Over the next half hour the enemy warships crossed the hyper limit and lunged as deep as they could get into the outer star system as they could get before we caught them. Then with less than five minutes before our Battleships and the leading edge of our fleet formation came within attack range, all but a half dozen of the enemy Destroyers accelerated, engines flaring, as they took off at what I presumed had to be their top speed.
No sooner had they moved away from their fellows than the damaged ships they left behind began launching escape pods.
“Signal the Imperial Destroyers and tell them Grand Admiral Montagne demand their surrender, if they do so they will be considered prisoners of war with all the rights and obligations that such a status entails,” I instructed.
“Aye aye, Sir,” Lisa Steiner said crisply, immediately turning to relay the message.
As I watched, the Destroyers continued to release escape pods and, in several cases, a captain’s gig.
“I’ve contacted the captains of the damaged Imperial warships, Admiral. They have offered their parole under the rules of war,” she reported.
A tension I hadn’t even known I was feeling left my shoulders. “That’s good to hear. Considering we won’t be able to catch the rest of the Imperial border patrol without separating our fleet, I want a company of Lancers sent over to secure each of those ships. The fleet is to slow down temporarily while we send over the shuttles,” I paused, “we’ll send each company out one by one and, at the first sign of resistance or any attempt to shoot down our shuttles, our Battleships are to destroy the offending warship,” I said.
The message was relayed and the orders passed. The fleet slowed to a crawl in order to accompany the damaged and now coasting enemy ships. One by one, each of the Destroyers was boarded and secured without any sign of resistance and then, after retrieving the majority of our Lancers, we were back on the move. Token prize crews were left on board.
Chapter 44: The Battle is on: Initial Maneuvers
More like a turtle than a leviathan, the entire fleet—minus a few ships left on system watch and courier duty outside the hyper limit—continued into the system at half speed.
Yes we could have gone faster, but speed wasn’t what was needed right now, rather the opposite in fact. What I needed now was time. Time and a little bit of luck. Well, okay, let’s be honest here: a lot of luck.
For the first hour is seemed the Imperials were more than happy to oblige us, not reacting in any way to our sluggish pace, choosing instead to sit there relatively motionless in orbit around the Gas Giant.
I frowned at the screen. “Is anyone else becoming increasingly concerned with that outer asteroid field the closer we get?” I asked as we continued to close in on the first field of orbiting space rocks and asteroids.
“Sir?” asked Lieutenant Commander Steiner alarmed.
“Maybe I’m just feeling particularly paranoid,” I muttered.
First Officer Snyder and Chief of Staff Steiner shared concerned looks while I mulled over my options.
“What do you want to do about it, sir?” Lisa Steiner asked with concern.
“Why aren’t they reacting? They should have started maneuvering by now,” I commented to no one in particular.
“Perhaps they’re waiting until we’re too deep in the gravity well to escape,” said Commander Snyder.
I drummed my fingers along the side of my throne impatiently.
“About the asteroid belt,” Chief of Staff Steiner prompted again when it became obvious I was lost in thought.
I gave her an irritated look. “I don’t think we have the time or replacement arrays to burn a wide enough path through that asteroid field for safety any time soon,” I replied crossly, once again eyeing that gas giant.
The two women continued to look at me, and when Akantha also looked over curiously I found myself the recipient of three interested gazes. It was enough to make a man be unable to think, that’s what it was.
“We’ll deal with the asteroid field later. If the Imperials want to play for time I am more than willing to oblige them. Stand ready to plot a new course,” I declared, deciding discretion the better part of valor when it came to attacking a fleet with more forces on ground it had chosen.
“At once, Sir!” the First Officer said, seemingly happy to be doing anything, even if it was something as seemingly non-productive as setting an arcing course parallel to the asteroid belt.
“Are you sure that’s wise,” asked Akantha, “after all, you promised to attack the Imperials wherever you found them. If after showing up in this star system you pull back from a fight and let them run away it not only makes you a liar, it could hurt morale.”
I glared at my wife. “Who’s the Warlord here?” I demanded.
“You are, of course,” Akantha said, looking back at me and I could see her temper rising by the moment.
I snorted. “That’s right! And don’t you forget it. As for the Imperials, let them sweat for a while. It’s good for the soul, or so I’m told. As for our people, even if by some miracle the Imperials decided we were taking too long and decided to leave the star system, we’ll just attack them on the way out! There’s no way they could run to the hyperlimit before we can, we’re between them and escape on this side of the solar system and if they run the other way, we’ll just pop on over the edge of the limit and short jump in front of them. We’ll hit them on the way out, but never fear. Sure some of them might get away but that’s hardly the worst outcome that could come out of all this,” I said.
“You mean like defeat?” asked Akantha.
I glared at her, taking a surreptitious glance around the room and then stating firmly.
“I mean like chopping them down to size one fight at a time. I didn’t promise to defeat the enemy in one glorious victory, what I said was we would hunt them down and fight them wherever we found them. Well here we are, we’ve found them, and we won’t let them off without a fight!” I said.
