There were five of them in her battlegroup. Their firepower, mass and significance after being fully refitted led to a reclassification from combat carrier to dreadnaught. The kilometre-long ships had the mass of nine Order of Eden heavy cruisers. Even the Merciless was a lighter ship by far with a quarter of the power generation capabilities. Even so, five Sunspire class ships wouldn't have made enough of a difference during the invasion of Haven Shore. The more concentrated fight for temporary control of Tamber would be a different story, though. "The Sky Queen is in position, they report that the Nafalli are ready on the ground," her artificial intelligence, Gus, reported in her ear. "Good luck, Admiral."
Even after a number of battles that was so high that it didn't sound correct when spoken aloud, she suffered from a little nervousness the instant before a new one began. It was like an old friend reminding her that any engagement could be a victory or a loss and that, for someone under her command, it was their first battle. Fear could be muffled and sometimes tamed, however. She opened battlegroup wide call, and the whistle that warned that there was about to be an announcement sounded. "This is a ship crewed by volunteers. Each and every one of you have my gratitude. You give me strength and hope. Hope can be a delicate flame. It must be tended by its keepers. Fanned, fuelled and guarded most of the time. Word is spreading throughout the galaxy that it was extinguished here, in the Haven System when we were forced from our posts. Well, these five ships never left." She could hear her daughter's voice in her own. It was there in her accent, and in an unnameable quality she didn't realize she and Ayan shared until then. Phase Seven was her idea originally, and Jessica certainty added to it, refined it, but it was the thinking of a real commander to hide assets right next to Tamber, in Kambis' radioactive atmosphere. When they left that behind, they cloaked, moving in and out of the system. They knew where the Order of Eden's forces were and how they moved. This would work, it would be a new beginning if it went off as hoped. The thought of spending time planet side with Ayan and Laura gave her pause. It was too sweet a picture for such a moment, a dream that might never become real.
"Admiral?" Captain Baker asked from the seat beside her.
Admiral Rice cleared her throat and pushed to the end of her speech, filling her voice with determination. "When Haven Fleet retreated, they left monsters behind. Five great predator ships that guard hope greedily, built it with hard work, patience and clever thinking. Now we lurch from the shadows to save thousands of Nafalli and even more humans who will join them on their ships, abandoning cities on Tamber. Now we reveal hope's flame so we can show the galaxy that hope survived and burns stronger than ever. In two hours the vast decks of this ship will be filled with thousands of people who thought we were forced to leave them behind. Hope will burn strong, and we will be lurking monsters no more, but bearers of a bright beacon. Sunspire!"
The crew cried; "Sunspire!" at her prompting and Admiral Rice closed the channel then looked back to her tactical display. All five ships reported ready.
"Order the Sky Queen along with the rest of our corvettes to strike the anti-air emplacements surrounding the main Nafalli settlement and Torjin City," she ordered. "The Sunspire battlegroup will initiate manoeuvre Delta around those two heavy cruisers; the Dominator Two, and the Dominator Three." The bridge went to work, and acknowledgements to her orders lit up across her tactical board, the icons for all five of her dreadnaughts turning from blue to green.
"That was a wonderful speech, Admiral," Captain Baker said. "You hope this will lead to our return, don't you?"
It was a forbidden topic. The dream of returning to the Haven System, making a home there was spoken of in whispers, as if getting too excited or hopeful would break the dream. While her small fleet waited in the shadows for a chance to make some kind of difference in the Haven System, superstition had crept in like a trickster of old, hushing dreams and encouraging new traditions. In the main galley there was a large image on one wall of the First Light crew during the Pilot's ball, and anyone who left that space to begin their shift had to touch it on their way through the door. That was one of many superstitious habits that had started up. Jessica wasn't immune. She didn't like talking about a triumphant return to the Haven System. It felt like she was chipping away at the likelihood of it every time she thought about it. "I hope to save as many people on Tamber as possible. We will make our home where we can afterwards."
Captain Baker straightened his Freeground Fleet style jacket and returned his attention to his duties. "I understand."
