by David Buck
‘Gentlemen, I am moving my site about fifty kilometers west tomorrow to a site that has decent water and offers better security from those lizards. We are using the mass of resources as we go and will setup fortified farms as we move towards the coast. After we leave the very large field where we arrived, the field will be planted out with our first crops and we will be back later to see how well it turns out. Eventually I am moving my people to a site one hundred kilometers west where we will build our first city on the river. The river at that point offers good access to the ocean and we will also construct a port.’
The conversation cooled down after that and the three men were discussing what they had found during their initial explorations of the surrounding countryside. Gavin soon learnt that the Chinese had also located a geothermal pocket, and the Russians had a problem where they had rocky terrain and big trees to deal with as well. The Russian surveyors had assayed the rocky slopes near their site, and discovered that the slopes held large quantities of iron, copper and aluminum. After several more minutes of conversation both Joseph and Robert mentioned that they would look into planting their first crops and Gavin knew that he had been successful.
Joseph Mendeleev replaced the transmitter and walked out of his large tent to survey the terrain around his landing site again for several minutes. He then took in the large covered trucks nearby holding sections of factories, tools, food and fuel. Joseph walked back into his tent and drew his hands over the new map as he faced his waiting officers and selected civilians who waited stoically for his orders.
‘We will not continue driving the inland road south across the harsh terrain. We will drive another road west across thirty kilometers of easier terrain to the small river, and that will give us access back to this site and the three other large fields near the river. We will camp so as to leave all four fields suitable for planting our first crops, and then we will move towards the coast after leaving farm crews and guards in place.’
Joseph smiled politely as the palpable relief at the practical changes spread through to the others present. He was not worried anymore about what the senior men who gave him this mission wanted. For now he was on a new world and the conversation with Gavin had highlighted that fact. He was relieved that at no stage had the Australian tried to intimidate him. He knew that his command had brought items of real value to the new colony and he hoped that one day their contribution would be recognized.
Robert Chiang had a very similar meeting, and essentially the same outcomes were realized, as he ordered crops to be planted after they headed west along a new road being built to the coast. He was glad the constraints of the old order no longer relevant on this world, and decided to have a drink tonight to celebrate this happy fact. Robert also walked outside his command tent to survey the outside area with quiet satisfaction, for the best of Chinese technology was on well packed large trucks scattered around the large clearing. However the real reason for his satisfaction was the method he had used to crew his command. Over ninety percent of his command or over four hundred thousand in number, of both troops and civilians were well educated, young and single Chinese women. He knew that this simple demographic would have a significant contribution to the new colony for many generations.
***
Admiral Baredio continued to pace way around his command deck as the communications officer again relayed her message.
‘Sir, our repeated calls for either the main ship or the drive module to surrender is still being ignored. Also I am ignoring the repeated message from the human commander as ordered.’
The admiral was certainly feeling the increased tension on the bridge, but only his pacing showed his restlessness as he calmly replied.
‘Please ensure the times of our broadcasts and the contents of the human broadcasts are appended to our mission logs. We may to resort to them in any future board of inquiry.’
The Barus crew on the bridge continued to update the status of the closing fleet and the human missiles, though there still some time before combat eventuated. Admiral Baredio was now speaking with both his tactical officer and weapons officer, and both Omerio and Gindane listened in quietly as the admiral finally got a consensus of opinion. He turned to regard both Omerio and Gindane for a moment before he spoke.
‘We have worked out a plan were we use our missile defenders to clear out the human missiles before we intercept the Trader ship. However we are still some distance from intercepting the missiles. Now would be a good time to add any other thoughts you may have between you.’
Omerio looked at both the admiral and then Gindane carefully before he replied.
‘The missile defenders themselves could well come under laser attack from the Trader ship. Unfortunately their smaller laser defenses are superior to our own laser defenses, and they should be able to differentiate between the human missiles and our own missile defenders.’
The admiral was waiting for this answer and he spoke now with enthusiasm.
‘Well that means the Traders will not be shooting at us then and we should follow our missiles to close the Traders. After we capture or destroy their ship we will teach the humans a lesson they will not forget in a hurry.’
Gindane was waiting for this statement and she made sure she adopted her most respectful tone and even bowed as she spoke.
‘Admiral, my own line of research into the Maveen identifies that they have excellent fire control on the probes that are docked to the two Maveen gate ships. They are apparently designed and deployed to operate in an auxiliary role as the anti missile ships of the Maveen.’
The tactical officer was well aware of this news and now gave his own opinions.
‘Sir, I feel the anti missile capabilities of the Maveen are overstated, and I also think we should concentrate our attention on their drive module. I think that our lead ships, green section, could run the module down if they are given the order.’
Admiral Baredio considered the changing nature of the coming battle and issued another order.
