“Have the Twin Sisters open fire,” Kirkland ordered watching the enemies’ progress from the bridge of the Half Moon.
A moment later the star destroyer sized particle turrets open fired as both maneuver drives and bender drives were hit from the close-range and deadly fire. Aft turrets on both ships made to return fire but were quickly silenced. The two Blue ships proceeded onto the opening continuing on momentum but they were now in bad shape.
Exiting the tunnel, they found themselves facing a fleet of enemy ships. Trying to contact their own fleet or even their battle destroyer still in the passageway was impossible as their communications were now being jammed.
The destroyer’s mistress quickly signaled her surrender and had her crew abandon ship. The companion destroyer mistress had her crew abandon her ship but she also activated her self-destruction matrix. The companion destroyer’s detonation probably came faster than was expected. More than half of the ship’s escape pods were in the blast radius and were destroyed including the ship mistress’s own pod.
The Wolf Squadron had already pulled back from their earlier positions from whence they destroy both Karduan ships. The companion destroyer’s explosion did nothing to harm the ships of the Confederation fleet and its destruction was all but pointless.
The Goliad turned to run as she came under fire from the rear of the enemy fleet.
“Sir, four enemy ships have set pursuit courses after us,” Curtis said as the ship rocked.
So far, the enemy energy weapons had been fired at long range and though they could feel the impacts they were still only producing minimal damage to heavily armored frigate.
Mike looked up to the holo-map and then to the sensor readouts on his chair’s screen.
“Two destroyer escorts and two sloops,” he said while thinking that the Goliad could outrun them. Still watching his sensors, he realized that these four ships were moving faster than they normally could.
“Sir, missiles and torpedoes are being launched from the pursuit ships,” PO2 Curtis announced.
“Fusion cannons and missile turrets focus on the incoming torpedoes,” he said knowing that his automatic missiles interdiction system would have the gauss cannons fire at will.
“Sir, these Blue ships have had some upgrades,” Pitt said from the helm station.
“At least they don’t have Blitzens,” he remarked as a missile got through their defensive screen and hit the aft of their ship, once more rattling the old frigate and her crew.
“They hit our maneuver drives,” Ryan said getting a comm. signal from engineering.
“Rotate missile pod one to the rear and fire,” Mike ordered as the direct channel to engineering signaled on his chair. Touching the sensor, the small screen showed the face of Chief Schmidt.
“Captain, that last hit blew out some of our power couplers. I rerouted power through the other ones but you’ll only have eighty percent of impulse speed,” he informed.
“How long to repair?”
“Half-hour,” he answered without hesitation.
“Get to it, I’ll keep them busy,” Collins said as the screen went blank.
“Sir, they are starting to gain on us,” Pitt said calling back to him from his station.
“Let them,” Mike replied and added, “Thrusters 180-degree spin and then full reverse. Let’s get our frontal armor facing them.”
“Captain, only four of our missiles got through their defenses,” Curtis informed.
“Four ships close together, I’m not surprised. Their defense grids are overlapping and supplementing each other,” he said now knowing the feeling of being on the other side of ships trying to overwhelm another ship’s defenses. All he could say was that it sucked!
“More missiles and torpedoes incoming,” PO2 Cutis called out.
“All energy weapons concentrate on the torpedoes,” Mike ordered hoping his gauss cannons could take out the incoming missiles.
Explosions swarmed around the old battle frigate as its anti-missile systems kicked in and detonated the approaching missiles. Unfortunately, three missiles got through.
“Damage report?” Mike said.
“The frontal armor took all of the hits,” Curtis called out and continued, “Hull breaches on Deck B and C.”
“One of our gauss cannons is none responsive,” Cindy back added.
“Enemy torpedoes are all destroyed or guided off course by our ECM,” Curtis reported, “but I’m detecting three more ships on an intercept course just ten minutes behind the others.
