Some officers nodded, others just looked down at their palm pads.
“We have to attack no matter what or how many enemy ships that are on the other side,” Commander Bob Williams of the armored cruiser ISS Formidable said, “The enemy has to be destroyed or driven back to their lines in order for our other fleets and squadrons to safely advance.”
The captain of the Conqueror sitting next to him nodded in agreement. Both of these armored cruiser officers had been sitting here since the Breakthrough unable to attack or take the fight to the enemy.
“Those are my thoughts as well,” Dupain said and looked to Mike, “Thank you, Lt. Collins.”
“Yes, Ma’am,” he replied walking back to the rear of the room and to his place along the wall.
Once he reached his spot and turned around, the room’s lights dimmed a bit. A yellow holo-map was then projected into the air showing their system with a split image showing the system where the enemy was located.
“Alright ladies and gentlemen, here is how we are going to do it and God help the poor souls that get in our path!” Admiral Janice Dupain announced and then proceeded to brief her ship captains on the impending battle.
Returning to the Goliad, Mike had his hands full as he and his crew prepared for the battle. Further diagnostics of the engines, weapons and the computer system occupied their time as each person dealt with the role they were about to play.
Lt. Collins sat in his small office and went over the ship’s status report and the operation orders that the admiral had given them at the end of her briefing. He had even volunteered his ship for phase one of the operation. Thinking about it he kept hearing his father’s voice when had left for Harpers Academy and a life of military service.
“I’m not saying don’t volunteer for things. Just make sure that whatever you volunteer for you can accomplish without getting yourself killed,” his father, Commander Shawn Collins had said as guidance to his young son.
It was sound advice and Mike wished that this was one of those times but the admiral’s plan was daring and he was the point of her spear. Now he knew why some of her crew called her the She-Wolf. It was a name he had overheard a few of her officers saying it in jest but from the sound of it, this was a nickname that was old.
He was still thinking about these things when the door’s sensor indicated he had a visitor.
“Enter,” he said and opened the door remotely. He’d needed to fix its voice activation sensor but hadn't been able to find the time.
Ensign Pitt walked into the room and stop a few steps from his desk.
“What’s up, Jeremy?” he said before the ensign could salute.
“Ah, … everything going as scheduled,” he started a little startled, “Chief Schmidt says he’s got the Karduan particle turret buffered and it shouldn’t give us any more reverberations.”
“That’s good news,” Mike commented “Anything else?”
“The bender drive and in-system drive’s diagnostics are done and both engines are operating within normal parameters,” he replied.
“Also welcomed news, we’re going to be depending on them in this fight. The Goliad may be an old ship but with those new fusion drives I’d bet we could run rings around anything the Blues have.”
Jamie nodded and stood there not saying anything else but it was clear there was something on the red head’s mind.
“Ok, spill it, what’s wrong?” he ordered.
“Well, it is Specialist Duffey Thach,” he said and paused.
Collins nodded, his crew was small and who could forget a man that smells like pee.
“What’s the problem?” he inquired not really needing crew issues before a battle.
“He’s not been getting along with the crew. Several crewmen have reported that he is a real complainer. He has also been surly to others if not downright rude,” the ensign reported.
“What kind of job has he done?” he asked knowing that the little man was an air and water reclamations technician.
“He has done a good job, sir. I even had the Chief double check his work to make sure after I got all these complaints,” Pitt answered.
“Well, right now we don’t have time to hold anyone’s hand. Just keep an eye on him, we’ll do a counseling session after we survive this battle,” Mike advised.
“Right, the other problem is that we don’t have a trained field medic. I put in a request for one to Starbase 24 but I haven’t gotten an answer from them,” Jeremy said and continued, “I also request a dozen additional crew members but again no response from their personnel office.”
“I wouldn’t expect to get anything from the starbase,” he commented, “At least we have that old Med-Bot. I had its programs and medical supplies updated at Hanson’s Station.”
“I guess that will have to do,” the Ensign commented unsure if he wanted to put his well-being into the hands of an obsolete robot.
“Make sure everyone has a good meal before we get started and check to make sure their Wills are updated,” Mike ordered having done this kind of thing a few times before.
“Yes, sir,” Pitt said and paused causing Mike to look up at him.
“Something wrong, Mister Pitt?” he asked leaning back and giving him his full attention.
“What do you think our odds are of surviving this?” he asked his voice lowering a little as he spoke.
“I never fought in a battle with so many ships on each side but I think our chances are good. We have a skilled admiral, a good plan and a few tricks up our sleeves.”
“What about the Goliad?” he inquired still speaking softly.
“This old girl is a tough ship and we have a couple extras that could make the difference,” Mike said watching his face. “Plus, we have a crew that chose to be here. So, don’t worry just do your job, keep calm and follow orders as they are given and you’ll do fine.”
“Aye sir,” Pitt replied feeling a little better.
