Return to Haven (Empire Rising Book 3)

by D. J. Holmes

  “Jennings, new course, keep us on the same elliptical plane but pivot us forty degrees towards the system’s star,” James said. His original plan had been to try and rush Endeavour and Pemel’s ship towards the shift passage to Earth. He had hoped to hold off Harris long enough to allow Pemel to make the jump towards Earth. Now he had other options.

  “We’re changing course now Sir,” Jennings reported.

  James let a smile creep onto his face as the range slowly opened up between Harris’s ships and Endeavour. Harris had rightly predicted that James would try and make a run for the shift passage to Earth and he had positioned his ships directly in James’ way. Now that Endeavour was heading further into the Alpha system his ships would have to maneuver to stay with her.

  “The cruiser and frigate are altering course to pursue us,” Malik said excitedly, “the destroyer is staying on her original course.”

  “So I see,” James said.

  Before he could say anything more Becket interrupted him, “They are firing sir, I count twenty missiles.”

  “Yes,” James said. Harris had fired from extreme range; his missiles would likely not have enough power left for a great deal of evasive maneuvering when they got into attack range. Though he had no other choice if he wanted the destroyer to add her missiles to Harris’ first volley.

  It took the Havenite missiles ten minutes to reach Endeavour. In the meantime, Becket’s second missile salvo had reached Solitude and her escort. By James’ estimation they had scored one proximity hit on the Havenite cruiser, yet there was little sign of any serious damage.

  “Flak cannons firing,” Becket announced when the Havenite missiles got into range. Endeavour’s two flak cannons fired, when the flak rounds reached the incoming missiles they exploded, creating a wall of shrapnel the Havenite missiles had to fly through. The shrapnel took out eleven of the missiles but nine still continued. Next the point defense plasma cannons and Endeavour’s AM missiles tried to swat the incoming Havenite missiles out of existence. It was clear they weren’t going to get them all though.

  “Evasive maneuvers,” James shouted to Jennings at the navigation console.

  Sub Lieutenant Jennings already had a preset maneuver uploaded to the computer and as soon as she hit the command button the ship fired off her maneuvering thrusters, pulling her nose up vertical to her original course and then sending the ship into a spin. All three of the remaining missiles overshot their target and exploded, two of them were too far way to do any damage to the ship but the third was close enough that a wave of electromagnetic energy washed over the ship from its thermonuclear detonation.

  On the bridge, everyone was thrown about in their seats. “That was just a proximity hit,” Second Lieutenant Julius called over the COM channel from the auxiliary bridge. “I’m getting minor damage reports, the most serious seems to be some damage to two of our stern starboard AM launchers.”

  “Understood,” James said. As soon as the sensor feed stabilized he looked back to the holo display to watch Endeavour’s third missile volley crash into the Havenite ships. It looked like they scored another proximity hit of their own, but again Solitude seemed to shrug it off and keep on coming.

  “She’s a strong ship,” Mallory commented from his command chair beside James.

  “I’m afraid so,” James said.

  For the next twenty minutes both cruisers fired missile after missile salvo at each other. Solitude seemed to shake off proximity hit after hit and kept advancing. Endeavour took two more proximity hits but in reply Becket managed to score a direct hit on the frigate accompanying Solitude. After the explosion had faded there had been nothing left of the smaller warship.

  “Shit,” Julius shouted over the COM channel, “that last proximity hit took out one of the flak cannons, I don’t think I can get it repaired in time.”

  “Acknowledged,” James said in an understanding tone. The two cruisers were now so close to each other that it was taking their missile volleys less than five minutes to close the distance.

  “Incoming,” Becket shouted. Despite the other flak cannon firing as fast as it could and the doubled efforts of the point defense plasma cannon operators and the AM missiles, two missiles got into attack range. Before James could order Jennings to try and dodge the missiles she had Endeavour diving away from them. It was to no avail, before James realized it a missile struck the forward section of his ship and exploded.

  The explosive force momentarily disrupted the power flow to the bridge and as everyone was thrown about in their harnesses from the concussive force, the lights went out.

  “Status report,” James shouted into the dark, not sure who was still conscious or even alive to answer him.

  “We’re still in one piece,” Julius answered over the COM channel. “But we’re in a bad way. We’ve lost at least eighty percent of our forward point defense plasma cannons and missile tube eight isn’t responding. I think that entire section of the ship has been blasted away.”

  “Damn,” James said to himself as the lights came back on.

  “Pemel is hailing us,” Sub Lieutenant King called from the COM station.

  “Send it to my command chair,” James said. “Keep fighting the ship Mallory.”

  “Captain,” Pemel said quickly, “you are taking a beating. You have to let us help you. We can’t stand here and watch you be destroyed.”

