Free Fleet Box Set 2
Page 67
Then the Kalu's passage seemed to slow.
“What is going on?” Orshpa barked as readings started coming in and seers started roaring at one another.
“They're using an acceleration system similar to our own. They're breaking themselves using it and keeping us in range. We will clear their guns but it will take longer,” a seer said.
The sooner this Free Fleet is wiped out, the better, Orshpa thought darkly. Knowing that while the Free Fleet mounted weapons on every side. The Kalu didn't mount weapons on any side other than their front, they had much weaker armor on their sides.
The rear armor was only for acceleration. Something that the Free Fleet seemed to have picked up as cannons targeted their rear armor. Cracking it before Kalu leaders could realize what was going on and stop their accelerating bombs from deploying. Instead of accelerating the ships, the bombs used the weakened armor as shrapnel and the by-products of nuclear bombs spread through the internal areas.
Orshpa winced as his Star Destroyer groaned and shook with impacts. The decking shuddering as the craft continued through the mayhem.
Eighteen Star Destroyers and two hundred and twenty-seven Star Warriors remained.
“Get those Fighters secured and ready a wormhole plan,” Orshpa said, disgusted with the outcome of his first actions as war leader of the combined clans.
“Wormhole emergence straight ahead,” said a Seer.
“Damn them and their damned ability to rise out of the black like damned silent spirits!” Orshpa's words were like acidic bile and rage. Finally looking up at the main screen.
How, by the silent clans, can that move? He thought, looking at the massive station that waded through the Kalu’s fire like Kalu passed through the long grasses of the hunting plains. Cannons bellowed, Orshpa didn’t need the ground to shake beneath him, a shiver running through his body.
Fear, that’s what I’m feeling. He thought, looking at that monster.
***
“Alright Commander Whorst, your turn,” Commander Cheerleader said.
“Helm, Nav, you heard the commander. Tactical I want those reports. Fighter Command, final checks,” Commander Whorst replied, the area around his upper body became a sphere of holographically projected windows.
“We have flight and wormhole plan commander,” Nav said as the Helm was inputting it.
“Very good,” Commander Whorst confirmed, “Batteries one through four, and four through eight are operational, all tubes and PDS report readiness,” Tactical reported.
“Very good Frankeuw. Arfo, could you get me Commander Takahashi?” Whorst said to his communications commander.
“Yes sir,” she said Whorst moving from one window that made up the sphere around him, to another.
It does seem like those command and control games weren't such a waste of time Mum. He thought proudly, whizzing through information, passing down orders and making sure that his massive mobile station was ready to go.
“Commander Takahashi is online,” Arfo said.
“Thank you.” Whorst notived the way Arfo's Sarenmenti tail twitched.
It does seem that a British accent does have that affect, he thought, amused by his own thoughts as he opened the channel to Takahashi by grabbing the window, stretching his hand out and pulling it towards him.
“Takahashi how are our Commandos looking?” Whorst said, shifting to less vital reports from Shrift involving power systems and shield generator limits.
“Like the Kalu are going to have a bad day,” Takahashi said, Salchar had warned Whorst to keep a close eye on the Commander, while there was no love lost between Takahashi and Salchar. Stone Warrior, as his Commandos called him, was a damned good commander, his fighting skills were also something to be seen.
“That's what I like to hear Commander,” Whorst said, a smile reaching his lips, even as his eyes darted between the different snippets at his hands.
“We are ready for immediate wormhole generation on your command sir,” Peck said from Helm, all of his arms poised over controls.
“I will look to my commandos Commander Whorst,” Takahashi said.
“Very well commander,” Whorst said, cutting the channel.
“Alright Devastahli, you ready to get your lumbering ass in gear?”
“I thought you would never ask,” Devastahli replied in his deep voice which turned to a growl with minimal effort.
“Peck, if you please?”
“Certainly commander,” Peck said as banks of capacitors drained to rip a hole through the fabric of space and bend it to the will of mere mortals.
Whorst saw Dev's hologram turn to face the main screen, there was no chair, or slouching in his form anymore. Now he stood erect, a savage looking pole-arm in hand, four red orbs visible under his cloak.
Whorst looked at Dev's arm, it was mottled and greyed with reflective metallic parts. Much like War station's hull.
Dev looked to him, cocking his head in a most human expressions. The AI's seemed to grasp and mimic another creature's body language the fastest.
Whorst simply smiled, shaking his head and looking to the front screen.
We might live in dangerous and terrible times, but there is no denying they have been the most wondrous and brilliant times of my life. The wormhole stabilized and war-station entered the massive wormhole's event horizon, and came out of the other side.
The Kalu fleet was straight ahead of War station as it emerged.
“Dallaho, get those shields up, Frankeuw I believe I am seeing what your people might call a target rich environment. Would you be able to see if they can't do something about that?” Whorst said, some of Boot's sensibilities had rubbed off on him, or maybe the other way around with the time they had spent together as two of the highest ranking commanders other than Silly in Sol system.
