by Gary Beller
The guns swung around to find targets, and began firing. Our first shots of the battle were directed at a pair of destroyers trying to fend off our torpedo assault. On our own, shooing away the larger warships might have been a challenge, but with the forward guns of three other frigates laying into them, the destroyers were reduced to burning wrecks in short order.
As we raced past the neutralized destroyers, we took another hit. This one wasn’t a glancing blow. A missile from a Dart hit at the junction between the hull and superstructure and exploded. I held onto my console as the ship shuddered and more alarms sounded. A half second later, a computer relay on the ceiling of the CIC sparked, popped, and burst, sending pieces of its sheet metal casing flying.
The shrapnel hit several terminal operators along Weapons row. Corpsmen raced in, and replacement crewmen took up two of the three vacant spaces.
“TAO, Weaps. We need someone on TorpCon.”
“Get someone on it!” Webb yelled.
“Everyone’s either busy or wounded, Ma’am.” The Weapons officer said, waving from one of the gunnery stations.
Webb leaned back, looking around. “Ebert, you know how to use the Torpedo console?”
“No Ma’am.” I said.
“You have 35 seconds. Learn quickly.” She said, pointing.
I stood and moved to the new station, carefully stepping around the wounded Petty Officer, trying not to look at the growing puddle of blood on the deck, or the splatter on the seat and the console.
I looked over the station and got my bearings. The system setup was fairly intuitive. Already in the cue was a target assignment, so I selected it and pulled it up. The control board showed the target’s relative orientation to our attack pattern. I selected the tubes I wanted to use, choosing one through four, and positioning the targeting cursors over where I wanted the torpedoes to hit. I put two on the engines, one amidships, where I figured the warp reactor should be, and the forth near the bridge. I assigned tubes five and six for follow up shots to aim amidships and at the engines.
“TorpCon ready.” I said. the red light indicating target lock blinked slowly, picking up speed as we closed.
“Weapons free!” McCormick said. As she said it, Evans fired her torpedoes and broke off. I slammed my hand down on the launch command, sending the first four weapons screaming away from the ship. “Clear the tubes!” Webb said into the Comm, so I slapped the fire control again, releasing the other two weapons, then held on as the ship pulled away faster than the inertial compensation systems could keep up with initially. I switched to an external sensor to follow the track of my torpedoes, and watched as they tracked in on a Heavy cruiser.
The heavy cruiser was almost twice our length and probably massed a dozen times what our ship did, but our torpedoes were a force multiplier. The torpedoes hit, two in the engines, one amidship, and one just missing the bridge, sending the cruiser out of control. The next two torpedoes tracked in and hit just off their intended targets, but close enough to unleash massive secondary explosions.
“Hits!” Webb said. “Looks like a kill, Captain.”
“Mr. Ebert, can you get a follow-up with aft torpedoes?” She asked.
“Not with that accuracy, but I can do it.” I replied, already preparing the firing solution.
“Fire when ready.” McCormick ordered.
I slammed the firing button again, releasing two torpedoes from our aft tubes this time, sending them screaming towards the dying cruiser, hitting her near a fuel pod. The explosion tore apart the forward end of the ship, leaving the remains of the aft hull to drift.
“Confirmed kill. Excellent shooting, Midshipman.” McCormick said, while the petty officer next to me gave me a high five. “Nice shooting, Mid.”
Our ship came around again, forming back up with our group to set up for our next attack run. While we set up, the newer frigates made their attack. Sergeant Raines appeared behind me as the Corpsmen removed the wounded spacer.
“Nice shooting, Ebert.” He said.
“Thank you, Sergeant.” I said, looking back, before returning to the console.
Sergeant Raines pushed his tablet in front of me. On it was a picture of the nose of a torpedo. It read “Howie’s Revenge.”
“Did I fire that one?” I asked.
“They are loading it in Tube 1 for the next run.” Raines said.
“I’ll make that one count.” I said.
Chapter 17
Our next attack run began as swiftly as the first, although this time there seemed to be a lot more cross fire coming at us as we charged in. Our target this time was a Banor battlecruiser, which my visual sensors showed was already showing some signs of damage from a long range duel with one of the Coalition battleships.
I set Tube 1 to target the warship’s bridge, with two, three, and four engaging its engines, and 5 and 6 on standby for a gut shot. I adjusted the feed on my upper monitor to show the bridge feed, so I could watch our progress in real time. The incoming fire was intense, although much of it sailed harmlessly between the four ships. The Battlecruiser we were attacking realized at least one of the incoming ships was aiming for it, and directed a part of her battery to target us.
The massive weapons opened up, raking fire along the formation, missing us, but just barely, and just missing the Carpenter as well. Hipper was not so lucky. The first two beams hit them squarely on the bow, detonating something just behind the forward sensor cluster. The next volley hit a fuel pod and the ship’s starboard engine, causing a massive secondary explosion, and sending Hipper drifting away. The guns of the small ship continued to fire, but it was a delaying action. Moments after the catastrophic explosion, escape pods began to jettison.
