Terran Fleet Command Saga 4: TFS Fugitive

by Tori L. Harris

  “Keep trying. I’m hoping they will change their minds shortly,” Prescott replied.

  “The closest two frigates and one of the destroyers are firing at the moment,” Reynolds said. “Their gunnery doesn’t strike me as being quite as good as ours, but it may not matter with that much ordnance being sent in our direction. Our shields are taking a few hits here and there, but seem to be holding up just fine so far.”

  “We’re a much more difficult target than the Theseus,” Prescott observed. “Still, there’s no need to put off deciding if we have a chance here. Tactical, go ahead and target the nearest frigate and fire as the main gun bears. I’d prefer to avoid causing a reactor breach if at all possible, but I want her out of action, as quickly as possible.”

  “Aye, sir,” Lau responded, then noticed the orientation of the nearest two enemy ships relative to the Fugitive’s current position. Realizing what Ensign Fisher had in mind, he spoke up immediately. “Actually, Captain, is it a problem if we cause collateral damage on the nearest destroyer as well?”

  Prescott glanced at the tactical plot, immediately seeing the potential opportunity Lau was referring to, but unconvinced that such a thing was technically possible. “If you two can make that work, be my guest,” he replied, then crossed his arms and leaned back in his chair to watch the situation unfold.

  At the top of his climb, Fisher rolled inverted relative to their previous heading, then pulled the ship’s nose down in the direction of the nearest Krayleck frigate. For his part, Lieutenant Lau simply designated both the frigate and the distant destroyer for attack, specifying that both targets should be impacted by each round fired by the fire lance, if possible. With the farther of the two targets well beyond visual range, it was an absolutely impossible shot for any Human gunner, but for the Fugitive’s AI, the only real question was whether or not the outbound shells had sufficient kinetic energy to strike both targets. Now, as the imaginary line extending from the Fugitive’s main, keel-mounted railgun rapidly approached optimum alignment, the ship itself assisted with the minute course corrections required to place both enemy targets along the same line of sight.

  “Firing main gun,” Lau reported.

  At the instant the young tactical officer issued his order to fire, the Fugitive’s fire control AI had, to a large degree, taken control of the attack — instantly translating its Human crew’s rather crude series of commands into the actions it deemed necessary to achieve their intent. Monitoring an enormous number of rapidly changing variables, it immediately determined that there was sufficient time for a four-round burst from the main gun to strike both targets before the relative positions of the three vessels would invalidate its firing solution. Quickly completing and verifying the calculations required to optimize the conditions within the railgun itself, the AI then selected four locations at which relativistic rounds would impact the hulls of both targets. Each impact site was chosen to inflict maximum damage while still avoiding the expected locations of the targets’ antimatter containment units. With all required tasks now completed, the AI issued its final clearance to fire, releasing the tremendous bursts of energy required to send the projectiles hurdling toward the Krayleck warships at over one-third the speed of light.

  “Both targets hit by the first round! Both targets hit by the second round! Both targets hit by the third round!” Lieutenant Lau reported, nervous energy and excitement temporarily overcoming his military bearing and common sense as he closely monitored the first use of the ship’s primary weapon.

  Much like the main guns carried by Navajo-class cruisers, the fire lance required an intense gravitic field along the entire length of its barrel, temporarily reducing the projectile’s mass to zero in order to prevent massive recoil forces from being generated during a launch sequence. Although each shell was only one-eighth the size of those used aboard TFC’s cruisers, the rate of fire was more than doubled. As a result, a satisfying, metallic PING could be heard and felt throughout the whole of the ship as each fifty-kilogram kinetic energy penetrator round entered the gun’s breach and was forcibly centered between the launch rails. The sound and vibrations — repeating approximately once every three seconds — were unmistakable for anything else heard aboard the Fugitive, rendering Lieutenant Lau’s play-by-play announcements as unnecessary as they were annoying.

  “Both targets … check that … sorry, Captain, I’m showing a main gun firing cycle fault. Only three rounds fired.”

