"Status on the other ships?" Tia looked over the blue icons. None had disappeared, but a couple seemed to be lagging.
"The Pace reports a partial penetration of their deflector screens by a missile." This was from the Sister at the comm station, Sister Justinia. "They took damage to their drives. One engine knocked out. The ISV Waltzing Matilda took a hit to their engineering section. They have casualties and no thrust."
"They'll be helpless against that next wave," Tia said.
"Yes." Sarno nodded. "But we must maintain course if we are to keep our timetable."
"Couldn't we bring them along by energy grapplers?"
Sarno looked toward Sister Patricia. "It's possible, but it's going to tax the engines of anyone towing them. We'll still have to reduce thrust to keep the fleet cohesive."
"How greatly?" Tia asked.
"We'll lose at least half an hour, if not more."
Half an hour. That's enough time for Rigault to rally counter-attacks in some of the cities, at least.
"It is your call, Chairwoman," Sarno said patiently.
It wasn't one Tia wanted to make. The Sisters on the Pace might survive, if the enemy bombers didn't single them out, but the Waltzing Matilda… it was an ISU-crewed ship. They were fellow spacers, if not fellow Hestians. And with their ship so badly damaged, they would be helpless.
They came knowing the stakes. Just as we all did. They're spacers who knew the stakes and still rolled the dice.
Sarno must have seen the conflict on her face, but said nothing. It was Yanik who spoke up. "They came knowing they might die. You do them no honor in throwing away lives on your world. You cannot save everyone, Tia. Give them the honor of their lives contributing to our victory."
"Yeah." Tia grimaced. "And we've got another wave coming in to be ready for. All ships, maintain thrust."
The holotank soon reflected her decision. Another wave of red triangles came in, sixty again, from a different vector this time. More red dots appeared Most were toward the fleet itself, but the Pace and Waltzing Matilda were the targets of two of the bombers.
Again came the lethal dance, as missiles and fighters maneuvered around each other and the point-defense fire. Four blue triangles blinked out, the victims of missile hits, along with a sea of red dots.
Tia hated being reduced to a mere spectator of the unfolding battle. But for all her spacer experience, this wasn't her place, and if she tried to get involved, all she'd do was get in the way. So she continued to watch in silent frustration as the red dots came in once more.
Three dots converged on them this time. Again impact warnings came. Tia held on to the railing on the side, but the Papa San Gregorius escaped an impact this time.
Another blue icon started falling out of formation. "One of Lou's ships lost deflectors. They took a direct missile hit, heavy casualties, and forty percent thrust loss," said Justinia. "Two ships are reporting deflector generator damage."
Patricia reacted swiftly. "Adjust formation. Put those ships opposite of the third wave."
Tia's eyes slipped toward the side of the holotank display. The Waltzing Matilda was still there, as if she could struggle to get back into formation if she kept burning hard.
The other blue arrowhead was gone.
Sarno noticed too. She crossed herself and murmured a prayer. "For all of the dead," she clarified to Tia.
"What happened?" Tia asked. How many of them were on the Pace? Sixty? Seventy? A hundred? Gone like that?
"A heavy missile in the right spot, perhaps a magazine." Sarno glanced toward the woman at sensors. "Sister Beatrice?"
"The ship's been gutted, Mother." Tears shone in Beatrice's eyes. "A few life signs, but that's it."
"We'll see to S&R when we can. We have other problems."
Tia could see what she meant, as the third wave loomed on the holotank. This time, there were more.
Far more.
"At least twice the prior waves," Beatrice confirmed.
Patricia pursed her lips. "I'm not sure we'll have the point-defense to stop them."
"We don't have a choice," Tia said. "We have to keep going."
Sarno nodded. "So we will, and we'll have faith God will see us through."
Shahkrit gave Tia a skeptical glance. She shook her head back. Please not now, Comrade. They're our allies, and their blood's already spilled for our people. Besides, we could use all the help we can get. Her eyes went back to the holotank, and the approaching horde of red triangles. Maybe we can still get through. Maybe…
Three new icons appeared at the edge of the holotank. Arrowheads, yellow-tinted, and coming in fast.
