The Turning Tide (The Federation Reborn Book 5)

by Chris Hechtl

~~~^~~~

  “Yeah,” Captain Albu said as he noted the enemy ships. It was something of a relief to find out that it was just a single cruiser squadron and what looked like one of the enemy's CEVs.

  That was the good news. The bad was that he had four cruisers, a couple of Apollo class corvettes, the one frigate, the half rebuilt orbital forts in the inner star system, a couple hundred fighters, tugs, and such, and some weapon platforms to fend them off. He shook his head.

  Well, the easiest things he could do right off. According to Admiral De Gaulte's defensive plan he'd left behind, his orders were clear.

  “Comm, signal Four-Four-Three-Niner and order them to go to the Dead Drop jump point. One ship go to Garth to warn them. Send them our logs and keep a running telemetry line on them until they jump.”

  “Aye aye, sir.”

  “And tell them to be quick about it. Don't dawdle,” the captain snapped. His temper was rising at the situation.

  “Aye aye, sir,” the rating stated, ducking her head away. She didn't want to be in the captain's wrath when he was obviously still hung over. She wished that she was on the little Apollo corvette. She'd trade places with anyone there at the moment.

  ~~~^~~~

  “Where is their fleet? Did we miss something?” the XO asked, clearly confused. “Their stealth can't be that good, right?”

  “I very much doubt it,” the skipper said. “TAO, let's send some recon birds out to get a feel for the area and a better picture.”

  “Incoming fire from the jump point perimeter! It looks like rail gun rounds!” CIC barked.

  “Helm, maneuver as needed to get us out of that cloud. Pass on the same orders to the other ships. Don't wait,” he ordered.

  “I think they are gone. The fleet,” the XO said as their long-range sensor returns began to come in and be filtered by the ship's computers. “Oh, we are going to hurt them,” he murmured with a feral grin.

  “Frack them up good,” the TAO said with an answering grin.

  “As you were. Let's not count our kills until we've got them,” the captain ordered smartly.

  ~~~^~~~

  Captain Albu didn't even bother to groan as he got the latest report a week later. Hell was something he'd thought he'd experienced. This probably wasn't close, but it'd serve well enough in his eyes.

  He'd had a heady feeling as he'd taken over command of the star system. That had ended when he'd realized he was now responsible for defending it. He'd assured himself nothing would for a while, but of course the spirits of space had their own vile sense of humor.

  Take for instance the Federation raiders.

  Over the course of a week, the Fed cruiser squadron and CEV had raided with virtual impunity. They had cruised around the outer star system in a spiral, hitting and destroying the orbital warehouses in outer star system, and then hit and run other areas one by one. Every outer lunar colony had been decimated. They had systematically torn the outer star system apart and then moved inward.

  Twice they had tried to draw his force into a standing or running engagement. Since he was outnumbered he'd refused each time, instead exchanging some missile shots without getting anywhere. He'd been as dismayed as his tactical department when he'd saw how fiendishly effective their ECM and other defensive measures were. None of their shots had gotten through the outermost layer of the enemy's defensive zones.

  He had been forced to fall back on the inner star system. The enemy had sent in long-range strikes of rail gun rounds but seemed content to pick at the installations and facilities without obliterating them totally.

  He supposed he should be thankful of that. He knew Captain Abernly was.

  Yesterday the enemy had sent a cruiser off to return to DD01ns. No doubt to tell them the good news. And since he could expect them to move faster than the Apollo he had sent to Garth, he might be seeing the enemy's Second Fleet on his doorstep too soon for comfort.

  Perhaps it's time to throw in the towel and get out while he could he thought.

  The fighters were almost useless. The single CEV had torn most of them to shreds. The bombers had struck twice, hitting one of the outer yard modules and tearing the cruiser that had been mothballed there to shreds.

  He was not happy about being on the losing side. “I know someone might say there is some irony in being on the receiving end of this. I'm not happy about it. And, if they were here, they'd take a one-way trip out the lock without a suit,” he growled to his bridge watch.

  “Sir, what do we do?”

  “Does Captain Abernly have an ETA on any of the ships in the yard?” he asked.

  “No, sir. Any attempt to work on them invites an attack from the enemy. As soon as they start up the facilities, it seems the enemy knows and comes in. That forces a shutdown and evacuation,” the XO said with a shake of his head.

  “So, they are holding us hostage. And there isn't a lot we can do.”

  “No, sir. At the moment, nothing we can do.”

  “Yeah, that's pretty much what I thought,” Captain Albu thought. The visions of an admiral's star on his collar were becoming distant memories he thought in despair.

