“What about the other armored cruiser group and the sloops and frigates,” the Ship Mistress asked.
Before she could get out an answer, someone yelled, “Star Fighters!”
One moment there wasn’t a star fighter to be seen but now they could see what looked like a hundred or more dots on the viewer growing in size as they streaked toward them.
“Tell those pathetic transports to launch their cargoes!” the Squadron Mistress announced as her ship rocked from another enemy hit.”
“Yes, my lady,” someone said.
“What of the other armored cruiser group?” the ship mistress asked unwilling to make such decisions without her approval.
“Send in our companion destroyers to keep them busy and order all remaining destroyer escorts to come about and engage their frigate and sloop force,” she commanded blinking and rubbing her eyes trying to get them to focus again. Her head hurt with every movement but she had to stay conscious if her squadron had any chance of survival.
The ship mistress rushed to carry out her orders all the while thinking that the only way to keep the enemy busy was to let them shoot holes in them.
The ISS Goliad and the other fast attack ship came out of the gravity well like bats out of hell. The thirteen ships appeared almost as one and the months of sentry duty had worked to dull the enemies’ reflexes at their sudden appearance.
All seven frigates and six sloops let loose with torpedoes and missiles barrages as they closed the distance to the enemy fleet. The Karduan ships were stationed exactly where they had been when Mike had come through here two months earlier on the Star Tiger. They were also a little too close to the well, being set up in a right and left echelon formations with the battle destroyer as the point of their configuration.
Mike had informed Admiral Dupain about the advantages of TPA or Trans Poly Aluminum on Karduan tracking sensors but even after searching Hanson’s Station and Starbase 24 they only found enough to coat the torpedo housings of just four torpedoes. She didn’t seem worried about that and now he knew why.
She had four Dasher Type Blitzkrieg Torpedoes. Dashers were equipped with ECW or electronic counter warfare. They’d be shot into enemy formations to scramble their electronics, interfere with the enemy ships’ target locks and would send out false ship readings.
Amongst their first volleys of missiles and torpedoes, they had fired the four TPA coated torpedoes and the four scramblers. The element of surprise is a formable advantage in combat. Add that to ECW torpedoes and you get a hell of a wakeup call for the Kardies.
The Goliad had two TPA torpedoes loaded and one Dasher set up for the second firing. The other Dashers and TPAs were spread out amongst the fast attack wing’s ships. As their wing came through they’d be fired sending out a wave of missiles and torpedoes.
Mike had ordered that the TPA Blitzkrieg torpedoes be fired at the battle destroyer and the standard destroyer that were right in his flight path. He wanted to disable the battle destroyer’s engines whereas for the destroyer he had targeted that ship’s bridge. The Dasher was fired as soon as they could reload along with a standard torpedo. The Dasher was targeted between the two ships in the middle of the squadron. The standard torpedo was headed right for the battle destroyer’s bridge.
Missiles turrets and his Karduan particle cannon were also fired as they headed full impulse through the enemy fleet. His fusion cannons would open up as they came in range. He did hold back from using his new missile pods, wanting to wait for the moment that they might really be needed.
Other sloops and frigate of the fast attack wing fired and closed with the larger enemy fleet. By the time they had returned fire they had already deployed all four Dashers and had scored significant hits on the two destroyers and the battle destroyer. Mike’s first shots with the TPA torpedoes easily hit their marks. The battle destroyer had been hit in the engines and the standard destroyer to his port side had taken a critical bridge hit.
Unfortunately, this standard torpedo was destroyed just short of the battle carrier’s bridge. He was sure that it at least shook their teeth. Missiles exploded all around them as they hit their marks or where exploded from anti-missile point defense lasers and gauss cannons.
Beside him, the sloop of war ISS Portsmouth followed him in as his wingman running right between the enemy capital ships as they received enemies’ return fire. The ISS Goliad rocked from several hits as her inertia dampeners fought against each hit. Mister Pitt stayed on course as they cleared the enemy’s single line of ships. Open space was in front of them but it wasn’t as empty as they had thought.
“Sir, two human freighters, dead ahead,” PPO2 Curtis sang out.
“What about our capital ships,” he asked looking at the holo-map.
“They all made it through and are engaging the enemy line,” Curtis replied from the space radar unit.
“Helm, bring us about,” Mike ordered.
“Aye sir, coming about,” Ensign Pitt replied.
“Comm. open a channel to all fast attack wing ships,” Collins said not taking his eyes from the holo battle screen.
“Channel open, nine ships reporting in,” Specialist Ryan.
Mike nodded knowing that three of their ships had been disabled before they could get through the enemy’s battle line.
“Prepare for another run. This time right at the enemy rear. We will hit them and turn to port and regroup beyond the end of their line. Don’t pass through just hit them hard and turn out. We’ll continue to strafe the other ships as we pass their rear.”
“Just kicking some ass!” Cindy Baker said from her station.
“Damage control, how do we look?” Mike called activating his direct link to engineering.
“Sir, we took a couple fusion hits to the hull but only one hull breach on C-Deck crew quarters. I have the droids and a damage control team on it.”