“Baker, use our particle cannon and take out their torpedo tubes before they get lucky or just overwhelm us,” Lt. Collin ordered and continued looking to the maser, “Type of these new ships?
“Two destroyer escorts and another Vanguard, PO2 Curtis reported and then added, “they are moving at faster impulse then their normal design would dictate.”
“It looks like each ship has a single torpedo tube that must have been added to their designs,” Ensign Pitt revealed having watched them launch on his monitor.
“Seven ships, they must really want us bad,” Ryan commented shaking his head.
“They’re not the only ship with some upgrades. Jeremy, alter course and bring us closer to that red star,” Mike instructed having an idea.
“Sir, didn’t you say that it was a flare star and that it liked to erupt?” Ryan asked in concern.
Collins ignored his question.
“I have an idea or two,” he said mostly to himself yet he was really unsure if it could work.
“Particle hit, to the first destroyer escort’s torpedo tube,” PO2 Baker said with a smile.
“Sir, detecting another series of launches from the pursuing ships,” Greg Curtis revealed.
Mike quickly brought them up seeing that they were grouped together.
“Another launch, both missiles and torpedoes,” the maser operator called out.
“They trying to overwhelm our defense grid,” their captain informed.
“Detecting a third launch,” Pitt called out from his sensor feed to the maser unit.
“Another hit, this time to the second vanguard’s torpedo launcher,” Cindy informed loving their destroyer sized particle turret’s longer range. Even these new and upgrades ships that were chasing them didn’t have such an energy turret.
“Captain, those three waves of missiles and torpedoes are going to get through,” PO2 Curtis said, it sounding like a death sentence.
“Petty Officer Baker, set one of our standard torpedoes to detonate with a proximity explosion and then fire it at the first wave of missiles,” Mike ordered.
“Aye sir, torpedo away!” she said firing it at the cloud of incoming warheads.
It took a few minutes but their torpedo intercepted and exploded inside the first wave. The tight second wave of missiles were close behind the first and were mostly destroyed from the torpedoes explosions.
“Third wave coming up next,” Curtis hollered.
Mike ignored him knowing that he couldn’t change the outcome of the fight between the missiles and his ship’s defense grid.
“Cindy, give me some good news,” he called.
“I’ve maintained continuously fire from our particle turret and we’ve knocked out three of their torpedo launchers on the closest ships,” she informed as the third wave of missile hits exploded around them and the old frigate rocked from their impacts.
The shock waves and missile impacts tossed the Goliad and its crew. The bridge lights went out for a moment before coming back on. Mike had gripped the arms of his captain’s chair and when the light came on he saw that his crew had learned their lessons from earlier battles and were all belted in.
“Damage?” he asked as he saw numerous red lights blinking on the control panels of his crews’ workstations.
“Gravity is out on Deck B, air leak on the command deck, several hull breaches to the front armor plating,” Curtis announced as he sealed his helmet along with the rest of the
bridge crew.
“Gauss cannon three has been destroyed, missile turret two in not responding, missile pod one has been badly damaged,” Baker added.
It could have been worse Mike thought thinking that at least missile pod one had already been fired.
“Keep pounding them,” he encouraged.
“Sir, the closer enemy ships are coming into their particle turrets’ range,” Ensign Pitt said.
Collins activated his direct comm. line to engineering.
“Chief, we need full speed,” he informed.
“Two more minutes,” he said sounding like he was working as he spoke.
“Baker, are they in our fusion turrets’ range?”
“About a minute after we are in their particle range,” she answered.
“They are launching more missiles,” Curtis announced.
“Focus all of our energy weapons and missile turrets on the closest ship and fire when in range. Missile pods two and four fire as the turrets do. I want two Blitzen loaded and fired behind the missile barrage at the two destroyer escorts,” he ordered.
“Missiles incoming,” PO2 Curtis called out as the frigate’s defense grid both opened fire with gauss cannons and tried to scramble the missiles’ target locks using their ECM.
