by Ryk Brown
“One moment, sir,” Ensign Yosef answered.
“Turn complete, Captain,” Josh reported. “Decelerating.”
“Very well,” Nathan answered.
“Captain, the Loranoi’s forward shields are still down, and her starboard shields are down to fifty percent. I suspect that our first attack took out enough emitters that her starboard shields are running on their last good ones,” Ensign Yosef reported.
“What about her guns?” Nathan asked.
“She’s still fully armed, Captain.”
“If we send our fighters after the Loranoi, she’ll cut them down before they even get close,” Jessica observed, “and the Wallach probably knows that as well.”
Nathan tapped his comm-set to open a channel. “XO, Captain.”
“Captain, go for XO,” Cameron responded over the comm-set.
“Commander, how many fighters can we launch simultaneously from our flight apron?”
“At least half of them, sir.”
“Put twelve fighters on the apron, ready to launch. We’ll jump them in close to the Loranoi. They’ll need to launch quickly, straight up, just as fast as they can get off our deck, because we’ll be jumping out again as quick as we can.”
“Understood.”
“Yosef will send them the damage assessments on the Loranoi. Tell them I want that ship rendered harmless as quick as possible.”
“Yes, sir,” Cameron answered. “What about the Wallach’s fighters? Won’t they come after them?”
“That’s the idea, Commander. Have the rest of our fighters ready to launch through the tubes. We’ll jump in and put them behind the Wallach’s fighters as cover.”
“Yes, sir. Give us five minutes to put the fighters on the apron.”
Nathan tapped his comm-set again to close the channel. “Mister Sheehan, new jump plot. As soon as those fighters are ready, we’re going to jump in close to the Loranoi, about five kilometers ahead of her,” Nathan explained. “Once the fighters are clear, we’ll pitch down again and jump away, one light minute forward, just like before.”
“Understood, sir,” Loki answered. “Plotting the first jump.”
“Captain, suggest we roll over again as we pitch down,” Jessica stated. “It will take us a few seconds to plot our escape jump and we need to protect our topsides from any more damage.”
“Good idea,” Nathan agreed. “Did you copy that, Josh?”
“Yes, sir,” Josh answered. “Pitch and roll.”
Major Prechitt was the first to roll out onto the Aurora’s flight apron, having pulled into position on the port edge of the deck. One by one and as rapidly as possible, the other eleven fighters pulled into position, lined up in two rows of six, evenly spread out across the flight apron.
“Flight, Talon One. All birds are in position.”
“Talon One, Flight copies. Stand by to launch.”
“Talon One to all birds. Do not forget your auto-visor for the jump,” Major Prechitt reminded his pilots as he dropped his own visor. The last thing he needed was a bunch of blind pilots.
“Jumping in three…” Loki’s voice came across the comms in the major’s helmet, “…two……one……jump.”
Blue-white light came spilling over the top of the entrance to the transfer airlocks and down onto the flight apron, moving quickly across the apron until it engulfed all six fighters. During that brief moment before the flash, Major Prechitt thought it looked like some ethereal river had overflowed its banks and was rushing toward them. An instant later, however, the light had flashed and it was gone.
“Jump complete,” Loki announced over the comms.
“Talon flight! Launch! Launch! Launch!” Major Prechitt ordered his pilots.
All twelve fighters fired their ascent thrusters, causing them to jump up off the Aurora’s flight deck simultaneously. It was a maneuver none of them had ever practiced together as a group, and the major was surprised that they were able to launch without knocking into one another.
The top of the Aurora’s hull quickly dropped down and Major Prechitt could see forward beyond her. The Loranoi was still a few kilometers away and would not be visible for a few more seconds. As he fired his main engines, four jets of smoke shot out the back of the Aurora’s missile battery as she launched a full round of missiles at the Loranoi in the distance. A moment later, the Aurora pitched down and away from the fighters and began to roll over. As his main engines came up to full power and they began accelerating away from the Aurora, he knew she was about to take a lot of rail gun fire, thus keeping most of it off of his flight of fighters.