“Casualties?” he inquired taking a breath and holding it.
“Three wounded so far, Med-Bots working on them but there may be more, we have our hands full down here and some people are missing,” Schmidty answered.
“Stay frosty, we’re going back in,” Mike said reminding himself that he can’t be distracted by worrying about something he can’t control.
“Sir!” Curtis yelled and paused.
“What?”
“I’m reading multiple small crafts being launched from those captured human freighters,” the petty officer announced.
Mike looked to his holo-map and saw their signatures and quickly recognized them.
“They’re Karduan fighters, SF-18 knockoffs,” he said and added, “Give me a number.”
“I’m reading maybe thirty, no thirty-two,” he said and continued, “sixteen from each freighter.”
“Junk carriers,” Mike said a little louder then he wanted. “Inform the Castor that we have incoming enemy fighters.”
“Aye sir,” Ryan replied passing on the information to the flagship.
“What’s a junk carrier?” Pitt said as he brought the Goliad back into position for their next run.
“Civilian freighters that have been transformed into small carriers. They can only hold a dozen or so fighters and usually have to launch them by decompressing the entire cargo deck. We did the same thing with two of our armed freighters that are with the Wolf Squadron.”
“Sir, message from the Castor,” Specialist Ryan announced, “They say to stay on mission and that their star fighters will meet us and intercept.”
“Acknowledge their message and then …” he said and paused as his eyes scanned the holo-map. “Patch me through to the ISS Balaclava.”
“Yes sir,” came a quick replied as he sent opened a link to the frigate.
Mike saw the channel open on the arm of his captain’s chair, “Balaclava, you are the furthest out, we’ll lead their star fighters into the main battle and keep to the plan. I want you to circle back and take care of those two freighters. Get them to surrender or blow their
engines off but make sure they won’t be able to escape or recover their star fighters.”
“Roger that, Goliad, we’ve got it!” a voice responded followed by the link closing.
“Signal the fast attack wing that we’re are going back in,” Collins ordered, “Mister Pitt, full speed if you please.”
“Aye sir,” the young ensign said taking the old frigate back into the fight.
Having turned and brought themselves around, the fast attack wing of sloops and battle frigates once more rushed into the fight heading right for the enemy’s rear. This time though the enemy had other problems to worry about.
“I don’t care about the damage to our engines, use the thrusters to turn us and align the spinal cannon!” Cen-Kol yelled hearing her people scramble around.
“Mistress, I’ve sent our companion destroyers KCD 18 and 23 to block the other armored cruiser and its light cruiser escort’s advance to our starboard side but they won’t last very long against them,” the ship mistress said sounding sure of the outcome.
“Good, what about their star fighters?” she asked still rubbing her eyes and shaking her head. Her vision was coming back but it was still pretty blurry.
“Fifty of them have hit the ships in our line and have passed by heading for our incoming fighter force. The others are concentrating on the destroyers and companion destroyers,” she informed as the battle destroyer rocked from a dozen minor hits.
Squadron Mistress Cen-Kol knew that those were missile hits and however bad they were they would not stop her massive ship.
“Are there any star fighters attacking us?” she asked.
“None,” the ship mistress replied.
“Are either of the armored cruisers in range yet for a spinal cannon attack?” she demanded, knowing that with so many star fighters the only reason they wouldn’t have them attack was if that were about to use a spinal mounted particle cannon.
“No, they are still a few minutes out,” their space radar operator said.
“Something is missing?” Cen-Tol declared wishing she could see her viewer.
On the ISS Castor, the scene was slightly different.
“They have fallen into our trap,” Commander Wallace, the heavy cruiser’s captain said standing to the left of his chair. In his captain’s chair sat the admiral to whom he had graciously offered his seat to for the battle.
“Yes, except for their junk carriers and fighters everything is as we thought,” Admiral Dupain stated, looking from her main viewer to her holo-map and then back to the chair’s display.
“All ships are firing as they come in range of the enemy,” the maser operator said.
“The Fast Attack Wing is starting their return run. Lt. Collins reports that they have thirty-two enemy fighters in pursuit,” the comm. officer reported.
“Fine, have fifty of our fighter move to intercept, signal the fleet to continue as planned.”
“Ma’am, the battle destroyer is using her thrusters to turn and aim at the Formidable,” the maser operator called out.
“They’ve taken the bait,” Captain Wallace said with a nod of satisfaction.
“Tell the Formidable to reverse course and open fire with her spinal cannon. Have the ISS Conqueror use her spinal cannon as well on those companion destroyers,” Dupain ordered her eye locked on the screen.
“If both armored cruiser fire their spinal particle cannons they will have to go through their recharge cycle and the battle destroyer will think they have an opportunity,” Wallace said with another nod.
“Let’s hope, full speed ahead and relay that to Pollux,” she said and added, “just a few more minutes and we will have them.”
Mike and the Goliad were still leading the charge at the back of the enemy fleet with Karduan fighters not ten minutes behind them. As they rushed back into the main battle four enemy destroyer escorts were detected breaking off to intercept them from the front. They were spread out and not in any type of formation. His fast attack wing still had four frigates and four sloops.
