He shouldn’t even have to make this decision. He was too junior to command a spacecraft carrier. He shouldn’t even be commanding the smallest cruiser in the fleet. He was a squadron commander in charge of one of the fighter squadrons on the Honor. He wasn’t even the most senior squadron commander onboard.
When they had entered the system, there had been an admiral in charge of the battle group, and all of the major combatants were commanded by captains. They had been good leaders and had fought an excellent delaying action. The lizards hadn’t noticed the base on the moon, nor the battleship that was beginning to emerge from the replicator in orbit and had let themselves be led away from the planet. If the crew at the base hadn’t tried to send them a message, the lizards still probably wouldn’t have known that the base was there.
But they had.
Immediately, the lizards had turned away from the chase and had begun heading for the base. There wasn’t a big enough crew on the replicator to keep it from falling into the lizard’s hands. The newest type of battleship, it was far better than what the lizards currently had...and they were about to capture it.
He wished, hell, he prayed that one of the dead bodies on the bridge would come back to life so that he wouldn’t be in command. The bridge had taken a direct hit, though, and all of them were dead. The two remaining cruisers were similarly mauled. One was just a hulk, dead in space. The other was maintaining formation on the Honor, but it also had taken a hit on its bridge and there was a commander in charge of it now; unfortunately, one that was junior to Brower. He was in charge, and the decision...the responsibility...everything...rested on him.
The lizards had a battleship and two battlecruisers left; he only had the cruiser, the carrier and its four remaining fighters. Regardless of what else happened, he couldn’t let them get to the replicator. He. Could. Not.
With that as the entering argument, there really was no other decision that could be made.
It was his decision, and the time had come to make it. Not doing so would be shirking his duty and dishonoring the Honor, and all of the sacrifices that had already been made by the battle group’s crews. He could not do that. He would not do that.
“Ramming speed!” he transmitted.
Bridge, TSS Vella Gulf, Ross 248 System, August 26, 2020
“We are ready for transit,” Captain Yerrow transmitted, as he watched the giant ball of plasma that had been the lizard battlecruiser. The Vella Gulf had hit it with two missiles, and the ship’s crew had caused it to self-destruct in response.
“We are also ready for transit,” replied Captain Griffin. “Good hunting!”
“And to you, as well,” answered Captain Yerrow. “On my mark...3...2...1...Full speed ahead!”
The ships had been lined up in front of the stargate. They made the transit within five minutes.
Bridge, TSS Vella Gulf, Kepler-78 System, August 26, 2020
“System stabilizing,” said Steropes. “Launching probes.”
“Launch all fighters!” ordered Captain Griffin. “Battle updates ASAP!”
“There is evidence of battle across the system,” said Steropes. “Trying to localize the most recent...”
“Vella Gulf, Emperor’s Paw,” interrupted Captain Yerrow, appearing on the front screen. “I am going to tie you in with the spacecraft carrier Honor, Commander Brower, commanding.” Captain Griffin watched as the front screen cut in half. Captain Yerrow was visible on the right half; the left half showed the bridge of the carrier. It was a mess. Commander Brower stood proudly, blood running down his fur in several places. A number of dead and wounded sailors could be seen behind him. Most weren’t moving. She was unable to see the back of the bridge through the smoke. Electricity arced from panel to panel at one of the stations she could see. The Mrowry manning it was slumped on top of it. The electricity kept jumping to something on his helmet, but he was beyond caring.
“A commander is too junior to be commanding a spacecraft carrier,” said Steropes. He looked up at the screen. “Sorry, never mind.”
“It is good to see that you are still alive, Captain Yerrow,” Commander Brower said. “I thought you were dead.”
“Not yet,” replied Captain Yerrow. “Not while there are still lizards to hunt. What is your status?”
“Our status?” asked Commander Brower. “We held our own until the lizards noticed the replicator at our base, but as soon as they saw it, they stopped fighting us, turned around and started heading for it. It is my intention to stop them from getting there.”
