by D. J. Holmes
Compared to the attacks on the system pickets the closing speed of the incoming missiles was a lot less, giving the defenders a few vital seconds to target the oncoming threats. Of the sixteen missiles launched at the shipyard, five fell to the point defense plasma cannons of the defenders. AM missiles took out another eight but three managed to penetrate the defensive fire and strike the shipyard, sending shockwaves along the large structure as they exploded.
Le didn’t have time to watch as he began to lead his own flight on its attack run. If he had, he would have seen the shipyard quickly break into a number of large pieces, all of which were dragged down towards Cook by the planet’s gravity. A number of them quickly burned up in the atmosphere but three large sections of the shipyard continued on to plummet towards the planet’s surface, forgotten by both the attackers and defenders in space as the battle raged on.
Le’s ten missileboats soon became nine as the battlestation opened up with all its heavy plasma cannons. Not designed for point defense, the larger plasma cannons were all but useless against missiles. Yet the sheer weight of fire the battlestation could put out meant his missileboats had to go into evasive maneuvers. The flak frigate also began to rapidly fire rounds off at the incoming missileboats as they approached but, at its outer range, the fire was spread too thin to be a real threat and only one more missileboat was hit.
As the missileboats finally entered the range of their own missiles, time seemed to slow down. As one the remaining eight ships ceased their evasive maneuverers and turned towards the battlestation. Immediately, one missileboat exploded as a flak round detonated in close proximity to it. Within two seconds the remaining seven missileboats fired off their fourteen missiles. The gunners aboard the battlestation Chester and the flak frigate Crossbow took full advantage of those two seconds as plasma cannon fire destroyed two missileboats and a flak round took out another.
As with the attack on the shipyard, the remaining missileboats managed their escape when the defenders switched their fire to the incoming missiles. Confident that he was safe, Le watched the missiles make their final attack runs. Pumping his fists he urged the missiles on. Fourteen became eight as the flak frigate filled space with a withering hale of explosions. Then the point defense plasma cannons added their fire. Eight became seven and then six. Finally the AM missiles were launched from the battlestation and frigate and six became two. Both struck the superstructure of the massive battlestation and Le saw it buckle as two explosions erupted from deep within. Yet, no secondary explosions followed and in dismay Le watched as the battlestation used its maneuvering thrusters to reorientate itself and open fire once again on his remaining missile boats with its large plasma cannons. Automatically setting his craft into a series of evasive maneuvers Le tried to pick out second flight from all the information on his holo display.
Second flight’s target had been on the other side of the planet and so they had headed up over the northern hemisphere of Cook. Decelerating as they approached their target, their missiles would have the smallest closing speed though their target was also the smallest. Sitting in geosynchronous orbit, the battlestation Oak was a much smaller version of Chester. Her job was to protect the small valstronium mining operation on the planet’s surface.
As all but one of second flight’s missileboats launched their missiles at Oak she tried her best to swat them out of the sky. Two fell to plasma fire and another two to AM missiles but that wasn’t enough. Multiple missiles struck Oak and she simply disappeared. Coming in sixty seconds behind her sister ships, the last missileboat of second flight fired off her two special missiles. They immediately dived into the atmosphere of Cook and used their ground penetrating radar to lock onto the underground mining facilities. Upon striking the surface, their valstronium cores allowed them to penetrate down almost a kilometer before exploding. Their momentum alone caused an explosion of several kilotons and the thermonuclear detonations of the two missiles ensured that nothing of the mining operation survived.
Once he had led his flight out of range of the remaining battlestation, Le waited for what was left of his other two flights to join him. Their numbers were severely depleted; of the initial thirty missileboats he had lost half. Yet they had accomplished their primary target, the shipyard was destroyed. The British would also no doubt have felt the loss of the valstronium mine and would have to divert important resources to repair their large battlestation. The mission had been a success. As the missileboats joined up and aligned into a single formation Le began to plan out the attack on Britannia. If Cook was anything to go by not many of his missileboats would make it out of Britannia alive. Still, that was what they had signed up for; they would do their country proud.
*
For the last several hours, Captain Lightfoot’s fists had been clenching into smaller and smaller balls as he had watched the updates come in from Cook. The initial destruction of two of the picket ships had been a shock; no one had expected the Chinese fighters to be able to take on a warship. What had happened next almost threatened to rewrite the rulebook on space warfare. Less than thirty enemy fighters had destroyed a shipyard and a precious valstronium mining facility. The officers on Ghost’s bridge had been trying to quietly discuss the significance of the attacks without Lightfoot hearing. Initially he had agreed with their shocked conclusions that the attack had left the RSN’s fleet obsolete. After having time to review the data as Ghost continued her journey around the edge of the Cook system, he had changed his mind. The flak frigate assisting the battlestation Chester had handed out a lot of damage to the attacking fighters and had also almost stopped all their missiles. If the second flak frigate had made it to Chester in time the battlestation probably wouldn’t have taken any damage. Likewise, if the shipyard had been fitted with three or four flak cannons, it too probably would have survived. The Chinese’ main advantage had been surprise and, if he had anything to say about it, they wouldn’t be getting that advantage again.
