Invasion: Journal Three (Shockwave Book 3)

by Hammer Trollkin

  Aldebaran follows on immediately with IMR rail fire, every 10th projectile equipped with a quantum shift displacement field. The slugs hit the shielding in an energetic display, though most are forced to the side and move harmlessly around the ship. The Interact Grid provides enhanced imaging, optimizing the tracking speed to show point of aim projectile impacts. Most of the quantum displacement field impactors, the spooky penetrator rounds, are passing through the dreadnaught’s energetic shielding and tearing into the ship. A ragged line of destruction weakens the hull enough to cause the pressurized atmosphere to tear open a large hole. It’s the first use of spooky slugs in combat.

  The crew of DW-1 adjusts course, opening a warp field to run from the conflict. DW-2, which was closing on Mizar’s attack group, suddenly alters course and opens a warp field to retreat. The dreadnaughts are moving at full speed back to Kreahaam-Out.

  END DISPLAY.

  *WONDEDRLAND COMMAND: Destroyer group, attention. Attention! DW-1 and DW-2 are on the run, 0.9 Light. Coordinates and plot streaming are active via QuIM. Directive. Intercept and terminate. Tereshkova, you have DW-1. Liwei, you have DW-2. You are to initiate with HAKI munitions. Use Growlers as a last resort. Do you have questions? Very well. Commence. Best speed and good luck.

  INTERACT GRID (DIRECT). SLSF Tereshkova.

  Choose: Tactical Plan. This attack run will be the first use of a League destroyer in combat. The captains of SLSF Tereshkova and SLSF Liwei have conferenced and decided to use a simple plan with coordinated timing to strike at the same moment. At a velocity 10-times light, the enemy ships will have little warning of their approach. From the perspective of the dreadnaughts, the League FTL ships will suddenly appear astern as multiple sensor hits. The League ships will quickly pass the dreadnaughts, execute a HAKI stop-and-drop, adjust course 90-degrees to starboard, then open a warp field for a run to safety.

  Normally, the dreadnaught sensors would detect a dangerous object well in advance. In this scenario, whether traveling in a warp field or at high velocity in conventional space, there will not be enough time to course correct and avoid the impactor. The impactor has enough mass to overcome the spatial rending effects of the warp field and the ship’s energetic shielding. While the HAKI will not have time to accelerate to a high velocity, the dreadnaughts are moving very fast. The kinetic energy of impact would be enormous. A distant detonation of the HAKI nuke would not likely cause damage

  END INTERACT GRID (Direct Mode).

  DISPLAY. SLSF Tereshkova. On approach to intercept DW-1.

  Tereshkova initiates the HAKI attack run. The enemy ship closes the warp field, resulting in an immediate stop, then fires. The HAKI is moving toward DW-1 at maximum acceleration, and auto-detonates as programmed when sensors no longer register the warp anomaly. The nuclear explosion pummels the already damaged ship, causing emergency shielding to collapse. A second HAKI impacts DW-1, and detonates, destroying the unshielded ship. Mission accomplished.

  END DISPLAY.

  DISPLAY. SLSF Liwei. On approach to intercept DW-2.

  The initial HAKI attack run is ineffective. Liwei harries DW-2 with two more runs, but on the 3rd attempt, DW-2 fires a double burst from its main gun. Liwei is moving away but catches an edge of wave energy discharge, causing minor damage to the comms system and injuring a crewmember. As DW-2 accelerates, black orbs stream from the ship to enclose it within a defensive grid, effectively locking out another HAKI drop. An alert sounds as Liwei sensors pick up a squadron of bug nest ships on approach from Kreahaam-Out.

  END DISPLAY.

  *WONDERLAND COMMAND: Liwei, battlestars are on route to intercept the Kreahaam squadron. Fleet Command has decided this is an opportune time to test the effectiveness of a Growler against dreadnaught shielding. You are directed to launch an SSC3 against DW-2. You are further directed to avoid the dreadnaught wake drives when targeting. After launch, rejoin the formation in your screen position. That is all.

  DISPLAY. SLSF Liwei. On attack vector, starboard DW-2.

  Liwei launches SSC3 in Growler mode. The missile is wave-tuned at launch to defeat dreadnaught shielding. An Interact Grid increases magnification and slows imaging to allow detailed viewing.