“We just got the status of your forces,” Captain Yerrow replied. “How do you intend to stop them? Most of your systems are out, and you only have four fighters left. The cruiser Ranger is similarly damaged.”
“We’re going to do what we can,” replied Commander Brower. “I intend to ram them.”
“I forbid it!” ordered Captain Yerrow. “Pull off and regroup with us!”
“Sorry sir,” replied Commander Brower, “but like you said, our ships are smashed. You’re arrival does not change the balance of forces significantly, either. Our ships are not good for much else at this point. The squadron I used to command is gone. All of my ships and all of my pilots...gone. And unless the status you’re transmitting is in error, the Emperor’s Paw doesn’t seem to be in much better shape. I think we’ll just continue and see what we can do about evening up the odds. Face it, Your Highness, you’re not going to be able to take out the battleship with just two cruisers. We can do it.” He stood a little straighter. “We will do it. Brower out.” His side of the screen went black. The message, ‘Transmission ended’ flashed several times, and then Captain Yerrow’s picture spread back across the whole screen.
“As hard as it is to watch or condone, Commander Brower is correct,” said Captain Yerrow, shaking his head. “We cannot take on the battleship. For that matter, the two battlecruisers are more than we can handle, even if he succeeds in destroying the battleship.” He looked at something offscreen. “We will, however, honor his sacrifice and put ourselves into a position where we can take advantage of it, should he be successful. We’re transmitting coordinates; follow us and prepare for battle. Yerrow out.” The screen went blank.
“What did he mean, should he be successful?” asked Captain Griffin.
“I know what he meant, ma’am,” said Bullseye. “No offense, but you’re a ship driver at heart; you think in two dimensions. Space is more like what aviators fight in—three dimensions. Space is big and ships, even really big ships, are small. Trying to get them to run into each other is really hard if one of the two doesn’t want to be hit.”
“The odds are that the carrier will miss the battleship,” added Steropes, looking at the tactical plot. “There is a slightly higher chance for the more nimble cruiser, and an even higher chance for at least some of the fighters that were mentioned to hit one of the bigger ships if they are not destroyed before they can ram. It doesn’t look like they have launched yet.” He shook his head. “It is admirable for them to try to even the odds for us,” he concluded, “but it is most unlikely that they will succeed.”
Bridge, TSS Vella Gulf, Kepler-78 System, August 26, 2020
“I’m getting awfully tired of fighting ships bigger than ours,” said Calvin with a sigh. “Is there anything in this system that we can use to our advantage?” he asked, looking over Sara’s shoulder. Sara had taken over the science station for Steropes, who had gone off duty.
“I don’t know,” she replied. “This is the Kepler-78 system. The star in this system is a yellow star that is about 70% of the size of the Sun. There are two planets in this system. The ‘a’ planet is a super-Earth planet that is about 70% more massive than the Earth, with a radius about 20% larger. It isn’t much help as it is in a really tight orbit around the star.”
“How tight?” asked Calvin.
“It is about 40 times closer to the star than Mercury is to our Sun,” replied Sara. “In fact, it’s so close that it makes one
complete orbit around the star in just over eight hours, and its surface temperature is over 4,000 degrees Fahrenheit.”
“OK, that’s hot enough that I don’t want to go there,” said Calvin. “What else have you got?”
“There’s only one other planet in the system,” replied Sara. “The ‘b’ planet is a Saturn-like planet that is located about 460 million miles away from the star, or about as far away from the star as Jupiter is from our Sun. It is about double the size of Saturn and has eight moons, of which five are large enough to be planets in their own right. All of the moons have pretty high concentrations of heavy metals and relatively high concentrations of the rare Earth elements. This system is also a pocket system; the only way into or out of it is through the one stargate that we came through.”
“Hmm,” mused Calvin, “no ideas so far. Can you show me the tactical display again?”
