The soft voice rang across the bridge. "Approaching engagement range. Contact at T-minus 5..4..3..2..1."
The cannon fired. A familiar low frequency rumble echoed through the corridors.
"Direct hit." relayed Kanook. “Looks critical.”
"We've got their attention now."
“They’re still closing in, Sir, undeterred,” reported the tracing officer.
“Yeah, I can see that.” Ryan glanced down at the weapons officers. “Fire at will, Weapons. Measured approach. Do not miss. Give'm hell."
The cannon started firing a steady rumbling beat, each throbbed and echoed in thunderous waves throughout the ship.
Ryan circumvented the globe, attempting to get his mind wrapped around the three dimensional positioning. The cannon fire was tearing into them, but they easily outnumbered their small fleet by a factor of 10. A number of Alliance captains lacked interstellar battle experience. This was going to be a difficult battle to win.
"Communications, can you split the channels over the overhead monitors?"
“Aye, Sir.”
A secondary array dropped down out of the ceiling. Faces of numerous captains pasted themselves onto the displays. In battle conditions the navigation globe remained strictly reserved for tactical, disallowing any communications imagery.
"Captains,” Ryan stated in a calm assured tone. “Standby for engagement.” The cannon were thundering, and the noise was pounding down through the corridors leading onto the bridge from multiple directions.
“Ensign, please seal the hatches!” relayed Ryan.
The junior officer below scrambled to trigger all systems that controlled the hatches. Soon the noise was muffled to a low-bass pulse of thunder.
“Captains, we've successfully turned them from engaging the Signite base. Now the heat's on us. Remember to keep an eye on your reserves. I know they are low. I estimate we'll be in full engagement range within 15 seconds. I'll be relaying formation instructions as we maneuver. Coordinate with me where possible and ensure you stay out of my rotation space. Good luck."
"Enemy contact range in T-minus 5 seconds," announced the soft voice.
“Helm, full 15 degree roll, Z-minus 150 degrees. Now!"
The huge starship began to roll end-for-end, no longer decelerating. It was time for the gunners to take over now.
Ryan hit the ship's intercom. "Everyone, keep sharp. Aim well. Trust your instincts. Remember your training... and take those bastards out!"
He closed the channel and hesitated.
Was that enough? Some inspiration he provided - that announcement was weak at best. He wasn't a damned leader. What the hell was he doing on the bridge anyway? He should be in the Queen! He belonged there, not here.
"Helm, alter for evasive at will."
The officers glanced up apprehensively. It was their first battle with this ship. No one knew how she would behave, or to what limits she could be pushed.
Ryan could see the doubt and fear on their faces. It was like a disease that ate away at one’s very being, crippling your judgment, causing fatal mistakes. A Commander must provide the confidence, subdue the fear before it eats away at his crew’s abilities.
Problem was he didn’t feel so damn confident, either.
With an angry mask, he glared back at them. “This ship won’t let us down, so you do what you have to do, and do it right.”
White faces turned back to their work. They were oblivious to the Commander’s insecurity. His brief message was all they needed. Their shaky fears were replaced by grim memories. Hate burned strong within their hearts. The Commander wanted them to take these bastards out, and that is what they were going to do.
* * *
Almost every ship was exchanging fire now. Thick streams of searing plasma hung in the space between the two approaching fleets, the remnants of superheated blasts. The Alliance ships launched a salvo of missiles, many detonating prematurely but some reaching their targets. Ryan monitored the exchanges, reviewed the positions, and ceaselessly belted out commands to coordinate with the other captains.
"Helm, 360 degrees roll now!"
The gigantic vessel rolled gracefully, this fact noticed only by a few, including the Commander. He not only watched how the ship responded but assessed how well the crew guided her. He noticed the weapons officers were having difficulty hitting their targets. The ship's ancient targeting systems were inferior to modern designs and required an overhaul.
"Weapons!"
Heads turned, momentarily startled.
"You have to trust your instinct. Don't expect a targeting lock every time. These systems are too old and out of calibration. Trust your instincts. You won’t miss."
