by C. R. Daems
She gave a small strangled laugh.
"Not exactly what I'd imagined. I had visions of..."
"We all have visions of saving the world before our encounter with reality. All you can do is your best. It may not be what you envisioned, but you'll make a difference."
"Commander Akar." Felder looked up at the Mactan. "Do you have any special medical needs?"
"No, but thank you for asking." Akar smiled. "Underneath the uniform, we're human."
I was glad I had stopped in to see Felder. She was new and nervous, not knowing what to expect. She didn’t fear being killed or hurt. She feared not being the best doctor she could be.
Over the two days, I managed to visit each section and talk with as many of the crew as I could. Like Doctor Felder, many had never been to war and were nervous. And like them, I was nervous—not of meeting the Issog, but of all those who would die because of my decisions.
CHAPTER SIX
Joining the Sixth Fleet
"Leaving the Wave in ten, nine...two, one, now," Lieutenant Commander Sainz said. "Sending entrance codes."
"Three cruisers, systems hot..." Lieutenant Commander Hayes, the Sensor Suite operator, reported.
"Identification acknowledged." Sainz sighed in relief. "The Septu sent Welcome, Odin."
Scanning the ESP, I saw that Admiral Simons had deployed her fleet in three tiers: one squadron near the wave, two halfway between the Wave and New Hope, and the last two plus the Admiral's flagship, Sakhmet, in orbit around New Hope. It appeared she was giving her fleet a short R&R and making needed repairs while awaiting replacements.
"Captain, Admiral Simons is requesting your presence on the Sakhmet for dinner at nineteen hundred hours."
"Comm, acknowledge," I said, not sure how Simons felt about getting a replacement that could take independent action. I had served under Kathrin Simons on my fourth tour to the front, her first. That tour lasted four months. We had five engagements with the Issog and performed well until the last encounter, where the fleet suffered sixty-percent losses. The Fourth Fleet replaced the Sixth, and most of us were sent back to Utopia for a rest and medical examination.
Using my skip capacity, we were in orbit just in time for me to arrive fifteen minutes early. Simons was obviously in a hurry to talk with me, since she knew how long it would take the Odin to reach the Sakhmet. Much to my surprise, Akar exited first. When I exited the shuttle, Captain Lipscomb stood just behind the Officer on Deck, waiting with a frown.
"Permission to come aboard." I saluted but couldn't help a smile at Lipscomb's gaze as it traveled from me to Akar to Dache, who had exited behind me, and back to me again.
"Permission granted, for you and your escort," the Lieutenant said after returning my salute.
"Mactans?" Lipscomb asked. I nodded. "Good to see you, Zoe. Who did you bribe to give you another command? I heard you were pretty beat up on that last engagement with the Vamps."
"Good to see you, Leon," I said as we shook hands. I ignored his obvious curiosity about my escort with all the staring eyes in the bay. "Congratulations on your promotion." Captain of the flagship meant he was second in command, and in line to command a fleet if he lived long enough.
"Rank has become a function of attrition. No more performance reports. If you survive long enough, you get promoted." His eyes looked sad although he had a grin on his lips. "I hear you've been reconditioned and upgraded." His gaze slid to the Mactans.
"The cost of returning to the party," I quipped. He nodded for me to follow him.
"We don't want to keep the admiral waiting."
We walked in silence to the admiral's office instead of her dining room. Resigned, I let Akar enter first. I quickly followed, braced to attention, and saluted. She stood, evaluating me before returning the salute.
"Welcome, LaFon. Get something to drink and have a seat. I wanted to talk with you before dinner." She pointed to a sideboard with wine, water, and coffee. I poured a cup of coffee and sat as Akar stepped back against the wall. "Any officer would be pleased to have Captain LaFon in her fleet. You're not only dedicated but talented. But...a captain with authority to take independent action and in command of a new experimental cruiser could be a problem." She leaned back and took a sip of her wine.
"What is it that makes the Odin special?" Lipscomb asked. "We weren't given much information."
