by Ian Miller
Sheets of metal flew, then the Ulsian mines also struck. There were showers of debris, and for an instant Klendor's fleet flew blind, all being struck by some debris. When this cleared, it became apparent that all enemy ships were destroyed or seriously disabled. The ship sent to take the communications array was ordered to assist any enemy ship that surrendered, and Klendor ordered the three remaining ships under his command to decelerate towards Ligra 3.0.
Claudia Lucilla was amused to be informed by her android pilot that her ship had accounted for two enemy ships. That was easy, she thought, and since she started first, momentarily she was ahead of her brother. Then she brought herself back to reality. Four ships and a barge against a planet. Such odds did not look good. Still, there was nothing for it but to continue, if for no other reason than that they were so close now a reasonably close encounter with the planet could not be avoided, and their deceleration pattern would be obvious to anyone on the planet who cared even to look up into the night sky.
The planet grew larger and larger, until finally they reached the agreed orbital distance, when they adjusted their velocity accordingly and turned the motive power off the motors. These remained in action for producing energy, but that energy was now totally available for firepower. The surface was scanned for military activity, but no evidence of weapons being charged could be detected. Since they had arrived directly from deep space they were on the dark side. Their orbit was now taking them towards the other side.
The crescent became progressively larger, and dazzlingly brilliant it was. Gradually the reason became apparent. The polar ice caps covered over eighty per cent of the planet, with a small band around the centre that comprised iceberg-ridden oceans, and three continents that presumably continued under the mountains of ice. Useful habitation would appear to be restricted to the small bands of partly cleared and partly forested land near the oceans, and the occasional settlement high in the mountains, which presumably were mining towns.
Lucilla put her long-range scanners onto one of these and shuddered. The small town appeared abandoned. Nothing moved, buildings seemed as if they had been bombed and never repaired, and quite significant trees grew randomly along the streets. In the middle of one street what appeared to be two heavy trucks could be seen abandoned where they had stopped, now to be entangled by vines growing from a nearby building. A small dot, presumably an animal, darted from one building and climbed a tree. As the terrain rose from the ghost town, bare walls of grey rock bore the occasional stunted tree until high above, where the peaks disappeared into a thick fog, all vegetation disappeared.
The towns on this continent at lower altitude were disappointing as they were covered with an all pervasive fog, which her droid informed her occurred every morning on Ligra 3. And the droid appeared to be correct, for as they continued around into the day of the planet, the next continent appeared to be reasonably free of fog. This continent held the only major city, and although there was still no sign of weapons, Klendor ordered two of his ships to continue on this orbit, while he and Lucilla rose to geostationary orbit above this city.
Activity in this city was barely more significant. Civilians could be seen on the high power scanners as dots going about their business, and in places small groups of dots had assembled, possibly looking upwards in an attempt to see the new arrivals. That they had been detected was definite, for the characteristic pattern of scanners had locked onto them, however nothing happened. The defences were asleep. The ships weapons were trained on the locations of the enemy weapons, but there was no reason to fire.
At first Klendor was thrilled. According to the books on military history, the reason for most failed attacks on a defended planet was that the attacking fleet sustains too much damage from long range ground-based defences before the attackers can get close enough to return fire effectively. From size considerations alone, ground-based weapons have far more energy devoted to them than space vehicles, and ground-based weapons are more readily concealed and protected.
But this time, by some miracle, his ships had reached the point where the search and destroy robotic vehicles could be deployed before the enemy ground defences could fire a shot. These robotic vehicles were designed to offer a target, and once firing began, after relaying the information to the fleet, they would select weapons sites and destroy them by weapons fire, or by crashing into them, then exploding or releasing fire, radiation, or whatever they were designed to do.
Klendor knew that this situation would not repeat itself. Next time the enemy would be ready. So, Klendor realized, he had to make the enemy pay for this indiscretion. Klendor immediately ordered the deployment of the craft. When the enemy woke up and began operating the pulse cannon, he would annihilate their ground defences. This was fairly safe, because the cannon could not simply start firing. Unless they were powered up, and from the lack of discernible energy signatures these ones did not appear to be, it would take up to two hours before firing could begin. Meanwhile the robotic droids would have located the energy sources.
He watched with pleasurable anticipation as the robotic craft moved into position. Now let the enemy do something.
He was to be disappointed, for they did nothing. For this situation the book advised a concentration of guided weapons about a landing point close to the planet, then the sending of landing craft slowly, over a period of time. If the enemy continued to refuse to show himself, you had your ground troops established, while if the defences tried to do anything, you had the maximum firepower to defeat him. According to the book, any tactic other than destroying as many enemy ships in deep space was always suboptimal for the planetary defenders.
It was only as the time passed and the robotic craft began to consume their fuel that a problem dawned on Klendor. Since the ground troops had yet to arrive, the enemy could afford to wait. If he brought the robotic craft back to their ships, and the pulse cannon elected to open up at that point, his own droids could destroy his own ships if he returned fire. If he simply abandoned the robotic craft, when the enemy found them they would have the complete specifications of the Ulsian control systems. If he exploded them into the planet, he ran the risk of destroying valuable assets, and killing innocent civilians. His problem was simple. His total force was simply inadequate to deal with a planet. How would the enemy make him pay?