“Full power restored,” Pitt yelled as enemy missiles blew up around them.
“Wait,” Mike ordered wanting to get some last licks in before he ran.
A few moments later the enemy ships opened fire with their particle turrets. A minute after that the frigate’s fusion cannons joined the fight.
“Fire missiles and torpedoes,” Mike commanded as his ship shook from energy weapons impacts.
The lead Vanguard had been the sole focus of their destroyer sized particle turret since silencing their torpedo launchers. Now with the fusion turrets joining in, the lead sloop was overwhelmed and quickly exploded.
Once more the remaining three Karduan ships were able to shoot down most the Goliad’s missiles but this time several got through damaging their hulls. The two Blitzen were time-fired behind their missile wave.
One Blitzen hit its target and caused massive damage to a destroyer escort’s bridge and forward half. The ship was for all to see destroyed from amid-ship forward. The second Blitzen was hit by defensive fire from point defense lasers and exploded in front of the two remaining ships.
“Sir, the second groups of three other ships are closing and are now moving into extreme torpedo and missile range,” Curtis called out.
“Helm, 180-degree thruster turn,” he ordered knowing that to get maximum impulse he’d have to turn his ship about.
“Aye sir,” Pitt answered.
“Detecting torpedoes and missiles being launched by the far group of pursuing enemy ships that are trailing us,” the maser station informed.
“Waste of ordinance,” Baker said knowing that at that range it would give them plenty of time to shoot them down.
“The two near ships will fire their remaining missiles when the far ships’ missiles and torpedoes come within range,” Mike explained just as the Goliad was hit with more energy weapons fire.
“My Lady, one of our pursuit ships have been destroyed by the enemy frigate and another is badly damaged,” the star destroyer’s Second reported monitoring the battle going on behind them.
“I don’t care about that ship, just destroy it!” Pir-Ly said refusing to be concerned with such a sole and minor ship. She almost had the passageway cleared and victory was at hand.
“Orders Mistress?” the Ship Mistress inquired as she dispatched three more ships after the human frigate.
“Have the KBD-T2 fire its spinal cannon and clear that passage of those heavy energy turrets.”
“Yes, my lady,” she replied as the communications operator sent her orders.
Inside the asteroid passageway, the battle destroyer fired not only its massive spinal cannon but also opened up with its forward particle turrets and fusion guns. After its first firing, it held its position within the passageway waiting for its spinal particle cannon to recharge before proceeding.
Once the cannon’s recharge cycle completed the battle destroyer continued onward. Behind it came three standard destroyers and a companion destroyer. Grand Fleet Mistress Pir-Ly’s larger star destroyer slowly moved up just short of the tunnel’s entrance.
On the other side of the passageway, Captain John Kirkland waited on the Half Moon for the next part of his plan to fall in place.
“Sir, the battle destroyer has fired its main gun as well as its energy turrets. The Twin Sisters are no longer responding to our command signals and may have been destroyed,” his fire control officer reported.
“That was to be expected,” the senior captain grumbled.
“Task Force Tail Hook is in place to carry out Operation Roundabout,” the comm. officer said.
“Signal them to proceed as planned,” Captain Kirkland said his eyes drifting from the holo battle map to the main viewer that showed passageway. The angle was from the front of the tunnel as the sensors in the rear half had been destroyed from the battle destroyer’s energy blasts.
“Captain, the rear of the battle destroyer is in position,” Commander Green announced.
“Sir, the Easter Egg is ready,” the sensors officer reported.
“Excellent, then it is time to crack the egg,” he said with a slight grin.
Aye sir, detonating the mine,” the fire control officer stated sending the signal to the hidden mine.