“Sure,” Sara said. She brought up the tactical display on the front viewer. “Here we are,” she said, using a laser pointer to point out their position on the left side of the display. “The stargate through which we entered the system is behind us. We are headed toward the star and are going to pass within about 50 million miles of the ‘b’ planet. The other two fleets are on the other side of the star from us. If nothing changes the Mrowry battle group will intercept the enemy fleet at a distance of about 40 million miles from the star. The lizards are headed back toward us, but are slower than the Mrowry vessels chasing them.”
“How close did you say we’d be to the ‘b’ planet?” asked Calvin.
“About 50 million miles,” replied Sara. “Why?”
“I’ve got an idea,” Calvin said. “It will depend a lot on what happens when the two fleets meet, but it might be something that we can use. I need to talk to Captain Yerrow.”
CO’s Conference Room, TSS Vella Gulf, Kepler-78 System, August 26, 2020
“It will all depend on what happens with the ramming force,” concluded Calvin. “If it is successful, then all we’ll have to do is sweep in on what remains of the lizard ships and pound them until they surrender or blow themselves up. If the ramming force isn’t successful, we at least have a backup plan.”
“I like it,” agreed Captain Griffin. “At least it gives us options.”
“I do too,” said Captain Yerrow. “You have a grasp of fighting in space that I would not have expected from someone so inexperienced. I do not mean that as an insult, but as a compliment. I have been doing this for many seasons, and I didn’t think of that.”
“Thank you,” replied Calvin. “I think that it is due to being a pilot of an air-breathing fighter before coming to space. I see things in three dimensions that others might not.”
“Now we’ll just have to wait and see what the ramming force is able to achieve,” said Captain Yerrow. “And hope their sacrifice is not in vain.”
Bridge, Ssselipsssiss Ship Avenger, Kepler-78 System, August 26, 2020
“This prey seems to want to jam itself into our mouths,” laughed Captain Ssselthan, commanding officer of the battleship Avenger. “Obviously, there is something on that planet that they do not want us to have.”
“But sir,” said the defensive systems technician, “isn’t it obvious? They intend to ram us!”
“Of course they do,” replied Captain Ssselthan. “It is the only thing they can do. They are out of missiles and fighters, and the carrier couldn’t last for a minute against us in a laser duel. It’s big enough that it might last two minutes against one of our battlecruisers. No, the only thing that they can do is to ram us.”
“Doesn’t that worry you, Captain?” asked the weapons technician.
“No, it does not,” replied Captain Ssselthan, “nor should it worry any other loyal subject of the emperor.” He shook his head. The youth these days. They must be hatching them too early because bravery was becoming a very perishable trait. He sighed. “When they get within missile range, we will fire our remaining missiles. If that doesn’t succeed in killing them, then we will kill them with our lasers when they get within range. Finally, when they commit to their final ramming vector, we will change ours, and they will miss us. Space is big, and they cannot hope to maneuver that flying piece of shit well enough to hit us when we dodge. Then, when they fly past, we will destroy their engines and engineering spaces, and they will be done.”
“After that,” he continued in a louder voice meant for everyone on the bridge, “we will see what the two cruisers do when their friends are destroyed. If they keep coming for us, we will destroy them and collect their bodies for our kitchens. If they run, we’ll collect the prey from the carrier and cruiser. Either way, we will eat well tonight!”
Cheering resounded across the bridge.
Bridge, TSS Vella Gulf, Kepler-78 System, August 26, 2020
“They’re coming up on missile range,” said Steropes, who had come back to the sensor station for the battle. “The lizard ship should turn shortly so that it can use its broadside missile batteries.”
“Does the carrier have missiles?” asked the helmsman.
“According to the tactical report, the carrier has a number of missile batteries,” said Steropes, “but they do not have any missiles remaining. They will just have to try to get through the missile volleys of the lizards the best they can.”
“That’s going to leave a mark,” said the helmsman.
The commanding officer nodded her head. “Yes it is,” she said.