“Get to it Mister, dismissed,” Lt. Collins said sending the young man off with a wave of his hand to get the crew ready to fight. He knew it was Jeremy’s first battle and the fear of going into a fight is sometimes overwhelming. Keeping him busy was the best way to fight off that fear.
Mike waited a few minutes and then followed him out the door and headed to the bridge. He was as ready as he could be and his place now was on the bridge. He remembered being nervous and looking to the center chair and seeing Hope calmly taking a sip of coffee. Just the sight of that old warrior would steady him down and help him do the job. He had always tried to be that kind of rock of calm in front of any crew he had commanded and was hoping that he could do for them what the Hawk had done for him.
As he entered the bridge someone yelled, “Captain, on the bridge.”
Mike quickly said, “Carry on,” not wanting anyone leaping up from their stations.
They were still a new and untested crew and he really had to go over combat protocols for the bridge with them. No one should be leaving their post to stand just because he came into the room.
Taking his seat in the captain’s chair he looked to the main viewer and then activated the holo-map. Information streamed in from the ship’s sensor and its space radar unit. Mike really wished he had a maser unit but the starbase’s supply officer had told them that they didn’t have an extra one lying about. He wondered if they were telling him the truth but even the 8th Defense Fleets S-4 couldn’t find them one.
Mike watched as the fleet moved closer to the Alpha gravity well as her ships moved to their preassigned positions. Admiral Dupain had pulled her ships from the Beta Well leaving it unguarded. She had reasoned that the 34th had just left and if an enemy force would try to come that way they should have run right into them.
She was going to bend with every ship she had. She decided that if that Karduan squadron was there and reinforced then she wanted to hit them with everything she possible. The only ships she was leaving behind were the minelayer - the ISS Embattled,
four transport freighters and her fleet fuel tanker.
Admiral Yancy was not pleased when she was informed of this. The word had it that Dupain simply said, “Most ships can’t slug it out with a fort!” Indicating that a starbase with its vast amount of turret based energy weapons, missiles turrets, torpedoes launchers and large particle cannons could hold off a fleet of ships.
If Yancy was mad at being left without any warships to guard her, then she was furious at what Admiral Dupain did next.
Mike watched the viewer as one hundred and twenty star fighters and star bombers were launched from the starbase and headed for the gravity well. The old She-Wolf had stripped the starbase of its star fighter wings for the battle. The Shinano also launched her forty-eight fighters to join them as they moved to their assigned positions.
At the briefing, many officers were uncertain of this part of her plan but she smiled a very thin sort of wolfish grin and explained it to them nice and slow. The fighters of the starbase and those of the Shinano would launch on this side of the well. They couldn’t polarize their hulls and they didn’t have the power to survive a bend but she had another idea. The one hundred and sixty-eight star fighters would travel inside of their capital ships’ benders field and magnetically attached themselves to their ships’ hulls.
Dupain wanted the space to look like an angry swarm of bees when they came out on the other side. Her CSG said it could be done but it would still be very risky.
Specialist Ryan cleared his throat from the comm. station before he spoke.
“Sir, we are getting the signal to move into position,” he said.
“Right, acknowledge the order and then call Mister Pitt to the bridge,” he ordered getting up and moving to the empty helm seat. Sitting down he set their course.
“Sir,” a winded Jeremy Pitt said running onto the bridge.
Mike looked back considering taking the helm himself but he had to let his people do their jobs.
“Take your seat Mister Pitt and guide us to the front of this parade,” he said with a smile as he reluctantly gave up the helm to his pilot.
“Aye sir,” he replied slipping into the seat and finding the course already laid in.
The Goliad passed by other ships of the fleet and moved to the very front. Admiral Dupain had set up her fleet in four lines, in column with six sloops and seven frigates in the first row, followed by two heavy cruisers in the center with two light cruisers at the ends of that line. The third line had the two armored cruisers on either end of the furthest extent of the gravity well. A light cruiser escorted each armored cruiser just off their port and starboard bows respectively.
The last line was ISS Shinano all by herself. She would come through last as her fighters had already been deployed. Once through she would work to rearm and refuel star-fighters as they came out of battle. All of the columns were a bit scattered, coming in on different levels to break up their signatures.
Admiral Dupain had left the Shinano and had moved her flag to the improved heavy cruiser, ISS Castor. She was not about to wait on her auxiliary carrier in the rear and wanted to be in closer to the battle where she would have better command and control. Some whispered that the She-Wolf just wanted to quench her thirst and couldn’t wait to sink her teeth into the enemy.
The Goliad moved to the center of the first line. On either side of the battle frigate were three frigates and three sloops. The sloops were old but still in-system fast. The other frigates were all old Battle Class frigates that had gone through refit and modernization. They had new bender drives and in-system drives as well as weapons and computer upgrades.
Lt. Collins had been given command of this wing of the fleet. He, the sloops and his fellow frigates were going in first to screen the larger ships that would follow. They were to use their speed and go right through the enemy line as fast as they could, firing as they went. The idea was to draw the enemy’s fire and try to break up their formation. The capital ships and star fighter wings would then follow and Mike was sure all hell would break loose at that point.