I could see the three women exchange doubtful looks before clearing their faces and putting on the same confident look as myself.
It was almost enough to make me wince. Almost.
As it was I shook my head at these women of little faith and resolutely turned back to the screen.
After getting together with the navigator to finalize our temporary route in front of the asteroid belt and our ships started their patrol I sat back in my chair satisfied with the results.
Even DuPont’s irritating suggestion wasn’t enough to ruin my good mood.
“Sir, you realize there’s no reason we can’t just go above or below the asteroid belt don’t you?” he asked in a quiet voice. “Think of the solar system like a disc. Gravity and angular momentum, working in tandem cause everything to rotate and collapse around the local star in a disc, but that doesn’t mean we can’t use our drives to go up and around the obstacles. It just takes more time.”
I looked at him and blinked. “We can always do that later, Helm,” I informed him without a blink.
“I just wanted to make sure you knew that, Admiral,” he said again in a low voice, “the way you were talking about blowing holes in the asteroid belt to clear a path…”
“That was just to make sure they couldn’t ambush us while we finished scanning the system and keep their attention focused where we wanted,” I said coolly.
DuPont gave me a quick up and down searching look and then nodded. “Of course, Sir,” he replied.
“Carry on,” I instructed.
After the Helmsman had turned away I wiped a hand over my suddenly sweating brow.
I am going to win this battle or at least destroy the enemy fleet, I told myself repeatedly until I once again began to believe it.
All I had to do was lure the Imperials into the outer star system. After that everything would fall into place like dominos. It had to.
Or we were sunk.
Chapter 45: Imperial Tactics
“Alright, that’s enough,” Co
rnwallis grimaced. This was the third time the Spineward Sectors Fleet had crossed back over the same patch of space in front of the asteroid belt. Enough was enough.
The Captain of the Mighty Punisher turned to look at the Senator with surprise.
“Clearly they have no intention of coming to us. We could sit here for days at Condition One, wearing ourselves out while they sleep and celebrate over on those ships of theirs,” remarked the Senator.
“Praetor,” the Captain said turning to the Senator with a neutral face, “I realize that we outnumber them heavily and currently hold every advantage, but if we sacrifice the initiative and start dancing to their beat they might have a chance, however small, to turn things around,” he warned.
“Oh I have no intention of dancing to anyone’s ‘beat’ but my own. This is all part of my plan,” he informed the Captain.
“Even so I suggest you proceed with caution,” said the Captain.
Charles Cornwallis gave him a sharp look. “A lesser man might feel the need to respond to that in ways you might not like, Captain. Fortunately I’m not such a man, which is why I’ll take your words in the spirit in which they was given,” the Senator said coldly.
The Captain blinked with alarm. “I never meant to imply anything but that the enemy has proven both willing to fight and at the same time surprisingly deceptive in the past. I meant nothing more, Sir,” said the Captain.
“Which is why we won’t be giving them any chances. I’ll be running this battle by the numbers,” he smirked, “except where I’m not. Prepare to stand down the Mighty Punisher crew from red alert to yellow, except on the flight decks. It’s time to punish the Empire’s enemies,” said the Senator.
“What are your orders, Admiral?” the Captain asked officially.
“Prepare to punish the enemy, Captain. And let your Commander Space Group know we’ll be using his fighters to soften up the enemy before the main fleet decides to move,” said the Senator.
“Yes, Sir!” said the Captain.
Chapter 46: Confederation Worries
We were on our fourth pass in front of the asteroid field and my fleet was starting to get antsy.
A series of faint intermittent sensor contacts had been registered leaving the asteroid field. All of them were on courses that would cause us to reach them at the end of our current route or on our return.
“Sir, I’ve received a call from an SDF Admiral requesting to speak with you as the fleet commander and requesting you by name,” reported the communication’s officer.
“For what purpose? We’re in the middle of opening maneuvers,” I asked irritated.
“He’s insisting to speak with you but won’t state the purpose to me, Grand Admiral. He’s repeating his demand to speak with you in person,” said the Communication’s Officer tensely.
I scratched my forehead in thought. “I’ve just received another message. I have two SDF Commodores on the line, Sir. They’re also demanding to speak with you. They say it’s an emergency situation that only you can solve,” reported the com-officer.
My face hardened. What were the odds that three high ranking officers all wanted to speak with me at the same time? There was a conspiracy afoot.
“Put one of the Commodores on and inform the Admiral I’ll be with him shortly,” I instructed the com-officer.
On the main screen the intermittent sensor contacts appeared to shift course.
“This is Commodore Stevenson Smith of the Midras Compact battle group out of Austin,” the other man said flatly as soon as he appeared on screen.
“I know who you are, Commodore,” I said coldly, both because we’d been introduced previous as well as because of the helpful prompts on the screen below his image, “what seems to be the emergency?”
While I was talking, another two images joined the Commodore on his screen, squeezing and compacting his image until they all fit.
“What’s all this, Commodore Smith?” I said coldly. A quick glance at the other two men confirmed that a Rear Admiral and another commodore had joined us on the channel.
