"A fire ship, Captain?"
"A tactic notably used by the British, French, and Spanish back in the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries, but normally credited to the Byzantine Empire back in the seventh and eighth centuries on Earth. When the wind was right, they would set some of their own naval ships on fire and push them into the path of oncoming enemy ships, or ships at anchor. The wooden ships of the enemy, without benefit of self propulsion, were often unable to avoid the fire ships that sailed into their midst, so they would likewise catch fire and be destroyed. Our torpedoes were launched so close to the pursuit ships that they never had a chance to knock them down before they reached their objective and detonated. Eight guidance specialists in our weapons control center flew them into the cruiser and destroyers once they were fired from the Baroness by Lt. Jacoby. Essentially I made the Baroness into a fire ship, without the usual visible signs of danger. At least as much of a fire ship that's possible in the cold vacuum of space."
"But why did they even pursue it? It wasn't a warship and posed no threat."
"I speculated that they would lash out at anything, in their anger and frustration. Tolatsak wanted a victory— needed a victory, no matter how small, at this point."
"They came here with twenty-six ships and they're down to nineteen now," Lieutenant Ashraf said smiling. "They've lost more than a quarter of their force."
"Captain Tolatsak won't be sacrificing any more ships needlessly. He has all the information about our defenses now. He knows that we're almost impregnable, so he won't send any more ships at us. He also won't be suckered by any more escaping ships."
"What will his next move be?"
"I can't see that he has any new options. He's tried threats, a tactical assault, sabotage, brute force, and been suckered by a fire ship. I suspect that he'll try brute force again, but he'll have to think about it for a while first. As you said, he's expended a quarter of his force and he has nothing to show for it."
Stewart SCB received a daily report from each of the ships responding to the call for assistance. If Captain Tolatsak believed that individual ships wouldn't attack an overwhelming force than he didn't understand Space Command officers. Captain Yung of the GSC Cruiser Song was ready to commit his ship to an attack of the Raider force as soon as he neared the base, but Jenetta ordered him to wait, and rendezvous with the Ottawa, who would arrive just a few days later.
It was obvious that Captain Tolatsak couldn't decide what action to take next because the days crept by without his initiating any attacks. He had tried everything that he could think of, and he had only succeeded in losing a good part of his task force. This was a lot more difficult than seizing freighters or passenger ships, even when they were armed. He had risen to command through brutality and cunning, but he had no formal military training, and he was ill equipped for an operation like this.
* * *
"That's all of the facts as I know them," Admiral Moore said to the other nine admirals in the meeting hall. The special meeting had been called as soon as Admiral Moore received news from Commander Carver regarding the Raider attack on Stewart SCB. "I'm open to suggestions on how we should deal with this threat."
"Carver is too inexperienced to handle this problem," Admiral Hubera said. "Pulling the Thor off its assigned patrol route shows that."
"For once I'm in agreement with Donald regarding Commander Carver," Admiral Plimley said. "She showed poor judgment in reassigning the Thor to other duties with the base's protection force so limited. We should assign a more senior officer as Base Commander for the duration of the Raider threat."
After discussing the issue at length, the Admiralty Board made a decision to relieve Jenetta of command.
* * *
The Ottawa arrived at the rendezvous point just after midnight on the ninth day. The Song had been waiting there, just ten-billion kilometers from the base, and well outside the DeTect range of the Raider ships, for several days. Jenetta called for a private briefing between all ship captains and herself, establishing a conference linkup between her small office adjoining the CIC, and the ships. There was no danger that the Raiders could eavesdrop as the signals between warships and the base were encrypted using the latest and finest equipment available.
"This plan," Jenetta began, "will require split second timing in order to keep casualties to a minimum. If the Song and Ottawa approach the station at their highest FTL speeds, the Raider's DeTect equipment will see their approach almost a full minute before they arrive, giving the Raiders plenty of time to prepare a warm reception. But that's only the situation if they perceive a threat."
"How can they not perceive a threat," Captain Powers of the Chiron asked. "They know that the Song and the Ottawa are coming. The Song and Ottawa are going to fly into a barrage of torpedoes like the one let loose at the Baroness."
"There might just be a way to get them in close without alerting the Raiders to their presence until we're ready to strike," Jenetta said thoughtfully. "I've been toying with an idea since yesterday. It will take several days to set this up, but if it works, the Song and Ottawa will be in the Raider's midst before they know they're coming. Then it will be up to all of us to follow through with the rest of the plan.
"Once it arrives, the Song will establish a wide, counter-clockwise path just five-thousand kilometers outside the ring of Raider ships, followed by the Ottawa exactly thirty seconds later. Just before the Song arrives, I'll open the outer doors of the base. This will put the Raiders on alert, and they'll be focusing all their attention on us. They may try to sneak some torpedoes in again, but our gunners have so far proven themselves superbly adequate to the task of stopping them. As the doors begin to open, I'll fire six torpedoes from our surface mounted tubes, holding the final six in reserve. The Raider laser gunners will then be occupied on defense, trying to shoot down our birds, when the Song arrives.