“Message from the Admiral, sir,” Ryan said looking to their young captain.
“On main viewer,” he said.
“Its time, are you ready?” she asked looking larger than life on the ship’s main viewer.
“Aye, Ma’am, we are,” Mike replied.
“Then go give them hell!” she said with a slight grin as her sole eyed seemed to flash at him in reflection.
“See you on the other side,” he said as the signal terminated.
“Orders sir,” Pitt prompted.
“Open a channel to our sloops and frigates,” Collins instruction.
“All ships are receiving, sir,” the comm. specialist said.
“All fast attack ships, we are going into the bend. Sink your ships with us so we enter together. Remember everyone fire torpedoes and missiles as we exit and then its run and gun right through them. Don’t get engaged in a knockdown drag out fight that’s not our job,” he reminded one last time.
“Sir, all ships acknowledging,” Ryan said.
“Good! Polarize our hull and take us in,” Mike commanded his helmsman and then looked to his fire control specialist, “Ready all weapons.”
“Aye sir,” both Ensign Pitt and Petty Officer Cindy Baker replied at the same time.
The seven frigates and six sloops moved ahead and disappeared into the gravity well just as the next line of ships moved up behind them to follow.
Chapter Nine
Squadron Mistress Cen-Kol of the House of Win sat in her office and manicured her plants while trying to enhance their beauty as well as her own calm. This was her solace from her duties, duties that she found extremely boring. For eight months, she had sat here looking at the same area of empty space where the gravity well connected them to the system with the human starbase.
She lacked the ships to mount an attack and yet the humans had also been reluctant if not downright cowardly in doing nothing on their end. So, she remained here as a pathetic blocking force as great battles were being fought all along the front lines of their advance.
The last supply ships arrived two months ago and had brought not only supplies for six months but also disturbing news. It seemed that a Confederation attack cruiser had been wreaking havoc with their ships within the sector. They were far from here but the rumors were that this ship, this Star Wolf had destroyed several squadrons some disappearing entirely without a trace. She tried to squash such rumors as they seemed to become greater with each tell leaving her crew’s imaginations run wild.
The only excitement they had was when the gravity well seemed to open as if a ship was coming through or was leaving. That was the same day that the supply ships had arrived with all their rumors. Some of her crew speculated that one of those human stealth ships had gone through virtually undetected by their sensors.
She wondered about this as well but if it was an enemy ship it did nothing to attack her forces or those of the supply ships. No ship mistress that she knew would have passed up such an easy victory. It must have just been a spontaneous spasm of the gravity well she thought as she pruned a leaf from the plant she was working on. She had been told that a Grand Fleet Mistress was on her way with a reinforced squadron and would be there by the end of the next cycle but that was still weeks away.
She was still thinking about all of this when a bell chime sounded summoning her to the bridge. Leaving her pruning shears behind she hurried out of her office and down the hall to the bridge.
As the door slid open the ship rocked from an explosion and she smacked her head against the door frame. For a moment, her eyes seemed full of light and then there was darkness.
The foul smell of something held under her nose caused her to cough and her eyes to snap open. She pushed the vial away from her face as hands grabbed her arms and helped her to her feet. Her vision was still blurred but she could make out the shapes of the people around her.
“Report!” she said
as someone applied a slap-on bandage to her bleeding head.
“We’ve taken a hit to our maneuver drives from a Confederation torpedo, our engines are currently off-line and our sensors are malfunctioning,” One of the shapes said.
“No, tell me who did this and where the enemy is,” Cen-Kol demanded as one of the shapes took her arm and guided her to her chair on the bridge.
“Thirteen enemy ships came out of the gravity well and fired missiles and torpedoes before we even knew they were there,” the voice of the ship’s Second said.
“Type of ships and their present location?” she asked but before she could get answer another voice cut in.
“Sloops and Frigates …” the Second started but was cut off.
“More ships are coming through the gravity well,” someone yelled.
“Number and type?” the Ship Mistress demanded somewhere off to Cen Kol’s left.
“Hard to read, our sensors seemed to be scrambled,” their maser operator declared.
“Give me a visual,” the Ship Mistress commanded as someone activated the exterior viewers.
“By the Bright Lady!” a voice cried.
“What is going on!” Cen-Kol demanded, “Tell me the situation!”
“Two heavy cruisers each with a light cruiser screening them are directly to our center, at either end of the farthest extent of the well is an armored cruiser. They also have light cruisers acting as screening ships.”
“Order destroyer KD 112 and two destroyer escorts to engage the heavy cruisers and light cruisers to our front. Have KD 58 move to screen us from the starboard armored cruiser and light cruiser group. Order the two destroyers that are guarding the Beta Well to come about and aid us at flank speed. Bring us about and align us to the closest armored cruiser and when it comes in range use the spinal cannon!” she ordered thinking quickly as she visualized the situation in her head.
Wolves at the Gate Page 22