“Stay on course, Helm!” McCormick ordered, although the stress was beginning to creep into the Captain’s voice.
Evans took a hit just aft of her warp ring that looked like it could have been bad. After a moment of everyone holding their collective breaths, someone on the bridge relayed that the beam had passed clean through the ship. Although that outcome was still not positive, it was a much better alternative than touching off an anti-matter explosion.
“Ten seconds to launch.” Webb said. The light picked up pace again as we approached the imaginary line in space where our weapons would have the most impact. As the Evans crossed that point, she launched all six of her torpedoes and pulled away, although not as sharply as she had before. Her lack of sharpness on the maneuver cost her, as two move volleys of particle beams hit her upper works. Her mast was shot away and her upper hangar bay blown completely open. The wreckage of two jumpers floated out away from the ship as she pulled back towards friendly lines.
I got the indicator on my board that I was cleared to fire, and punched the firing controls, sending the first four weapons away, counted to ten, and repeated.
The torpedo from Tube 1 launched away from the ship and accelerated to maximum speed, crossing the thousands of kilometers between us and our target in very little time. Although the Banor warship attempted to maneuver away, the torpedoes matched it. The one painted in honor of my friend pulled up abruptly, rolled and pitched hard right, piercing the transparent metal panels that served as windows on the warship’s bridge, detonating as it hit the deck somewhere amidst the battlecruiser’s command staff.
The force of the explosion forced the atmosphere to blow through the forward windows, buckled the deck, and ruptured the outer hull, exposing the command deck to the harsh vacuum of space. The atmosphere leaking through the now perforated deck and damaged airtight bulkheads burned brightly.
We pulled off our attack run and escorted the damaged Evans back behind our own lines. I looked at the Petty Officer next to me, concerned. “Are we going to rescue those escape pods?” I asked.
“Those escape pods will vector back towards Koliath.” The Petty Officer said, “But our Destroyers will provide covering fire.”
“Okay.” I said, concerned still.
“Relax
,” He said.
I took a deep breath and listened in on the headphones. “Tell me they aren’t ordering us back for another one.” Webb said.
“We’re standing by for orders.” McCormick said. “CIC to Engineering, still waiting for that damage report.”
I punched a few buttons on my console and brought up the tactical view on the upper monitor.
As I watched the battle unfold, a symbol indicating the light cruiser UCSS Jacksonville flashed red and disappeared, followed by another representing a destroyer, the Stoddart
When we were finally ordered back into the fight, we were placed as a picket on the far edge of the lines. The main combat was now happening outside of the range of our guns, and although I was sure I could land torpedoes on a few targets, I was ordered to play a waiting game.
Petty Officer Zyka, who had previously clarified the escape pod situation for me, filled me in more. “Our job as a picket is to watch the flank, and make sure no enemy warships try to turn it. If they do, we fire on them and hold out until we get some big ships over here.”
“Makes sense.” I said with a shrug.
“Switch your sensor screen from pallets 3-Alpha sensor screen from pallets 3-Alpha Alpha and Bravo.” He said. By doing so, my sensor screen changed from a narrow, relatively short range view to a wider, longer field of view. “What did that do?”
“You had the torpedo targeting sensors up. This switches you to the Search and Track scanner, gives you a better picture. Just remember to switch back otherwise your torpedo launches will be line of sight only with no positive track.” Zyka told me.
“Aye Aye.” I said.
Picket duty was, frankly, boring. Despite still being in combat, the enemy did not try and turn our flank. When they did try and push ships that way, Cruiser groups would shadow them, ready to pounce.
“Engines, ahead One Half,” Captain McCormick ordered. I switched my sensors back to targeting on her orders, expecting us to be running back into combat. As we moved forward, we formed up with a Cruiser squadron on the attack. Along the line, the flanking units began an organized push, forcing the Banor into a kill zone in the center of the line.
“All weapons, fire at will.” Lieutenant Webb ordered.
“TorpCon, Torpedo 1. All tubes loaded and ready, Autoloaders on full standby.” The headset crackled to life.
“TorpConcopies.” I replied.
As we pressed forward, I began my sweeps. I found a Destroyer coming up fast, heading for the UCSS Normandy. I locked on and fired two torpedoes at the incoming threat and watched anxiously as they streaked through the void of space.
Moments after launch, they turned sharply and impacted near the midpoint of the ship. The long, heavy weapons punched through the hull of the enemy warship and penetrated deep before exploding. The titanic doublefireball ripped the once smooth-looking warship in half and caused numerous secondary explosions.
“Were those our torpedoes?” Webb asked.
“Affirmative, Lieutenant.” Zyka said.
“Nice shooting, Midshipman.” Webb replied.
“Thank you, Ma’am.” I said, a smile spreading on my face.
Chapter 18
As the flanks pressed in on the Banor, the enemy ships were forced to contend with our warships hammering them from three sides. As more and more of their ships were knocked out of action, maneuvering room became a luxury that the Banor were quickly running out of.
The few ships that did try to pull back and swing around were met by new arrivals: A Valderan battlegroup, responding to the urgent call for aid sent by the GovernorGeneral of Koliath, entered the system behind the Banor fleet.
