And those reinforcements both ground troops and fleet entered the system from unexpected vector.
And it was a fleet that simply dwarfed the human fleet in fire power and numbers.
G’kan watched as the sensors picked up the information. He was lucky that they spotted the wreckage of the small task force that patrolled this system.
“Who did this?”
The question was rhetorical. He knew that none of his officers could know who the attacker was. Not yet. But he planned to find out. Who ever they were he knew that he has the forces to destroy them.
He had nineteen hundred and twelve ships under his command.
Ten percent of those were troop carriers but the others were the best the fleet had.
“Is it possible that the Lacarians launched a task force to attack this deep in the empire?”
He looked at Zukar.
“I doubt it. And why attack Arcadia? Drukat is still here and they reported no enemy forces. If anyone attacked this sector that would have been their primary target, they could have crippled us.”
“You know that there were reports of unknown contacts on the periphery. Our scouts reported of advance race they destroyed anyone who contacted them. They reported of a dozen destroyed civilizations.”
“I don’t know. A civilization like that would have to be careful. A war with the empire is something that I doubt anyone would like. The Lacarians made the mistake of attacking us. You know what happened there.”
“My lord the sensors are detecting enemy ships in orbit around Arcadia. We have two hundred and eighty contacts. And we have ten ships in the sector of the hidden warp point.”
“What about our forces?”
“No contact my lord. We are detecting several large debris fields across the system. I think it’s safe to say that every base and station is destroyed. There are a large number of dust particles in the planets atmosphere.”
“Tell the fleet to spread out and assume attack formation. Detach task force ten to destroy those ten ships.”
As the fleet spread out a group of eighty ships detached and headed towards the ten detected contacts.
The Kinkaid and its task force drifted slowly on the edge of the system.
Robertson had a job to confirm the hidden warp point as well as keep an eye for any unwelcomed guests.
He turned sharp as the sensors reported unknown contacts.
He watched lieutenant’s Cox face go pale.
“Sir we have a missile launch.”
“What?”
“Sir we are detecting two hundred missiles heading our way.”
He could see the enemy missiles moving towards the task force.
And as the other ships in his small fleet moved he knew that they saw them as well.
“Find the ships Mr. Cox. And send a warning to the rest of the fleet. Let’s hope we are not late.”
Task force seven was consisted of the Kinkaid a Deadalus class heavy cruiser, its’ sister ship the Kasumi the destroyers Essex, Hamburg, and Kursk and five corvettes.
As they assumed formation they placed them self in a way that they covered their flanks and also presented their full armaments towards the position from which they guessed the enemy would come.
“Sir…we found the bastards… sir we have to warn the fleet.”
Robertson didn’t ask why.
He could see on the screen. Eighty ships were headed his way. But that was not what worried him. The sensors detected a large blob further behind them
Over eighteen hundred contacts of various classes including a large number of dreadnoughts and battleships.
“Go full active on the sensors. Do a sensor sweep I want to know the classes of those ships.”
A moment later he got his answer and his face went pale.
Three hundred dreadnoughts four hundred and fifty battleships, seven hundred and ten cruisers of both classes…
He stopped reading after that.
He knew that this was not a fleet that was coming for them. It was a fleet in transit, that had to stop and pick up additional forces here before moving on but now it was here to stay.
“Send a code Broken circle. And go to read alert. Inform me the moment you have confirmation that the message is received.”
Izzard watched as the missiles approached the enemy force. He could see them moving in to formation.
He knew that he outnumbered them both in class as well as firepower. But they were unknown.
His task force consisted of ten battleships twenty cruisers ten destroyers and forty frigates.
As the missiles accelerated his fleet fired the other long range weapon its rail guns and then accelerated. A moment later he noticed the seraphine fighters closing in on the enemy.
“Now we’ll see what they are made off.”
Roberts saw the fighters as they approached. The enemy plan was good. The fighters would arrive after the missile and rail gun barrage. It was a plan that would have worked against a different enemy. But humans long ago learned how to fight against missiles and fighters. The only unknowns were the rail gun rounds.
The moment when the missiles came to fifty thousand kilometers the point defense on the human ships went active. The lasers fired first destroying half the missiles and then concentrating on the rail gun rounds and the fighters.
Then the Aegis system went on line and the humans hips seemed to explode as every weapon on their hulls facing the coming onslaught fired. They filled the space with projectiles heading at fantastic speeds. One minute later the space between the human and the dacarian task force exploded as the rounds met each other. Of the hundreds of rail rounds the dacarians launched only few managed to go through the first human wave but they were stopped by the second. And then the hundred fighters met the best defense they could imagine. They were good, more then good. They knew that they were the best pilots in the known galaxy but not even their fantastic skills could save them from the point defense of the human ships.
They died first by dozen then tens and in the end the last survivors were hunted down. And then the human ships fired back.