‘Get me Commander Ludario on Green one. We will resolve this battle by denying the Traders the ability to leave this star system. Also we keep well clear of the human missiles.’
In moments the admiral was outlining his objectives and the four lead Barus cruisers accelerated towards the Trader hyper drive module. After several minutes the Barus cruisers were launching scores of missile defenders that raced ahead of the fleet towards the human missiles, even as the remaining twelve cruisers slowly moved to intercept the main Trader ship.
***
Garendestat was monitoring the Barus fleet and he promptly detected the change in status as the leading four cruisers began their pursuit.
‘Captain, the Barus are attempting to interdict the drive module as we expected. I show fifteen minutes until they can attack. Damofestat has initiated a deceleration burn on the drive module at high G’s and the Barus cruisers will overshoot unless they slow and turn towards us and the human missiles.’
Captain Narindestat calmly stood from his command chair and asked to speak with the Maveen Earth probe.
‘Earth probe, the Barus are attempting an intercept and we need their missile defenders to be removed. I am not asking you to attack any Barus cruisers, but just remain docked and destroy only their missile defenders with your defensive weapons.’
The communications line was quiet for several moments as the Maveen evaluated the probable battle before the Earth probe replied.
‘We agree captain and we will be in range within four minutes. The human missiles should slow the cruisers down, but we would recommend against destroying any of the Barus ships.
Steve was in the mean time urgently talking into a separate communications line that he had arranged with Garendestat earlier.
‘Colonel, There is a flanking operation from the Barus that you should see on radar, yes the outer four ships, known as Zulu one to Zulu four. You will need to engage them now with our best missiles.’
Now satisfied with the answer from Colonel Ackerton on Earth, Steve sat back before he reported to Captain Narindestat.
‘Captain, we are mounting a missile attack on the four lead Barus cruisers to start in minutes.’
For the first time that day Captain Narindestat started to feel that they might actually escape this star system. He then watched with interest as the human missiles began to track towards the four Barus ships.
***
Admiral Baredio was still looking at the sensor readings of the Earth with real concerns that he now voiced.
‘Gindane, the planet is opaque to passive scans, especially the oceans. A Maveen battle group could be waiting to jump us and we would never know until it is too late. Also if the Cephrit were with us they would have more influence on their former protégés. Then there is the question I have on the original Trader destination.’
Gindane had been waiting for the admiral to speak with her and once again she respectfully replied.
‘What scans we could obtain indicate that the Maveen have all left Earth and the human media reports reinforce this conclusion. I also think that the Traders came here with one gate ship and a probe team of six probes, and they are now leaving with two gate ships and ten probes on the hull. I think it also likely that at least two probes are in their main hold as they are not mounted on the gate ships on the docking pylons.’
Gindane paused and glanced across at Omerio as if seeking reassurance before she continued with her analysis.
‘Our own earlier engineering assessment indicates that the Traders needed additional thrust to leave the Earth’s atmosphere quickly and remember they lost two sneak ships to human attacks. As for the original destination I think they were bound for a former Dradfer colony but were contaminated by Voorde during a trading stop. We could try talking to the Traders without making any surrender demands.’
Admiral Baredio ignored Gindane’s last sentence and now looked at Omerio, who was attempting to look nonchalant following Gindane’s comments on the trading stop.
The admiral then stopped pacing his command deck and asked Omerio for his opinion. This was also politely given even as he noted that Gindane was quietly accessing the communications channel they had been listening to earlier.
‘Sir, the human missiles are neither a stand-off or a loiter weapon and the longer we wait the less effective they become unless we get too close.’
Omerio was about to continue when the tactical officer yelled from his console.
‘Admiral our missile defenders are under concentrated attack from the main Trader ship. My analysis of the weapons indicates that it is Maveen light weapons fire.’
Admiral Baredio watched for a few minutes as the swarms of small Barus missile defenders were blown apart by the highly accurate Maveen weapons fire even as they closed the human missiles. He noted with considerable annoyance that the human missiles escaped any damage from the Maveen response. The tactical officer then spoke again with real concern.
‘Sir, the four lead cruisers are decelerating and turning to match the change of speed of the drive module. This means that the nearest human missiles to the cruisers are now on intercept vectors after our cruisers turned into them.’
Admiral Baredio wasted no time as he urgently spoke to the communications officer.
‘Get me Ludario, commander alter course and break off your attack as our missile defenders are destroyed and the human missiles are attacking your ships.’
After receiving a curt acknowledgement, the admiral turned to the tactical officer and asked for the specifics of the human missile attack which the officer hurriedly stepped through.
‘Sir the intercept time is still ten minutes and a quarter of the missiles are attacking. Our cruisers do not have the speed to clear the missiles and will have to rely on their point defenses and shields. The human missiles are already releasing counter measures to foil any attempts at interception.’
