“Victory acting like a giant jumpfighter,” Maddox said. “What could we do that wouldn’t let the star cruisers destroy us while we’re dull with Jump Lag?”
“That’s easy, sir,” Keith said. “We take out their drones.”
“Their drones?” Fletcher asked. “No. You’d just be exchanging a thermonuclear blast for beam-fire. I don’t see how that allows your starship to survive.”
“Begging the admiral’s pardon,” Keith said, “but that’s as simple as can be, sir.” The ace sat down at the table. “Can I, sir?” he asked, indicating the control unit.
Maddox slid it to him.
“Here, sir,” Keith said, making a green dot show up before the drones. “Our starship jumps to a position well out of their immediate blast-range. Then, we unload Titan-class missiles and jump away again. Our missiles accelerate for their drones. Both are still out of star cruiser beam-range. The enemy warheads begin detonating and so do ours. Soon enough, the enemy drones are gone, sir.”
Fletcher sat down heavily, blinking at the holoimage. The admiral began to nod. “That should work.”
“It will work, sir,” Keith said.
Fletcher turned sharply toward Keith, grunting after a moment. Then, he faced Maddox. “I was wrong about your mining rebel, Captain. Your man knows his jumpfighter tactics after all.”
“He does indeed, sir,” Maddox said. “Now, I have to ask, will your people fight when the time comes?”
“They will,” Fletcher said. “I’m going to see to that. How soon until you’re ready to make the drone attack?”
“Several hours, I should think,” Maddox said.
Fletcher rose to his feet. So did Maddox and Keith. The two men saluted the admiral. Then, the captain turned to Keith. “Let’s go. We have a lot of work to do.”
-41-
The next several days proved busy and physically grueling for Victory’s crew.
First, Maddox collected seventy percent of the Fifth Fleet’s remaining Titan-class missiles. Second, the ancient starship jumped near the accelerating enemy drones. The drones moved away from the waiting star cruisers, zeroing in on the Fifth. Through Victory’s open bay doors, the crew cold-launched two dozen missiles at interspaced intervals. Maddox didn’t want to hit the drones all at once, but in stages. Third, at Maddox’s orders, Lieutenant Noonan engaged the star drive, jumping out of danger.
Maddox waited for the crew to recover from Jump Lag. Soon enough, Valerie monitored the situation, giving a running report.
Distances—this time, from the star cruisers to their drones and the battleships from their missiles—mandated computer controlled reactions aboard the drones and missiles.
From his chair, Maddox watched the main screen. The drones and missiles appeared as blips. The enemy’s were red, and theirs were blue. They headed toward each other. The drones came in three big waves. The lesser number of missiles came in five staggered clumps. There was a reason for that.
The first Titan missile closed in on the first wave of drones.
“It should be any second now,” Valerie said.
Maddox nodded, although he didn’t speak. Space battle was so different, so long-ranged and slow. When the New Men had parachuted onto Wolf Prime, the captain had had to move fast, reacting in the moment. Out here in space, one could deliberate each move to death. Yet, what one had done hours or even days ago made the difference.
“There,” Valerie said. She pointed at a splash of white on the screen. That indicated an exploding thermonuclear warhead from one of their missiles.
Drone or missile, each side’s warhead was shape-charged. It meant the thermonuclear blast funneled forward in a cone shape instead of radiating outward in a circumference.
“Yes,” Valerie said.
Maddox squinted, wondering what she meant—then, he noticed ten percent of the drones, those in the very front of the first wave. They went from red to gray, indicating the blast from the missile’s warhead had rendered those drones inoperative.
For the next hour, the missiles and drones closed in on one another. Many exploded. Others imploded from enemy X-rays hammering them, frying the inner workings, turning them into inert warheads.
Despite the shape charging, the powerful nuclear reactions often killed the drones too close to the “friendly” explosions.
“We aren’t giving the drones time to spread out,” Valerie explained. “They would have done that against the fleet. Our missiles came at them before the enemy was ready to make his drones operational.”