“Talon One to all birds. Lock missiles and prepare to fire.” He looked at his weapons display. The range to target indicator showed them at two kilometers and closing fast. “We fire at one kilometer,” he ordered. There was a blue-white flash of light from below them as the Aurora jumped away again. He raised his auto visor in order to see better as his range came down to one kilometer. “Firing missiles!” he announced.
Two anti-ship missiles left the rails on the fighter’s stubby wings, racing forward on tails of blue-tinged golden jets of burning gases. “Time to impact, ten seconds. Two through six will break left with me. Seven through twelve will break right and draw some fire.”
“The Aurora scored big time!” one of his pilots reported. “Her starboard shield is gone!”
“Change in plans! All birds, fall in behind me, single file!” Major Prechitt ordered. “We all slide sideways along her unprotected starboard side. Target her guns on the first pass and her hull on the second. I want to open her up.”
“Missile impacts! She is taking damage!” another pilot reported. With the fighters launching the anti-ship missiles from such short range, the frigate did not have the time to spin up her point-defense screen. Nearly every missile fired struck its target.
“Incoming fire! Check your shields!” Major Prechitt ordered. Outside his fighter, hundreds of rail gun rounds began striking his shields, creating little yellow-red explosions as the impact blew them apart and the shield robbed the projectiles of their deadly kinetic energy. Every impact drained his fully charged shields just a fraction, but continued passes with hundreds of impacts per pass would quickly result in complete shield failure. If that happened, he would become combat-ineffective and would have to stand off for several minutes while his shields recharged and reached full strength again. Unfortunately, in a few minutes this engagement would be over, one way or another.
The Loranoi quickly grew in size as Major Prechitt raced toward her. He adjusted his course slightly so he would slip past her starboard side at a range of only fifty meters. At that range, the frigate’s rail guns would not be able to keep up with him as he shot past her. As odd as it seemed, that would be when he was in the least amount of danger.
Just as he was about to pass by the Loranoi, Major Prechitt killed his engines and swung his nose to starboard, opening fire with the mini-rail guns in his nose, applying slight forward thrust to counteract the reverse push of his rail guns. Hundreds of projectiles streamed out of his barrels, smashing violently into the side of the enemy frigate, carving a long line down her starboard side. He watched in fascination as his rounds smashed through already fried emitters, external conduits, hull plating, and even a few of the rail guns that were desperately trying to keep up with his fast moving fighter as it streaked past. His entire attack run only lasted two seconds and then he was aft of the frigate and beginning to take fire once more. He swung his nose back around to face the same direction his ship was traveling and kicked in his main engines, wanting to get away from the frigate’s aft rail guns as quickly as possible.
One by one and in rapid succession, each of the fighters performed the same sideways strafing run along the unshielded starboard side of the enemy frigate. As each fighter passed by, more of the frigate’s rail guns along her starboard side began to fail as they took damage. Finally, in a desperate attempt to protect herself, she started rolling over
to bring one of her working energy shields in between herself and her attackers. As the frigate rolled, more of her undamaged guns were brought into action, eventually managing to destroy the last two Corinari fighters as they streaked past.
After two more jumps with turns in between, the Aurora was now sitting half a light minute astern of the Wallach and slightly to her starboard, the same side that faced the approaching Loranoi.
“The Wallach is extending her shields, Captain,” Ensign Yosef reported.
“Stand by all rail guns,” Nathan ordered.
“Rail guns are ready, sir,” Jessica answered.
“Helm, roll us forty-five degrees to port and prepare to jump,” Nathan ordered.
“Rolling to port,” Josh answered.
“How close do you want us, Captain?” Loki asked.
“How far out are her shields extended, Kaylah?” Nathan asked Ensign Yosef.