“While I defer to Admiral Warden in this matter, let me assure you he speaks for all of us,” said Commodore Stevenson Smith.
“Fascinating,” I replied blandly, “or it would have been if I had been speaking with Warden or if I knew the first thing you were talking about. As it is I find myself becoming increasingly impatient with this farce, Commodore,” I said continuing to focus on Commodore Smith to the point of ignoring the other two men.
“Then let me save us all a lot of time by being blunt, Admiral,” Warden said, cutting in and taking charge of the conversation from the other end of the channel.
“I so wish you would. Unnamed reasons and life saving emergencies are hardly the most straightforward way to gain your superior’s attention. Some might even call such actions hazardous in the extreme—considering we’re in the middle of active combat operations!” I said forcefully.
“And that’s exactly what we want to speak with you about, Admiral Montagne. The upcoming combat operations,” Rear Admiral Warden said, eyes glinting with purpose.
My own eyes turned hard, “When I need your input I’ll come to you for the download. In the meantime I need to get back to directing the operations and maneuvers of this fleet. So if there’s nothing else, I’ll be going now,” I said laconically. On the outside I might appear uninterested but on the inside I was seething. This had all the elements of a half-thought-out power play and I intended to shut it down cold.
When I moved to cut the channel Warden cleared his throat.
“I’m afraid that wouldn’t be wise, Admiral,” he informed me.
“Wise? Who are you to lecture the Grand Admiral of the Spineward Sectors Confederation?” I demanded in a hard voice, “I agreed to speak with Commodore Smith who I am now done speaking with as he clearly would rather have a Rear Admiral who used his authority to break into my private secure channel speak for him,” I gave the Rear Admiral a long look, “if I had wanted to speak with you right now, Rear Admiral Warden, I would have accepted your call and not the Commodore’s.”
“This is impossible,” snapped the third officer Commodore Winters, “are you planning to actually engage the enemy or just continue to run around like a cowardly chicken with its head cut off?”
“Please let me handle this, Commodore,” Rear Admiral Warden said tensely.
I glared at Commodore Winters, ignoring Warden.
“A cowardly chicken is it? Winters, you’ve just crossed the line; this is outright insubordination. Put yourself on report and if you don’t feel like you can fulfill your duties as squadron commander, you are to put yourself on report and consider yourself relieved until further notice!” I said furiously.
“No, Sir! You couldn’t drag me away,” snarled Winters.
“Get yourself together and lock whatever this is down then,” I ordered angrily.
“Grand Admiral, I’m sorry for the way this meeting has got off on the wrong foot. But much as I hate to admit it we have more pressing concerns,” said the Rear Admiral, trying to take back control over the conversation.
“Enough trying to manage the situation and sweet talk me; we’re in the middle of a battle, Warden. The time for meetings is over. You’re here to help, in which case the three of you are going to turn off your com-screen get back to your posts—and pray that time and courage in combat dull my memory of today,” I said.
“I’m sorry you feel that way. I just have one question: when are we going to close with the enemy? Enough of this dancing around, Sir. We all know we’re going to die. The force disparity is just too great. What we want, what we need, to know is when are we going go on the attack?” asked Warden.
“You may be resigned to death and the Commodores with you may feel the same. But I assure you I have a plan for victory,” I said coldly.
“One you won’t share. You can understand how that doesn’t inspire confidence in your decision making process,” sai
d Warden, “especially in light of your less than stellar performance in your last several combat engagements.”
“I don’t know about your track record, but I’ve actually won the last several wars I’ve been involved in,” I said.
“But not the battles, or not without such great cost it seems pyrrhic in nature. Yes, I’d like to win. But…” he trailed off shaking his head, “we can’t do that dancing out here in the outer system afraid to engage the enemy.”
“I am not afraid of anyone,” I snapped.
“Call it what you will,” he shrugged, “you can’t win a war if you’re constantly arriving too late to the party or actively running away.”
“I’ve gone out of the way to explain my strategy, not just to my flag and pennant officers but to the ship captains as well. But clearly you lack confidence in me as your commander. I acknowledge some of that’s on me. But like you yourself acknowledge: I win my wars. All you had to do is follow orders and the chain of command as laid out by the new civilian authority. But it’s become clear you can’t,” I said sadly, “we’re fighting a war of maneuver right now and, as much as I’d like to slug it out with the Empire, doing so at this juncture is a fool's game.”
“Fools, are we?” cried Commodore Smith. “Well at least we’re not tyrants!”
“Commodore, you’re relieved of command; get me the senior captain in your combat squadron on the line and the next senior officer on your flagship,” I instructed.
“You can go to the pit. The people of Central are not the only ones not afraid to speak truth to tyranny!” he shouted over the com-line.
I turned my head. “Lisa, please get the head of Commodore Smith’s Lancer contingent and the senior officer in his squadron on the horn. I need to speak with them immediately,” I ordered.
“I wish it hadn’t come to this,” sighed Rear Admiral Warden.
Admiral's Nemesis Part II Page 48
