Sector Eight (Perimeter Defense: Book #1)

by Michael Atamanov

  "Ugh, Bionica... With you there I can just flop down into bed, even if I'm still wearing my uniform, and get a good night’s sleep. But with this sophisticated Princess around, I'll have to worry that I've got a button on my collar undone, or not enough fresh fruit on the table, or her Highness has suddenly grown bored... Though sure, call the sisters to my cabin, but just warn them to be quiet and not bother me when I'm trying to concentrate."

  They arrived in five minutes. First to come in was the slight Astra, who made the orange overalls she was wearing look even elegant, then her younger sister. They couldn't find a pair the right size for Florianna, which is why the sleeves and pant legs of her orange suit were rolled up. I pointed the sisters to chairs, a little couch, a refrigerator with drinks, and the shower, telling them to make themselves at home before I asked them not to bother me for the next three and a half hours. I really was able to lay forty minutes in silence, but then Flora called me in a timid, unsure voice:

  "Crown Prince Georg, I beg your forgiveness for the trouble. I just wanted to ask if you needed any help winning this battle."

  I opened one eye part of the way, took a look at the girl standing next to me and asked her with a smirk:

  "I wonder, how are you gonna be able to help me?"

  "For now, I'm a fairly weak Truth Seeker, but all the same I can try to attract luck, bring the enemy fear, and I might be able to cause some kind of malfunction on an enemy ship."

  I sat up in bed and looked at the surprisingly serious girl. Apparently, she wasn't joking.

  "Flora, I am not worried about this battle. We'll win unequivocally. But then two and a half hours later, it will get much more serious when the fleet comes in from Himora..."

  "It isn't coming," Florianna suddenly interjected. "The second fleet, which is being led by Viscount Sivir ton Mesfelle, is still in Himora."

  I shook my head. The things the girl was saying were too absurd to believe.

  "You're wrong, little girl. The whole idea of Peres royl Paolo's tactic was to strike with two parts of his fleet. He understood that I wouldn't send my ships to Hnelle with such a dangerous opponent there and, allegedly, he sent part of his fleet away, when actually they were just preparing to strike from Himora. So the second part of the fleet is simply obliged to come; otherwise, they'll lose the first group for no reason without gaining a thing."

  "Your Highness, I do not know why, but the enemy ships are still in Himora. Though the third fleet, the biggest of them all, is at full preparedness right now at the Orange House Capital. Duke Paolo royl Anjer is already on his flagship, a battleship called Orange Splendor, in order to personally bring more than a thousand ships into the battle."

  The Orange House Capital? Damn, I hadn't thought to put my observers there, and it’s turning out that was the wrong choice... I stood up and walked over to the Sector Eight map. Well, and why not? It's very possible. After a six-hour flight, the Duke's whole armada would be in Tesse. Then, they'd need an hour or two to recharge their energy at the station and, after that, make a fully-fledged strike on Hnelle. The mission of the first fleet, that of Crown Prince Peres, was clearly to get the beacon turned on. Perhaps the Crown Prince was really planning to get my ships tied up in the battle, then touch down with a one-or-two-starship landing party on the Hnelle station, and turn on the beacon, even if it isn't for long. And that was it. No matter how the battle with Peres's fleet turned out, I'd still lose. I, of course, did not have the forces to withstand the full might of the Orange House. But then Peres separated the fleet, and the situation became unclear – I probably would be able to destroy his fleet in two parts. But then, if a large part of the enemy's ships didn't jump to Hnelle... The Duke will clearly be unhappy with his son, who pissed away a victory that was already practically at hand.

  I turned to the little Truth Seeker.

  "Your abilities are intriguing. It's always good to know where your enemy's forces are. What else can you do?"

  The girl became embarrassed and even blushed slightly.

  "Pretty much nothing. That was my first attack of omniscience. But I'll learn everything and become useful. It's just that here on the starship, everyone practically worships their fleet commander, and a Truth Seeker has an easy time drawing upon the force of their delight, pride, and admiration – in other words, everything that surrounds a leader and is called 'power.' I only needed a half hour sitting with your crew in one room to feel that I had become a noticeably stronger Truth Seeker. I'd already be able to beat that little squirt in the flying palace."