  As the SSC3 approaches DW-2, its powerful warp field shatters several defense orbs, the pieces scattering to the sides and stern of the missile. A section of space seems to darken and crater as the display provides a ghost image overlay indicating the location of the dreadnaught’s energy shield. The appearance is similar to a drop of water hitting a puddle as the warping gravitational forces grind space-time and bore through the shielding. A large section of the hull is violently torn apart with no discernable pattern before the missile’s warp field finally collapses. Half of the starboard side of the ship is gone, the dreadnaught dead in space. There are no life signs on board.

  END DISPLAY.

  *WONDERLAND COMMAND: Aldebaran, this is Wonderland Command. Battle Network shows you at 100%. Is the BNP output accurate? Very well.

  Aldebaran patrol you are cleared to engage the Kreahaam squadron. I know you are well versed in bug nest ship capabilities. Be alert, these ships may have upgrades. We show seven ships, none lurking. Good hunting.

  INTERACT GRID ENGAGED (DIRECT).

  QUERY: Kreahaam nest ship upgrades?

  RESPONSE: Logan scanning found no significant changes when comparing current squad of attack ships with Earth invasion nest ships. The configuration of three laser cannons, two railguns, and one multipurpose launch tube is the same.

  ADD COMMENTARY: There have been no upgrades or alteration, despite a minimum of 120 years since the Kreahaam invasion fleet started for Earth. Power output to the energetic shielding is similar, plus-or-minus 15% (this is a high probability extrapolation from Logan reporting).

  CLOSE INTERACT GRID (Direct Mode).

  DISPLAY. SLS Aldebaran, battlestar, cruising in formation with Pollux and Castor, preparing to engage seven hostile Kreahaam warships (designation KW). Aldebaran patrol spreads out in a line formation. Three KWs increase acceleration moderately, pulling away from the others, on a vector to attack one-on-one. At maximum effective range, the three laser cannons on each ship rotate forward, firing simultaneously. The cannons are all mounted on the deck of ships, requiring ship rotation for a complete range of motion.

  Quantum Glimpse gives the League ships warning to engage battle-thrusters milliseconds before the attack, with the ships choosing a down-pitch attitude maneuver. The laser fire grazes the upper edge of their energetic shielding. Thrusters fire again, bringing the main guns of each ship to bear on their KW target, to fire. The energetic stream of particles arcs to the enemy ships, causing an immediate catastrophic failure of their shielding and breaching their forward sections. A series of internal explosions follow, ending with the rending of the hydrogen fuel tanks and a final massive detonation.

  The remaining KWs continued on, only to be destroyed by the withering fire of PBWeapons and IMRailguns.

  INTERACT GRID. ADD COMMENTARY: The Kreahaam war ships, despite superior numbers, were woefully inadequate to the task of combating Solar League ships, an amazing declaration, since it is hardly more than 11 years since the devastating invasion of Earth.

  END DISPLAY.

  Shockwave will be relieved from Jabberwocky watch by a technical gate team and a two SAC squads in a defensive position. The tech team has ported in on schedule. The SACs are uncharacteristically late.

  My team will link up with the White Queen operation on Kreahaam-Out when the tardy SACs arrive. Then, when they open Jabberwocky, we’ll probably win the recon lottery to cross over. That makes sense. We’ve been inside a dome defense base. We have cloaking capability. And we have Fierce, the computer genius. We’ll see if the dome can be taken offline. If that doesn’t work, they’ll send a Growler in to smash it

  Here’s Rock, coming to annoy me. I can see it in his eye. That’s what dictating to the Journal out loud does for me. Okay, what’s wrong with SAC for Space
Action Corp? Well, I don’t really care what most people call SAC service members. I’m a proud SAC soldier. I use SAC because I think Spacor sounds stupid, that’s why. Shouldn’t you be doing teleportation stretches, or something? Off you go, quit distracting me.

  Tee has asked Fierce to pull up status reporting for the Wonderland operations. Troops are standing by, beginning the process of sorting for teleportation onto landing craft. I’m not sure why they’re not porting planet-side for the assaults on Red Queen and Humpty Fortress. My guess? It’s practice for Cygnus Prime. Just in case.

  ***

  ** WONDERLAND REPORTING. Wonderland Current Status Report. May 27th.

  WHITE KNIGHT at Kreahaam-Out. Area Space Dominance. Orbital support for White Queen and Alice in Wonderland Part One.