  ~~~^~~~

  Ensign Riley Sutter grinned as she brought her bird back into the barn. She hadn't scored any kills on this outing but that was fine. She was already a double ace and well on her way to a triple. She was pretty sure she would make her next promotion early. She knew they were racking up the damage too, and the enemy was at a standstill in the inner star system. That probably burned someone's ass. Now, if they could just find a way to pry the damn cruisers out of the inner star system …

  ~~~^~~~

  Captain Jurgison listened to Commander Meia's report. She was in agreement with the CAG; she didn't like the status of their munitions or consumables either. That was a handicap of a CEV. They were great for runs and short fights but not for prolonged engagements or actual fleet battles.

  To date she hadn't been able to pry the enemy cruisers out of the inner star system. They were kept resupplied by the warehouses and fortresses there. There was sufficient firepower around them to keep her people out for the time being. Their orders also precluded a straight-up battle.

  Of course, those orders had been cut before Admiral White knew the actual situation. She was pretty sure he'd cut her some leeway if she took the star system. But she was hesitant about the butcher's bill.

  “So, you are saying we're running short across the board?”

  “Essentially. I've got enough for OPS for another three days or one good mission. After that most of my birds are hangar queens until we get a resupply. The fighters on the cruisers are little better,” Meia stated.

  The captain nodded. Meia and her pilots had done a bang-up job luring the enemy fighters out and tearing them apart again and again. Even when they were outnumbered three to one, they still came out on top. Not without losses but that had been expected.

  She frowned for a moment as she considered her options. She hated the idea of running. But, there was another thing she could try. “When in doubt, bluff. Let's try a different tactic.”

  Meia blinked. So did her XO and TAO. “Ma'am?” Lieutenant Hamilton asked cautiously.

  “Comm, open a channel. Broadband channel to the enemy. Order them to surrender.”

  “Aye aye, ma’am,” the comm rating replied dubiously.

  “It can't hurt to try. And if it stops the bloodshed, I'm all for that,” the captain replied with a shrug.

  ~~~^~~~

  “So, now they want us to surrender?” Captain Albu demanded, shaking his head. “Fat chance. We'll blow the yard and everything before we hand it over to them. They have to know that.”

  “Is there going to be a return signal, sir?” his communication's rating asked tentatively.

  “No,” he said as the XO looked at him clearly hopeful. “No request for terms, nothing. We hunker down and wait.”

  “You think Admiral De Gaulte will get here in time, sir?”

  �
��I don't know. I am hoping there are still some reinforcements in the pipeline from Garth. They can't have all the luck, blast it!” the captain growled.

  “Sir, CIC reporting that we've received a signal from Command Central. A hyper wake at the Garth jump point has been detected,” a rating reported, interrupting the captain.

  “See? See?” the captain said excitedly. “Com, hail them. Send them our report.”

  ~~~^~~~

  Prowler UFN-003P returned to Dead Drop with news from Garth battle. Warily they jumped into the outer jump zone of the star system, fully expecting a network of enemy ships waiting to try to run them down. Instead, nothing.

  Captain Fen ordered the ship to run silent but not go into stealth as her ship's long-range sensors probed the star system and her computers built a picture out of the return data they compiled. It didn't take them long to note the complete absence of the Retribution Fleet. It only took them a few minutes to note cruisers in the star system. A knot of them were working the outer star system. On a hunch, she sent out their IFF to them.

  “Incoming signal from the inner star system. We're receiving an IFF hail from the HMSS Lizzy Borden,” Gaspy reported. “Oh! And they are sending us their logs and files! Oh, nice. We'll certainly take that,” the A.I. said with a grin.

