by John Carr
A squad of Imperial Marines standing guard at the bridge had presented arms, their corporal delivering a mournful Taps before a Navy bosun piped Adderly and his crew through the hatch.
A little late, Adderly thought.
There had been no such ceremony in the confusion of his arrival, but he had demanded it before he would set foot on KGV’s bridge. He would not explain whether his decision arose out of respect or superstition, but whatever his reasons, the Marines and bosun would carry the word to the surviving crewmen that the new skipper was a man who did the right things.
“All right, Jimmy,” he told his First Officer, calling up the KGV’s status report at his own command station screen.”Let’s see how the lady’s faring.”
Adderly s new command had come to him with more woes than just an empty bridge, but most damage-control reports were into the green already, the status lines reflecting the work of an excellent repair crew. Adderly saw that while several lines were still amber, only one remained red: BRIDGE CREW.
He frowned, tapping it with a knuckle, a habit as ancient as it was pointless. Finally he called the Damage Control Officer and informed him of the error.
“Sorry, sir. We show green for the bridge throughout the rest of the ship, probably something bollixed by that laser hit. Might have burned the sensors into that setting. Let me try a few tricks at this end.”
But despite the DCO’s efforts, the status line would do no more than flicker briefly into the green before stubbornly returning to red.
A bit creepy, that, Adderly thought, trying to make it sound humorous in his own head, but not succeeding. He noticed that even with a full and busy crew, the bridge was quiet. Men carried out their duties with subdued conversation, if any, and remembering the Strela’s crew, convinced of their own ill luck. Adderly wanted to avoid any such rumors aboard the KGV.
Put the dead to rest, Adderly thought. Sailors as a rule were a notoriously superstitious lot. The other half of the old saying suddenly came to mind. “And God grant they lie still...” Evidently Captains were no exception.
He had barely finished reviewing the repair operations when the Fleet alarm went off.
Adderly’s headset was patched into the Fleet Communications Net even before he was strapped into his acceleration couch. His fingers stabbed the acknowledgement codes into the commander’s terminal. Captain Lester was doing this less than a week ago, he suddenly thought, wondering what sort of man the KGV’s former skipper had been.
FleetComNet was chattering in his ears, giving him force deployment and formation orders; those of his officers who needed all this were getting it too, but everything in the Imperial Navy went past the “Old Man” as well.
The faint voices of acknowledgements were overlaid with the signal of Kellogg’s Fleet Operations Officer, Commander Sakai:” - reconnaissance reports enemy fleet elements approaching from over north pole of Tanith... one-fourth estimated surviving enemy Fleet strength in task force, Sauron Battleship Leviathan identified as core vessel... Task Force Washington, shift to Tanith-positive aspect and prepare to engage... Task Force King George V, status report...”
KGV’s Damage Control Officer replayed the information while Adderly ordered all shipboard systems to full alert; any repairs left for the KG V or the ships with her would have to wait; doubtless there would soon be more to go with those she already had.
Admiral Kellogg’s image suddenly appeared on all the command screens, abruptly breaking through the cacophony of voices. “Sorry, gentlemen, but the Saurons aren’t giving us much time for a battle briefing. This first wave coming over the pole means they’ll probably send the successive waves from the opposite directions along the equator and under the southern planetary axis. We can expect this attack to be typically Sauron-thorough; they rarely leave loopholes in their maneuvers that aren’t traps. Keeping that in mind, there is little excuse for us to fall into one. All Task Forces are to maintain strict cohesion; no one will engage until ordered to do so, and all activities are to be coordinated through myself or ‘Nevsky’s FleetOps officer, Commander Sakai. Kellogg out.”
Adderly sighed. This is twice now they’ve moved before we were ready for them. Diettinger really is the Sauron innovator the intel dossier has labeled him. The report had also noted that Diettinger had never lost an engagement of which he was in command.
“Terrific,” he said aloud. The Strela crews’ fatalistic attitude had now attached itself to him.
“Sir?” The First Mate looked up.