  Interesting observation. I pondered for a second. I'll have to try to keep this little girl here. What if I really can "level her up" into an honest-to-God Truth Seeker?

  "Florianna, if what you've told me about the ships staying in Himora is confirmed, you can consider your usefulness confirmed as well, and you will be accepted into my retinue," I promised the girl.

  "And my sister, Princess Astra?" the little girl clarified right away.

  I shrugged my shoulders ambiguously. After turning around, I noticed that Astra was far from us. The girl had climbed into a chair and was sitting with her feet up, listening to music through headphones. In that the Princess wasn't listening to our conversation, I could speak freely.

  "Hey Flora, can you tell me what's so great about your sister? Yes, she is a girl of rare beauty and, what's more, she's been raised well. But I'm a married man, and a Crown Prince can always find a great many other people to serve as his favorite or lover. Also, am I mistaken if I guess by your expression that you would not like me to allow Astra to stay with you?"

  The youngster was noticeably startled. It seemed I was not mistaken. She quickly got her act back together and began laughing:

  "In the Kingdom of Veyerde, I was always treated as a sponger and dirty bastard. So, I won't hide the fact that I would very much like to see the look on King Kant's face when he hears that the Crown Prince chose me as a companion and sent Princess Astra home. But that won't happen. You like Astra a lot. I can read it in your thoughts!"

  I unwittingly became embarrassed. It's so hard to talk to a Truth Seeker! The little Florianna was clearly entertained by my embarrassment and began laughing. So I said ostentatiously strictly:

  "There's no reason to get the Princess's hopes up too early. I really haven't decided on her yet. And, Flora, I haven't told anyone about my feelings, so whether I like Astra or not is of no importance. But digging around in my thoughts, especially for a little kid, is not recommended Some of the information in my brain is too dangerous, and you aren't old enough for the other stuff."

  * * *

  Joan the Fatty came out of the warp tunnel to a unified joyful cry on the fleet channel.

  "There they are! Finally! Crown Prince Georg is with us! We were afraid that you didn't make it before the beacon turned off! Well, now the enemy is screwed!"

  "So, everything's ok. Let's get to work!" I hurried to announce my arrival to the fleet to calm my subjects down. "I need a tactical grid showing the location of every ship immediately. What is that debris around the station? Which one of you idiots broke off from the group?"

  "Tusk-4 entered the combat zone of an enemy light cruiser," reported one of the officers. "But the crew evacuated to safety."

  "Was it so hard for Tusk-4's captain to think to try the overdrive thrusters? Has he got an extra chromosome? He’s under fire, and he doesn’t even try escaping! I'd like to hand that captain over for organ donation as compensation for losing the ship... But that might spread the infection of uselessness! Who was it that split off? Where's the tactical screen, damn it?!”

  Finally, after a few seconds, a three dimensional hologram came up in the hall showing where all the ships were. I studied our positions. The enemy ships had come out of the warp in a long spread-out cloud. There was no system to how they were arranged, as far as I could tell. Peres's ships that were closest to the Hnelle station were just 25 miles out, and the furthest were almost 400 away. Fif
ty miles from the station, at a slight distance from the line of the enemy fleet, our ships were waiting in combat formation. My fleet from Tesse was almost 200 miles away from the larger group. The Uukresh and freighters had come out of warp 2,000 miles from the battlefield, as I'd ordered. Just some idiot in a freighter – for some reason, I can't understand why – came out of warp 30 miles from the station in the very thick of the enemy fleet and had already been destroyed. I really hope that freighter wasn't carrying the cannons for my battleship...

  "So, let's get started! This is an order for the whole fleet: defend the station, do not let the enemy get near it! Anti-support, target the frigates closest to the station! Main group Pyros and Safas, take point and place webs over there on those two marks. I've highlighted them on the map. Nicole, your mission is to bring the heavies out from Tesse to the main group..."

  "This is Warhawk-4. I’ve got Happy Dumpling pinned down!" One of the two enemy light cruisers that was too close to the station was already under warp disruptor and stasis web.