"Three contacts, bearing in at high thrust," Beatrice said. "I'm reading a lot of mass and they've already reached a high velocity."
Patricia turned her chair to face the sensor station and holotank near it. "They've probably got fusion drives. Do we have an IFF ping yet?"
"Getting it now…"
The yellow arrows turned blue. Tia felt the tension in the crew ease: their IFF codes matched the fleet's.
"...the ships identify as the Liberator, Triumphant, and the Avenger."
Justinia spoke up next. "They're patching into the fleet tactical link."
"Hestian Liberation Fleet, this is the Liberator." Henry's voice came over the speakers, and Tia felt her spirits lift. "Hold tight. Help is on the way."
* * *
On the Liberator bridge, Henry found the tactical plot holotank where he'd expect it. Nearby, Piper was manning sensors and Miri acted as the tactical officer. "Looks like they're splitting up," she observed. "Forty fighters broke off to come for us."
"Avenger, remain ten kilometers off our dorsal arc," Henry said into the fleet tactical link. "Triumphant, between us, ten kilometers off the ventral arc. Fire all point-defense guns as they enter range."
"Should we stay back?" asked Cera. "There's an awful lot of th' bastards."
"No. Keep us on course to rendezvous, they'll need us. TAO, firing point procedures on fighter targets, point-defense cells."
Miri gave him a sardonic glance. "I was never fleet personnel in the CDF, remember? What does that mean again?"
Henry chuckled. "The point-defense missiles. At least Rigault didn't skimp on those. Fire them at the fighters as we reach a hundred and twenty-five thousand kilometers.
"Won't that give them time to evade?"
"Plenty, if they're smart."
Understanding showed on her face. "You're going to disrupt their attack run."
"That's the plan."
The three cruisers kept their course as if the attack craft burning in posed no threat. The holotank showed their steady approach even while Tia's fleet came ever closer.
At the appointed range, Miri called out, "Firing missiles on target."
Sections of the cruiser's hull saw armor plates pull back to reveal missile launchers. Multiple missiles ripple-fired from the ship. They appeared on the holotank as blue dots heading en masse toward the enemy fighters.
"Miri, load the auto-turrets with spread rounds. Vidia, I want the other ships firing the same." Aside from that order he kept quiet, trusting in his people to see his commands through.
It was soon clear the missiles had the desired effect. Several of the HSF attack craft fired their munitions in a single salvo and turned tail to evade. One squadron held off firing in order to focus on evasive maneuvers. The enemy's missile attack became stretched out instead of one concentrated volley that would better overwhelm point-defense.
Still, the incoming missiles were a threat, even if spread out. Both the fleet and Henry's stolen cruisers opened up with point-defense fire when they entered effective engagement range. Computer-aided prediction fire laid the projectiles into the courses of the oncoming missiles, while said missiles commenced evasive maneuvering to minimize chances of being hit.
Henry watched the icons for the missiles start to die. The spread rounds weren't just magnetically-propelled slivers of metal, but shells
in their own right with proximity fuses. When their sensors detected the proximity of incoming missiles at a specific range the shell burst, spreading a cloud of accelerated metal—essentially shrapnel—into the course of not one but several missiles. As such, each shot wasn't just capable of destroying one missile but several, especially as multiple shells allowed for creating ever more expanding fields where missiles couldn't evade everything.
"Wow." Piper watched the ongoing fire on her own screens. "I thought we did okay with our old auto-turrets, but these things are taking out missiles left and right."
"Civilian ships don't get the fun weapons," Henry noted wryly. "For one thing, these systems are way more expensive, but Rigault already bought them for us. For another, we're still going to have missiles to deal with."
The holotank quickly proved his point, as some missiles managed to survive the spread rounds. The cruisers' secondary auto-turrets started engaging as well, firing like those they'd had on the Shadow Wolf, but with even greater accuracy.