  “Weapons hold, Lieutenant, and don’t forget your cross-check. It’s important to keep your eyes moving,” Prescott replied.

  “I’m sorry, sir, what was —”

  “Oh, for God’s sake, Lau, LOOK UP!” Reynolds chided, gesturing emphatically towards the bridge view screen as the young tactical officer finally exhausted her patience.

  Two large windows still displayed zoomed-in views of both Krayleck warships, both of which were still intact, but had ceased fire and appeared to be without power.

  “Lieutenant Lee, I need a battle damage assessment,” Prescott said.

  “As Lieutenant Lau said, all three rounds that fired impacted both targets,” he replied. “The AI also flagged three large thermal plumes on the far side of the Krayleck destroyer. That pretty much has to be exit damage, sir.”

  “So, the rounds ignored their shields and passed completely through both ships,” Reynolds said. “As impressive as that seems, doesn’t it also imply that there was only minimal damage inflicted?”

  “Not at all, ma’am. A large warhead detonating in the right place might be somewhat more effective, but these relativistic rounds carry an unbelievable amount of energy. The projectile itself does a significant amount of damage as it passes through. Keep in mind that it causes explosive decompression in every section of the vessel it penetrates. The shell also trails a shockwave after entering the hull that tends to transfer a huge amount of energy to a much larger volume of space than it would otherwise. To be honest, the research into the physics of relativistic impacts is still pretty spotty, but it’s safe to assume that the shells leave a molten path of destruction in their wake.”

  “The overall power output on both ships dropped off immediately after the impacts. Can we safely assume that they’re out of action for the duration?” Prescott asked.

  “There’s no way to know for sure, but based on where we hit them, I’d be very surprised if they restore anything more than emergency power for the next several hours. If we hit them again, even with our standard railguns and beam weapons, it will be difficult to avoid causing a major structural failure and/or a reactor breach.”

  “Which we would like to avoid, if possible. Keep a close eye on them for any signs they’re about to rejoin the fight.”

  “Will do, sir.”

  “Helm, pull back without making it look like we’re attempting to run. Let’s give them a little time to chew on what they just witnessed.”

  “Aye, sir.”

  “Commander Logan, what’s the story on the main gun?” Prescott asked, making the assumption that his chief engineer was still monitoring the tactical comm channel.

  “Yes, sir!” came the immediate and inordinately loud response — obviously in response to a question not fully understood over the sound of repeated hammer blows in the background. “This thing may be the most advanced heavy gun ever devised, but that doesn’t mean it won’t jam. The good news is that, at first glance, there doesn’t seem to be any damage. I also think I know what caused the problem.”

  “Excellent. How much time do you need?”

  “That’s the bad news. If I’m right … and assuming we can clear the jam —”

  As if on cue, a loud, metallic clang could be heard in the background as the unfired kinetic energy round was cleared from the gun’s breach.

  “Okay, good,” he continued. “We’ll have the gun back online in a few minutes either way. If I’m right, it should prevent another jam of this type. If not, there’s really no telling how many rounds
you’ll get before this happens again. I also can’t guarantee the next jam won’t cause damage that I can’t fix from down here.”

  “Understood. Keep us posted, Commander. Prescott out.”

  “Captain, our Guardian is asking to speak with you,” Dubashi reported from the Comm/Nav console.

  Prescott simply nodded in response, then paused briefly for the chime before speaking. “It’s not a great time for a conversation at the moment,” he said curtly.

  “I apologize for the intrusion, Captain, but I thought you needed to know that I have intercepted a transmission between the Krayleck Guardian and all of their military forces in the area. It has ordered them to stand down or risk complete annihilation. It also assured them that if they will cease all hostilities against Terran forces, it will personally guarantee that you will do the same.”

  “Dubashi, amend our outgoing transmission to confirm that we agree to the Krayleck Guardian’s terms, but add that they must submit to becoming a protectorate of the …”

  “Terran Empire?” Reynolds asked under raised eyebrows.