Her five dreadnaughts moved into a reverse V formation, accelerating towards the pair of Order of Eden cruisers. There was a cloud of fighters spilling out from their bays, most of them were making for the atmosphere. "Fire the anti-fighter guns immediately," she said. The manoeuvre they were executing dictated that they wouldn't be used for some time, they were to remain cloaked, but Admiral Rice knew the shields had a good chance of holding against whatever assault the cruisers could render.
On her order, fifteen rapid-fire forward-facing railguns on each of her ships opened fire, sending a barrage of metallic death at the fighters trying to get down to Tamber. The gunners had been practicing hard in simulations, and it showed. As they were struck, fighters lost containment, atmosphere bursting from ruptured cockpits as shards of high velocity steel battered their energy shields down and tore through thin armour. It was a bad day to be an Order pilot. Even still, some of the lucky and skilled fliers managed to stay roughly on course. The gunners weren't left unchallenged.
"Both of the Order Cruisers are firing on us. We have twenty-eight antimatter torpedoes mixed with cannon and missile fire incoming," Captain Baker reported.
"Refocus our anti-fighter guns on destroying those projectiles," Admiral Rice said. "Ronin will have to deal with whatever we couldn't stop from entering the atmosphere."
"That isn't much from those…" Captain Baker started saying, then their shields detected an antimatter detonation, and they were reduced to ninety-three percent. "We didn't detect that one," he warned. "It was from behind."
With a few taps on her main tactical panel, Admiral Rice instructed the Sentinel and the Guardian, the ships on each end of the V formation, to turn and follow backwards so their main scanning systems and weapons could cover their rear. There was something out there that they couldn't see, something cloaked. "Load and fire flak rounds away from Tamber for three seconds and scan the area. Then load Valent's burrowing rounds, be ready to fire." The man redesigned the rounds as a hobby project. Once the cruisers' shields were down, she'd launch them and see if they could actually work. She added her own touch; a high explosive that could be detonated once their primary mission was complete.
"Yes, Admiral," Captain Baker said, and seconds later there was an expanding aura of fine flak around them. The anti-fighter guns managed to destroy most of the first wave of projectiles from the cruisers. There was a momentary white-out of all sensors as another antimatter detonation from one of their torpedoes went off. "Tell the gunners to switch to intelligent tracking for perimeter defence." She said, watching the Sunspire's shields start recharging from seventy-three percent. It was a bad hit.
As a part of the planned manoeuvre, all the dreadnaughts fired their heavy antimatter beam weapons at the Dominator Two Order of Eden Cruiser, fifteen white lines converged on a point only a tenth of a metre wide. "Fire all shells," she ordered. Like a lumbering sea creature that was speared, the Dominator Two started turning and rotating, but it wasn't moving fast enough to evade. "The section of shields protecting their main magazine are down," Captain Baker announced, his gladness at the event was barely restrained. "Order Destroyers are moving in to assist."
"Breaking off their pursuit of the Merciless, as planned," Jessica said. "Signal the Rassaaga and the Triton. It's time they reduce their numbers."
"Acknowledged," Admiral McPatrick said as his hologram appeared beside her. "Thanks for letting us in on this fight. We are rapid-launching all fig
hters from behind the destroyer group. Our destroyers, Theta group, will engage from zero nine five, relatively above them."
"The Rassaaga?" Captain Baker asked.
"Doing its fly-by on its way to its final position over the Nafalli settlements," Admiral McPatrick answered.
"Fire five low-yield antimatter torpedoes at the gap in the Dominator Two's shields. We'll save the burrower shells for Dominator Three," Admiral Rice said.
A chain of white explosions struck the Dominator Two's naked hull, and she was impressed as the first three torpedoes only seemed to heat the plating. The fourth blasted it open, and the fifth struck deeper inside the ship. A yawning yellow and white wound was visible when the blast cleared. "Another volley, Admiral? They're still functional," Captain Baker asked.
"Hold a moment," Admiral Rice said. A much larger blast split the ship in half. "Their magazine was holding antimatter and lost containment," Commander Leeds reported from his Scanning and Sciences station. "Residual radiation levels are high, and the Dominator Two's systems are failing ship wide."