"The Song will be attacking the sterns of the Raider warships, their most vulnerable quarter, so she should be able to target, and launch torpedoes towards the Raider battleship, the only remaining cruiser, and perhaps a couple of destroyers before the Raiders can properly respond to the new threat.
"As soon as the Raiders become aware of the Song's arrival, they'll believe that opening the doors and firing the torpedoes was all a diversion. They'll probably turn all their attention, and their ships and guns, towards the Song. They may even initially believe she's trying to run the blockade and enter the base. As they open fire, the Chiron will exit the base and turn to larboard, following a path five-thousand kilometers inside the ring of Raider ships, while opening fire immediately with all bow, starboard, and stern torpedo tubes, as well as all laser arrays that can be brought to bear on the enemy. Fifteen seconds later the Ottawa should arrive and begin its run. The Asuncion will depart the base fifteen seconds later, following the inside track path of the Chiron.
"If this goes as planned, we'll have the Raider ships caught in a crossfire with approximately a fifteen-second spacing between our four circling ships. The spacing should put the ships out of each other's range, but all GSC ships will be using the 'Alpha-twenty-eight' rotating frequency ship protection code, so the guns won't lock or fire on our own ships if they should happen to be too close. The Hayworth and the O'Keefe will move closer to the port entrance and help protect the base from any Raider ships that try to enter the port while the doors are open. Between their torpedoes and laser arrays, and the defensive capability of the base, I doubt that any Raiders will be able to enter the port.
"Any questions or suggestions?"
"Have you considered simply out-waiting the Raiders?" Captain Wilmot of the O'Keefe asked. "We're protected in here, and they can't stand around forever. They have to know that other Space Command warships are on their way here with all possible speed."
"When I took this station, that was exactly my position. We were too vastly outnumbered to do anything else. We could wait now, parrying each thrust by the Raider fleet until we could asse
mble enough ships to take them on in equal strength, but given the number of ships in this deca-sector, that might take a year and a half. The Star Gazer crew, composed mostly of women, is being held either in one of those ships outside the base, or in the Star Gazer vessel itself. I'm sure I don't have to draw you a picture as to what is most likely being done to them. Then there's the matter of morale. We're little more than prisoners in here, just as the Raiders were when I took this base. If we do nothing, that has to have an effect on our people, while emboldening the Raiders to be more aggressive in the future. Finally, there are nineteen Raider warships still out there. That's nineteen more chances for serious harm to come to innocent freight-haulers and passenger ships if we don't stop them here. I'm sure that the Raiders have mustered as many warships as they could for this operation. That they could only put together twenty-six makes me more euphoric than you can imagine. They attacked Higgins with seventy-three. We've hit them hard during the past seven years, and we're seeing the effect of those efforts. I don't want the Raiders to slink away into the darkness of space when a large task force approaches in a year and a half. I want to take them on while they're overconfident about their chances to win the day."
There was nothing but silence to Jenetta's rousing speech until Captain Novak of the Asuncion asked, "If this plan is successful, how do we deal with the Raider ships that try to break away?"
"Use your judgment. If the main threat from the Raiders has been neutralized, you're free to pursue. But don't travel further than thirty minutes. If you haven't caught them by then, return to the base."
"Do I assume correctly that the base's laser and torpedo gunners won't be participating in this action?" Captain Powers of the Chiron said.
"Yes, that's correct, Captain, other than the initial volley. Things will be wild enough out there without you having to worry about stray fire from the base, even with the code protection system in operation. We'll only use our weapons to defend against penetration of the port by Raider ships. This is principally a ship-to-ship offensive operation."
"Commander," Captain Crosby said, "we had to leave the Maid of Mephad unprotected, in order to come here. I have about a dozen of my people on her."
"I realize that, Captain, but there wasn't any choice, and I believe that there's little danger. The Raiders will have assembled every available warship for this assault. As soon as this battle is over you may return and intercept her. Should your ship be incapacitated in the engagement, I'll send someone else."
"Thank you, Commander."
"Anything else? If not, we'll kick off at 0312 hours, three days from now. The Song should arrive at exactly 0320, and the Chiron will exit the base fifteen seconds later. Your CIC vid link will continue to remain open until the end of the operation so you'll all have up to the second information."
* * *
Chapter Eighteen
~ September 13th, 2274 ~
The DeTect equipment at the tactical station aboard the Raider battleship Colossus identified a potential threat at 2052 Galactic Standard Time. The Captain wasn't on the bridge at the present time.
"Commander," Lt. Bannock said, "I'm picking up something on the DeTect grid."
Instantly alert, Lt. Commander Villas said, "The Song?"
"It doesn't look like it, sir. There are multiple targets, and they're coming in real slow."
"How slow?"
"So slow I didn't even realize they were moving until now. The computer puts their speed at just under 80 kps. They won't reach us for more than six and a half hours."
"How many targets, Lieutenant?"
"It looks like two large targets and about thirty to forty smaller ones of varying sizes. It's difficult to tell because the small targets are so small that they keep winking in and out."
Lt. Commander Villas, who had been on the verge of ordering a call to general quarters, climbed down from the command chair and walked calmly to the tactical screen. He looked at it for a couple of minutes.