"We're actually lucky," Henry said. "It looks like Rigault hasn't been sharing his new toys with the other HBC megacorps. Coalition anti-ship missiles are smarter, even the ones that aren't full-fledged Hunters. They'd have done better against the spread rounds, and might've even survived some hits from them."
"That's nice ta know." Vidia chuckled. "God be thanked for the greed of our enemies, then."
None of the ships in Tia's fleet had spread rounds, of course, but Henry saw they had a different advantage; sheer quantity of fire. With the cruisers drawing a third of the strike off and breaking up the enemy's timing, their point defense was chewing through the incoming strike by sheer attrition, aided by the bow auto-turrets of the Liberator contributing spread rounds in their direction.
In both cases, some missiles got through anyway. The three cruisers went into evasive mode. "She's nimble for her size," Cera noted. "But we're not goin' t' avoid 'em all."
"Do what you can," Henry instructed her.
She did, and given the mass and size of the cruiser she did very well. The maneuvering allowed their terminal point-defense systems more time to whittle down the remaining missiles further. Nevertheless, four missiles in total made impact on all three ships.
Once the second rattle was over, Henry called out, "Damage report."
At first, there was no reaction. Right. Nobody's at the XO's station. After a few seconds of quiet, Miri spoke up. "No damage to systems. They didn't penetrate the deflectors. Deflector effectiveness still green."
"Avenger and Triumphant report no damage," Vidia added.
"What about the Liberation Fleet?" He looked over the omnitool. There didn't seem to be any ships gone, but he thought a couple might be slowing.
"We can confirm damage to two ships. One of Lou's security frigates, the Fortune's Blessing, reports casualties and partial power loss. The Santa Ana Lucia is intact, but their deflectors are overloaded."
"What about Gregorius?"
"Minor damage."
Good. Escorts are hurt, but it looks like our troop ships are intact. "Patch me through to the Gregorius, then." He turned his attention to the display by his chair. The image flashed to show Tia and Mother Sarno standing together. "Everyone okay?"
"Rattled, maybe, but alive." Tia nodded. "Great timing, Jim."
"Yeah. So, we'll be in orbital space in another hour at our current rate of acceleration. It takes time to re-arm fighters like that, so they may not be able to sortie again before we're in position. Assuming we're green-lit?"
The flesh around her eyes tightened. "Yes. Green light for everything."
"I'm not bombarding a planet with neutron cannon fire, but these muonic cannons should be capable of some orbital bombardment that won't leave craters. We'll give your landing forces fire support while the Avenger blasts their squadrons' bases to stop any further strikes."
Sarno nodded. "That will be welcome, Captain. Our ships have some armaments, but the more fire we have, the fewer casualties we'll take in landing."
"Still planning on using stun bolts at first, ma'am?"
"Of course." She grinned, as if amused he might expect a different answer. "We recognize Lou's troops and the guerrillas will not, and we will not hold it against them, but unless it is clear lethal force must be used, my Sisters will continue to employ our methods."
"Right." He nodded in acceptance. "Godspeed, Mother Sarno. And to you too, Tia."
"Good luck to us all."
45
The mood in the HSF command bunker soured as the last strikes ended with little to show. My cruisers. Antoine scowled while his face turned red with rage. My cruisers used against me! His fists clenched so tightly, his trimmed fingernails still bit into his flesh.
The map of Hestia's surface had further bad news. Every city had an uprising to report. Strikes were shutting down factories and mines. The guerilla attacks were escalating as well. This isn't possible. These people were cowed. Broken! We shattered them! How can they dare to rise up again!?
Rousseau approached him. "Director, Colonel Kumba reports that the HSF HQ in Kruppburg can't hold out much longer. He needs reinforcements or they will be overrun."
"Send the reaction team from Schneiderbourg."
"We cannot. They’re barely holding the HSF offices there, and are tied down at the jails as well." Rousseau checked his tablet. "And we've confirmed the fall of the Sun Ninh Penal Mine to guerrilla takeover. We've lost all contact with prison overseers."
"Have the town of Sun Ninh targeted by suborbital bomber," he hissed. "Burn their town to the ground as reprisal. Make an official announcement."