Ghost had dropped out of shift space 1.5 light hours from the shift passage to Britannia and in stealth he had begun to creep towards the area he expected the freighters to be in. For the past several hours the missileboats had been on a steady course towards the freighters, the gravimetric signals from their engines, now working at full power, giving them away. Only twenty minutes ago they began to decelerate and from this new data his navigation officer had been able to work out exactly where the freighters were waiting. No doubt they were powered down to avoid detection and Lightfoot planned to use this to his advantage.
“Sensors, let me know when you get a visual,” Lightfoot requested.
Before waiting for a reply, he switched his holo display to bring up the face of Lieutenant Beckford, the commanding officer of Ghost’s marines. Usually a destroyer warranted a full Major to command her marine contingent but as Ghost hadn’t officially passed her space trials one hadn’t been assigned yet. “Is everything ready at your end Lieutenant?” Lightfoot asked.
“Yes sir, my boys are suited up and ready to go. We’re about to load into the two shuttles now. I’ll be leading first platoon, while Sargent Jamison leads second. I’ve selected a number of navy personnel to accompany us on the shuttle in case we need them on board the freighter,” Beckford replied.
“Very good Lieutenant, I want you to run a final test of your jamming equipment five minutes before go time. It’s vital they don’t get a signal out.” Glancing away for a moment at another screen, Lightfoot then turned back to the marine. “We’re twenty minutes out now, good hunting.”
As the marine saluted before switching of his screen, Lightfoot walked over to the tactical station. Looking down at Lieutenant Johnston’s console he watched the Lieutenant for a few seconds. “Are you confident you can do what I’m asking?” He said.
“Yes sir,” she replied. “I’ve reviewed the technical designs of the American freighters. From the visuals, the computer is certain they’re both Liberty class freighters. All of their communica
tions relays are mounted on the aft mid-section of the hull. Our point defense plasma cannons should be able to take the relays out without causing any other damage; we just need to get into range. I’ve also reviewed the most recent American freighter designs, in case these freighters have been updated with any new tech. If they have any secondary communication relays we’ll identify them and take them out before they can be powered up.”
Satisfied that Johnston had things under control, Lightfoot patted her on the shoulder and returned to his command chair. After reviewing the details of the plan once more he spoke to the bridge at large to reassure them. “Ok everyone we’re ten minutes out from point defense plasma cannon range. You all know what to do. If you see even a hint that they are going to resist or are going to get a signal out you are to bring up our jammers. Otherwise let’s sit tight and let the marines have some fun for a change.”
Slowly the timer on Lightfoot’s holo display counted down, as it reached zero he began to bark out orders. “Johnston, now! Sensors begin transmitting. Lieutenant Greaves, open the shuttle bay doors, give Lieutenant Beckford the go ahead. Navigation, begin our deceleration burn.”
At once Lightfoot’s plan sprang into action. Six low powered plasma bolts shot out from Ghost and hit targets along the aft sections of the freighters’ hulls. Just as the Chinese officers on watch began to receive damage updates, their passive sensors began to beep furiously alerting the crew that a ship, impossibly close, had just opened its shuttle bay doors. Johnston’s shots had only taken out their outgoing communications relays and so into the mix the COMS stations aboard the freighters began to demand attention, for Ghost was bombarding their remaining laser COM receivers with a message to surrender.
“Chinese freighters, this is HMS Ghost. We have disabled your communications relays and are sending over a boarding party. Surrender immediately or be destroyed. You have carried out an act of war against Great Britain and we demand your surrender. Chinese freighters, this is…”
Lightfoot watched as the Chinese freighters remained inactive. Either their bridge crews were frozen in fear or they were simply overwhelmed by their situation. Either way it didn’t matter. The couple of minutes of inactivity had given the two shuttles enough time to latch onto each freighter and the boarding parties were already cutting their way into each hull. It was just as well that Ghost had been unable to slow down her approach for fear that the fighters would pick up her engine emissions and be spooked off. Even though the navigation officer had already begun to decelerate, Ghost was already passing out of point defense plasma range and couldn’t offer any support to the marines without giving her presence away to the approaching fighters.
Yet, now that the marines were on board, Lightfoot knew nothing short of a miracle would save the freighters. Even if the Chinese had a marine equivalent of their own, the short warning wouldn’t have given them time to prepare. His marines were going in fully equipped in powered combat armor. Checking his holo display, he could see a small energy reading coming from each shuttle, indicating they had deployed their jammers, stopping any personal communicators from sending a warning to the approaching missileboats. Confident that the first phase of his plan had gone well, he turned his attention to phase two.
*
By the time Ghost had worked her way back to the two freighters the Chinese missileboats were only fifteen minutes away. Once back in range of laser COMS, Lightfoot had contacted Lieutenant Beckford and was getting a report on the boarding action.
“So that sums it up sir. Both freighters are space worthy. Six Chinese crew were killed, we lost one marine to an armed Chinese officer and another injured.”