  ~~~^~~~

  Captain Albu was shocked and then disappointed when he got the report that the ship at the Garth jump point wasn't their own. “And I just sent them our logs. Wonderful,” he said in self-disgust, wishing he could kick himself for the error. He hadn't been thinking straight obviously. A lack of sleep, stress, and he'd gotten over excited. Still, he glared at the communications rating.

  “They were encrypted, sir,” his comm rating stated.

  “Not the point. Why didn't you warn me about them?”

  “Me, sir? I didn't know either!”

  He raised a hand to cuff her and she cringed away but he paused and then let his hand drop. Instead he turned away and began to pace.

  ~~~^~~~

  Captain Jurgison was on the bridge when they received the hail from the ship at the Garth jump point. “Comm, send them our IFF and then lay a signal on them. It's time we talked,” she said, hoping they had answers to burning questions he had.

  The signal was long due to the range, but he settled on a short conversation. “We had an interesting time in Garth. I'm sending you our report,” Captain Fen stated. “I see you've been busy.”

  “We have indeed,” she replied a few minutes later. “What can you tell me?”

  “It's all in the report, but the short answer is TF3.2 got there around the same time we did,” Captain Fen stated, giving a brief report of the battle. “They didn't do so hot.”

  “I see,” Captain Jurgison replied as she scanned it once more. It helped that there were interludes between message packets. “So, you don't know where their fleet is?”

  “No. Somewhere between here and Garth based on the ion trails we've observed,” Captain Fen replied a few minutes later.

  “Very well. Dump your logs and materials to our computers. We'll let them chew on it. We'll do the same to you.”

  “We received an interesting hail when we first arrived. You might have an interest in it,” Captain Fen stated. “A Lizzy Borden hailed and sent us their logs and files. I think they goofed,” she said with a grin.

  The captain blinked when she received that message and then silently whistled. “Well! I think someone goofed,” he said with an answering grin and chuckle. “Yes, we can certainly use it. Send it. Do you need to refuel or resupply?”

  Captain Fen answered a few minutes later. “Nope. We're good.”

  “Okay. Take our logs and files and get back to Dd01ns. If I'd known you were coming, I wouldn't … well, anyway, it doesn't matter now. Water under the bridge and all that.”

  “Yes, sir,” the prowler captain replied dubiously.

  “Admiral Halsey out,” Captain Jurgison stated.

  ~~~^~~~

  After the second week, Captain Albu had given up on holding out. It was hopeless; the best he could do was defend his quartet of ships and the hundred thousand kilometers around them with varying degrees of success. The relentless attacks had worn his nerves to shreds. His nerves and his temper. “There is nothing for us to do except leave,” he announced after a bare two hours of sleep.

  “We can't surrender, sir. You know our orders,” his XO warned as he vacated the hot seat.

  “I know,” the captain said as he took the chair. It was still uncomfortably warm from his XO. Warm and smelling of stale sweat and other body odors. He was starting to hate the thing. “We can't do anything here. We need to pull out. Maybe they'll follow us out. I hope not, but …,” he shook his head.

  “They have to have a bottom to their munitions right, sir?” the XO asked.

  “You know, I've been asking me the same thing for the past two weeks. Then I remembered they've got functioning replicators,” the captain growled. “Comm, lay a signal on Command One.”

  “Aye aye, sir. Channel open. Captain Abernly on the line.”

  “Captain, we're pulling out. I advise you to do the same. Pack your shit and as many people as you think your life support can handle and pull out while the getting is good,” Captain Albu stated bluntly.

  “You can't do that. We've got too much invested here!” Captain Abernly stated.

  “We can't stop them. Hell, we can't do squat!” Captain Albu snarled. They had intercepted less than 5 percent of the enemy's fire. “Look, you can come or go, your choice but better make it quick. You know how fast they are in hyper. They'll get here long before that corvette gets to Garth. Then they'll squat on the jump point and we'll be cut off. They'll rip De Gaulte to shreds.”