  “Terran Fleet Command will be sufficient for now.”

  “Well done, Captain,” the Guardian said. “That is more or less what I was going to advise you to say.”

  “Thank you for the update. Please let us know if you hear anything else of note from their GCS. Prescott out,” he said, drawing his hand across his throat to ensure that Lieutenant Dubashi closed the audio connection.

  “Transmission terminated, Captain,” she said.

  “Thank you, Lieutenant. Helm, head us back in the direction of the next frigate. Let’s put some pressure on them to make up their minds. Commander Logan, we may be in need of the main gun again shortly,” he announced hopefully.

  “Sorry, Captain, I was about to call you back,” the disembodied engineer replied after a brief delay. “One of our techs just discovered a bigger problem down here. The jam somehow damaged one of the grav emitters near the breach. Long story short, it’s unlikely that we’ll be able to bring the weapon back online.”

  “You mean not at all? Not even for another short burst?”

  “No, sir … not without launching the entire mount assembly out the back of the ship. We’re pulling the emitter now to see if there’s anything else that can be done.”

  “Understood. Notify me immediately if anything changes. Prescott out.”

  Both Commander Reynolds and every other member of the bridge crew were fully aware of the tactically impossible situation they now faced. What followed was an unusually long period of relative silence as each did their level best to avoid being the first person to speak.

  “Well … damn,” Prescott finally said, more to break the tense silence in the room than anything else. “One thing’s for sure, we’ve committed ourselves at this point. Tactical, I’m not seeing many shield intercept events, are we still taking fire?”

  “Sporadic fire only, Captain,” Schmidt replied. “We’ve been doing so much maneuvering that there is really only one frigate in a position to hit us with any degree of accuracy since we took out their first two ships.”

  “Hmm … we should file that one away for later. I don’t think we would have too much trouble hitting them hard if our roles were reversed. Helm, big picture, we’ve got two options right now: bluff or run. We’ll obviously run if we have to, but we all heard our Guardian say that doing so would put us in an even more awkward situation that will probably lead to more bloodshed on both sides. So, here’s the bluff … I want you to slow your approach and take us straight in to a position where it looks as if we can clearly attack any one of the remaining ships or the station itself if we choose.”

  “No more evasive maneuvers, sir?”

  “No. I want it to look like we’re strolling right into their midst without the least bit of concern that they pose any real threat to us whatsoever.”

  “Kind of like the Guardian tends to act around our ships,” Reynolds added.

  “Good, yes … like we’re walking calmly into the middle of a bar fight with absolute confidence that we’ll be the last one standing.”

  “Aye, sir. No problem.”

  “We’ll probably draw some fire,” Reynolds said.

  “I’m counting on it,” Prescott replied with a cunning smile.

  ***

  From the moment it had appeared, the Krayleck forces had been divided as to how best to respond to the small Terran ship. In spite of their standing orders to engage all “presumed hostile” targets, the captain in command of the weapons platform realized from the outset that something truly unusual was taking place right here within a stone’s throw of their homeworld. In spite of the obvious similarities between some of their respective warships, the Terrans had recently decimated a sizable task force in seconds. Regardless of the relative sizes of the ships involved, in his mind, such a thing simply did not occur except in situations where the victorious side enjoyed an overwhelming advantage — most likely spanning a wide range of military capabilities.

  Accordingly, his intention had been to make every attempt to communicate with the Humans before putting his station and the priceless strategic assets under its protection at unnecessary risk. Unfortunately, before finding the Human ship and having the opportunity to do so, his authority had been superseded by the arrival of five warships from the Krayleck “Home Guard” commanded by an overzealous and, in the captain’s opinion, foolhardy excuse for a rear admiral. Within minutes of his arrival, the Terran vessel had materialized like an apparition, already in close proximity to two of the admiral’s warships. Rather than recognize this latest technological feat as another indication of a situation where restraint and discretion were more prudent than brash, mindless action, he immediately ordered both ships (one of which was his own) to open fire.