Maddox understood. It was the key reason the missiles came in staggered attacks. That way, the first warheads didn’t destroy the other clumps of following missiles when they detonated.
By the end of the automated skirmish, eighty-three percent of the drones were gone or had malfunctioned. All the missiles were dead or exploded. That left a mere seventeen percent of the original drones heading for the Earth Fleet.
The fourth, fifth and sixth tasks Victory and her crew performed also involved the star drive jump. The ancient vessel moved around the star cruisers in a gigantic sphere. The starship stayed far beyond enemy beam range. At each location, the crew launched more missiles. Those missiles accelerated toward the enemy, timed to arrive all at the same time from various locations on the compass.
The jump maneuvering took its toll on the crew and on Galyan. It made everyone irritable and sluggish. One of the technicians died from a heart attack. A slarn trapper had an aneurysm, perishing on his acceleration couch.
Before any more fatalities occurred, the starship made its last jump for the moment, returning to the Fifth Fleet.
For the next several days, everyone aboard Victory rested. At high velocity, the Fifth Fleet approached the outer limits of the Tannish System. Continuing scans showed that another ten star cruisers accelerated from the Tannish Laumer-Point to the others. That made twenty-four enemy vessels against the Fifth’s thirty-six capital ships, plus destroyers, missile boats and Victory. Once more, Star Watch had a greater number and tonnage of vessels. This time, however, it was even more lopsided for the New Men than it had been at the Battle of Caria 323.
From what Valerie could tell, each enemy ship came with fully repaired hull armor and with all weaponry intact. It would be a battle of “healthy” star cruisers against “wounded” battleships and cruisers.
“There’s no turning back now,” Admiral Fletcher told his assembled senior officers.
It had been six days since Maddox’s meeting aboard the Antietam with Fletcher.
The Fifth moved against the enemy concentration with its heaviest, best-armored vessels in the lead. That meant the battleships, the least-damaged heavy cruisers and the empty motherships. Those carriers had good hull armor and shields, almost as powerful as Bismarck-class battleships. That was all the empty motherships were good for now. The others held the Fifth’s remaining strikefighters and bombers.
As per the plan that Fletcher outlined to the senior officers, Victory waited with the most damaged warships in the back of the formation.
The idea was straightforward. The best-armored ships protected the rest as a shell protected an egg’s yolk. The “shell” would take the long-range pounding from the star cruisers, hitting back with the heaviest-mount lasers once the Earth Fleet came within range. Once the Fifth reached within medium-range of the star cruisers, the rest of the ships—except for Victory—would come forward and unleash their firepower at the enemy.
At short range, as the two fleets moved into colliding territory, Victory would come forward to engage its neutron beam.
Admiral Fletcher stood in the conference chamber aboard Antietam. The senior officers sat around the long table, including Captain Maddox, with Lieutenant Noonan attending as his aide. She stood along the back wall where the other aides waited for their senior officers.
Fletcher still looked gaunt, but his eyes shined with a new intensity. “The Lord High Admiral sent us his best bet,” the admiral said, in
dicating the captain. “Cook sent Captain Maddox into the Beyond to find an ancient ship that wasn’t supposed to exist. It did, though. Victory holds ancient secrets. A mad genius named Ludendorff is still hard at work trying to figure out those weapons systems. Maybe he will before the battle starts, but it’s beginning to look as if he won’t.
“Well,” Fletcher said, scanning the officers and aides. “Even though the professor hasn’t succeeded yet, Victory does have its unique propulsion system. With it, Captain Maddox destroyed the massed enemy drones and seeded our own missiles to hit the star cruisers as the battle begins. Maybe the ancient Adok vessel can hammer the star cruisers into submission once it unleashes the neutron beam. I don’t know if we can save the Fifth, though. But, by damn, we can help Star Watch win the bigger war by annihilating as many enemy vessels as we can. I say that’s worth fighting for. I say that made our dash into the void a good gamble. We don’t get to see the finished product of our handiwork, but neither did King Leonidas.”
“Who is that, sir?” a commodore asked.