Bridge, Mrowry Ship Honor, Kepler-78 System, August 26, 2020
Here goes nothing, thought Commander Brower as the Honor entered the lizard’s missile range.
“They’re not firing!” replied the helmsman, who was the only other member of the bridge crew. They had put off everyone that they could in lifeboats and escape pods. He hoped that they’d be picked up by the prince after the battle and not by the lizards. All of them had laser pistols with them...just in case.
“They probably don’t have many missiles remaining,” replied Commander Brower. “They’re waiting until they can’t miss us with them. Since we are not turning broadside to them, we are a harder target to hit than we normally would be. Is the Ranger still with us?”
“Yes sir,” said the sensor operator. “The Ranger is still in formation to starboard. She’s aiming for the battlecruiser to the right of the battleship.”
Any time now, thought Commander Brower. He wished they’d hurry up.
Bridge, Ssselipsssiss Ship Avenger, Kepler-78 System, August 26, 2020
“Range to target is now 13 million miles, sir,” said the weapons technician. “They are in range.”
“We will let them get a little closer before we fire,” said Captain Ssselthan. “Helmsman, cease the drive and rotate the ship to port to unmask the port batteries.” Since the majority of the missile batteries were located on the sides of the ship, the ship had to turn to point the missile launchers at the target. Having the engines stop before firing ensured a stable firing platform for the ship and kept it from flying off tangentially.
“Aye, sir,” said the helmsman. “Drive has ceased, and we are coming left.”
“Both battlecruisers rotating too,” called the sensor technician. Although they were both ‘shot out’ and had no missiles remaining, the battlecruisers were bringing the majority of their laser batteries to bear.
“Nine million miles,” said the weapons technician. The Mrowry were coming on fast, Captain Sselthan thought. He had to make sure they missed. Even damaged, the carrier had an acceleration that was 100 Gs greater than his. During the five hour chase, the carrier had reached a speed that was 11,000 miles an hour faster. With a mass of over three million tons, any impact would be...substantial...to say the least.
“Eight million miles,” said the weapons technician, sounding a little more nervous.
“Fire all missiles!” ordered the Captain.
“Missiles firing!” called the weapons technician.
“That’s strange,” said the se
nsor technician. “I’m picking up some weird gravity readings behind us.”
Bridge, TSS Vella Gulf, Kepler-78 System, August 26, 2020
“The lizards have rotated their ships and are firing,” said Steropes. “They must be out of missiles. The Mrowry database says that the battleship has 34 missile tubes in its broadside, but only 17 missiles fired.” He looked down at his screen, but then looked back up quickly. “Two stealth fighters uncloaking behind the lizard ships!” he called.
“What?” asked Captain Griffin. “What the hell’s a stealth fighter? Better yet, why don’t we have them?”
“The stealth fighter is a space fighter that carries a cloaking package in place of a missile loadout,” said Steropes. “It is a spy plane...but no one ever uses them because fighters can’t go through stargates so they’re of limited utility...” He paused. “Detonation! One flew into the battleship’s engines once they turned off, and another flew into the engines of one of the battlecruisers. Both ships are dead in space!”
“I take it that it will be easier for the carrier to ram the battleship now?” asked Captain Griffin.
“Yes,” said Steropes. “Assuming that they survive the missiles heading at them.”
Bridge, Mrowry Ship Honor, Kepler-78 System, August 26, 2020
The fighters had done their part, succeeding beyond even his wildest dreams. Now if the Honor could just hold together through the missile storm. “Come on, baby, hold together for me,” Commander Brower urged the Honor. “We’ll do this together...”
“Counter-missile lasers firing,” said the ship’s AI. “Missile impact in 4... 3... 2... 1...”
There was a flash, and the world went black.
Bridge, Mrowry Ship Ranger, Kepler-78 System, August 26, 2020
When the Gods Aren't Gods: Book Two of The Theogony Page 29