  “Very well,” James said reluctantly. He had been loath to let Pemel join the fight. Any kind of damage, even just from a proximity hit, could have serious repercussions for relations with the Kulreans. “I don’t think we have a choice anymore, execute plan Beta.”

  “Very well,” Pemel said, “good luck Captain.”

  James turned to Sub Lieutenant Jennings as soon as the COM feed ended. “Change of course Lieutenant, take us directly towards Solitude.”

  “Maneuvering now Captain,” she replied.

  “Sir,” Malik called in concern. “The Kulrean ship isn’t following us.

  “I know,” James replied. So far Pemel had been keeping station with Endeavour, making sure his ship stayed safely behind the warship. “Pemel is going it on his own for the time being. He is joining the fight.”

  A small cheer erupted from the Sub Lieutenants on the bridge. They had all felt their fear growing as Endeavour fired broadside after broadside at the larger Haven warship with little affect.

  “Solitude has fired again,” Becket informed everyone.

  “They’ve aimed at the Kulrean ship,” Malik shouted in excitement.

  “Take out as many missiles as you can as they pass us by,” James ordered. “Becket switch to rapid fire on our missiles, we’re close enough now that accuracy is irreverent, then power up the main plasma cannons.”

  “Aye sir,” Becket answered.

  Endeavour’s main plasma cannons had a far greater range than her point defense ones. They were designed for close ship-to-ship action. Whilst the valstronium armor of warships could often brush off a direct hit from a thermonuclear explosion, a high yield plasma round was another matter. Often when ships got into plasma cannon range it spelled disaster for everyone involved.

  “We took out four of the Havenite missiles, another eight are closing with the Kulrean ship,” Malik reported.

  James didn’t respond, instead he watched the Kulrean ship, hoping their defenses would be strong enough. He wasn’t disappointed. Before the Havenite missiles got close to the Kulrean ship red lasers picked off the incoming missiles. In a matter of seconds four of the eight missiles disappeared. The other four, sensing the demise of their brothers, randomly jinked about in space to throw off the Kulrean’s aim. It only had limited success for although not every Kulrean shot hit its target, it only took another six seconds for the final four missiles to be destroyed.

  A cheer from Sub Lieutenant Malik brought James’ attention back to Solitude. “We got a direct hit sir,” Becket informed him. “I have another salvo of missiles three minutes out.”
<
br />   “Well done,” James said as he saw a large hole in Solitude’s amidships that was venting

  atmosphere and debris. “Hit them with the plasma cannons,” he ordered. “They won’t do too much damage yet but it will give Admiral Harris something to think about. Solitude doesn’t have any plasma cannons after all.”

  The containment fields on the plasma bolt degraded very quickly and they were still too far away for the plasma bolts to penetrate Solitude’s valstronium armor, yet every little would help.

  Thirty seconds after the first volley of plasma bolts hit Solitude and caused a number of small eruptions on her armor James opened a COM link to Solitude. “Admiral Harris,” he began. “You are beaten; you cannot destroy the Kulrean ship. Surrender now and there need not be any more loss of life. Fighting on will help no one. Surrender and I will detonate the incoming volley of missiles.”

  For another thirty seconds James waited for a response, the only message that came was in the form of another salvo of missiles from Solitude.

  “Hit them again with the plasma cannons,” James ordered. “Just before they open fire with their point defenses on our missile salvo.”

  Becket did as she was ordered and just before Solitude opened fire with her AM missiles four small explosions erupted on her valstronium armor. Two more plasma bolts hit Solitude right where the missile had blown a hole in her side and they penetrated deep into the ship, causing a number of secondary explosions. The explosions threw the ship off course and badly disrupted the targeting data of her AM missiles.

  Even so, a swarm of thirty AM missiles reached out towards the incoming seven missiles from Endeavour. They took out five of them but two missiles pushed on through the attack and dived in towards Solitude. Either because there weren’t enough functioning sensors to see what was happening or because there was no one left alive on Solitude’s bridge to see the danger, the Havenite ship didn’t even try to evade the incoming missiles. In the blink of an eye they both hit the warship and the twin explosions blew the entire nose section off the cruiser.

  As James watched, both parts of the ship tumbled and spun out of control. It only took a matter of seconds for a number of secondary explosions to wrack the larger section of the ship. Finally, one of Solitude’s main reactors overloaded and a giant explosion momentarily blinded the sensors. When it cleared all that was left of Solitude was her tumbling nose section.

  “It’s over,” Jennings shouted from the navigation console.

  “Not yet,” Mallory said. “That last broadside was aimed at us. Give them everything we have got Lieutenant Becket.”

  There were still ten Havenite missiles boosting towards them. “Signal Pemel,” James ordered Sub Lieutenant King. “Tell him we’re going to need his help.”

  And quickly, James thought, we can’t take another hit.

  “He says he’s on his way,” King reported a few seconds later.

  “Firing the flak cannon,” Becket reported.