“Five hundred meters, Captain,” Ensign Yosef reported.
“Put us at three hundred meters, Mister Sheehan.”
“Are you sure, sir?” Loki wondered. “That’s awfully close.”
“No, I’m not,” Nathan admitted, “but do it anyway. And make our speed so that we take from five to ten seconds to pass her. I don’t think we can withstand her guns any longer than that.”
“Do you want five or ten, sir?” Loki asked.
“Five.”
“Plotting jump,” Loki reported, shaking his head in disbelief.
“Comms, make sure flight-ops is ready to launch the rest of our fighters.”
“Yes, sir,” Naralena answered.
“The Wallach is launching fighters,” Ensign Yosef reported.
“Mister Sheehan?” Nathan asked.
“One moment, sir,” Loki answered.
“We don’t have a moment, Loki. That’s old light. They launched those fighters thirty seconds ago.”
“I’m plotting a jump to within three hundred meters, sir. If it’s all right with you I’d like to double-check my…”
“They’re good!” Abby insisted.
“Jumping,” Loki announced without hesitation.
The bridge flashed with blue-white light. The battleship Wallach suddenly appeared above them as the flash cleared.
“Jump complete!” Loki gasped.
“Open fire!” Nathan ordered.
“Firing all rail guns,” Jessica announced.
All sixteen of the Aurora’s rail guns began spewing forth their fist-sized, metal-alloy slugs, sending them streaming toward the Wallach as the Aurora slid past her. Before the first slugs to leave their barrels had reached their target, the Wallach opened fire with her own rail guns, firing slightly ahead of the target.
Enemy fighters launched out of the side of the Wallach, cutting directly across the path of the Aurora as she slid past the massive battleship, two of the fighters slamming into the Aurora’s port side.
Nathan toppled forward, nearly landing on the helm’s center console from the force of the impact. Jessica was slammed into the tactical console, and both Ensign Yosef and Mister Willard were knocked from their seats, falling forward.
“What the hell?” Nathan yelled.
“Two of their fighters launched right into our port side!” Jessica announced, grabbing her side and wincing in pain.
The ship continued to shake violently as the Wallach’s rail guns sprayed them along their port side from fore to aft as they passed by.
“We’re taking rail gun fire!” Jessica reported.
“Loki, get us out of here!” Nathan ordered.
“Escape Jump plotted!” Loki reported.
“Jump! Jump! Jump!” Nathan ordered.
The bridge again filled with the jump flash, open space and the usual background of stars filling the screen on all sides. The violent shaking instantly stopped as the jump completed.
“Jump complete!” Loki reported.
“Position?” Nathan requested.
“Thirty light seconds down range ahead of the Wallach, just past and above the Loranoi, sir,” Loki reported.
“Captain! COB reports hull breaches along the port side!” Naralena announced.
“How bad?” Nathan asked.
“Aft maintenance shops are open to space. Port fighter alley was partially depressurized before they sealed it.”
“Is the port alley still functional?”
“Yes, sir. COB reports the alley is intact and operational.”
“Casualties?”
“Four dead, six missing, twelve wounded,” Naralena reported.
“Very well,” Nathan answered. “Notify the air boss. Green deck. Let’s get those fighters launched before something else happens.”
“Talon One Three, cat one, launching!” the voice announced over the pilot’s helmet comms. The large door in front of him dropped into the floor with amazing speed. A moment later, the catapult fired. He held on to the handrails that ran along the sides of his cockpit lip as the launch catapult accelerated his fighter down the launch tube. Two seconds later, he was out the end of the launch tube. He let go the railings and grabbed his flight controls, switching off his auto-flight system and taking control.
“Talon One Three, airborne!” he announced as he fired his engines and began accelerating.