The officers were nervous and frustrated, but they listened to their Commander. After all, he knew how to stay alive. He knew how to win.
One... two... three misses. The fourth split an approaching cruiser in two – another fatal wound to the enemy fleet.
Ryan gave a quick glance to the wall monitors. Power levels were down to 55%, even though central engineering had the matter collection vents on maximum. Maybe they should dip into the planet's atmosphere? No, that would slow them down too much. Just maybe...
The mothership’s fire remained focused on the cruisers, systematically taking them out, outmatching their steady onslaught of cannon fire. The opposing fleets drew close together. Soon the antimatter shielding would be useless. Unlike the modern vessels, the Mothership did not have the improved Xeronian technology and they would be relying on the outer hull armor.
Ryan had a plan. "Helm 60 degrees on X-axis. Navigations, set trajectory directly underneath the planet, acroluc one. Maximum deceleration on the apex. Engage now!"
The huge ship stopped its spinning and shot past the approaching fleet in a bold flash of light. An Xi-cruiser which had been closing in to wreak havoc on the mothership began to flex uncontrollably. It strayed from its trajectory and collided into a group of escorting destroyers. Kanook looked up from the tactical, a slight smile on his face, and an eyebrow raised in wonderment. Ships in space were rarely lined up on such close vectors. It was either a freak of timing or pure genius.
The mothership's brief acroluc jump had brought it directly underneath the planet. They were now using its gravity to help them loop around at a breakneck speed. Simultaneously, the matter collection vents were taking in a great gulp of energy as they scooped up atmosphere. But the maneuver was chancy as the old ship could break apart under the titanic stresses at play. Vibrations carried along her decks, bulkheads contorted ever so slightly. Monitors glowed red as warning indicators peaked beyond maximum levels.
Ryan ignored them. He could feel the heaving vibrations through his hands.
She would hold.
The tactical was alive with crossfire. Lortay, McClary and Dorftal's forces were firing relentlessly, but the cruisers were beginning to slice them apart.
They had no focus, no precision of fire, Ryan thought angrily.
"Commander! Collision imminent with an Alliance ship!"
"Then tell him to move!" yelled Ryan, watching the tactical, his gut twisted sickly.
Move dammit!
3..2..1.
They scraped by one another.
Ryan swore sourly.
“Weapons, focus fire on those cruisers.”
The tactical revealed an ugly picture. The Alliance were in disarray, had lost their cohesive punch. Uncoordinated strikes were yielding poorly. Casualties were climbing.
They didn’t need his cue. The cannon started pounding.
Multiple destroyers burst into gaseous plumes and shards under a direct hit from the main cannon. Alliance ships once under duress, found themselves free of the enemy’s barrage.
A refitted slaver was running parallel at 200 degrees. A familiar face hailed Ryan on the monitor. It was Wharsoff.
"Commander, we are pleased you have arrived."
"Wharsoff! Regroup those orphan squads, will you? We're m
oving in."
The Showmish Captain did not bother to reply. His ship veered away, others began falling into standard attack configuration as their courses merged.
They were headed straight into the Xi-Empire fleet. The remaining Xi-cruisers were reacting in frantic attempts to move out of range of the incoming cruiser killer, but they were positioned at a disadvantage, effectively outmaneuvered.
Dorftal’s ship was too far in the lead, taking the brunt of the fire. It would hold off the destroyers, but not the cruiser’s main cannon. From the tactical, it was clear what the cruisers were intending.
Ryan looked over at Kanook, “Range?"
He shook his head. “15 seconds."
"Weapons, divert all fire to the cruiser at 010-454-554." He read off the globe's coordinates for clarification, although it wasn't required. They had their own tactical display and they knew what to do. The true question was: did they have enough time?
“Just a few more seconds,” added Kanook.
But it was already too late. The pursuing Xi-cruiser fired. Part of Dorftal's ship disintegrated. Its shielding collapsed, overloaded by cruiser's massive cannon. The wreckage spun uncontrollably, leaving behind a trail of debris and corpses.
