The evening ended when Colin asked, “How long do you need to complete bringing equipment aboard the ship?”
Cal said, “We’ve loaded everything but the gear we need to launch. Once the Venoms are in Space, we’ll need two hours.”
“Good Commander, it’s late, and your people have worked hard. Launch early tomorrow and finish loading your equipment. We’ll leave the Station tomorrow afternoon.”
“We understand Commodore, thank you.”
Next morning, two Squadrons of Venoms launched from the Station and the support crews moved their remaining equipment on board FNS Harmon. While this work was underway, Queen Taveli’s envoys boarded.
The Destroyer departed Kislara Orbital that afternoon and moved away to allow the Venoms to land. The Air-Group part of FNS Harmon was busy now, for the first time since she launched. Colin brought his fleet together, and they set out for the Jump-Point.
FD-892S
FNS Harmon arrived in FD-892S, further in than potential defenders would expect because she entered Jump faster than usual. Colin had two hours to secure the System before the fleet arrived. After Down-Jump, four Cobras separated from FNS Harmon and took up flanking positions around the Destroyer. With the Cobras clear, a half Squadron of Venoms launched to extend the strike range further. Another half Squadron was on standby, ready to launch within two minutes. Another benefit of having these craft spreading out was that they are linked into FNS Harmon. Their Sensors added to FNS Harmon’s sensitivity.
During the trip, the Reapers, and Deaths Heads had worked hard, taking every opportunity to launch and hone their skills. Colin visited the Air-Group where he laid out the mission, so everyone understood what was coming. Far from worrying these people, the news excited them. The Venom crews were a long way from Cambridge when Pirates attacked, and couldn’t help their homeworld. Now, these men and women would help remove a sizeable Pirate base from Cambridge’s backyard. The knowledge inspired them to work harder.
FNS Harmon traversed the System to the Jump-Point leading to Hangelore. Behind, the Reserve-Fleet arrived. The tension was high in the Federation ships. Everyone knew why they were here and what happened to the last Federation force to enter Hangelore.
During the trip from Sankarah, technicians worked on automating four old ships. Others packed those same vessels with explosives and miscellaneous materials to form four massive fragmentation bombs. At each Jump-Point, along the way, Colin’s team measured how much Jump-Exit location varied with the entry speed. It was painstaking work, but when the fleet reached FD-892S, Colin had ideas on how to use the old ships to the most significant effect.
When the fleet arrived, it split into four Battle-Groups. One remained near their entry point, two began aggressive patrols, and one joined with FNS Harmon. When people heard Colin was looking for ideas, they flooded into his office. Someone from every ship contributed to the plan. The best ideas were fantastic at first glance, and Colin and his team worked hard to include them. Colin enjoyed the luxury of two months to plan and execute this attack. His earlier battles were firefighting actions with no time for upfront planning.
Colin ordered most of the group near FNS Harmon to move away from the Jump-Point. It was time to meet so Colin could explain his plan. Only Colin and his staff knew the whole thing. Although Colin tried, he couldn’t keep the plan simple. There were many moving parts and risks. The operation had a few pieces critical to its success, others were less so. FNS Harmon was the one central, indispensable element. She had two capabilities that no other warship in the Federation inventory possessed. FNS Harmon could carry out a series of rapid Micro-Jumps with little or no time separating them. Her second ability was to Jump with Cobras docked to her Hull.
The operation required three phases. First was to get someone into the System without catastrophic damage to their ship. The second was to clear the defenses near the Jump-Exit. The third was to defend the Jump-Point until reinforcements arrived and the final phase was to conquer Hangelore and destroy any Pirates they found, simple.
CHAPTER TWENTY-FIVE
THE SECOND BATTLE FOR HANGELORE PHASE 1
FD-892S
The Pirate ship Shizu waited in FD-892S watching. Suhmarlin Hazilsor sent a series of Sentry vessels to keep an eye on the Gateway into the Federation soon after the Kislaran defeat. He expected the Federation to react because at least one Kislaran vessel had escaped. Hazilsor’s stronghold was no longer a secret. Shizu used passive Sensors while she waited, so knew soon after FNS Harmon appeared. The Pirate waited long enough to see the balance of the Federation Fleet arrive. Once they’d counted the number of ships in the incoming Fleet, the Sentry turned and Jumped for Hangelore. The Pirates didn’t notice four Cobras disconnect from the first ship to arrive, or the Venoms launching.