"Me." I immediately regretted the cryptic response and held up my hand before either of them could respond. "Let me start at the beginning..." I took my time and began with my first meeting with Mikel. To their credit, neither interrupted me. Afterward they remained silent. I assume Lipscomb was considering whether he would have volunteered, while Simons was considering its potential. Finally, Simons spoke.
"I understand the admiralty's desperation. Without some breakthrough, we are going to lose either this war or the next with the Arrith. And I can see a civilian thinking faster is better, but I'm not sure I agree—not that anyone asked me." She gave a short snort of amusement. "What do you think, LaFon?" She asked as she poured another glass of wine from the sideboard.
A loaded question, I mused while considering her real question: How much trouble are you going to be, Zoe?
"Ma'am, I'm assigned to your fleet and will to the best of my ability carry out your orders and assignments. I pointed out to Mikel that a commander's decisions in a battle are seldom predicated on nanosecond calculations. Since then, I think I'd revise that to be, a commander's strategy in a battle is seldom predicated on nanosecond calculations. But in an engagement, the ability to react faster than your opponent could be the difference between life and death, winning or losing." I paused, giving them a minute to consider what I had said. "I'll do my best to carry out your strategy, but like any captain in an engagement with the enemy, I'll have to use my knowledge of the specific situation and my experience. Hopefully, the Odin's ability to respond quicker than our opponents will prove decisive."
"I agree with what you have been careful not to say. In order to fairly evaluate the concept, you and the Odin have to be free to act. And it is a concept that could save the human race from extinction." She finished half her glass of wine before speaking. "I think the admiralty picked the right captain for the test case. You have the experience, a proven record against the Issog, and are not reckless. Although you do take a lot of risks. My only request is that you debrief me after each encounter. If nothing else, it may help me utilize you more effectively." She laughed as I rose and Akar moved to join me. "The ultimate irony. We provide Mactans to keep you safe and then send you to war."
* * *
Engagement at Durban
The next day, Admiral Simons moved the fleet within one light-second of the Wave and called for a meeting of all her squadron captains. We were all present and had settled down with food and beverages when she entered.
"Attention," shouted her aide, a young lieutenant commander, and we rose as one.
"At ease," said Simons. As she sat, her aide activated the monitors positioned on each wall of the room, and a display of Commonwealth space appeared. "Captain Kline, captain of the scout ship Selene has just returned from the planet Durban. He believes the Issog have created a human stockyard there—" She stopped to let the vocal reaction quiet before continuing. "Besides the personal satisfaction of freeing the citizens of Durban, it might provide us an opportunity to ambush ships returning to replenish their food supply." She gave an evil smile. "Captain Kline reports twelve batmobiles," she said referring to the Issog's cruisers. As far as we knew, the Issog only had one size cruiser, which was equivalent to our standard one. "He reports four cruisers within two light-seconds of the Wave exit, four more about four light-seconds from the Wave, and the remaining four orbiting Durban, which is about twelve light-seconds away. I plan to send Captain LaFon's squadron in five minutes before we enter to engage the four closest to the Wave, and hopefully, to draw the Vamps at four light-seconds nearer, so they are unable to avoid an encounter with the
fleet when we arrive."
"Isn't that a bit hard on Captain LaFon?" Captain Yarbar of the Septu asked. He was an older man with streaks of gray in his hair and a full beard. He probably would have been retired by now except for the war.
"Yes, but unavoidable. I'm sure you've all noticed the Mactans against the wall. They are LaFon's escort. The Odin is a new experimental cruiser that only LaFon can fly to its potential. This will be the first of many tests to evaluate the...technology. For those who don't know LaFon, this is her seventh tour to the front, so she knows the Issog. Enough for now, Captain LaFon will be leaving with her squadron, designated Zeta, at twenty hundred hours, approximately six hours from now. Alpha, Beta, and Gamma squadrons will follow five minutes later at twenty zero five hours; and Delta, Epsilon, and the Sakhmet at twenty-ten hours. Any questions?" When no one said anything, she rose, ending the meeting. After brief introductions with the other captains and wishes of good hunting, I made for the shuttle bay.