“Acknowledged Lieutenant,” Lightfoot began, “Have the engineers you took over with you had a chance to look at the fighter bays to give us a better idea of what we are facing?”
“Better than that sir,” Beckford answered. “There are ten more of the craft in each of the freighters. I’m sending you all the technical data the engineers were able to find or deduce themselves.”
“Thank you Lieutenant, I’ll be back in touch after I have reviewed the data,” Lightfoot said as he closed the COM channel and put the new data up on the bridge’s main holo display.
Without hesitation, the First Lieutenant began to walk the bridge through the engineer’s findings. Gomez had been with Lightfoot on Surprise as a Second Lieutenant and already, since Ghost’s commissioning a month ago it was obvious he wouldn’t be staying a First Lieutenant for long.
“It appears the Chinese call these fighters missileboats. They are equipped with two high acceleration low yield anti-ship missiles and a single plasma cannon. Their top speed is 0.35c and their acceleration is fifteen percent higher than ours. The engineers indicate that only the forward thirty percent of each craft is armored with valstronium so they are very vulnerable to proximity kills, either from a missile detonation or a flak round. The data we have from the battle around Cook indicates that each of the remaining missileboats fired of all their missiles so we just have to worry about their plasma cannons.”
“Ok,” Lightfoot interjected. “We’ll go with plan alpha then. Navigation begin to move us away from the freighters.”
The dilemma Lightfoot faced was simple. He knew where the enemy was going but he simply didn’t have the firepower to stop all of them. With over a dozen missileboats heading right for him, he couldn’t hope to take them all out with his plasma cannons before they were able to return fire and potentially cripple Ghost. If he tried to fire his missiles at them he would only warn them of his presence and give them a chance to escape. That left him with only one option; he was going to bluff.
Once far enough away from the two freighters, Ghost began to jettison missiles from her tubes. Without their engines engaged they simply floated in space. Ghost continued doing this for as long as time allowed before she turned around and headed back to the freighters. Just as the missileboats came to a stop 3000km, from the freighters Ghost turned to bring her main plasma cannons to bear on them.
“Captain, Lieutenant Beckford has informed us that the missileboats are contacting the freighters by laser COM. They are requesting the freighters turn on their running lights and open their cargo bay doors,” the COMS officer announced.
“Tell him to ignore them,” Lightfoot ordered. “Tactical, how many missileboats do you have targeted?”
“I have three lined up with our main plasma cannons and six more with the point defense cannons. Two more are within range of some of the missiles we released,” Johnston informed her Captain.
“COMS, when Johnston opens fire, I want you to immediately begin broadcasting,” Lightfoot ordered. “Johnston switch your targets as soon as you have a confirmed kill. On my mark. Fire!”
Bolts of plasma immediately shot out all over Ghost’s hull as every weapon that could bear on the fighters opened fire. At once, three fighters evaporated as heavy bolts cut right through them. Within a couple of seconds six more disappeared as smaller bolts peppered them and quickly punched through their weaker rear armor. Almost simultaneously with the explosions that marked the deaths of the first three fighters, two thermonuclear explosions erupted in the midst of the missileboats formation taking three more with them.
A number of the missileboat commanders immediately began to accelerate away from the area of destruction. Others, seeing a message being broadcast from Ghost hesitated just long enough to think through what it said.
“Coms, status update, has our bluff worked?” Lightfoot queried after the first shots were fired.
“I think so sir,” the COMS officer replied. I’m receiving surrender messages from all but three of the missileboats.”
Without looking over to Johnston, Lightfoot knew she was firming up firing solutions on the three remaining missileboats. As he watched, two heavy plasma bolts reached out and plucked one from the tactical display. Instinctively he knew that the other two were likely to get far enough away to allow their evasive mane
uvers to work well enough to escape. Quickly Lightfoot accessed the tactical feed himself and took control of the missiles Ghost had dropped. None were in range of the fleeing missileboats but four were close. Selecting them he sent their detonation signals and then flicked open a communication channel.
“Fleeing missileboats, you are in a mine field. Repeat you are in a minefield. The next detonations will not be a warning.”
Almost in unison both ships cut their drives and began to power down, announcing their surrender. Lightfoot let out a sigh of relief. He wanted to get all the missileboats. With their speed and agility it could have taken days to capture them, all the while they could have been harassing freighter shipping in the system.
Without the firepower to stop them, Lightfoot had decided to try and trick the Chinese commanders into thinking they had been trapped in a minefield. It wasn’t that unbelievable given the fact the Chinese commanders must have realized the RSN had found their freighters. Lightfoot was just glad more hadn’t tried to flee or worse, had opened fire on the freighters.
*
Half a day later Ghost, joined by the light cruiser Righteous, who had chased the missileboats out of the system, were escorting the two freighters back towards Cook. Already two courier ships were well on their way to Earth and Britannia, one to warn of a possible attack and the other to report back to the Admiralty. In his private office Lightfoot was reviewing the intelligence data the boarding parties had sent back when the officer on watch interrupted him.