  REPORT: SLS Hadar reporting. White Knight-Out is in position around Kreahaam-Out to assist the ground assault. We have local air and space dominance. There have been no launches since our arrival. Fast flux imaging shows 7 Kreahaam warships in an underground hanger, grid position S-53. They are of the common bug design, as was the squadron destroyed by Aldebaran patrol. Thermal shows ambient. White Knight was briefly scanned by Kreahaam forces. No active targeting. This planet is quiet with minimal military chatter.

  WHITE KNIGHT at Kreahaam-In. Area Space Dominance. Orbital support for Red Queen and Humpty Fortress assaults.

  REPORT: SLS Alhena reporting. White Knight dominates the high ground over Kreahaam-In’s gravity well. Robust EM jamming has degraded scanner observation of Red Queen Palace and Humpty Fortress. QuIM communications have not been affected. It is...

  WONDERLAND COMMAND: Attention all White Knight Orbital forces in the vicinity of Kreahaam-In. We have an energy spike! Logan scanner detachment has registered activity. A launch has been detected. We’re seeing... it appears to be five ships in close formation moving fast to orbit.

  *White Knight Lead: This is Alhena. Optical sighting confirmed, working to enhance. Interference across the EM spectrum is limiting scanner effectiveness. White Knight is positioning to intercept enemy ships.

  WONDERLAND COMMAND: Be advised. We have a new picture. Launch is a single ship. Repeat. Launch is single ship, pentalink configuration, cruiser class. We surmise the power output will only be nominally less that the dreadnaught model. Be vigilant. Enemy ship is designated PC-1.

  Ground operations are on hold until we resolve this situation.

  DISPLAY. Wonderland Command.

  A Kreahaam General Forces Distribution Map is in view. Three battlestars are in orbit around Kreahaam-Out. The map shifts to Kreahaam-In. Two Shark schools are in acceleration mode, within a few light-seconds of the planet, not yet at minimum battle speed. Five FTL destroyers are spread out within a few light-minutes of the planet, to render assistance as needed. Four battlestars are in defensive positions near Jabberwocky Portal Gate. The remaining 13 battlestars are positioned to blockade the planet. Only two League ships are positioned to intercept the pentalink cruiser.

  Castor and Mizar fire their main guns and IMRails, registering rail hits to the hull, though no significant damage. PC-1 opens a warp field for a few seconds, emerging near Jabberwocky, firing in rapid succession at Sadr and Pollux. Sadr has minimal warning, taking a heavy hit to his port stern section. The brute force of the wave damages numerous sensors, his scanner array, and a thruster pack, sending him rolling in an uncontrolled clockwise tumble. Having an extra millisecond allows Pollux time to maneuver and catch only an edge of the blast, resulting in minimal damage.

  PC-1 opens a warp field for a few seconds, then begins a series of blindingly fast maneuvers moving in and out of warp, drawing near Jabberwocky portal. Scorpio is very close to Jabberwocky and merely adjusts his position with thrusters, firing his main gun. An Interact Grid slows the action enough to see the particle beams buckling the shielding but not breaking through to the hull. As Scorpio’s man gun recharges, both IMRails open up at their maximum rates of fire. Hundreds of rounds impact the pentalink hull. A few wisps of atmosphere can be seen, the escaping gases helping to widen the breach.

  Rather than returning fire, PC-1 shifts position, moving right, attempting to target Jabberwocky. Nuclear fire explodes from Scorpio’s main thruster as he bounds ahead, seeking to block the point of aim. Another shift to the right by PC-1 has Scorpio igniting his afterburner to gain a blocking position. The enemy GRASER wave crushes Scorpio’s shielding, with most of the energy impacting his starboard bow, tearing through his hull. Scorpio loses coherence and consciousness, followed on by systemic system failure. He is adrift. Helpless.

  The image of PC-1 suddenly blurs as the ship enters warp and moves off FTL, an SSC3 Growler missile closing fast. SLSF Jemison continues in pursuit, the display shifting to a view from the ship. PC-1 seems to disappear, replaced by a glowing cloud, the imaging magnifying and adjusting contrast to show a cloud of particles. The Growler comes apart as the metallic chaff overwhelms its drive and shielding.