The best he could manage was to bring some robotic craft back immediately and refuel them, drive the rest with their weapons charged, and hope that the enemy did not notice his lack of offensive capability.
Chapter 32
The main battle-fleet was now approaching their moment of truth. General Slaben had ordered the entire fleet to remain as one, on the basis that even an inconclusive result in space could provide a sufficient base to launch the ground attack. Gaius returned to his ship, and Slaben then officially passed strategic and tactical control to him. Slaben was later to admit that there would be many times in the next few hours as events unfolded that he deeply regretted doing this. He so deeply wanted to alter orders that he felt were too risky, but Ulsian military law was clear, and having handed over control he was prevented from regaining it. He did, however, maintain contact through wall images, such that he could talk to Gaius, almost as if they were together.
Gaius then provided Slaben with his first of many shocks for the day. He ordered the main transporters into a widely dispersed wall formation and to engage their motors for maximum deceleration. The battlecruisers had been deployed into small wings of six ships. Gaius now ordered them to link in their wings of six to the great transporters such that the battlecruisers faced the enemy, with motors to the rear and on idle. With only the motors of the transporters used to decelerate, the enemy would see a fleet of one-seventh the size, and with only transporter motor signatures.
"I don't quite see why we're doing this?" Slaben's image said.
"They can only detect transporter exhausts," Gaius replied.
"But what can this possibly achieve? They'll kn
ow we wouldn't send all those transporters this far without escort."
"True," Gaius replied, "but where are the other ships? This may achieve nothing at all, but it gives the enemy a chance to go wrong, so why not give them that chance?"
Slaben's image looked at him, then nodded back. "Yes," he said, "especially after they receive messages of activity from Ligra 3, then lose communications." He paused, then added, "Assuming that's what happens, and Klendor succeeds."
"You have to assume part of your plan will succeed once you've deployed," Gaius pointed out. "You can't send forces out to do a job, then once they've gone, suddenly decide they'll fail."
"Of course not," Slaben replied, "but it'd be nice to know if Klendor's succeeded."
"It's a lot better if no-one has a clue!" Gaius snorted. "The enemy's the only one for whom it really matters, so the less he knows the better."
* * *
The fleet gradually made its way towards the inner planet. Gaius yawned, and stared at the screen, which showed the same points of light on a black background as he had seen before he had taken his rest. This was the trouble with such warfare: everything took so long to happen. He recalled the exercise against the Ulsian Admiral, and noted wryly that that time he had given the screen only fleeting glances, even though he knew something was going to happen. There was a big difference between an exercise and a battle where with one mistake you could forfeit your life.
"Enemy Fleet!" the Tin Man announced, and a small light began flashing on the screen. "You can't see them yet, but that's where they are. You can assume they will have seen us well before this, as our exhausts are pointed their way."
"There's only one lot of them?"
"That sums to over ninety-five per cent of what our spies say they have," the Tin Man replied.
"I see," Gaius responded, and went to run his hand through his hair, only to be stopped by the rather large object he still had to wear.
Nothing happened. The stars remained unchanged, the target planet remained little better than a point, although now another light could be seen; the planet's moon. He felt so nervous, although he had faced this wait before battle many times.
"A juice, please?" he asked quietly. His mouth had begun to feel dry. This was the other major difference between this warfare and his. Right in the middle of battle, if need be, he could have food or drink brought to him, or anything else he wanted.
"Of course," the Tin Man said. What was remarkable was that all his functions would continue to be carried out while he tended to this rather unimportant task.
Gaius was half way through his drink when he noticed a brightening about the flashing point. "What's that?" he asked.
"Exhausts," the Tin Man replied. "I shall analyse their significance once the data have been accumulated for enough time."
Brilliant points of light began to separate from the blinking point. "Presumably we're brighter than that to them," Gaius mused.
"We are," the Tin Man said, "although only because the transporters are so large. You are looking at them using maximum power."
"Directed at us?" Gaius asked anxiously.
"Yes," the Tin Man confirmed. "Approximately fifty per cent of the enemy fleet have set off for the other planet under full power."
They had bought it!
"We should warn Colonel Klendor!" one of Slaben's staff members signalled to Gaius.
"Wait!" Gaius ordered. Yes, Lucilla was out there, but he had to assume that their ships would detect the enemy in time. It was absolutely important that the enemy were not given any reason to make them change their mind until they could not reverse their direction in time to affect this battle. The enemy had made a bad mistake, and irrespective of personal feelings, the mistake had to remain made. Klendor knew this could happen, and he had sufficient start. Whatever else the enemy fleet would do, it would not disappear off into space chasing five ships while the main system was under attack from a major fleet.
The fleets approached closer and closer, seemingly unaware of each other. Tiny dots of light on a screen signified where the ships would be, if you could see them. These were amongst the tiny dots of starlight, and the bright disc of one star. Apart from that, everything was so black. Space was so empty. Nothing seemed to be moving, yet Gaius was only too well aware of the huge speeds involved.