  James was forced to watch while others controlled Endeavour’s various systems. The single surviving flak cannon took out three of the missiles. Then, just as the point defense plasma cannons were about to fire, more of the Havenite missiles exploded.

  “Pemel is here,” Mallory shouted.

  “Indeed,” James said in wonder at the Kulrean’s impressive technology. It only took a matter of seconds for Endeavour’s point defense plasma cannons and Pemel’s lasers to take out the remaining missiles.

  “Pemel is hailing us,” King reported.

  “Put it on the main holo display,” James said.

  “I owe you my life again Captain,” Pemel said with a very human like smile.

  “I think it is you who has come to my rescue twice now,” James replied. “Your point defenses are impressive; I think you could have held off the Havenites by yourself.”

  “They do work well,” Pemel said. “Our analysis of the Havenite weapons technology suggests we could have held off the destroyer and the frigate on our own long enough to make the jump to Earth. The cruiser would have been too much for us though. I am very glad you were here.”

  “As am I,” James said. “I do hope this won’t impact relations between our two peoples.”

  “I hope it won’t either,” Pemel replied. “You can rest assured that at least as far as I am concerned, it won’t. If things go well on Earth, then I think my people will soon forget about this.”

  “In that case, you better get going,” James said. “It is going to take a couple of days for me to get Endeavour ready to enter shift space. You should head on to Earth. I wanted to escort you to my homeworld but I think it is more important that you aren’t late. There is an entire world waiting for your arrival.”

  “If that’s what you want,” Pemel said, “we will make the jump to shift space now. I look forward to seeing you in person on Earth. And I hope you will pass on our thanks to your crew.”

  “I will,” James responded. “See you in a few days,” he added before he closed the COM link.

  “What’s the damage report?” he asked Second Lieutenant Julius who was on the auxiliary bridge.

  “Sections nine and ten have taken a lot of damage sir,” she replied. “Missile tube eight is also out of action. I think we will need to return to a repair yard to fix it and the flak cannon.”

  “And the crew?” James asked, hoping the causalities would be low.

  “Nine dead I’m afraid Sir. So far the doctor has registered twelve serious injuries. Almost all of them were crewmembers stationed in the forward sections where we took the direct hit.”

  “Very well,” James said. “I’ll be down to sickbay to visit them momentarily.”

  “Malik,” James said, turning back to face the sensor officer. “Is there any sign of that destroyer?”

  “No sir,” Malik replied immediately. “I have reviewed the sensor data from the battle. I believe it changed course back towards the shift passage to the Gift. They must have been able to jump to shift space.”

  “Thank you Sub Lieutenant,” James responded.

  He tapped a few buttons on his command chair to open a COM link to the entire ship. “Crew members of Endeavour,” he said. “It has been an honor to fight alongside you all today. You have done your country and your ship proud. Against a superior force we showed that a strong heart and good training can still win out. You have my congratulations.”

  After taking a breath he continued. “We will finish our essential repairs, then I will give you all some down time to get a meal and mourn our losses, they are not to be forgotten. Each of the lives lost today were for a worthy cause. I thank you all. Captain Somerville out.”

  After shutting down the COM link James stood and made his way out of the bridge. “You are in charge of the repairs Lieutenant Mallory,” he said. “I’m going to make sure Councilwoman Rodriguez is ok and then visit sick bay.”

  “Aye sir,” Mallory said.

  When James was out of sight he let out a breath and tried to relax. Then he refocused his attention on the problems at hand. He felt as if he had been a bystander throughout the battle, just waiting to take over in case James was injured or killed. All the tactics and moves had been of James’ making, he had given little input on how the Endeavour fought. Secretly, he was a little ashamed and embarrassed. He knew that James’ previous First Lieutenants had both contributed to James’ battle plans. I’m just going to have to get better, Mallory promised himself. I certainly have the best of teachers.

  *

  When James walked into Suzanna’s quarters she jumped up and gave him a hug. “That was magnificent,” she said as she stepped back. “You saved us all again!”

  “Nonsense,” James said. “The crew fought bravely and the Kulrean’s point defenses tipped the balance of power in our favor. We all owe you a great debt. If you hadn’t warned us, Pemel and his crew might be dead now.”

  “I guess we can both take some of the credit,” she said smiling. “What do you p
lan to do now?” she asked.

  “I’m going to visit the wounded. Mallory is overseeing the repairs for the moment,” James answered.

  “Are there many wounded?” Suzanna asked in concern.

  “Nine dead and at least twelve seriously hurt,” James answered without trying to conceal his sadness.

  “Well then I’m coming with you,” she said. “They all deserve the thanks of my people.”

  With that she put her arm through his, turned him around and began walking out of her quarters.

  James didn’t know what to do about her arm but he was deeply moved by her concern for his wounded crew so he didn’t say anything. Instead he let her lead him to sickbay.