Adderly shook his head and grinned, deciding to try to bolster the crew’s confidence. “Nothing, Jimmy. Looking forward to some payback, is all. Signal the task force to come into formation.” At least this time there’s plenty of backup...
Task Force KGV was ordered to stand by in reserve for Washington’s move against the Saurons. Adderly found himself anxiously watching the combat holo, listening for the engage order, checking and rechecking the straps of his acceleration couch. Every part of him ached to close with the Saurons, fight them, hurt them, smash them.
He glanced at his bridge crew, survivors of the Canada. They were quiet, but not out of respect for their predecessors; now they looked less reverent than grim. Revenge for the Canada was at hand, and they couldn’t wait.
Adderly looked to his First Mate.”Blood in the water, eh, Jimmy?”
The First Mate smiled thinly. “Aye, sir.”
Adderly cleared his throat. In a low voice he said “Let’s keep our heads even so, shall we, gentlemen? The day of the week is wrong, but the toast fits: ‘A willing foe, and sea room.’ I think it’s safe to say that we’re all getting that wish. Just remember that this foe is all too willing, and any mistakes we incur in our eagerness can benefit only him.”
II
“Imperial Task Force Washington engaging the Leviathan element, First Rank. Wallenstein element accelerating and moving to engage.”
“Signal Damaris element to delay engagement until notified.” Mentally, Diettinger amended the timetable; the human norms might sometimes be predictable, but they were also more flexible in their thinking than most of the rigidly trained Soldiers. Their adaptability could produce unpleasant surprises.
“Lay in course for the spaceport, standard ground force retrieval maneuvers.”
He turned toward the sound of furious activity at a command station. “Weapons. Status?”
“All systems operational, First Rank.” Diettinger smiled at the strain in the officer’s voice.
Saurons were masters of remotely-piloted vehicle technologies: the Canada was now such a platform, its actions dictated by the First Rank, but initiated by Weapons, who still retained all his duties aboard the Fomoria. Weapons was carrying out his task admirably, but the Fomoria and Canada were both formidable ships, and even Saurons could only do so many things at once.
Task Force Washington engaged Leviathan’s group with all the subtlety of a train wreck. The Sauron line held against the initial onslaught, but even the most veteran Soldiers were surprised by the ferocity of the Imperial attack.
At first, Vonnerbek wondered just who was attacking whom, but the engagement leveled off just as the Wallenstein’s force rounded the equator. The Imperials dispatched TF Garibaldi to meet the new threat, holding the KGV and Aleksandr Nevsky in reserve - waiting.
Aboard the KGV, Adderly watched the screens, demanding continuous updates on the ships engaged. He did not have to ask where the Fomoria was; the moment the Sauron battle cruiser appeared every officer on the bridge would shout it.
The Fleet Communications Net kicked in. “Task Force KGV, this is FleetOps. Proceed with all speed, negative aspect, to southern pole sector Tanith. Prepare to engage Sauron third wave.”
Adderly frowned.”Say again, FleetOps! South pole?”
“Affirmative, KGV. Tactical analysis indicates Saurons attempting envelopment maneuver. You are to cut them off on the far side of Tanith, engage and hold until relieved or recalled.”
&nbs
p; Adderly looked at the combat holo. The tactical analysis made sense; the guess of a Sauron envelopment sounded right - but...
He sighed. “Acknowledged, FleetOps. Helm, you heard the man. Communications, signal the rest of the Task Force we’re moving out.”
Both officers looked at him blankly. “Speed, sir?” the helmsman finally asked.
Adderly scowled. All speed, the FleetOps had said. He turned to the Engineering Officer.”What have we got, Mr. Rostov?”
“Engines are fine, Captain. We can make safe maximum with no problem.”
That would be four-Gs, he thought. Tough on the crew, but bearable for the short time involved. And we will go a long way in that short time.
“Two-Gs, Helm.” He noticed his First Officer’s warning glance; the whole Fleet knew Adderly was in dutch for the loss of the Canada. Caution now would not set well with the Admiral. “And lay in an emergency course-change; three-Gs at 045, initiate on my order only, no prior notification to the Task Force.”