“I thought you’d never ask Commander,” Frankeuw said, taking a breath. “Alright you damned gun monkeys! Let's see if we can't give these Kalu a Free Fleet makeover!” He yelled into his microphone linked to the gunnery decks.
“Shields are fully operational commander,” Dallaho said.
“Sensors are fully linked with FTL relays and sensor buoys, no change,” Zal said, his proper name was Zallavackashnofrarobopulus, the hell if anyone other than an Ershoe would be able to pronounce that.
“Thank you,” Whorst said lightly, while checking the flurry of reports from Shrift. It would take a damned long time to charge that capacitor again, but the power plants were already at max, charging it and ready to switch over to weapons.
It seemed as if the gunners had read his mind, as every cannon that was facing the oncoming Kalu, fired as one. A wall of rounds crashed into the oncoming Kalu, it seemed that the shock of War-leader had made even the Kalu pause.
Then the Kalu lashed out with lasers as rounds the size of human forearm to that of a dumpster smashed its way through their ships.
The ships seemed to accelerate faster, keen to make contact with War station.
“Fighters are providing close support,” the Fighter commander said, the colors of her holographic display reflected on her face as she dared not to look away.
“Thank you Folla,” Whorst said, his eyes following the Kalu ships while they fired lasers into the massive planetary shields.
“We are at eighty-three percent in forward shields. Helm, request that we pivot five degrees to bring top shields to spread the weapons fire.”
“Understood, shifting five degrees slant forward,” Peck said, thrusters the size of Destroyer's engines fired, the entire mass of the station tilting as batteries were rotated out, new ones were rotated in, mainly the more powerful and larger batteries that ran along War-station's spine.
Whorst let a hungry look cross his face.
It's about time we showed you what we're capable of.
War-station and the Kalu fleet crossed one another. Then round after round was sent flying at the Kalu, cannons heat shrouds left a misty haze wafting off the guns.
War-station's shields flashed with impacts as Kalu ships fell again and again, the station's cannons pounding the hell out of the Kalu as if to make sure they were dead.
Then it was over as the Kalu moved past.
“Helm bring weapons to bear on the departing fleet, might as well give them a parting gift.”
“Yes commander!” Peck said, clearly happy as he turned the lower sections of the station to face the departing Kalu. The station lumbered around as cannon fire continued to rain hell down on the fleeing Kalu.
“Zal, enemy numbers if you please?” Whorst said, seeing that the Kalu Fighters were being mopped up by PDS and MEF's.
“Ten Destroyers and seventy-nine Star Warriors remaining,” Zal said, pride ringing through his voice.
“Well then Tactical, it does look like your people are pretty damned good shots,” Whorst said with a proud smile. He and his command team had been together only a few months, yet they were operating together like one well-oiled machine. Which was what war-station would need to keep it moving and combat effective.
“Arfo, request new orders from Commander Cheerleader. I want reports from every department at your earliest convenience,” Whorst's tone dipped, making 'earliest convenience' sound a lot like, 'right damned now'.
Whorst pressed the button dedicated to connecting him with Shrift.
“Alright, how are we looking?”
“Like we're still only a damned third complete. Though all of our systems are holding up mostly. Power relays in some places came close to overloading, but we shut down there, we need to have those secondary relays up across all the station. Currently only about half of the station's systems have at least secondary backups to keep them operational,” Shrift said, his tone pointed.
“I know, you've told me, and I will get you as much damned help as I can, but as long as we are even a third effective, as we've just shown, that still makes us pretty damned effective,” Whorst said, trying to get his chief engineer to look on the bright side.
“Don't you be trying to butter me up Commander. Some of us have real work to deal with, instead of that damned dizzy sphere thing you seem to enjoy so much,” Shrift said, his disgust for the holographic sphere was legendary, he hated it. He'd come on the command deck once, seeing Whorst use the thing, and complained of feeling like he was in a human drying machine, he’d retreated and never returned.
“Very well, it is your job to be annoyed when things aren't complete I guess,” Whorst sighed.
“Yes it is, a chiefs work is never done, especially when it takes ten minutes by lift to get from one side of the damned thing he's in charge of, to the other side!” Shrift admonished, but Whorst had learnt to tell when his engineer's complaints were also points of pride.
Anyone that knew the work that Shrift had put into getting war-station to this point, could understand the Kuruvian's pride. It was one hell of an undertaking, and Shrift was damned well exceeding all other expectations, though never his own it seemed.
“Alright. Alright, I'll let you get back to it commander, I'll inform Takahashi to release the people he can to you. Though tonight I want everyone to have a night off. We've been going hard for nearly two months now, and we just hammered the piss out of the Kalu. I think blowing off some steam would be a good idea,” Whorst emphasized the last four words.
“Very well, I will see to letting my people free,” Shrift sounded as if pained to let work fall by the wayside. Though he knew, as well as anyone else, the pressures and stresses that his people had been under.
“Very good. I look forward to seeing you at the bar,” Whorst, cut the channel with a smile on his face. Salchar had made sure that there was a bar on every ship. As long as people didn't get belligerent, having a few drinks couldn't hurt, especially with a detox that would clear any toxins out of a person's system.