“Leonidas was an ancient Spartan king,” Fletcher said. “He led his three hundred Spartans at the famous Battle of Thermopylae at the Hot Gates. Those hoplites bought their side time with their lives, and they showed the enemy what the Greeks were made of. We’re going to show the New Men they can’t win this war. We’ll go down swinging, and Victory is the sharp sword we’re going to use to ram into their guts!”
Fletcher eyed Maddox. “Keep firing that neutron beam as long as you can, Captain. Then, when you know it’s over, jump out of danger, race home and tell them how the Fifth Fleet fought to the very end.”
“I will, sir,” Maddox said.
Fletcher inhaled before smiling sadly. “We have another twenty-eight hours before this battle begins. Let’s prepare to meet our end with dignity. Let’s go into the next life with glory in our hearts. Let them speak for a thousand years of how the Fifth Fleet battled against adversity, buying life for their loved ones at home.”
The senior officers at the table squared their shoulders. The aides along the walls stirred.
Maddox could feel the resolve building in them. Fletcher had a knack. The admiral had restored some of the lost morale. Dying wasn’t so bad if one had a reason. No one got out of this world alive. It was how you went that counted.
Captain Maddox scraped back his chair, standing. He gave Admiral Fletcher the crispest salute of his life.
“It is an honor serving and particularly fighting with you, sir,” Maddox said.
The admiral nodded, and then, he stared at Maddox. “Atten-tion,” the big man said in a loud voice.
Everyone jumped to his feet.
“Let us salute the man who came to rescue the lost command,” Fletcher said. “He braved the enemy and took every dare to fight through to us. You, sir, have my respect. You, Captain Maddox, are a man.”
Admiral Fletcher thereupon led the senior officers and aides of the Fifth Fleet in saluting Captain Maddox of Star Watch.
-42-
“I think I have it,” Ludendorff told Maddox twenty-seven hours later.
“The disruptor cannon works?” Maddox asked. He stood on the bridge, speaking to the professor via the main screen. The older man was in the disruptor chamber.
“No,” Ludendorff said. “The ancient cannon isn’t working yet, but I think I understand the key principle.”
“Sir,” Valerie said, indicating her smaller screen.
“Show me,” Maddox told her. “Split the big screen.”
The lieutenant manipulated her board. One-half of the main screen showed Ludendorff with Galyan behind him. The other half showed the two fleets approaching one another.
A green number appeared on the fleet half. According to it, the New Men would be able to reach the leading elements of the Fifth Fleet with their long-range beam in approximately twenty minutes.
Ludendorff was still speaking. “The disruptor principle is an amazing use of applied physical—”
“Professor!” Maddox said, interrupting the man. “Show me how it works. Don’t tell me things I don’t understand anyway.”
“That would be a problem,” Ludendorff said. “Making the disruptor operational will take me three days of—”
“You must know we don’t have that long,” Maddox said, interrupting once more.
“You’re not listening to me,” Ludendorff complained. “You’re too fixated upon saving these lost ships.”
“You’re right about that,” Maddox said.
Ludendorff shook his head. “There is no saving them, Captain. It’s a hopeless situation. Now we at least possess a new and powerful ray. We must concentrate on what we can achieve, not wish for a miracle.”
“I want you to make the disruptor ray operational now,” Maddox said.
Ludendorff stared at the captain. Finally, the professor said, “I could conceivably jury-rig—”
“Yes, do that,” Maddox said.
“Let me finish,” Ludendorff said, beginning to look annoyed. “I could jury-rig a system, but it might burn out the main component. If that happens, the disruptor ray is gone forever. There goes our chance of future victories over the New Men.”
“That doesn’t make sense,” Maddox said.
“Of course it does. The jury-rigging would let us use the disruptor cannon for a few shots. Unfortunately, the cannon’s interior mechanisms will heat up rapidly. Some of those unique parts will melt into slag. To use the ray effectively, I would need a de-atomizer and a heat bleeder to dissipate the build-up of surplus energy. Are you beginning to see the problem?”
“Spell it out for me,” Maddox said.