The dacarian ships relied mostly on energy weapons. They had stronger hulls and shields but not even they could withstand the hit of three MAC rounds.
As the human projectiles hit their shields shimmered. They stopped the first, managed to almost stop the second but the third round got through. And the first dacarian battleship died.
It exploded spectacularly pieces of it hitting the closest ships and three more ships fell out of formation.
Seconds later two more battleships and two destroyers followed it to oblivion. Noticing the results the dacarian frigates rushed forward. Their mission was to protect the heavier ships and they did their duty. Fourteen of them died but the dacarian ships closed in on the human ships that were slowly retreating.
G’kan watched the fight with interest. The enemy task force was far smaller and using what seemed like primitive weapons. But it had impressive point defense and a deadly fire at range.
He noticed his sensor officer turning.
“Sir we have the jump coordinates.”
“Tell the fleet to jump in system. And fire at once.”
The computers are locked my lord. The ships will fire the moment we exit hyper space.
“Good….Time to see what our enemy is made of.”
A moment later the entire fleet disappeared in hyper space.
Robertson’s warning reached the fleet to late.
Simonson and Jennings notice their shuttle pilots going pale and turning fast. And moments alter he saw the reason why as in the distance hyperspace vortexes opened up and hundreds, no thousands ships came out and fired. They watched in horror as the enemy fire hit the Hyperion.
The ship proved its worth. Its armor held the first barrage. But then came the second and the third. And the first disabled its shields. Huge gaps opened up in the superstructure and plasma weapons bit deep inside it. In the end it was
more then it could handle. In a last attempt to give the fleet a chance someone on it turned the ship and engaged the military trust. It broke in half before it reached the enemy fleet but on inertia both pieces managed to strike two enemy ships. One destroyer and one battleship died with it.
The surprise was total.
In the opening moments over ninety ships paid the price. Forty eight were destroyed outright the others were burning hulks that knowing there was no way out started crash landings on the planet below.
Simonson saw Jennings shuttle get hit just as it was entering the bay of the Patton. It crash landed. He hoped that the admiral was alive.
“Go as fast as you can.”
The pilot nodded and stayed quiet. Simonson knew that he was doing all he could. The carriers launched all their fighters and the space between the two fleets was filled with the small fighters chasing each other. Even here the enemy numbers were far greater.
The human ships were moving. As he watched he could see that they were locking their fields of fire and soon the enemy missiles and kinetic rounds stopped being a danger. And the seraphines started dying. But even though they managed to stop the onslaught he knew that this was a battle they could not win.
His flagship loomed before him.
As the shuttle entered the bay of the Yorktown he hurried to the bridge.
As he entered he could see Peters giving orders.
“Good to have you back sir.”
He sounded tired but confident.
“Contact the Patton and ask for Admiral Jennings.”
Peters looked at him.
“He is alive sir but unconscious. He has four broken ribs, a broken shoulder and broken leg. But he’ll live…if we pull out of this that is.”
Simonson nodded.
“You are the flag now sir.”
“What‘s the situation.”
“Bad sir, they took us by surprise. We lost forty eight ships in their opening volley and sixty ships had the crash land on the planet. They also took out two out of three landing zones and I’m afraid General Barrett is dead. He was in the air when the attack started and his shuttle was destroyed.
Captain Roberts is fighting a task force of eighty ships in the outer system and keeping the road open for us.”
Simonson looked at the disposition of the fleets.
The Dacarian fleet was slowly pushing them spreading out. In ten, twenty minutes at most they would be cut out from the planet. He watched and saw that the transports those that were not destroyed were practically cut off. Only ten were still protected in the rear of the fleet.
“Connect me with captain Koenig.”
A moment later the face of Koenig appeared on the screen.
“Pitter your transports are about to be cut off and I can’t protect you.”
Koenig nodded.
“Jack we both know that if you stay in the system the entire fleet will be destroyed.”
“How much time do you need?”
“If you can buy me five minutes it will be enough. I think we can manage not to crush on the planet.”
“Good luck my friend. And god saves us all.”
Koenig nodded and the screen went dark.
“Order the fleet to start retreating towards the following coordinates and tell them to prepare for jump.
Those ships that can’t jump in to hyperspace should move forward in the formation.”
As his order was transmitted he watched in wonder as the young officer moved. He knew that the fleet was crippled. 90% of the senior officers and their staff died with the Hyperion.
The commanders of the ships now were junior officers, people that were not supposed to get command for ears. This was their test by fire. If they rose to the challenge the fleet might pull out. If not they were all doomed.
And ass he watched the reports of the damaged ships coming in he only grew more worried.
Seven of the carriers and four battleships would have to stay. The fleet came in system with two hundred and ninety ships. Of those only hundred and thirteen would be able to leave. Over a hundred ships already crash landed on the planet. It would be a miracle if anyone survived.