Being far from home and constant fighting definitely wore on a person, having a place to relax was pretty much necessary for the crew to relax.
Whorst read the now incoming reports. He lost track of time until Zal announced the Kalu were opening a wormhole.
We may have won a battle, but it took Rosho station and too many lives to get there. Whorst knew that this was but the beginning of a war the likes of which had not been seen in generations.
With those sobering thoughts he turned back to his work.
Chapter Hit them hard and hit them fast
Bregend had not been sitting back as the Independent's sorted out their fighting forces. Jump ships had been sent to every system they could get to on their fuel and capacitors, launching sensor missiles that used the newly found FTL relays to feedback constant data to Bregend and Min Hae.
The Kalu territory was spread over thirty-six star systems. Of those thirty-six, seven were habitable, and only four other systems had been detected building ships and having stations for Kalu to live on.
All of the four dead systems were under the control of Orshpa's clan.
Ashota had divulged information from his independent agents. Orshpa was clearly going to make a play for leader, and without Edvasho having Ashota in his corner, it wasn't that hard to think that he would win.
Bregend and his Commanders had hashed out a plan to hit Orshpa's clans first. If the Independent's came then they could hopefully wrangle some warships from the Kalu traditionalists. Then Min Hae and Ashota's war of deceit would begin.
Who's getting ahead of themselves? Bregend thought as he sat on his command chair, his fleet was readying itself for wormhole generation.
Many of the Free Fleet had made it clear about their feelings on the Kalu. Bregend understood it, and he felt a slight animosity towards them.
That was until Min Hae pointed out that the Sarenmenti, and the reformed syndicate members that made up the Free Fleet were no different. Hell these one's had been stranded on a planet because they had fought for change, instead of having change forced upon them.
Bregend had pointed out those same facts to his crews with a little more tack. His people had to have made the choice to join the Free Fleet just as he did.
It had lessened the grumbling and dark stares, but it was still there. Bregend just hoped that a real battle might get his people and the Independent's on level footing.
“We are ready for wormhole entry,” Wilma said from her position at the helm.
“Then let’s get going,” Bregend said as his fleet followed his ship. He looked around the bridge, everyone was ready and waiting in their powered armor, tension clear in the air.
Bregend looked over to his chief engineer Rous, who was studying his console intimately.
Bregend let out a hot breath of air, remembering his engineer’s sighs and arguments. Bregend had copied a tactic right out of Salchar's handbook. Much to the annoyance of his chief.
After all a ship was not supposed to have nearly half of its weight attached to his exterior! The corners of Bregend's lips quivered, unable to not think of the admonishment coming from his chief's lips.
They entered the wormhole, emerging on the other side. Using the sensor missiles Wilma and the other Helms had been able to easily make a jump point that wasn't reliant on the stable jump limits.
Which must have been a bit of a shock for the Kalu on the other side as a fleet emerged just two light seconds from their two dockyards.
“Accelerating,” Wilma said as soon as they had cleared the wormhole, there was no need for shields, they would overload with what was blocking them.
“Asteroid covering is holding,” Rous said, with a confidence that Bregend had to appreciate. No matter how impossible Rous thought something was, he would try it out until he could bet his young on it.
“Very well, strike force one, continue as planned. Begin maximum acceleration. Strike force
two, ready insertion into dockyard two,” Bregend said.
The two ship yards were split into a Star Warrior yard and a Star Destroyer yard.
There were nearly twelve thousand ships in the system, the largest concentration of ships in any Kalu system that Bregend's jump ships had been able to spread their missiles through. Yet only fifty or so were manned, and all of them were Star Warriors.
The sensor missiles had faithfully shown how the star Warrior teams of ten rotated on patrols of their system. That had been surprising, no other clan except Orshpa's had ships even manned.
The Kalu used their ships to get to battle, however they loved open spaces, the cramped interior of the star Warriors and Destroyers were only suffered when travelling to battle. No Kalu wanted to be on their damned ships more than they had to.
So the Kalu had needed to find a place to store all of those ships while they trained and readied themselves for battle. They attached them to their shipyards, and then to one another, making the yards look like some odd modern art piece of identical ships stacked and protruding from one another.
Which was why Bregend had ordered his fleet to attach asteroids to their exteriors.
He had studied every battle Salchar had gone through, and a good number of Kalu-Union battles.
All of his missiles might make a dent in the nearly nine thousand star Warriors.
Yet if he sent objects as large as a star Warrior, powered with his new acceleration system. Well it could cause on hell of a headache.
That same acceleration system went into overdrive, bombs coming out faster and faster as Destroyers accelerated as fast as MEF Fighters.
Bregend grunted with the extra gravities wearing on his body. Thankfully all types of gravity training, especially dealing in high gravity environments had always been a core subject to Free Fleet personnel.
Bregend's body, with a bit of medical assistance and his battle suit, was able to handle gravities that Earth fighter pilots had endured, still able to function and move.
Though that didn't mean the extra gravities weren't annoying and tiring to deal with.