The midshipman at the helm looked to his older, more experienced counterpart. Seeing no reaction there, the middie complied without comment,
Adderly could almost read his thoughts: “He’s the Captain. He knows what he’s doing - I guess.”
It was as comforting a lie as any other.
“King George V group moving toward the Tanith south pole, First Rank.”
Diettinger instinctively made a gripping motion with his hand. “Signal Damaris element to engage Washington group. Make for the spaceport.”
Expressive for a Sauron, his tone carried a sense of elation that puzzled some among his bridge officers; they had only fooled human norms after all.
KGV and the other ships of her task force were beneath Tanith’s equator, the mass of Tanith’s south pole looming above them, when the FleetComNet crackled with a stray signal:
“ - nder Nevsky, this is Washington, third Sauron element joining the Leviathan. We are severely outnumbered, requesting permission to break-off...”
“Commo, tie-in to that. I want to hear Kellogg’s response.”
“Sir, I don’t know if - ” the Communications Officer began, but Adderly cut him off with a shout, “Do it Mister!”
A moment later FleetOps Officer Sakai’s voice came though; Adderly noticed it had lost none of its cool detachment.
“Negative, Washington, do not, repeat, do not break-off. Task Force ‘Nevsky moving all speed to your sector now, hold position and await reinforcements.”
Adderly ground a knuckle into his forehead. He’d expected something like this, but he hadn’t been sure. The Saurons had duped them; now what?
His First Mate cursed quietly beside him. ”The Fomoria must be headed for the spaceport.” The Mate suddenly grinned.”That’s why you plotted the forty-five degree course change!”
Adderly nodded, once. “Yeah. Helm.”
“Standing by, sir.”
“Clear that course change from the board. Put us at four thousand meters and compensate for speed of one-point-five-Gs total. We’re hitting those Saurons from the rear.”
The First Mate looked puzzled. “But, Captain Adderly, the spaceport...”
Adderly nodded, staring at the combat holo.”That’s right. The Saurons will get away, or the spaceport will fall, whichever they choose.” He turned to the First Mate. “I’m getting weary of doing what this Diettinger wants me to do, Jimmy. The Saurons can easily stand two full gravities acceleration more than we can; by the time we match orbits to engage whatever is at the spaceport, they’ll be long gone.”
He turned back to the hologram. “But if we can put three Task Forces against Saurons where they’re expecting two - we can grind the bastards down to dust.”
I hope, he added to himself.
III
Diettinger watched the viewscreens, scanning with the naked eye for information that could only be hoped for on sophisticated sensors. Where was the enemy? Would they arrive before the operation was complete?
Before him on the screen, the troop ships turned over to him by Leviathan, Wallenstein and Damaris had moved into position and begun sprinkling points of light toward the black expanses of the planetary Langston Fields. The lights were assault boats launched by the hundreds amid broadband interference decoys deployed by the thousands.
Dozens of lasers reached up from the surface of Tanith to intercept them, and where a laser hit, a light went out, but there were too many lights to extinguish them all. The decoys attracted most of the planetary lasers, wasting the defender’s shots.
The Fomoria tracked the planetary lasers back to source, eliminating them before the more valuable shuttles would join the cloud of decoys.
Finally, the pinpoints reached the surface of the spaceport’s Field, to disappear into the artificial night beneath, out of sight and out of communication. The planetary defense lasers ceased firing. There was nothing to do now but wait.
The bridge seemed silent for a long time before Communications, monitoring the ground troops, made his report.”First Rank, Cyborg Koln reports eighty-three percent of relief force arrived intact. They are now regrouping at the spaceport.”
“Resume suppressive fire on enemy ground lasers. Deathmaster Quilland. Dispatch shuttles and begin retrieval. Weapons. Interpose the Canada Remote Platform between the main concentration of ground batteries and the shuttle flight paths.”