  Captain Abernly grimaced but then nodded. “I'll pack.”

  “Just the essentials, Captain, and find your own ride. I'm not letting my ship be weighed down. We're probably going to have to fight our way out,” he growled as he cut the channel.

  ~~~^~~~

  Sri shook his head when he got the news. Captain Abernly knew the lieutenant wasn't happy about being left behind. He could care less. “You are in charge, Lieutenant Savenan. Don't screw it up. I'm counting on you to keep things together in my absence. I will return.”

  “Yes, sir,” Sri replied dully. “I guess I'm the one playing musical chairs without a chair at the end of the music.”

  Magnus' eyes narrowed. “No, you are the junior officer tasked with doing a job. Do it to the best of your ability.”

  “Yes, sir.”

  First thing Sri planned was to raid the captain's liquor cabinet and get rip-roaring drunk. Screw the rest.

  ~~~^~~~

  “Sir! Movement from the inner star system! They are running!” CIC reported excitedly.

  The XO blinked and then checked the plot. He then ran the numbers to see if they could generate an intercept from where they were at. It would be tight; they had stuck to a position closest to the Dd01ns jump point in case the Retribution Fleet returned.

  “Alert the captain. Captain to the bridge,” he ordered.

  The captain came on the bridge a moment later and looked at the report. She studied the plot and then punched the numbers up. Silently the ship's A.I. fed her the data she wanted to know. She didn't like the odds. If they ran after the enemy, they would burn half of their remaining fuel. They'd also be going head-on into potential enemy territory. If enemy reinforcements showed up, it would go badly for her. No, she didn't like it at all.

  She could feel the tension in the compartment. Everyone was waiting with baited breath on her decision. She looked up and then over to her XO. “We can't risk it. We'll hit the inner star system once they are gone. But if we tried a full burn to go after them, we'd drain ourselves. I can't in good conscious risk it.”

  The lieutenant nodded. He could feel the disappointment around him. “Good call, Skipper. But they'll call the enemy back.”

  “They already did that w
ith the corvette. We'll just hold what's left and see who gets here first.”

  “And if they do, ma'am?” Lieutenant Hamilton asked.

  “Then we burn everything down and run like hell,” she replied firmly. He nodded.

  Chapter 35

  Garth

  Captain Ozman tried her best to deal with the damage. Just not having the tugs around to do SAR duty made her job that much harder. Within two days anyone who had been trapped had either been rescued or their life support had run out and they were entombed.

  The cloud of rail gun rounds had been as devastating if not more so than the missiles. Sure, some of the rounds had punched through hulls, but some had done far more than that. They'd broken off debris, scabbed off metal and plastic bits that had turned molten and had ricocheted around the interior of the facilities causing a chain reaction of death and destruction. The yard was torn apart. What the rail gun rounds hadn't torn up, the Fed missiles had with their nukes. Just about all the ships that had been opened up in the yard were gone or wreckage as well.

  It amounted to the same thing.

  Along with it were most of the orbital warehouses. About the only thing that hadn't gotten hit were the facilities under construction at the Dead Drop jump point. They hardly mattered now.

  Everything she'd worked for over the past two decades were dust in the solar wind.

  She looked at the planet. She'd thought the Feds were squeamish about such things but apparently that admiral hadn't read the memo. Everything available that couldn't move in orbit had been hit. Much of the debris had rained down on the planet. Forest fires were raging out of control on two continents. She couldn't care less.

  There were a few places that were still functional. A few ships that had dodged the onslaught or had been shielded by a moon or asteroid that had absorbed the damage. From those facilities, she had spent weeks directing the recovery efforts.

  Every platform that had a habitat had been utilized to house refugees. That included ships, even derelict ships. They had finally gotten the last group who had been living in their suits and rescue balls for the past two weeks into air or onto the ground. That simple victory had made her feel like they were finally making strides in the right direction.