"I don't see any indication of power signatures?"
"No, sir. They aren't under power."
"What would you say they are?"
"It looks like a small asteroid that's broken up, sir, but it's not in the navigation hazard database. A collision with another could have altered its original course. It'll pass about five-thousand kilometers off our stern."
Lt. Commander Villas scrunched up his face as he wondered if he should alert the Captain. Tolatsak had gone ballistic when the Baroness destroyed four ships, and he hadn't calmed down yet. He was in such a foul mode that he turned on anybody bringing him insignificant news.
"I think you're right. An asteroid must have collided with another and broken apart while changing its direction of travel. In addition to the forty pieces we can see, there are probably dozens, maybe hundreds, of smaller pieces that aren't even showing because of their size. Log it in the navigation hazard database and ignore them."
"Aye, Commander," the tactical officer said as he set the computer to ignore the contact. He also sent a message to the other tac officers, alerting them to the approach of the tiny asteroid cluster and telling them to have their computers ignore it's approach and log it in their navigation hazard database.
* * *
At 0312 hours the giant doors that covered the opening to the port began to roll back. Jenetta could picture in her mind the activity aboard the Raider ships. They would be running about trying to get to their battle stations, and gunners would be directing their sights on the opening. Everyone who had access to a viewing screen would be watching the base. Up until now, the siege had gone according to the Raider timetable, so it was to be expected that they would be confused by this sudden movement at the base.
At 0315, the doors stopped moving. They were only a little more than halfway open. The opening was actually twice the space needed by the Chiron, one of the two largest warships in Space Command, to pass through, but the narrower opening reduced the margin of error and would usually dictate that they moved very, very slowly, using thrusters to keep the ship properly aligned in the middle.
"Com," Jenetta said quickly, "tell Station Control that I want the doors fully open!"
"They're reporting that the doors are jammed, Commander!"
"Tell them to un-jam them, now!"
"They report that that the doors won't move either way. They're checking the control panel wiring."
Jenetta looked over at wall monitor that contained the image of the Chiron's bridge. The captain had been listening to the talk in the CIC. "Your call, Captain. Should I cancel the operation?" Jenetta asked Captain Powers.
"Negative, Commander. My helmsman won't have any problem. Right, Lieutenant Carver?"
"Right, sir," Christa replied.
Jenetta smiled and nodded. "We're still go then, everyone. Fire torpedoes."
* * *
Just about the time the doors on the station jammed, alert horns and klaxons began sounding on every Raider ship. Third watch tac officers searched their screens for danger. They spotted the approaching blips on the DeTect screen, but their navigation computer told them that it was a logged asteroid cluster contact, and so ignored it. If they knew that it had been logged by the tac officer who had just gone off duty at midnight, they might have been a little more suspicious.
Half-asleep gunners throughout the ship raced for their stations in various states of undress. Pulses of coherent light reached out for the six approaching torpedoes and all six were shot down. All eyes watched the station to see what their next move would be.
* * *
The Song was just five-thousand kilometers from the Colossus when Captain Yung ordered the helmsman to wake up their Sub-Light engines and commence a circular course around the Raider task force. The dozens of fighters, marine armored transports, tugs, and shuttles peeled off and headed away from the station. This was no place for lightly armed and unarmed small craft. They had performed their task of acting as a screen for the two warships, and would si
t back and watch the action from a safe distance.
Imminent threat alarms began sounding on every Raider ship as the Song's tactical officer fired a full spread of torpedoes the instant the Sub-Light engines kicked in. Since the ship was already moving at 80 kps, it would take just seven seconds for the torpedoes to begin reaching the Raider ships. Guidance specialists took control as the torpedoes left the ship and flew them into their targets.
Captain Yung had already given his orders to his helmsman, laser gunners, and torpedo specialists, so he sat rigidly in his bridge chair and watched the large monitor at the front of the bridge. The ship began to turn on its planned circular course around the station, five-thousand kilometers from the Raider Ships, while the helmsman slowed the ship to Sub-Light-5.
* * *
Captain Tolatsak awoke to the sounds of the alert klaxon. He slipped into his trousers and headed for the door of his quarters without grabbing further clothing. He reached the bridge of his ship about the same time that the Song's fusion torpedoes reached the Colossus. For just an instant, his world was on fire, and then all was black. The Colossus was no more.
* * *
In the four seconds following the appearance of the Song on the holographic display in the center of the CIC, twelve missiles of death flew from its bow torpedo tubes. While those tubes were being reloaded, the Raider battleship Colossus, and the Raider cruiser, targeted with four torpedoes each, were wiped from existence.
As the Raiders became aware of the threat at their rear, and attempted to direct fire at the Song, the two Raider destroyers initially targeted by the Song, were also destroyed by fusion torpedoes. The Raider force now stood at just fifteen, and more importantly, the command structure had been interrupted with the losses of Captain Tolatsak and the cruiser captain who was probably second in command. Still, one lone Space Command cruiser trying to run the blockade wasn't going to frighten them away because they had a fifteen to one superiority outside the base, or so they thought.
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