“Wallenstein element is holding against the Garibaldi group, First Rank. Damaris and Leviathan elements breaking through the Washington group. Aleksandr Nevsky group is moving to reinforce same.”
“And the King George V?”
“Beyond the south pole of the planet, continuing on course for the equator.”
Diettinger called up the data to his own screen. Any moment now, they should be breaking off for the spaceport, but they were not. Were they allowing the Saurons to take it? What was worth such a sacrifice to the Imperials?
“Communications, signal Leviathan and Damaris elements that the King George V may attack their rear.”
“Your pardon, First Rank, but planetary field interference is very heavy, and no line of sight for message lasers at this time.”
“Then put the Canada up and relay message lasers through her - immediately.”
Either way, we get the borloi, thought Diettinger. And the spaceport is secured for the arrival of the First Fleet, with more troops for the subjugation of Tanith herself. The Occupation Breedmasters will follow, and we’ll have our backdoor into the Empire.
His mission was nearly completed, and with it, his status as Fleet First Rank. The Second Fleet had been his official reinforcements for securing the borloi, and had been placed under his control. The First Fleet would bring a new commander with a mission of his own.
Just as well, he considered. This damned eye is becoming a nuisance.
Aboard the Leviathan, Communications Fifth Rank Boyle strained to catch the lock-on signal of a message laser.
“Message from Fomoria, First Rank Vonnerbek, via Canada. Enemy group closing in on our elements from the equator.”
“Status Washington?”
“Multiple burn-throughs, all Fields, all ships, Washington group.”
Vonnerbek considered. All the Leviathan element Fields were into the violet, but there were no burn-throughs as yet, and thus no serious damage. The Imperials would have to preserve their Fleet to have any chance of defending their borders once the Saurons had Tanith. The Washington groups would be forced to break-off at any moment.
And the Aleksandr Nevsky was closing to reinforce the Washington now. Vonnerbek’s intel sources had identified the ‘Nevsky as the command flagship.
The human norms put great stock in such things, he remembered.
“Fight us through to the Aleksandr Nevsky group. Signal Damaris element to go about and guard our rear. Maintain fire on the Washington group until it disengages.”
Saurons were the product of hundreds of years of genetic engineering to produce the p
erfect soldier, whose defining personality trait was an utter subjugation of the ego to the goals of the Battle Plan. Vonnerbek was too perfect an example of the eugenicist’s art.
What he himself did not possess, he could not conceive of in others.
IV
“Last shuttle secured, First Rank. Full complement recovered, cargo intact.”
Diettinger actually sighed in relief. Now, to resolve this battle before -
“First Rank, enemy group King George V is engaging Damaris element. Wallenstein element is breaking through Garibaldi group. Leviathan element is fighting through to engage Aleksandr Nevsky group.”
“Status enemy forces.”
The report did not bode well for the Imperials; only the KGV and ‘Nevsky’s ships’ Fields were not in the violet. All those in Washington’s force had suffered burn-throughs, several were destroyed. It was nearly over, now.
“Dispatch all attached forces to return to respective elements and reinforce. Bring Fomoria and Canada into position to reinforce Leviathan element. Signal all element commanders to prepare to break-off engagement.”
The naval part of the mission was over. When the First Fleet arrived, Vonnerbek could rack up all the victories he wanted.
“Emergency signal from the Leviathan, First Rank.”
“Clear.”
“Fomoria, this is Communications Fifth Rank Boyle. We have massive damage here, request immediate relief.”
Fifth Rank? What had happened to the bridge? ”Fifth Rank Boyle, who is in command?”
“Unknown, First Rank. One of the enemy Fields collapsed - I think it was the New Chicago - we were too close when she went, our Field was already in the Blue. It caught the released energy and overloaded. We have heavy internal damage. No response from bridge or forward weaponry.”
“Status on enemy ships?” Diettinger asked Second Rank.
Althene was frowning, unable to resolve what she saw with logic. “No change, First Rank. The Washington group has no Field that isn’t violet, but they aren’t breaking off.”