  Images of the ruined, lifeless hulks of those two ships were now visible on two large display screens in the station’s CIC — nearly-two thirds of their crews presumed dead, including the admiral himself. With the Terran ship approaching once more, and in spite of the rather odd message their Guardian had transmitted, the Krayleck captain now felt that he had little choice but to open fire once more in a final attempt to destroy the small, marauding intruder.

  ***

  “They’re firing again, sir,” Lieutenant Lau reported evenly. “I’ve got multiple missile launches this time as well.”

  “Lieutenant Lee, bring the LO systems back online. Helm, as soon as they lose us, begin a series of evasive maneuvers, then reposition us for another … uh, attack, so to speak.”

  “Aye, sir,” both officers acknowledged as TFS Fugitive simply vanished once again on every Krayleck display screen in the area.

  “On the bright side, at least the main gun had time to cool down,” Reynolds observed sarcastically.

  Over the next fifteen minutes, the same tactic was repeated three separate times. In each instance, Lieutenant Lee would briefly reveal the ship’s position, draw a massive response from the “starbase” and the remaining three enemy warships, then reengage the LO systems and allow the MMSV to once again fade from existence before the Kraylecks’ brooding, lidless eyes. Any missiles launched in their direction quickly lost their targeting solutions and automatically self-destructed shortly thereafter. With the Fugitive making herself an easy target each time it appeared, railgun and beam weapons fire quickly intensified, but was easily handled by the ship’s gravitic shields long enough to allow for another escape. Interestingly, sporadic shield intercept events provided the last visible evidence of the ship’s former position each time the LO systems were reengaged. The result was a brief smattering of white flashes as the ship disappeared — lending a strange, almost supernatural appearance to what was really nothing more than a series of complex interactions between multiple defensive systems.

  Finally, just when Prescott was beginning to think that the Krayleck forces might end up calling his bluff and continuing the dangerous game for as long as necessa
ry, the Guardian once again interrupted from the ship’s flight deck.

  “Sir, I have our Guardian again,” Dubashi reported from the Comm/Nav console. “Vidcon this time, sir.”

  “Captain,” Lau spoke up, “sorry to interrupt, but the Krayleck Guardian just transitioned to hyperspace.”

  “That’s either very good or very bad news, I suppose. On-screen, please.”

  The Terran Guardian’s avatar appeared once more on the bridge view screen, this time with a look on his face that seemed vaguely out of place. Although Prescott couldn’t quite put his finger on what he was seeing, the impression that immediately came to mind was respect … perhaps even deference.

  “Sir,” the Guardian began, in a polite tone Prescott was sure he had never heard it use before, “the Krayleck Guardian has yielded to our petition of ascendancy. It has also provided a set of coordinates where we will rendezvous to complete the final steps in this process.”

  “Are you saying we can safely disengage from the Krayleck forces at this point?”

  “They are of little consequence now that their Guardian has submitted.”

  Prescott glanced at his XO, receiving her trademark shoulder shrug and facial expression conveying the simple question, “Why not?”

  “Fine,” he said, looking back at the view screen, “we’ll be on our way shortly and speak to you again when we arrive at the rendezvous. Prescott out. Comm/Nav, I assume you have the coordinates?”

  “Yes, sir. Course plotted and transferred to the Helm console,” Dubashi replied.

  “Fisher, let’s get the hell out of here.”

  “Aye, sir,” his young helmsman replied as TFS Fugitive departed the area in a flash grayish-white light.

  Chapter 20

  TFS Fugitive, Krayleck Empire Space

  (5.18x1011 km from Legara)

  “Transition complete, Captain,” Fisher reported. “All systems in the green with the exception of the main gun. C-Jump range now 489.3 light years, and increasing. LO systems still online with four six minutes remaining at current power levels. Sublight engines online, we are free to maneuver.”