“Have everyone pair up, frigate with a sloop and take on a DE. Tell the Portsmouth that they are with us,” Lt. Collins ordered going after the destroyer escort covering the battle cruiser’s rear.
“All ships have acknowledged,” Specialist Ryan confirmed.
Mike got up and moved to the helm position, stopped and looked over to the fire control station.
“We have the range with our guns so give them hell!” he said as he made eye-contact with Cindy Baker. She nodded with a grim expression on her face.
Collins could see that they were scoring hits with their long-range missiles but he had ordered his torpedoes to fire at the battle destroyer’s engines. He had to keep damaging those engines and keep her from using her in-system drives to maneuver.
A particle shot from the battle cruiser’s aft turret hit at that moment and the old frigate shook for a moment.
“Sir, torpedo tube one is down,” Ryan called out as the damage report came in.
Still standing next to the helm, Mike leaned down to Jeremy.
“Tell me Mister Pitt, have you ever played chicken?” he inquired in almost a whisper.
“Ah ... no sir,” he said and swallowed hard.
“No time like the present to learn,” Collins replied, “Set course, right down their throats.”
“Aye sir,” Jeremy answered adjusting their path.
“Ryan, signal the Portsmouth to stay on mission and pound those engines before veering off,” he ordered returning to his chair.
“Sir, several hits to the destroyer escort, their anti-missile targeting is still down or has been knocked out,” Curtis called out just as the frigate rocked from a particle hit fired from the destroyer escort.
“Well, their energy weapons are doing just fine,” he commented.
“Coming into our fusion range,” Baker called out.
Mike looked to the holographic battle map floating to his left and nodded to himself. He had been waiting for this moment.
“Continue firing all weapons on the destroyer escort,” he stated and continued, “Time for our little surprise. Prepare missile pods one and three to fire,”
“Yes sir, pods are both green light,” Baker called back.
“Fire pods,” he said.
“Missiles away!” she announced,
The four corvette missile pods each had twenty missiles. By firing two pods he sent forty missiles along with the missiles from his turret based launchers. All the while he had been pounding the destroyer escort with his long range and heavier energy weapons. The incoming barrage was too much for the destroyer escort’s point defense lasers and dozens of missiles hit their target.
The damage was extensive for the small warship and a large secondary explosion occurred blowing a huge section off of the top deck and making a large hole in their hull. The ship immediately went lifeless and stopped firing. No escape pods were launched from the now wrecked ship.
“Helm, hard a port, continue on mission,” Mike said and added, “all guns switch to the battle destroyer until we are out of range. Signal the Portsmouth to break contact.”
“Enemy star fighters closing in,” PO2 Curtis announced seeing that they were only three minutes from being in range.
“Rotate missile pods two and four to rear alignment and fire when in range,” he commanded and looked to the holo-map to see where the Confederation fighters were. He then grinned seeing that friendlies fighters were just two minutes away.
“In range, sir,” Curtis and Baker both called out at the same time.
“Fire missile pods,” Mike said thinking that should slow them down.
Again, forty missiles fired as one targeting into the enemy fighter wings. The KSF-18s were equipped with countermeasures and as well as gauss cannons and they opened up on the incoming missiles. Only three Karduan star fighters were hit by the wave of missiles but they now had other problems as fifty Confederation star fighters streaked past the Goliad to en
gaged them. Firing missiles and closing the distance both sides moved closer as they took casualties and a massive dogfight now ensued.
Firing the last of his torpedoes at the battle destroyer, Mike quickly ordered his ship and the rest of the fast attack wing to disengage and break contact with the enemy. Their part of the mission was over and they needed to get clear of the area. Ordering them to meet at their secondary rally point he waited and watched as the rest of the battle unfolded.
Squadron Mistress Cen-Tol winced as the healer administered a second injection. The first shot had relieved her pain and the throbbing in her head. This one seemed to be helping her vision slowly clear. She didn’t know or care what was in the injectors as long as they worked. This was a fast battle due to the proximity of the range to the gravity well and now minutes were like seconds.
As her blurred vision cleared she saw the main portal first. It was a large screen and its images were easier to make out. It was in that moment that she saw a ship exploded from what she had to guess was a spinal strike.
“What just happened?” she demanded.
“The armored cruiser to our port has fired its spinal cannon and destroyer KD 58 has been hit. The particle strike ripped her open from bow to stern and her starboard maneuver drive was blown completely off,” the ship’s Second reported just as the KD 58 exploded from the damage.
“They wasted their spinal particle strike on a destroyer,” she remarked in disbelief and asked, “Are they in our range yet?” she knew they were aligned and locked on but they first had to have the range before they fired.
“No, my lady,” the space radar operator said and then informed, “They have actually reversed course to stay out of our range.”
Before she could respond a tremendous blow rocked the battle destroyer and the main power cut out for a few seconds leaving them in the dark before it was restored.
“What was that?” the ship mistress demanded.
“A frigate, it closed in from the rear and fired a torpedo into our fusion engines,” the maser operator answered.
Wolves at the Gate Page 23