"I'll send the order," Rousseau said dispassionately.
"And what of our mobilization effort?"
"It continues. Corporate security forces are attaching themselves to our command structure. But the response is varied…"
"We'll deal with that. Get them fighting! Remind them that a Hestian with a gun and without a corp or HSF uniform is to become a dead Hestian."
"I will, although I counsel against battlefield executions. It will slow—"
Antoine whirled about on the man. His electronic eye shined into Rousseau's face. "I gave an order. Carry it out!"
"Yes, Director," Rousseau sighed.
The desire to punish the Hestians was one thing. Dealing with Tia Nguyen was another. She'd be coming for him, and she'd want him dead as much as he longed for her death.
I'm not the only one she'll come for. As he contemplated that thought, a signal he'd been expecting came in. He accepted the call and found himself facing Bohlen and the rest of the HBC. "Director, I understand right now is a trying time—"
"It is, Chairman. But I have a moment."
"What is the status of this invasion?"
"Widespread but thin, I believe," he replied. "Once we can consolidate our security forces, we can crush them, city by city." And when we are through, this time I'll break them so completely, they'll curse Nguyen's name for a thousand years.
"What about this invasion fleet coming in?" Cooper's voice had its usual edge, but now he thought there was a brittleness to it. She is terrified we'll lose. "I'm told they're coming for Thyssenbourg. What are you doing to defend us?"
"Our forces are ready to receive them wherever they may land. Once their landing sites are identified, we can consolidate and overrun their landing zones."
"How fast, though? You can't predict where they'll land! If they come straight for us, they might capture the whole Council before the HSF can respond!"
"You must see to our safety, Director," Huang insisted.
"The Council will evacuate Thyssenbourg for the moment," Bohlen said.
Cowards. Antoine shook his head. "If you try to flee, I cannot guarantee your safety. In fact, I can only guarantee that Nguyen will shoot you down."
They didn't like that. "Surely you can spare something?" demanded Yamaguchi.
"I have nothing that can protect you from their military vessels.
They have orbital superiority at the moment." Antoine grinned and let a sarcastic edge come to his voice. "If you had authorized those defensive orbital stations I proposed, perhaps we would be able to secure your escape." He enjoyed seeing them glower at him for bringing that up. "As it is, you are safer in Thyssenbourg, and I suggest you remain. Security troops will protect you while we finish this revolt off."
"Do not dismiss us so easily, Rigault!" Ortega thundered. "CEO Rigault will hear of this disrespect!"
"No disrespect was intended," Antoine lied, his voice smooth as he spoke those words. "I am looking out for the Council's security and best interests only. Now I must go; the enemy landing forces will be engaged shortly."
"We will discuss your policies later, Director," Bohlen said sharply, after which the call cut.
If there is a later for us all. Antoine felt a sneer curl his lips. Perhaps you will be of use to me after all, Nguyen. Anything can happen in a war, after all...
He would decide on that later. Right now, he had a war to win.
* * *
Sixteen years. It's been that long.
The thought reached Tia's mind after the San Papa Gregorius broke through the clouds. Thyssenbourg filled the screens. Not just a holographic construct this time, but real visual imagery, via the ship's external cameras. She could make out the towering spires of the city's commercial district, where Hestians required corporate IDs to set foot, the vast tracts of comfortable housing for the offworld workers and those privileged Hestians who served in the Republic, the commercial districts that supplied their wants…
...and the slums, of course. The worn down, dilapidated buildings surrounding the shining city like a wall of poverty, the only place Hestians were allowed to legally live if they didn't have a corporate sponsor.
She remembered those slums. Her mind went back in time sixteen years, to the day her uncle kissed her cheek and embraced her for the last time, wishing her the best and hoping she would live to see the new Hestia their people would build when free. He never realized, she thought. He didn't know the League betrayed us. But while they killed him, they didn't kill our dream. Her jaw clenched. I will free our people, Uncle. I'll build the world to be something you'd be proud of!
Breach of Trust: Breach of Faith Book Four Page 36