* * *
Gaius stared at his strategic computer screen. The calculations were quite clear. He turned to the Tin Man and ordered, "Transporters to continue applying maximum power!"
As the order was relayed, Slaben's image began speaking again, "This will give negative velocity with respect to planetary approach in three minutes!"
"Two minutes thirty," Gaius grinned.
"But . . .why? You're not retreating already?"
"It occurred to me," Gaius said, "that the Ulsian strategic computers always give retreat as an early option unless they have clear numerical superiority. By now, the enemy will know that."
"So?"
"If this ruse has worked, they now think they have a number of panicking transporters on the retreat," Gaius said. "Let's see what they do."
The relative velocity between the two fleets had now diminished, helped in part by the enemy applying relatively low levels of power. With nothing but huge transporters in their sights, the enemy did not wish to pass through the wall at high velocity, leaving the transporters more chances of escaping. They would approach at a velocity that would allow them to stand off and methodically destroy this wall of unprotected troop ships.
"We must detach battle-cruisers!" Slaben's message came.
"We must do nothing of the sort," Gaius replied. He turned to the Tin Man and said, "Let me know in advance of when the transporters could fire."
"They're not heavily armed," the Tin Man said, "particularly towards the rear."
"I know that," Gaius smiled.
"I hope you know what you are doing," Slaben's worried message came.
"I know exactly what I am doing," Gaius said calmly.
It was quite strange. He knew these ships were still travelling at quite high velocities, but such were the distances and the fact that the enemy had almost matched their velocities and accelerations to those of the troop ships, the enemy seemed to be approaching at little more than snail's pace.
"Transporters could fire in three minutes," the Tin Man observed.
"Outer ships," Gaius ordered. "Turn fifteen degrees away from approach axis and reduce motor power by 5%. Next outer ships, turn ten degrees and reduce motor power by 2%. Central ships maintain course and maintain constant power."
"The outer ships are going to get left behind!" Slaben's voice said.
Gaius ignored this. The Tin Man looked at him, and said that the transporters could open fire in one minute, although the chance of doing serious damage was limited.
"Thank you."
There was a further period in which nothing much appeared to happen.
"Enemy fire commencing!" the Tin Man announced. "Shielding fields will easily deflect this."
"Good. Central transporters to return fire."
"They will be ineffective as well," the Tin Man warned.
"Of course, but we must maintain the deception."
"Our wall is now becoming significantly concave!" Slaben warned.
"That," Gaius replied, "is the whole objective of the manoeuvre."
"The cosine of fifteen degrees is less than the cosine of nought," the Tin Man noted.
"If there's anything left of Timothy," Gaius grinned, "I think he might approve."
"The Timothy part of me would note your lessons in geometry were not wasted," the Tin Man said quietly. "You appear to have picked up a little trigonometry as well."
"Tell me," Gaius asked. "I believe the enemy have continued directly towards the centre?"
"They have," the Tin Man said, "and they are beginning to accelerate. They are making their move."
"Order the main battleships to detach," Gaius said, "and empl
oy minimum motor power."
The enemy were now making a serious thrust towards the centre of what was now more of an enormous bowl than a wall formation.
"Central transporters full thrust! Central battle cruisers maintain position to protect the transporters! All central ships open fire with pulse cannon!" Gaius ordered. He suddenly began to wonder what Vipsania was thinking. Her ship was near the centre, and therefore more likely to take fire from the enemy. Not that there was much he could do about that. He had selected his strategy, and that could not be altered for personal reasons.
The enemy advance had now slowed, as they realized that there were extra ships present. The central battle cruisers opened fire, the enemy opened fire, and the space was full of energy beams.
"Outer flank battle cruisers full advance," Gaius ordered, "then wheel in and fire pulse cannon towards rear of enemy. Mid flank ships open fire with pulse cannon on nearest flank but advance to mid-distance!" Gaius waited momentarily while the order was sent, then he added, "And that includes us!"
"We are advancing in formation," the Tin Man said. "Pulse cannon firing. Do you require dephasing?"
"Not yet," Gaius said. "let's see what this does. If they offer surrender, we want to retain as much of their equipment as we can."
Initially the enemy thought their central thrust was working and they thrust harder, only to find themselves being enveloped at the focus of cannon fire from the bowl-shaped formation. Instead of poorly armed transporters, they were facing superior numbers of major battleships, which had achieved an overwhelmingly superior tactical position before their existence was even appreciated. The ships on the flanks were firing unopposed, but the enemy could not turn to face them without opening a flank to the central warships. But worse than that, the firepower coming was essentially focussed on the mass, and if one ship turned such that it evaded fire directly at it, that fire could well strike a different ship deeper in the formation, even evading from other fire and moving into this. There was nowhere to turn, and they could not retreat. The energy density of the cannon was so high that their sensors stopped working properly, so they could not locate targets. Pieces of ship began flying, sensors failed, weapons began to shut down as the nests on the sides of their ships began to be knocked out. But worse than that, the only option available to them, to apply full acceleration forward, was no longer available because their ships had a relative velocity almost equivalent to that of the bowl, the bowl could match them partially, and their ships were rapidly losing the structural integrity required to sustain high acceleration. Within minutes the battle was decided.