  "Pyros, put on more disruptors and webs. Warhawk-4, excellent! Remind me after the battle. You won’t be just getting a medal for this; I’m throwing in an ass-whooping to go with it for falling out of formation. Heavies, focus on the Dumpling. Fire at will."

  Several bright explosions streaked across space right away. Other than the Dumpling, two or three other enemy frigates had been destroyed in the very first phase of battle. The second light cruiser, unfortunately, was able to escape by jumping to its heavy cruisers.

  In battle, after the spark of activity in the initial phase, a brief pause took hold. The opposing fleets went away from one another until more than two hundred miles stood between them. My starships from Tesse joined the rest of the group. The heavies joined the front group and slowly deployed out in the enemy's direction. The light cruisers, destroyers and frigates also took up their assigned positions.

  "I need a loss report!" I demanded, and Admiral Kiro Sabuto sent a reply.

  “We lost two frigates, Tusk-4 and Tusk-11, as well as a non-combat starship. Based on the trade roll, the destroyed freighter was carrying robotic arms for the orbital docks. It’s a shame, of course, but at least it wasn't the expensive battleship cannons. Automatic robotic arms can be bought again right on Tesse for two hundred thousand credits. The enemy lost a light cruiser and four frigates. In total, both sides' losses were insignificant and had almost no effect on the balance of forces.”

  Taking advantage of the pause, I demanded the Truth Seeker be brought to the headquarters, simultaneously calling my observer in Himora.

  "Oculus-3 on the line." One of the former pirates from the Payoff had volunteered to be my informant on the Himora station, and it took no more effort on my part to set him up in the long distance department.

  "I need to know about the fleet in your system. Have they done anything? Did they jump to Hnelle?"

  "No, my Prince. They're still here. Most of the ships are docked at the Himora station, including the battleship. As far as I understand, the ships didn't have enough time to recharge their drives, which is why they missed the short blink of the beacon. And now there's some infighting going on there. The Viscount has gathered officers on the battleship. An hour ago, there was a call made to the Viscount from Duke Paolo. They discussed something."

  I thanked my agent and signed off.

  "My Prince," said Admiral Kiro Sabuto, calling my attention. "The enemy's chaotic disorganization is coming to an end, and they are entering battle formation, trying to copy ours. There's a front group made of six heavy Katanas, thirty miles behind them are the light cruisers, and a bit further there are destroyers and frigates."

  "Well, what can I say, dear officers...?" I watched on the big screen as Crown Prince Peres royl Paolo's ships tried to copy our fleet. "It's nice when someone sees you as an example to imitate. But, formation isn’t everything. You also need to understand how to use it. We won't be stopping them from making yet another mistake. Is the cloaker on the field?"

  "That's right," Angel's voice rang out. "I'm a hundred twenty-five miles from their heavy group."

  "Let them get set up so you don't get revealed by accident. Then, get between the heavies and the rest of the fleet. How much time do you need?"

  "Something like five minutes. Maybe four, if I take a straight line next to the destroyer group."

  "Don't risk it, Angel. No reason to rush things. Just sneak through and give us the coordinates."

  The enemy did not take active measures. Perhaps they were waiting for the second half of the fleet. Or maybe they were charging energy to flee back to Tesse or Himora. In any case, if they were waiting for the second part of their fleet to arrive, it was in utter vain, and, if they were expecting to escape, I was in no mood to allow that either. The officer sent after Florianna brought her to me slightly afraid.

  "Flora, tell me. Where is Duke Paolo royl Anjer's fleet? And where is Viscount Sivir ton Mesfelle's fleet?"

  The Truth Seeker closed her eyes, spent five seconds in silence and answered:

  "The Duke's fleet is still at the Orange House Capital. And the Viscount's fleet has also not left Himora, though they have received an order to go to Tesse."

  "Thank you, Flora. You've been a big help. Long-distance communications group, send a message to Crown Prince Roben royl Inoky: 'Begin equipment maintenance.'"

  Fifteen seconds later, I heard the surprised exclamation of one of my officers:

  "The Tesse beacon has disappeared!"

  "Don't worry. Everything is under control," I answered calmly. "Long-distance communications group, send the following transmission to the warp beacons in Himora, Vorta, Forepost-11, Forepost-12, Forepost-13, the Closed Laboratories, and Unguay: 'Code red. Extinguish star.'"