“They should just surrender.” I said.
“They should. But they won’t. They are conditioned to feel shame and dishonor at losing. Even when badly beaten they will fight on.” Zyka told me.
The Banor continued to fight, although now they were completely surrounded. Banor warships began to push forward, having come to the consensus that they would either break free or die.
A cruiser came around and accelerated towards us. The big ship angled straight for us, but her guns didn’t fire. Ours, however, felt no compulsion to remain silent. Neither did I at the Torpedo console. I set my tubes for a delayed spread launch, setting each tube to fire in sequence with a 5-second delay between shots, and executed.
The six torpedoes streamed away at high speed, the first two slamming into the cruiser’s bow. She began a turn, and caught the next two on the flank. The last two hit just forward of her warp system, causing a cascading reaction that destroyed the ship.
“Nice shooting.” Zyka said.
“Thanks.” I replied.
***
The battle dragged on into the afternoon, with the Banor slowly being whittled away. Their defeat, however, did not come without a price to be paid. On the Armstrong, two dozen crewmembers, including three midshipmen, were wounded. Two spacers were killed when their spaces were opened up to the void of space.
I never knew precisely how many ships were involved on our side, mostly because I never took the time to count, but in the aftermath of the battle the remains of eighteen warships floated eerily in space. Five others were completely destroyed, their remains nothing more than shrapnel, spinning through the system.
As bad as our losses were, for the Banor it was a catastrophe. Virtually every ship they attacked with was destroyed or too badly damaged to continue fighting. Several damaged warships slipped away from the battle, leaving behind the dead and dying ships and crews.
“What do we do with them?” I asked Sergeant Raines, looking through a porthole at the still-burning hulks.
“Attempt to convince them to surrender. Give them 48hours to comply.” He said. “Of course by then we’ll be long gone. The fleet will handle them.”
By “handle them,” I presumed he meant destroying the ships somehow. Either by torpedoing them or having tugs push them off into deep space.
Either way, the humanitarian part of me hoped the Banor acquiesced and surrendered. Part of me knew they wouldn’t.
Chapter 19
“Convoy has formed up, Captain.” The Operations Officer reported to Captain McCormick.
“Anyone else ready to head home?” The Captain
said as the familiar vibration of a large number of warp
fields in close proximity powering up overtook the ship. “I am.” I said.
Several of the enlisted bridge crew agreed. The
Captain took her seat and activated the comms.
“Armstrongis ready.”
The stars elongated for a moment as we accelerated
into the realm of faster than light travel. We left behind the
battlefield, the broken ships, and the smoldering debris. As
we transitioned into faster than light travel, someone cued
up the song “Convoy” by C. W. McCall, lightening the
tone a bit on the bridge.
***
The first leg of our trip was, thankfully, uneventful. The
first night, though, I found myself feeling restless. I closed
my eyes and either saw the face of a Banor soldier in my
sights, or a card game with Howie. One came with the cold grip of fear, while the other brought heartbreaking
sadness.
Getting up, I walked to the mess deck and grabbed
a soda. Leaning back, I felt my back pop, releasing some
of the tension. Lieutenant Webb walked in a moment later.
She looked around, sighed, and was about to walk out.
“Can’t sleep, Mr. Ebert?”
“No, Ma’am. You?” I replied.
“Looking for someone.” A moment later her
personal comm chirped. “Lieutenant, Petty Officer
Danielson is at his post now.”
“Thank you, Chief.” She replied. “Want to take a
walk?” She said to me.
“Sure.” I
said, finishing my drink and placing the
cup next to the other dirty dishes. I fell into step with the
Lieutenant as we walked towards the elevator. Once in the
elevator, she hit the hold button.
“Jack, I’m going to tell you something I wish
someone had told me. This job you want to do, it’s not for
the faint of heart, the weak, or the timid. I know you are
none of those things, but I can also see you’re having
trouble adapting to this new reality.”
I was about to protest, but she was right. I knew I
could do the job. I had shown that much. The aftermath
was what was messing me up.
“You aren’t the only one. The transition from
innocent kid to seasoned warrior is never an easy one. But
you will adjust to it. Your friends and family will notice
the change, and may question it.”
“What should I tell them?” I asked.
“That’s up to you. I know some people who leave
combat and never say a word about what they did. I know
other people who literally can’t shut up about it.” “What about you?” I asked.
“I talk with my husband about it. He’s a Marine, so
he understands. And my Dad was in the Army.” She said.
“It helps if you have people with similar circumstances.” The elevator began to move, and dropped us off on
the O-2 level. We walked down the passageway to the
wardroom, where the Lieutenant grabbed a cup of tea,
offering me one. “I’m alright, thank you though.” She sat down, gesturing for me to sit across from
her. “Going forward your best resource is going to be
Sergeant Raines. Both for guidance and someone to talk
to.”
“He has been so far. I can’t imagine it changing
any time soon.” I said.
“One thing you’ll learn from him, is always trust
your NCOs. Officers who pretend they know everything