The Type Five Nuclear Mines were found on the minelayer/minesweeper, ISS Rebecca when the ISS Star Wolf had been stolen from Austro Prime. The first time they used two of them was when the Star Wolf escaped that system. It was then that they discovered that they weren’t Type Four anti-ship mines but were actually nukes. Needless to say, they destroyed the pursuing Blue ships. The second time they used one was when they bobby-trapped a crippled battle destroyer and in turn, destroyed a star destroyer in their trap.
Since that time, they had planted one of the powerful mines in the passageway to the Wolf’s Den. They were very similar to Type Four plasma core anti-ship mines. These mines were made entirely from special plastex alloys to avoid detection by even the most modern detection scanners. Add to that a two-kiloton hydrogen warhead with a jacked plutonium implosion core made them ship killers of the first class.
The Karduan battle destroyer KBD-T2 had swept the passageway clear of the enemy’s asteroid based weapons platforms and was confident that the way was now safe to traverse. Still, they were no fools and a destroyer moved up to lead the way with the battle destroyer trailing behind it at a safe distance. Two more standard destroyers and companion destroyer followed.
“Detecting a large explosion,” Grand Fleet Mistress Pir-Ly’s maser operator on the KSD-07 reported.
“What type of explosion and where?” the Ship Mistress asked moving from her position between the Grand Mistress and the sensors station.
“From within the passage,” she said and added, “it is a nuclear explosion with a massive EM pulse.”
“Tie us into one of trailing destroyer’s sensors and project it onto our central portal,” the Ship Mistress instructed.
The scene inside of the passageway was from the back most of the trailing destroyers.
The Type Five mine was not in the passageway proper but had been planted on an asteroid to the side of the tunnel and at a level deeper. The nice thing about nuclear weapons was like horseshoes and hand grenades you only had to get close to win.
The explosion ripped across the tunnel were the battle destroyer was traversing. The blast tore the ship into two and with the explosion somewhat confined to the tunnel it sent the broken remains of the once mighty ship hurling in opposite directions down the passage.
“By the Bright Lady!” cried the Star Destroyer’s Second at the horrific sight displayed on the central portal.
“Full reverse!” the Ship Mistress called out as the Grand Fleet Mis
tress seemed to be in stunned shock as they watched the effects of a nuclear weapon detonated in a confined area.
Their ship was safe but she was taking no chances. The two broken halves of the battle destroyer propelled like bullets in the chamber of a gun and hurdled down along sides of the corridor of rocks and ice like it was a rifle’s barrel.
The front half of the KBD-T2 rammed right into the destroyer near the exit of the tunnel. The damage to the smaller ship was extensive and its engines both bender and fusion were smashed beyond repair. Both the front half of the battle destroyer and the crushed standard destroyer rocketed outward, tangled together and into the open interior of the asteroid cluster.
“Tell the squadron to hold their fire and give these wrecks plenty of room,” Captain Kirkland ordered not about to waste any ordinance on these already crippled ships.
The rear half of the battle destroyer didn’t get nearly as far as it slammed into the companion destroyer followed by the standard destroyer directly behind it. Once hit by the aft section, the companion destroyer was propelled into the larger standard destroyer and was all but crushed between them.
The rear-most destroyer that had been broadcasting the signal was then hit by the combination of the aft section, the crushed companion destroyer and the lead destroyer. The companion destroyer or the aft section perhaps even both of them exploded, further damaging all of the ships trapped in this corridor of death. A moment later the signal ended either from the loss of the sender’s ship or the massive EM pulse that accompanied the blast.
On the Half Moon, Captain John Kirkland neither cheered or smiled knowing that he had caused the deaths of hundreds or perhaps even thousands. All he said to himself was, “King Harold at Stamford Bridge,” and slowly nodded at his successful defense of his system.
“Orders sir?” his first officer, Commander Green prompted knowing that at least half of the Karduan fleet was still out there.
“Take us into the passageway full impulse. Have ship wings Alpha and Beta follow us in,” he commanded and continued, “Break communications silence and signal Task Force Tail Hook to attack.”
Wolves at the Gate Page 36