The Xi-cruiser didn’t get a second shot. The mothership’s cannon blasted directly into its midsection. For a brief, yet eternal second, the huge Xi-cruiser seemed to push on undaunted until a string of explosions started down its length, each blast triggering another.
Ryan looked over to Kanook. He needed a report on Dorftal's ship, although he avoided forming the words. Kanook's eyes hadn't left the tactical. His hands flew over the tracing scanner array controls in a blur.
"Some good-sized pieces left, Commander. There’s a good chance of environmental containment. I have multiple life sign tracings."
"Com, give me all Dorftal's deployment lines."
Another line of monitors folded out from the ceiling. Links were established to the additional ships, some small one-man vessels, others larger destroyer class. "This is your Commander, assuming squadron lead. Proceed at a 45 degree vector, course 000-440-334. Spike ball formation."
The spike ball was the most unusual of all the formations. The ships formed a sphere, rotating in a full 360 degree defensive position. This was not used often, as a well-placed missile could destroy the whole lot, but in tight quarters it was deadly.
Kanook gave him a surprised look.
Ryan smiled. "Cat and mouse. That other cruiser will turn away to attempt a shot at them. That Xi-bastard can't resist the temptation."
Ryan downloaded the navigation data from his vaskpar directly into the tactical console. The course vector, signified by a bright red line within the globe’s holograph, writhed as it adjusted to the changes. The helm officers, in turn, worked furiously to compensate.
"Helm, bring us around," ordered Ryan casually.
The mothership swung, navigation burners blasting to push the gigantic vessel into position. Destroyers were coming up on their port side, firing unmercifully. The mothership's turret gunners bravely fended them off. Side missile launchers roared successively as they busily spewed out their ancient poison. Still, the Xi-Empire ships pushed in closer, their weapons flaring in vengeful arrogance.
The mothership's shielding somehow remained intact under the onslaught. The antimatter grid dissipated the enemy's fire into waves of energy, the energy reclaimed into the main power network through the outer hull receivers. The powers involved were titanic in scope. Clouds of pure energy raced along the hull, destined to reinforce receiver grids. The nebulous edge of one of these energy clouds touched an external power relay. The result was explosive, leaving sections of the outer hull disintegrated, and fires racing back through the corridors, chasing escaping gases. The horrible shrieking sounded through the ship, and deafening sirens sounded, forcing repair teams to jump into action.
Grim-faced gunners continued on, oblivious to the havoc around them, sealed off in their self-contained gunnery chambers. But no ears could avoid the haunting wails that carried through the corridors, not even those on the bridge.
The tactical was alive with the enemy. Ryan decided on a brash maneuver. "90 degree roll on the X. Now!"
The huge ship banked its gigantic wings again, cycling over quickly. Three destroyers, passing too closely, were slammed by the rotating wings with lethal force. The mothership’s outer hull collapsed at the collision points, but the antimatter shielding was already feeding upon the alien ships' mass, engulfing the remnants of the vessels. The enemy vessels collapsed in upon themselves, imploding into successively smaller chunks.
Reports flooded onto the bridge. Ryan scanned them over the vaskpar. Relatively speaking, the damage was minimal. He checked the tactical. The destroyers were no more.
“Cruiser moving into position,” reported Kanook.
They both inspected the tactical. The cruiser was slowing, positioning itself to fire into the configuration of Signite starships, just as Ryan had predicted. The Xi-Captain, in his eagerness to destroy the Alliance, lethally exposed his ship through veritable foolishness, by broadening its target profile. The mothership's four cannon fired simultaneously, penetrating through the cruiser's shields and tearing a large hole into the vessel's belly.
Over the vaskpar, Ryan ordered Dorftal's squadron to break formation and move in on the remaining destroyers. With only one cruiser left, the Xi-fleet was in chaos, some were retreating, others had decided to attempt another strafing run. The cruiser broke away, attempting to close into the planetoid.