After entering FD-892S, the Federation Fleet headed toward the Jump-Point leading into Hangelore. Everyone knew what happened when the Kislaran Fleet attacked the Pirate lair so by then, tensions rose throughout the Fleet. Officers on the ships worked hard to reinforce Colin’s message, he wouldn’t waste their lives. While they traversed the System, Colin took the time to make a Fleet-wide broadcast, reinforcing that same message to the Federation Navy personnel.
Colin said, “The Kislarans kicked a hornet’s nest here. Only one ship escaped from that disaster, and they’re here with us ready to fight again. This time, we understand what we’re up against and have plans to circumvent the known hazards. Technicians are putting the finishing touches on our first wave of ships. These ships won’t carry crews and won’t survive long after they arrive in Hangelore. They will, however, force the Pirates in Hangelore to consume much of their defensive armament in the Jump-Exit lanes. The Reserve Fleet and Kislaran ships won’t be first in, FNS Harmon and four Cobras will have that privilege. We’ll remove enough of the surrounding ordnance and fortifications so you can arrive in relative safety. This Fleet’s job is to take Hangelore from the Pirates and stop them using it as a base. We will avenge the loss of so many of our Federation Navy comrades and rescue survivors. We will send a message to these Pirates, ‘never tangle with the Federation Navy.’”
While Colin made his broadcast, technicians were busy setting detonators on the massive bombs filling every available space in the Fire-Ships. Each explosive package had multiple detonators with lines approaching along dispersed paths. If a Mine cut one or even two of the lines, others remained to initiate the explosions. Outboard of the explosives, they’d packed large quantities of scrap materials to act as shrapnel. They wanted to propel the shrapnel out into the Mine-Field and destroy many Mines. If they mopped up enough of the waiting ordnance, FNS Harmon should have time to raise her Shields before the waiting Mines attacked her. FNS Harmon’s dense Point-Defense might help protect the ship, and their final defense was to Micro-Jump away.
While waiting for the technicians to finish work on the Fire-Ships, Colin called the Captain of each Cobra in his Task-Force for an interview. The Commodore had concluded that he needed to spread the work among the Cobras. He wanted to give the people from Cambridge a break from the tensions caused by the hazardous first entry into Hangelore. To inform his decision, Colin assessed the others. Only four could go into Hangelore with FNS Harmon, and Colin understood which qualities they should have. He wanted people who followed orders but could still use initiative under the right circumstances. That required judgment, so Colin had to understand these people.
The Captains arrived one at a time over three days to meet Commodore Gordon. He spent several hours with each one but gave nothing away. After the last Officer returned to his ship, Colin locked himself in his Ready-Room to consider the options.
Six hours later, Colin had picked FNS Harmon’s cohorts and ordered the selected Cobras to dock with the Destroyer while they waited. He’d use the time to meet the Captains and complete the last-minute planning. Colin wanted to take one Cobra from Cambridge and chose FNS Theseus with Captain Sam Harland in command. This left seve
ral more experienced Officers on the wrong side of the Jump-Point. Colin wanted to avoid risking the best people at this early stage.
This was the operation’s critical first part. Until Colin’s people cleared the Jump-Lanes and brought reinforcements in, FNS Harmon and the accompanying Cobras were on their own. The Pirates outnumbered them in Hangelore, and the Federation ships had a limited window of time before the defenders brought an overwhelming force to bear. If enemy ships came too close, the five Federation ships could always run, but that defeated their purpose for being there. Colin overloaded his five ships with supplies to broaden their options.
Final preparations were in progress, so Colin arranged to meet the Captains who were going to Hangelore with him. At the appointed time, five Captains filed into the room and sat.