Admiral Baredio now looked at Omerio as he made a comment.
‘Ludario can be single minded at times and I warned him about those missiles. Omerio, how effective do you think the human weapons will be from what you have read?’
Omerio looked quietly at Gindane, who seemed preoccupied, and then around the bridge as he replied.
‘I think the nuclear warheads will either disable the cruisers or severely deplete all the cruisers shields, just as the Trader main ship and the drive module both come into range. I would then think that if we do not withdraw before the Traders enter the battle then all four cruisers will be destroyed before our other ships can influence the battle.’
The admiral considered the opinion and he now found it of interest as he gave the tactical officer further orders.
‘Order Blue section to cover the withdrawal of Green section, hopefully we can mitigate the amount of damage they suffer. Gold and Red sections are to reduce speed and stay away from those missiles.’
***
Steve looked at the latest data on the Barus fleet appearing on the main screen as another four cruisers were moving across to cover the withdrawal of their lead ships. The navy captain looked at the generic diagram showing points of interest about the 50,000 tonne Barus cruisers. He had allowed for this move earlier in his conversation with Colonel Ackerton, and now the remaining missiles were attacking the other Barus cruisers at greater range.
Steve could not understand the wisdom of the Barus deployment based on his existing naval training. This was before he remembered what Garendestat had earlier told him about the unique aspects of battle in space between star ships. He waited for a few minutes until the Barus ships were committed then he spoke again into the microphone.
‘Captain Steve Greene to Barus Admiral, you have placed half your fleet in harm’s way and I strongly urge you to stand down and withdraw as we would need time to disengage our weapons. We will be satisfied if you withdraw from our solar system immediately and then send Commander Gindane’s research ship back to visit our world in a several years time.’
Steve then proceeded to read out loud the summary that he had devised with the mission team members. He was aware of the cool and appraising look that Captain Narindestat gave him for a moment, before he gave Steve a broad grin.
***
Both Gindane and the communications officer started to give Admiral Baredio a fixed look that he knew well from commanding bridge crew.
‘Alright then commander, and you as well lieutenant, speak out with what you are trying to tell me.’
Within moments the voice of the human commander on the Trader ship was being nervously translated by Gindane.
‘We, the human race, reject and dispute that the Barus fleet can interdict at our home world at their volition. Our response by force to this interdiction is not universally agreed to by all humans. However we all agree that the interdiction by the Barus fleet is against our rights of free will as a species. We are an independent race that is working towards our own future in a suddenly hostile galaxy. From our own understanding of the galactic edicts you champion, we seek to remain isolated and a haven world for as long as possible. We require that the Barus fleet withdraw as an initial act of indemnity and contrition against the recent epidemic caused by one of your ships.’
Admiral Baredio thought carefully about the contents of the message for several moments, before he asked the communications officer to continue her monitoring of the human message. He then turned to Gindane and made a wry comment.
‘We are committed now to a trial of our cruisers by their missiles. I note that your reports on the humans mentioned acts of aggression but they then offer reconciliation. You are to be congratulated on the veracity of your work Gindane.’
The admiral was going to speak again when the tactical officer spoke urgently.
‘Sir, the lead cruisers in Green section are under direct attack from the missiles and we have lost communications due to the nuclear blasts.’
***
Commander Ludario
on Green one watched his tactical display as the swarm of human missiles arrived. He took a moment to appraise the precise skills the young human race had used to devise such dangerous weapons. He was aware that even a near miss could be lethal if a ship lost a shield. Frantic pulses of light flashed from the cruisers as they sought to destroy the missiles with their point defense lasers. They also launched several missile defenders but the commander knew that the human missiles were now very close. His weapons officer never took his eyes off the screen as he reported his frustrations with destroying the threat.
‘Sir, the humans have improved in the number and quality of counter measures since the attack on Gindane’s ship. The missiles are also taking random evasive action which is hindering our efforts and our section has only destroyed six or seven of them.’
The tactical officer did not speak further as the view screen flashed white from a series of missile strikes.
‘CLANG, ping, ping, CLANG, CLANG.’
Reverberating impacts sounded around the ship, and Commander Ludario screamed to his bridge crew over the din as the ship shook heavily and then lost lighting.
‘By the sour sap of the Matriarch, what was that Lieutenant? Also I want a status report of all ships in our section immediately.’
In minutes the Commander had his answers and he was dismayed by the findings the lieutenant presented to him.
‘Commander both our shields on Green one and those of Green three are at fifteen percent, I estimate we took four missile hits each and the strikes also overloaded the shield recharge generators and crippled half of our engines. Most of the main weapons arrays of both ships have been rendered inoperable by a kinetic weapon, possibly dense rods of tungsten or uranium that passed through our depleted shields. Green two and Green four did not get hit as hard and have half their shields well down and their main weapons arrays are also damaged.’