  Jemison’s quputer auto-drops the warp field, adjusts course hard left, and continues after PC-1. The image of the enemy ship distorts momentarily, parts of it appearing to enlarge, then shrink, followed by a double burst of radiance. An Interact Grid replay shows two Growler missiles being buffeted within PC-1s drive wake, then breaking apart into tumbling shards that impact all across the stern. While the ship is mostly intact, the warp drive has collapsed in catastrophic failure, the engines and shielding offline.

  SLSF Jemison, SLSF Liwei; and SLSF Hadfield drop their warp fields and adjust for a tactical retreat, as the Interact Grid shows a slow increase in energy levels from PC-1. The enemy ship seems to be operating in a slow-motion dance of death as energetic flashes erupt along the hull. When targeting pings register on the three League ships, they launch HAKIs, and scatter to positions a few light-seconds from the pentalink. Without shields, the ship is torn to atomic dust in the nuclear overkill.

  END DISPLAY.

  ***

  WHITE QUEEN. Capture or kill the Kreahaam-Out queen. Secure her throne room. Soften any hard targets.

  Shockwave has been relieved of Jabberwocky guard duty. As the bulk of League ground assault forces set up on Kreahaam-In, Shockwave will join three other SpecOps teams to unseat the queen of Kreahaam-Out. We’re back at Oort Base where some Force RECON guys will be joining us momentarily with the latest on White Queen Palace internal targeting information. We already know the palace guard is on high alert.

  PsyOps soldiers, working with bug freedom fighters from Earth, have been sowing seeds of discontent for a month. The sowing seeds part is actually literal. Some clever techs managed to shrink down a popper ad display to the size of a large seed. They’re only two dimensional, but they’re large and colorful. After the queen pheromone blockers have been applied, the ads will pop with all sorts of anti-queen propaganda. Bug citizens of the League have also been whispering in the ears (so to say) of influential bugs. Hopefully, the messaging will surface when their minds are cleared of the queen pheromone influencers.

  Here’s the Force RECON unit now. They’ll move in with Shockwave to the throne room. T-Wrecks is their handle. From what I’ve heard, the name fits. They’re hurting though, having lost a soldier who volunteered to port into the queen’s throne room. The room was effectively shielded from portable scanning. He ported in... his Ivees set to auto-scan. In the instant before blaster fire ending the recording... bugs were crawling around everywhere. It was a catastrophic untangle. The thing of nightmares. We salute you, Ramirez.

  So, no porting directly into the throne room. We’ll have to do this the old-fashioned way.

  An assembly room near the White Queen Objective was vacant. We’ve untangled there. Two squads will move out in a minute to clear a couple of occupied rooms along the hallway leading to the queen’s room. And, we’re in motion, Shockwave and T-Wrecks moving to the throne room. Those guys are on point and they’re not messing around. They just pushed a full case of Puck Smart Munitions into the hallway, s
houting “this is for Ramirez.” The individual munition packages do look a lot like a hockey puck. The distinctive claps of the anti-personnel explosives are coming from all along the hallway... should be almost done.

  And my Ivee display says... that was the last one. Moving in.

  We’re at the queen’s door. It would be nice to take the queen alive, in case she can be persuaded to sing a merry tune of cooperation with the League. With that in mind, Tee is taking an extra moment to ponder the arrangement of the det cord he’s placed around the throne room door. He tends to overdo it with explosives. A head nod has replaced the pursed lips and pensive look. Fire in the hole!

  Our teams are pinned, too much fire coming from the room. Floaters are up, and in. There’s no queen on the throne. There! She’s on the run, through that door. Imaging is down again, with a lot of bugs blasting away.

  A T-Wrecks guy has a bag full of Rollers to clear the room. These Rollers are new. They’re grid programmed to tumble evasively to their section, then release a cluster of anti-personnel bomblets. There are six, so they’ll be programmed far, middle, close, with left and right orientation. The hardened outer shells give them the look of a soccer ball with flat areas as they tumble and bounce along. They’re going to make a mess.

  The throne room is ours, but it is definitely a nasty mess. And the queen is either in a safe room, or on a personal space craft about to launch. There’s her escape door, and it’s hardened, but we have a PBW breacher. Those require some forethought. Going through the motions. Lock EMP buffer on sensitive equipment, like my Ivees. Set PBW breacher. Aim breacher. Take cover from blast effect and radiation. Fire.

  And the stupid thing is beeping. Why is it beeping?

  Alexi is at the controls. “We have a someone, it is too close to machine. Please to move back.”