Another series of white flashes drew her attention to the main tactical hologram in the centre of the bridge, where it showed that the Triton had launched thirty cloaked antimatter torpedoes into the midst of the destroyer group as their opening salvo. A few of the ships were severely damaged. Hulls were open to space, one was missing several metres of its aft end, it was a spacer's horror. Even so, twelve remained, their shields were down, and the Triton led a charge with shells from her gunnery deck, reinforced by Haven Fleet heavy destroyers from above. Fighters were closing in; the whole of Trident Wing and the Apex class who were in the last part of their training moved like a swarm, sending hundreds of explosive stingers ahead to keep the enemy destroyers under pressure.
"Dominator Three is retreating," Captain Baker said.
"Continue the Delta Manoeuvre," Admiral Rice said. "Blast their shields down then launch our shells, we want access to their database."
Another antimatter blast struck one of her ships - the Guardian - taking its shields down to seventy-nine percent, then a follow up blast brought them down to fifty-six percent. It didn't come from a ship they had on scanners. "Get another ship behind us so we can intensify our scans, that wasn't from a bogey we have on the board," she ordered.
"Aye," Admiral McPatrick replied. "We're sending the Jester, our fastest Clever Class Corvette."
"I hope they're the bravest as well," Captain Baker muttered under his breath as he attended to the needs of the Sunspire and her crew from his terminal.
Ten
The Jester
* * *
"Head's up!" Traveller called over his shoulder to his new crew. Pixie was in the co-pilot's seat, not necessarily his first choice, but she had the talent he needed and she had been removed from the Excalibur crew. It was happening to a lot of pilots. "We're making best speed to a new location then blasting the area with scanners. We're gonna light up the sky." The engines howled and the frame of the Jester creaked as he gunned the main thrusters to full, sending them away from the group of Order destroyers they were previously ordered to harass.
"If there's anything out there…" Pixie started as she started plotting an escape jump.
"They'll know exactly where we are, yeah," Traveller said. "That's why we've got turrets, shields and great big engines on this boat. This isn't some pleasure-yacht. It isn't even a normal Clever Class."
The gunners pounded their seats and whooped in response. They could hear every word, Traveller made sure his channel was open at all times to all the crew, so he could give orders on the fly.
"We'll be on the mark in nine… eight… five…" Pixie counted out.
"What happened to seven and six?" Traveller asked.
"Acceleration," she replied. "We're here."
"All right, Damon, flash those scanners on maximum. Let's light up the sky." It was his first command, and Traveller was loving it. He graduated early with high marks, not quite making Commander, but he'd get there. It was enough to get him command of a Clever Class Corvette. It was an incredible variant, though. At least, that was his opinion. It was made for speed and agility, a pilot's dream in gunship form. It had so much thrust that the frame had to be reinforced and there were twice as many inertial dampeners compared to a normal corvette. The bay on the deck beneath him was made to drop supplies or shock troops. He requested a mine launcher instead, but there was no time to fabricate and install one. The Jester was a work of ferocious military art.
"Executing," Damon said dutifully. He wasn't happy about where he ended up, but he was good at his job. No one else wanted him and Hal needed a decent science and scanning officer - they were in short supply - so he took him.
Data flooded back into the sciences computer, and Damon shrieked. "Holy Mother of God! Those are Zhan Class!"
Three Zhan Class carriers, the same profile as the Triton only newer, appeared between the Jester and Admiral Rice's five dreadnaughts along with more Ramiel and Uriel fighters than he can count. "This is Traveller to Triton Flight and everyone else: Citadel ships have just been spotted," he jerked the controls and guided the ship away from the newly discovered group. They would know exactly where the Jester was thanks to the harsh energy they had to flash the area with so they could get clear readings from a position opposite Admiral Rice's battlegroup. "Scan data is being sent." He spotted his salvation: the darkened remains of Freeground Alpha, that thick metal ring in orbit around Tamber. "I'll evade if there are no other orders." His tactical screen warned that there were nine Ramiel fighters breaking off to pursue him.