And he would have to leave almost seventy ships stranded here.
“Sir Captain Alexander is calling from the Queen Elizabeth is calling you.”
For a moment he tried to focus who the caller was. In the end he found him. He was twelfth in line on the carrier.
“Yes Captain.”
“Sir I would ask if I may that every ship that is capable in jumping stands behind the carriers and the cruisers. We are forming a line now that will give a chance for every ship to jump away or those that are to damaged to land on the planet.”
As Alexander spoke Simonson noticed the carriers moving ahead in formation blocking the enemy from advancing. The cruisers were protecting their sides while the destroyers and the smaller ships filled the gaps. It was an excellent formation.
“May I ask who proposed this formation captain?”
“I did sir.”
Simonson felt a pang of regret as he watched the young man. Earth was loosing a great officer one who could have a bright future.
“May I inquire what you plan to do after we leave captain?”
Alexander smiled.
“Stop them from following you sir, and then retreating to the asteroid belt and the outer belt. They have no more bases there so it will be a good place to hide and conduct repairs. And besides we still have almost half a million men down there. If they take the base all is possible.”
Simonson knew it was a false hope and he knew that Alexander knew it too.
But it was all they had.
“Very well captain. Execute your plan. And may god be with you.”
“And you as well sir.”
G’kan watched in amazement as the unknown ships formed up. Who ever they were they were good. The sensors told him that over half the enemy ships were either destroyed or to damaged and out of the fight. Almost a hundred ships crash landed on the planet.
And as the fight progressed hundreds of shuttles and small troop carriers flew to the world below. He couldn’t guess but he knew that there must be well over several hundred thousand enemy soldiers down there. He already gave the order for the expeditionary forces that were headed for the Lacarian front to be awakened and to prepare to land on Arcadia.
What troops he had serving on the ships were already landing and establishing a perimeter.
Almost fifty enemy ships formed up blocking his forces both from the planet and the other ships.
As he noticed their plan his anger flared.
“Order all ships to advance and break through their line. They are trying to protect the less damaged ships that can jump away.”
The order went out at once and the fleet moved forward.
Alexander watched as the dacarian ships started advancing. The smaller classes were upfront protecting the more powerful classes.
He waited until all ships under his command were arranged in formation.
The Eisenhower class was the most powerful ship humans ever built. It was a mixture between a carrier and a battleship. And it was a ship built with consideration for the firepower the dacarian ships had.
It had two main MAC guns placed on its ventral hull that went the entire length of the ship. They could fire fifty ton projectiles at a speed of four hundred miles per second and it could fire three times in a row before it would need to recharge. It also had twenty two primary kinetic energy guns and Twenty four M-100 plasma cannons placed on all four sides of the ship. Hundred and twelve rail guns placed on all sides of the hull formed its third offensive weapon. Eighty four missile launch platforms capable of launching both conventional and atomic missiles were positioned all over the ship. Four hundred and eighty dual kinetic weapons and sixty laser rings combined with the advanced Aegis system formed its point defense. That combined with an air wing of three hundred vipers, twenty raptors and ten pelican d
rop ships represented an awesome amount of firepower.
They were all damaged, mostly to their hyperspace engines. But even with those damages they were still operating almost at full capacity. And they were the true capitol ships.
And it was time the dacarians learned that.
“The line will advance. Open a channel to the rest of the task force.”
A moment later the young female now manning the console nodded.
“We all know what we must do. We all lost brothers and sisters today…The enemy thinks we are weak, it thinks it can pass by us and reach the fleet that can escape this hell hole. It is up to all of us to prove him wrong. We have thousands of people depending on us behind us, and on the world below us. We will not fail them.”
On the forty eight ships that formed his task force no one said a word. They all knew that they are trapped. But they also knew the power of the ships they had, and their own abilities. They were a new generation. A generation that was ready to take the mantle.
The ships advanced. Every fighter wing they had launched and as the frigates got close they attacked.
Nuclear missiles enveloped the enemy ships. Their shields tried to protect them and failed.
Thirty seven enemy frigates died. With them they took fifty vipers.
As the lines drew closer both sides opened fire.
G’kan looked with shocked expression as the two B-30 fortresses opened up launching hundreds of rods every minute. Five minutes later their ammunitions expended they retreated in the rear. And started heading towards the asteroid field and its protection.
Seventeen dacarian ships died from the projectiles they launched.
As the dacarian fire started to land human ships also bled and died.
Two of the Deadalus class cruisers the Mistral and Prince Royal already heavily damaged from the first attacks were the first to die.
But the enemy concentrated its fire on the carriers and the battleships, and made its mistake.
The Icarian Legacy Collected Edition: Brave Souls - First Strike (Volume 3) Page 83