  "The Forepost-11 warp beacon has disappeared!" Notes of panic could be heard in the officer's voice.

  "That's alright. That's what we want. The fun and games are over. Now we start playing for keeps. If Viscount Sivir's fleet doesn't want to come to us, we will stop it from leaving and pay them a visit ourselves. But first, let's deal with the ships that are two hundred miles from us. Dear officers, does anyone know how to wipe out an enemy fleet right in front of us at full combat readiness without significant losses?"

  No one answered me. The staff officers could only lower their eyes. Without having received an answer, I turned to my assistant sitting to my left:

  "Lieutenant Nicole, we've got another question to check how much you really know. Heavy Katana assault cruisers. I'm interested in the distribution of cannon towers, as well as the thickness of the energy shield for both the front and back hemispheres."

  The girl shuddered and answered loudly and confidently:

  "The six main caliber cannon towers are capable of shooting at targets in the front hemisphere. Two of the towers are able to fire on the rear hemisphere. The forward shields of assault ships are eight times thicker than the rear ones."

  "Very good, Nicole. And now a question to the ship captain. Oorast Pohl, how fast can a Katana heavy assault cruiser make a one-hundred-eighty-degree turn?"

  The captain began coughing self-consciously:

  "My Prince, I am not sure about the Katanas, but our Flambergs need one minute forty seconds to make a full turn with maneuver drives."

  I turned everyone's attention to this:

  "Memorize this: one minute forty seconds in a normal state. But with a stasis web? Or with ten stasis webs?"

  "With ten webs, a heavy cruiser would take days to turn around," chuckled Kiro Sabuto, first to figure out what exactly I had in mind.

  I took the microphone and turned it to the common fleet channel.

  "Attention, everyone! All combat ships, make a short advance toward the enemy. Maintain the same speed as the heavies. No one is to break out in front. I'll explain the mission: as soon as we get the coordinates, we jump to the enemy, behind their heavies. Frigates, as soon as you come out of warp, blast up to full speed a
nd orbit the heavy cruisers. Hold them down with stasis webs and take down all the drones they release. Staff officers are to make sure the webs are laid evenly on all targets. All heavies, after exit from warp, do not pay attention to the enemy heavies and conduct focused fire on my command to eliminate their light cruisers. Our light cruisers, your mission is to fire on the destroyers and electronic warfare; deafen the enemy light cruisers. Attention! You will be the enemy's main target, so your shields are going to be being recharged by our heavies. If it all goes bad, don't be a hero. Just try to survive and escape the battle – that is an order. And finally, the destroyers. This battle is a holiday for you – ideal conditions! There's just going to be wagon-loads of targets. The enemy frigates will have no choice but to try and break in to the combat zone. Split into groups of five. Show them your magic trick: one volley, one enemy ship down. Just don't stand around. Keep maneuvering all the time so you don't get your ass one-shotted by the cannon-fodder heavies. Is the mission clear to everyone? Has anyone not understood? Admiral Kheraisss Vej, have you understood what the android translator has been relaying to you?"

  "My Princcce, stupid one among Iseyek no to be cap-i-tain ship. I understand all, and all mine understand all."

  I sent the fleet ships a message with the jump coordinates from the cloaker.

  "Alright then, five seconds to action! Four, three, two... Let's rip 'em to shreds! WARP!!!"

  * * *

  I don't know if I really have to describe everything that happened on the battle field. It was a shooting gallery, a football game with one end-zone. The only worrying moment came at the very beginning when the enemy destroyers and a whole swarm of frigates, taking heavy losses, was able to get into firing range. We lost a few frigates during that. But the first enemy ships to break in were soon destroyed, and the kindergarten chainsaw massacre went on. The enemy's resolve to continue the battle only lasted another five minutes. After that, the ships left on the battlefield gave up the second I suggested they do so. And no one could accuse the enemy captains of cowardice in in that moment. By that point, all that was left of their fleet that had numbered in the high hundreds was less than three dozen spaceships. I'm not sure that I could have acted differently in their position.