"We're moving to intercept," Admiral McPatrick said. "We suspected they were here, now we know, get out of their direct line of sight and cloak, thank you Traveller."
"Should I keep scanning?" Damon asked from the sciences station.
"No!" both Traveller and Pixie shouted at him at the same time. He continued. "Go passive and turn all our cloaking systems up to maximum. Gunners: Fire, fire, fire!"
"It's about time," one of them said as all fourteen turrets aboard the Jester roared to life, sending shards of thin, energized shells through space as the Ramiel fighters gave chase. Their scanning systems had them locked in, they had to break their line of sight if they were to have a chance of hiding.
The Jester was turned towards Freeground Alpha, but it was over a minute away, and they were still drifting at speed in the wrong direction. He activated the Xetima fuelled afterburners. "Missiles," he told Pixie.
Her hands moved over the co-pilot's controls, working with aim assist for the gunners, rechecking their course so they didn't collide with anything.
"Pixie! Missiles!" Traveller exclaimed, it sounded more like a croak, his voice sounding as tense as he was. It wasn't a question of whether or not the fighters would catch them. The question was; how hard would they hit the Jester when they locked on?
"Oh, me?" she asked, flicking the cover for the micro-missile launcher system open then setting them to target the lead fighters, which were firing some kind of new pulse weapons. "Volley one," she announced as thirty-five missiles erupted from their rear launcher.
The Ramiel fighters evaded, trying to dodge them and the relentless gunnery fire as the Jester started to move in the right direction. "Thank you."
"Hey, you're going to burn all our afterburner fuel away," Pixie advised.
"I know, but we want to get to cover, right?" Traveller retorted, pointing at Freeground Alpha. "That's billions of tons of cover."
"We don't know what the Order have been doing there since we left the Haven System. It could be full of traps, or even rigged up to blow apart."
"It's dark, there are no power readings, so I hope that means they've been doing nothing," Traveller said. "It's better than flying around out here with our asses hanging out the airlock."
Another group of fighters popped up on their scanners as they opened fire; it was a trio of Uriels, their energized rounds pounded their shields, redu
cing them to eighty-four percent in one pass. "Did those come from the Freeground ring?" Damon asked.
"No," Pixie replied. "Definitely not. Sending hunter missiles after those three, in volley two."
"Oh, that's good," Damon replied.
"Wait, you're on the sensor station," Traveller said as he watched the Uriels go evasive, five small but deadly tracker missiles burst from the Jester's launchers and started closing on them. His gunners broke through the shields of two Ramiels, and in the next instant the fighters were taking direct damage to their hulls and thrusters. It was good, but not enough. Pixie was shunting reserve power to their shields, which were steadily going down. "You should be telling us where everything's coming from, not asking."
"I'm rusty," Damon shrugged.
"Shake it off," Traveller replied sourly. "Or I'll glue you to your chair until you measure up, Able Crewman!"
"Wow, harsh," Damon mumbled as he turned his full attention back to the scanning station. "I want to do a high-powered scan on the Uriels, they look different."
"Do it, then go back to passive," Traveller said. "They've got us zeroed in until we can get under cover anyway."
"Getting a read on that station at the same time, too. I'd best impress or Captain will be cross," Damon muttered the last.
"We're closing awfully fast on the surface of Freeground Alpha," Pixie said warily.
Hal waited a few more seconds, watching the collision warning turn from yellow to red on his navigation panel and Freeground Alpha's armoured hull fill his simulated cockpit view before firing the retro-thrusters. Traveller rolled the Jester, aiming for an ancient scanning tower jutting out from the surface, or rather, at a space right beside it. They passed within three metres and he grinned as two Ramiel fighters collided with the thick metal surface of the station below. Fresh scan data appeared on his navigational heads' up, and he focused on the hologram overlaid on his view screen. "Switch those scanners to passive and hang on," he said. "Fire one more volley of seekers at everyone chasing us."
Spinward Fringe Broadcast 14 Page 8