"Akar, you and the other guards are welcome to stay on the Bridge and strap in. It could be a bumpy ride."
"Thank you, I'd like someone on the Bridge with you but also someone in the hallway. I know you don't consider it necessary, but it's the time when you're very vulnerable. Maybe if I can have a camera or two installed in the hallway leading to the Bridge, I could have a couple monitor the hallway," he said, almost as if talking to himself. Although I didn't think it necessary, I understood his point of view and duty.
"I'll have engineering install them wherever you want while we're in the Wave to Durban."
On the way back to the Odin, I arranged for a meeting with my staff and my two squadron captains. By the time I arrived, everyone had assembled in my conference room, including Captains Bergan and Lahti.
"Attention," Disanto called just after Akar entered the room.
"At ease," I said and retrieved a cup of coffee. "The Admiral has chosen to attack Durban. She has been informed the Issog are using it as a feeding station—" I paused for the knee jerk reaction too quiet. We all knew, or had heard, the Issog fed off blood and used captive humans as a renewable food source. "Her scouts..." I went on to explain what they had found. "We will enter at battle stations with all tubes loaded but systems passive."
"Why, Captain?" Lahti asked. She was the inquisitive one, wanting to understand the reason behind each decision.
"It may give me a few extra seconds to assess the situation. Things may have changed since the scout left Durban, and the Vamps may react differently to ships apparently not ready for battle. I'd never assume they weren't paying attention. That has never been a weakness of the Issog. Admiral Simons is hoping the four ships midway will be drawn to us and within range when the fleet arrives five minutes later."
"We're bait?" Disanto asked hesitantly.
"I'd rather think of us as sharks acting like minnows. Right now, the Odin is the Commonwealth's best hope of surviving—maybe it's only chance. But it's an unproven theory that you and I must test—we're guinea pigs. Consequently, you can expect we will be in the center of the action. It's the only way to determine if the Odin provides a significant advantage or not."
"What do you think, Captain?" asked Commander Jiang, the officer in charge of the weapons department.
"The Odin concept is unquestionably many years ahead of the current technology. With your help and determination, I think it will be proven successful."
"Our help?" asked Commander Vanek, the officer in charge of the engineering department.
"Yes. Being at the center of the action means we are going to see our share of missile and laser hits. If you can keep the Odin operational, the Odin will prove its superiority." As I looked around the room, I saw heads nodding and looks of determination. "Commander Disanto, you will man the Backup Bridge with the primary crew when we exit the Wave. Commander Maize, you will be available with second shift personnel. You and Commander Disanto will alternate every eight hours. The travel time to Durban is two days, three hours, and fifteen minutes."
* * *
The Bridge felt deserted with none of the stations occupied. Normally, someone would be announcing the time to Wave exit. Ten minutes in fact, so I sent the required notice. I didn't need to repeat all systems passive since I controlled them. It felt weird, exhilarating—the cruiser and I were one. I shook my head as if to lose the thought. It was distracting, and the situation required my full concentration. Just then we exited the Wave. I scanned the sensors and within seconds found the four Issog cruisers, which immediately went active. I had their locations in seconds, computed a jump vector to their current position—which was two light-seconds from the Wave—and sent the following command packages to the Amsit and the Sobek, along with a copy to the Backup Bridge: MiVa000222Sb and MiVb100220Sb.
The packages would be displayed on the receiving cruiser's monitor as: package one: per verbal orders, skip on vector 000 by 222 for two seconds; and Package two: per verbal orders, skip on vector 100 by 022 for two seconds. The resulting vectors would be sent directly to the two Helms’s boards.
Seconds later, I contacted the Amsit and the Sobek via tight beam connections, leaving an open line to the Backup Bridge so they would know my verbal instructions to the squadron.