Colin said, “Thank you for coming. I need not tell you that our part of the mission is the most dangerous. We must neutralize enough of the defenses around the Jump-Point to allow the Fleet to come through Jump in reasonable safety.”
Sam Harland asked, “Won’t the Fire-Ships do that Sir?”
“We’re not sure. The Fire-Ships may turn out more successful than expected, but we can’t rely on it. We’re sending them through in the hope they buy us breathing room. I’ve studied FNS Disna’s Scan Logs, five months ago, beside the Mine-Field, the Alliance had Missile Platforms and two Battle-Stations. Those Battle-Stations have the potential to ruin our day if we don’t neutralize them.”
Dimitri said, “Commodore Gordon is saying the only chance we have is to go with our five ships and handle whatever the Pirates have arrayed around the Jump-Point. FNS Harmon has strong Shields and excellent Point-Defense. Add your Shields and Point-Defense to the equation, and we have a high probability of success. We have one other ace up our sleeves, two Squadrons of Venoms, that’s thirty craft. Four Venoms have the same throw weight as a Cobra for a single pass attack. So, we have plenty of firepower for this mission.”
Colin continued, “You will stay docked to FNS Harmon until you receive orders to undock. When we enter Hangelore, we won’t stay near the Jump-Point for long. Our plan is to Micro-Jump out of the immediate area, undock your ships and then return to do our jobs. I want you to make a single attack run past the Battle-Stations then start work clearing the Mine-Field. Unless it’s an Escape-Pod with a live Federation beacon, kill it before it can attack your ship. You must work your way to the Jump-Point. While you do that, FNS Harmon will take on the Battle-Stations. We have weapons that will hurt them, and our Shields are strong enough to withstand their armament, for a while at least. Are you ready for this?”
The others chorused their readiness and Colin continued, “Okay; when you return to your ship, slave your AI to FNS Harmon’s. That will allow a coordinated Point-Defense effort in Hangelore. For now, prepare your ships, we Jump in one hour.”
The Captains, except for Dimitri, rose and filed out of the room. When they had gone, Dimitri said, “Will we survive this Colin?”
“I expect some of us will Dimitri. I hope everybody does, but fear that may be too much to expect. These Officers are professionals who understand the risks. We must plan with the knowledge we have and rely on the professionalism of our people.”
Dimitri nodded and left.
By then, the Fire-Ships were ready to deploy. Crews lined them up, five minutes apart, and the ships started toward the Jump-Point at different speeds.
Hangelore
Shizu, the Pirate Sentry ship, arrived in Hangelore broadcasting the signal intended to stop the Mines from attacking. Technicians had programmed the computers controlling the ordnance to wait a few seconds after detecting a ship. While they waited, the computers listened for the safety signal before deciding to strike. This arrangement was a good one, provided a legitimate target wasn’t near a vessel transmitting the safety signal.
As it threaded its way through the Mine-Field, the Sentry ship sent a message to the Battle-Stations to tell them the Federation had arrived in the next System. Another signal went to Hangelore Orbital, so they had time to prepare.
Hours later, the first Federation vessel exited Jump in Hangelore and coasted away from the Jump-Point. A few seconds later, it hit a Mine that had drifted into the Jump-Exit lane. One Mine couldn’t destroy a ship under normal circumstances, but this was different. The Federation had packed this vessel with explosives from stem to stern. A piece of shrapnel the Mine dislodged from the Hull smashed into the explosives with enough energy to ignite the charge. A series of explosions rippled through the Hull until the ship’s reactors ignited. The resultant blast was gigantic, ejecting debris in every direction and clearing hundreds of the Mines near the Jump-Point.
On the primary Battle-Station, Van Tychsa, the Officer of the Watch observed this first ship’s arrival and the subsequent blast. This explosion was larger than anything he’d seen. Van thought it more potent than the explosions caused by the death throes of ships they destroyed when the Kislarans invaded. Worse, it killed many of the nearby Mines. Tychsa wondered what the Federation forces hoped to achieve with the sacrifice of so many lives. Whatever else happened, he thought this signaled the start of a Federation attempt to force the Gateway. Van concluded it was time to bring the Battle-Station to high alert and called the Station Commander, Sithu Harsen. As he waited, Tychsa realized this blast was dirtier than he’d seen in the past with shrapnel flying off in every direction. Although the worst seemed to be over, Mines continued to go offline, many when they exploded, others shutting down after sustaining damage.
