  The carriers were reloaded with asteroids, but this time the SADEs had to launch both sides of their carrier in quick succession, with the travelers chasing each barrage to hide behind their rocks. The Harakens had just the one opportunity to surprise Portland’s fleet. After that, it would be open warfare.

  The SADES ran the calculations of mass and forces on the carriers prior to and during each launch in an effort to estimate the danger to the carriers, which must first twist one way and then the other. It was Z, who was the first to admit that there was insufficient data and a lack of time to consider all ramifications.

 

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