“Not only could we lose the disruptor cannon. We might build-up such a surplus of energy that it all unleashes at once. In other words, we would blow up our prized vessel. We would die and—”
“No, no, no,” Galyan said from behind the man. “I will not allow such an event. I will not risk my existence on such a haphazard scheme.”
Maddox glanced at Valerie. She frowned severely.
The captain stood up, turned his back on the main screen and walked toward the hatch. What kind of decision was this? Future victories over the New Men rested on the ancient starship. Star Watch also needed the Fifth Fleet to fight the interstellar war. What was the best course to take?
His mother had likely fled a gene-splicing laboratory in the Beyond. She had run away to fight again another day. Unfortunately, she’d never had that day, although her action had given him one. Could he throw his life away on a poor jury-rigging that exploded Victory?
Maddox faced the screen. Battles were risks. If the New Men faced a disruptor ray beaming the same distance that their weapons could reach, it could shake their confidence.
“Jury-rig the disruptor cannon,” Maddox said.
“No!” Galyan said from behind Ludendorff. The holoimage vanished and reappeared before the captain on the bridge.
“The starship is the last legacy of the Adoks,” Galyan said. “That is too precious to risk on a mad gamble.”
Maddox searched for the right argument. Finally, he told the AI, “You trusted me once, and it came out in your favor. Now, I’m asking you to trust me again.”
Galyan looked away. “You are making this difficult for me.”
“Your people died a brutal death to the Swarm. Don’t let mine die to these perverted idealists. We need the disruptor cannon, and we need it now.”
Galyan bowed his head. The seconds passed in silence. Finally, the AI said, “Lead me, Captain Maddox. I will follow you into oblivion if this is to be our destination.”
“We’re going to win this fight,” Maddox said. “I want you to return to the chamber and help Ludendorff fix your cannon.”
Galyan looked up. Then, the holoimage disappeared.
“Put me through to Admiral Fletcher,” Maddox told Valerie.
With a start, Valerie turned back to her panel.
A few moments later, the ad
miral appeared on the split-screen. He wore his slackly-hanging dress uniform as he sat in his command chair. Fire burned in his eyes, though.
“Trouble?” Fletcher asked.
“No, sir,” Maddox said. “It’s possible I can work the disruptor ray.”
Fletcher’s features hardened. “There’s an ‘if’ with this.”
“Yes, sir,” Maddox said. “There is.”
“What is it?”
Maddox told him.
“I’m not sure you’re making the wise choice,” Fletcher said.
“You could be right, sir.”
“In fact, the more I think about it, the more I believe you should run away to fight again another day.”
“Fortunately, sir, it’s not your decision to make. It’s mine.”
Fletcher stared at Maddox. Impassively, the captain held the admiral’s glare.
“You’re a cheeky bastard,” Fletcher told him.
“I’ve heard that before, sir.”
“I pray you’re right about this ray.”
“Yes, sir,” Maddox said. “That means I’m bringing Victory forward to join the battleships.”
“You’re taking a lot on yourself, Captain. Have you stopped to think you may…?”
“Sir?” Maddox asked.
Fletcher nodded abruptly. “I accept your decision, Captain. I’ll admit wanting to live has something to do with it. But it’s more than that. These New Men have snookered me every way to Sunday. I’m sick of it. I want to bash them hard. If we can destroy the invasion armada, then I say let’s give it everything we have.”
“We’re on our way, sir. Captain Maddox, out.”
***
The two fleets headed toward each other. The New Men moved slowly, heading out-system. The star cruisers began to merge into their deadly cone formation. Last time, they had combined the many beams into one gigantic force of annihilation. Could the colossal ray destroy Victory in a short amount of time?
The Fifth Fleet had fifteen times higher velocity than the enemy armada. The Fifth moved in-system toward the Laumer-Point near the star. The battleships, the best heavy cruisers and the empty motherships formed a front sheet of armored vessels. Now, Starship Victory headed toward the firing line. Waiting in the back were the worst damaged vessels, the smaller ships and the loaded carriers.
The Lost Command (Lost Starship Series Book 2) Page 41