"I expect the four Vamps to initiate a skip close to our positions near the Wave exit. That is their preferred method of attack—skip close and fire, giving you less than ten seconds to counter because they are within twenty thousand kilometers. As soon as they fire, jump to the first command package vector. I will try to distract them from following. If they follow, use your initiative. If the second group of Vamps—which are at the four-light-second mark—skips to your position, skip using the second command package vector. After that, use your initiative. If they follow, they will have used half of their skip reserve. Vamp cruisers, like our standard cruisers, can only skip eight light-seconds without eight to ten hours to recharge. Odin out." I cut the connection and awaited the Issog's response, which I knew wouldn't be long.
Shortly after I had finished my transmission, the four batmobiles tagged as B1-B4 on the ESP disappeared. I immediately initiated a one-second skip—which would push the Odin one light-second—and the Bridge faded into a ghost-like shadow and a second later solidified. At the same time, the four Issog cruisers appeared, and fifteen seconds later each fired eight missiles. Thirty-two missiles streaked toward the Sobek and Amsit with impact times of less than twelve seconds—too fast for a human to effectively counter. A tactic the Vamps had down to perfection, which was the reason they had performed well even when outnumbered. But the Sobek and the Amsit were prepared, and several seconds later initiated their two-second skip.
I computed a vector near B1 and B2 and executed a one-second skip. Within ten seconds I had their positions and fired six missiles each at B1 and B2. As I waited for the missile racks to reload, I watched my twelve missiles streak toward the two Issog cruisers. All twelve missiles scored hits, although both cruisers remained functional. I hoped the Vamps would either consider me a tempting target—as they would have their missiles loaded twenty seconds before I could reload—or an irritating pest that needed swatting. I smiled when fifteen seconds later the four Vamps fired. Their commander had decided to attack me when they had reloaded their missiles, rather than skip after the Amsit and Sobek, since four batmobiles tagged B5-B8 were located at the four light-second mark and only two light-seconds from the fleeing cruisers. Sure enough, several seconds later B5-B8 skipped to engage the Sobek and Amsit. At the same time, I skipped one-second to the one-light-second mark.
Two and one-half minutes had now elapsed. As I waited for batmobiles B1-B4 to follow the Odin, the Sobek and Amsit jumped two light-seconds to the four-light-second mark only seconds after the batmobiles B5-B8 fired on them. My Vamps were waiting for the forty-five seconds to reload their missiles before jumping after the Odin.
I calculated a vector to the four which had attacked the Sobek and Amsit. When batmobiles B1-B4 skipp
ed to my current location and fired fifteen seconds later, I made a one-second skip to the vector I had calculated, determined the positions of B5 and B6, and fired. When they fired several seconds later, I jumped back to our original entry point near the Wave and waited. I had now scored hits on four of the eight Issog cruisers, but I doubted I had disabled any of them. I would have been pleased if I had gotten lucky, but my intent was to use up the Vamps’ skip capability, as that was not only their preferred tactic but a very effective one.
Nothing happened for close to a minute, then all eight batmobiles jumped to my location. Ten seconds later they all fired. I skipped one light-second away just as nine Commonwealth cruisers emerged from the Wave. I connected to the Alpha squadron leader while marveling how fast things got done when you didn't have to interface with others.
"Welcome to Durban, Captain Tucker. The eight batmobiles will require forty seconds to reload and have used four seconds of their skip capability. Four have some damage but are still functional. I'm going to join my squadron, which is heading for Durban. They are about four light-seconds ahead."
"Thanks, LaFon. Tucker out." He cut the connection. I signaled the Sobek and Amsit to hold their positions.
"Enjoy the ride, Akar?"
"It was interesting, but gave me a feeling of helplessness. I knew there was a war going on by inference—skips indicated by the Bridge fading, missiles being launched by the slight shudder of the ship, enemy ships by the ESP hologram, and missiles being fired at us by the monitors—but had no way of knowing or affecting the outcome. Not a comfortable feeling for a man of action."