“He’s going for the base before we can destroy him,” Ryan commented to Kanook. “Navigation, intercept that cruiser.”
They had already anticipated him. Course vectors had already changed.
They were improving.
He watched quietly as his bridge crew coordinated their efforts in the daunting task of destroying the enemy, carefully orchestrating a complex dance of maneuvers, releasing a cannon blast, maneuvering, accelerating and firing again. The Xi-cruiser was elusive, somehow repeatedly dodging sure death, utilizing its shields to the fullest. It was clear this was no ordinary Captain at her helm.
Ryan checked the capacitor levels. They were dropping dangerously low. "Hold your fire. Release your targeting locks and standby."
He studied their target on the tactical. The weapon systems targeting programs were failing consistently, attempting to compensate for the randomly moving vessel, which was pushing burners to the maximum.
"Weapons, deploy missiles to force him into position, then activate the cannon. Send off a full salvo. I want this bastard out of the picture."
They followed his advice with precision. The missiles did their function, and the enemy held course long enough to achieve a lock. The next blast of cannon fire ran true. With main burners destroyed, the cruiser veered away from the planet, searching for another escape route from its gargantuan pursuer.
"Cripple it. Do not to destroy it," Ryan ordered.
The sluggish target was easy pickings for the weapons crew, and the cruiser went adrift, both of its main burners down. The mothership came alongside, her gunner turrets blasting at key areas which dared to return fire. Once the exchange had finally ceased, the cruiser, now dark and lifeless, could be boarded.
Ryan ordered McClary's ships to move in. It was a risk, since the enemy could always initiate a self-destruct, as these were vessels of war. The Xi-military fought by code. Failure was worse than survival.
Ordered to board was out of pure instinct. No one could know for sure what state the enemy vessel was in until they reached the bridge and by then it could be too late.
The Alliance ships docked onto the cruiser in multiple positions, each with a calculated path to critical ship resources. No massive explosion followed and the boarding parties met limited resistance from a devastated crew.
A calculated risk. His instincts had not failed him.
Ryan monitored it all from the upper deck.
The last remnants of the Xi-fleet were being chased down and either obliterated or seized. Less than a handful of ships remained, and of those, only two had retreated far enough out to consider abandoning the chase. But then again, that would have been his call, not his allies, who continued pursuit not satisfied until every last one of them were destroyed.
Ryan didn’t bother recalling them, instead, he ordered the ship back to the remains of Dorftal's ship and began rescue operations.
A very special deployment of the Xi-Empire fleet had been literally crushed by a much smaller force of the Galactic Alliance. The ramifications of this loss had yet to be felt by the Xi-Empire. The fleet had been under orders to regain and secure all Xi-colonies and then subsequently flank Zorlog's attack fleet at G0015-A.
But they never made it.
* * *
Hours later, the mothership went into orbit around the Signite base of Gairf.
The Commander ordered all the ranking officers to join him aboard. He paced the deck, awaiting their arrival. There were a lot of unanswered questions, and as many problems to solve. His turmoil was briefly interrupted by a warm message. It echoed within his mind, soft and gentle.
"Good work, Commander. You've just destroyed a fleet of Xi-Empire’s finest. Something that hasn't been done in centuries."
That made him smile, at least, temporarily.
The resident fleet generals, captains and squadron leaders crowded into the oversized planning room. The lot were weary but still tense from the excitement of the recent battle.
Ryan took the position to address them, felt their eyes upon him, sensed their self-induced euphoria of success.
"Gentlemen – I mean - all of you. We’ve destroyed a considerable sized fleet. But before we start patting ourselves on the back, I've a few words to say. I'm sure all of you realize it's time to move. A Nubok spy ship came in just minutes ago. We've established that this fleet was part of the Zigot league. They will have already passed the information about the Signite base to Xilo. If I know their leader, and I do, since I've studied every scrap of information on him, they'll drop whatever they're doing to give us another visit. I don't want to be here when they do."
A Bellicose Dance Page 55