Harsen strode into the Command-Center and asked, “What’s happening?”
“A ship just Down-Jumped and exploded. Sir, the explosion was bigger than anything I’ve ever seen.”
An exclamation from a Sensor Technician interrupted the Officer. As they looked on, another ship arrived, moved further into Hangelore, then it too exploded. Harsen didn’t think a Mine caused this although the aftermath caused the loss of more defensive ordnance.
Harsen said, “What the hell was that?”
“Another explosion Sir. It cleared more Mines near the Jump-Point. I think these are suicide ships they’re sending through Jump.”
Soon after, a Patrol-Boat arrived, this one Down-Jumped further into the System. Several Mines homed on it and attacked. One exploded on one side, pushing the Boat off course toward the Battle-Station. It drifted for a minute, then detonated, destroying or displacing more of the defenses. A large section of debris careened toward the Battle-Station, but Point-Defense turned it to pieces small enough for the Station Shields to handle.
Harsen said, “Send the Scan Logs to Hangelore Orbital. The Federation is mounting an attack.”
That was when the fourth ship arrived and exploded in a titanic blast that left a large volume for the next vessel to Down-Jump in relative safety. By then, both Battle-Stations had gone on high alert, expecting a large Fleet to arrive at any moment. Five minutes later, a fifth ship, this one much larger than the earlier ones appeared in the region cleared by, the explosions. Harsen waited for another blast, but the newcomer paused for a minute, then disappeared from their Sensors.
Harsen asked, “What the hell just happened? Where’d they go?”
The CCC team kept their eyes glued to the displays and their mouths shut. Nobody wanted the boss to notice them. Sithu Harsen’s eyes scanned the room, then he shook his head in frustration. He saw no gain by abusing his staff. They had nothing more to offer. He saw the situation for himself.
Instead, Harsen said, “Find that last ship. It must be somewhere close.”
“Sir, perhaps he Micro-Jumped away?”
“No, not possible, he’s just exited the Jump from the Gateway. He would’ve needed more time to recharge his Jump-Drives. No, he must be somewhere near here. The Federation must’ve developed stealth technologies. Find him before he can attack us, maybe we can capture this ship, what a prize she’d make.”
The Scan-Techs set to their tasks as they tried to
find the newcomer. Debris speeding in every direction from the explosions complicated the search, but they kept trying. They sensed that finding this ship was vital for their survival.
Hangelore Orbital
Suhmarlin Hazilsor was in a good mood as he returned to his quarters on Hangelore Orbital after tormenting his pet Admiral. ‘Zhavan is tough,’ he thought, ‘most would’ve told me everything I wanted by now and begged for death. This one will give me endless hours of pleasure.’
The Pirate smiled as he entered his chambers where a quivering slave waited with food and drink. Hazilsor’s slaves learned long ago that when he smiled, someone suffered because he was a sadist. When he was angry, someone suffered then too. The upside when Hazilsor was angry was that people died faster. He shoved the slave aside as he sat to eat. The squeal of terror that the slave emitted pleased him.
Hazilsor was still eating and amusing himself with his slave who cowered in the corner when the Comms-Unit buzzed. He glowered at the slave for a few seconds then answered, “What?”
The Officer of the Watch replied with a trembling voice, “Our Sentry ship Jumped back into Hangelore master. They report a large Federation Fleet has entered the Gateway System.”
Hazilsor grunted, then said, “I’m coming there, call my Commanders together.”
“Yes, Sir, I’ll call them now.”
Hazilsor rose from his chair and lumbered toward the door. The slave remained in the corner cowering, and Hazilsor considered kicking him, but the effort wasn’t worthwhile.
Star Strike: Book 3 of the Star Man Series Page 36