“Talon One Four, airborne!” he heard his wingman announce over his helmet comms. As he cleared the nose of the Aurora, he joined up with his wingman who had launched only a few seconds after him. Two more fighters launched at the same time on the other side of the ship, and he could see them moving closer to him to join up on his starboard side. “All right, we come about and take them head on. First group, break right, now, now, now,” he ordered as he started turning hard to starboard.
“Air boss reports all fighters away, Captain,” Naralena announced.
“Very well,” Nathan acknowledged.
“That last pass did a lot of damage to their starboard side, sir,” Ensign Yosef reported.
“Any change in their shields?” Nathan asked, hoping for a miracle.
“No, sir.”
“I should have put nukes into her when I had the chance,” Nathan stated.
“When was that?” Jessica wondered aloud. “They only extended their shields five hundred meters. There was no way we could’ve turned to bring our tubes onto her. There just wasn’t enough room.”
“Yeah, you’re right,” Nathan admitted. “How many fighters did they launch?”
“Thirty-two, including the two that rammed into us,” Jessica reported.
“How’s the first group doing with the Loranoi?”
“First group is down to nine fighters. The Loranoi has taken heavy damage. All of her shields have failed and she’s losing main power. It’s just a matter of time, sir.”
“Comms, tell flight-ops to call off the first group from their attack on the Loranoi. She’s no longer a threat. Tell them to join up with the second group to deal with the Wallach’s fighters.”
“Yes, sir,” Naralena answered.
“Why not finish her off?” Jessica asked. “If she’s left alone, she might get her shields back online.”
“If we finish her off, the Wallach no longer has a reason to launch fighters. We need her to extend her shields again so that we can put some nukes into her.”
“I do not think that will happen, sir,” Mister Willard stated. “Ta’Akar captains do not usually put their own ships at risk to bail out another.”
“You’re kidding.”
“No, sir, I am not.”
“Our fighters have engaged the Wallach’s fighters, sir,” Ensign Yosef announced.
Cameron watched silently as the dogfight unfolded on the holographic tracking grid floating in the air in the middle of the Flight Operations Combat Information Center. Slightly elongated three-dimensional green triangles represented the Corinari fighters. Red ones represented the Ta’Akar fighters. The Corinari were dogged combatants. Working in pairs and with the assistance of their fli
ght controllers on the Aurora, they were slowly carving away at the superior enemy numbers.
She couldn’t help but be amazed at the professionalism of the Corinari pilots and technicians, especially considering that today was their first actual space combat in over thirty years. Although the average age of the Corinari was thirty-five, none but the most senior of their ranks had ever flown in any type of actual combat. She couldn’t imagine the number of hours they must’ve spent in the simulators on Corinair in order to achieve the level of skill they displayed at the moment.
By comparison, the Ta’Akar pilots were quite inferior. Their tactics were scattered and their pilots appeared to be more interested in personal glory than in winning the engagement. She wondered how the Ta’Akar had managed to stay in power for so long, considering the embarrassing performance she was witnessing today.
In less than five minutes, the Corinari fighters had cut the enemy fighter strength in half. Now, with the Corinari’s first group of fighters joining up, they had the upper hand. This dogfight would soon be over.
“Flight-ops reports fifteen kills so far, Captain,” Naralena reported, “and the first group is just now joining the engagement.”
“Captain, I’m picking up really high thermals from the Wallach,” Ensign Yosef reported. “I think we might have damaged one of her heat exchange systems when we got inside her shields. I don’t think she can still run everything at once. Not with that much heat showing.”
“What does she have that uses the most power?” Nathan wondered.
“Her shields?” Jessica guessed.
“Probably,” Nathan agreed.
“Her energy weapons,” Mister Willard stated with assuredness.
“Most definitely,” Nathan agreed. “I’d also bet her main propulsion produces a considerable amount of heat.”
“She has to maneuver,” Jessica stated. “Otherwise, all she can do is sit in one place and fire. You can’t win a battle that way.”
“Comms, send a message to the Wallach,” Nathan said. “Tell them to withdraw or be destroyed.”
