TFS Navajo: The Terran Fleet Command Saga – Book 3

by Tori Harris

  “Things are looking a little better down here, Captain. While we were outside, we repaired a coolant leak on one of our main ventral heat exchangers. It’s back online now and working fine. We also took a bunch of spare gravitic emitters with us in hopes of bringing more of the shields back online. It turns out that quite a few of the emitters we assumed were destroyed were just dismounted. When they take an impact, they’re designed to break free and fold down into a shallow recessed area built into their base. When they’re in this ‘conformal’ state, they’re supposed to be much less susceptible to additional damage. Frankly, I never believed it would work, especially against a fragmentary weapon like the Carrada —”

  “So are you telling me we have our shields back?”

  “It’s by no means a hundred percent, but yes, they’re mostly back online. Unfortunately, we did lose quite a few emitters completely, and the hull damage in those areas was generally too severe to mount any of our replacements. As you know, most of the worst damage is forward, so our shields are likely to be weakest near the bow. I strongly suggesting doing whatever you can to avoid taking fire head-on.”

  “That’s still good news, Commander, and I’ll do everything I can to avoid taking fire from any direction at this point,” Prescott said. “I don’t suppose you were able to do anything about the plasma torpedo tubes and railguns we lost?”

  “No, sir. Two of each are out of commission until we get back to Yucca. The torp tubes are fused shut and the two railgun mounts look like pieces of modern art at this point.”

  “Alright, nice job. Thank you, Cheng. Prescott out.”

  For the past few minutes, Theseus had been proceeding along a course that — assuming the enemy battleships continued their pursuit — would put as much distance as possible between them and the various other vessels in the area.

  “So how do we go about drawing them away from the Keturah while still avoiding a confrontation?” Reynolds asked, still feeling unusually relieved to have Prescott back on the bridge.

  “Well, fortunately, since we were still recovering the damaged fighters when we sent out Lieutenant Jacks’ team, we weren’t very close to the Keturah when Zhelov and Serapion arrived. Hopefully, they will assume that we would have been much closer if our intention had been to board her. If that’s the case, they may well ignore her completely. So far, they only seem to be interested in us, and I’m perfectly happy to drag them along until they realize they’re supposed to be somewhere else.”

  “Sounds reasonable, I suppose, but don’t we have to assume they realize what we’re trying to do?”

  “Absolutely, they do,” Prescott chuckled. “Don’t misunderstand me, Commander, I don’t mean to give you the impression that we are in any way controlling how this unfolds. We’re simply playing for time. They just happen to be playing along — for now. Perhaps Lieutenant Lau can give us some idea of whether they will continue to do so. What do you have for us, Lieutenant?”

  “I just finished it, sir,” he replied, opening a window on the bridge view screen to display a rather complex-looking diagram indicating the relative distances between all of the ships in the vicinity. Irritated at having been off the bridge when the two enemy ships arrived, Lau had immediately thrown himself into the task of attempting to predict their movements upon his return to the Tactical 2 console. The result was a modified version of a three-dimensional situational awareness diagram commonly used for training purposes. Lines intersected at each vessel to form a series of triangles, all of which were slowly moving to both track and predict each ship’s relative position in space. In a further effort to provide perspective, the entire diagram slowly rotated about both its horizontal and vertical axes. Understandably, both Prescott and Reynolds’ first reaction was to tilt their heads slowly to the left in an attempt to make sense of what they were seeing.

  “Okay, I know,” Lau said, noting the expressions on their faces and then turning to look at the diagram for the first time on the huge bridge view screen. “It’s a little confusing to look at, so let me break it down and point out a couple of things. We’re right here, of course,” he said, causing a red oval to temporarily flash around one of the vertices on the diagram. “Zhelov and Serapion are here. As you can see, they are continuing to increase the distance between them, but they’re still generally heading in our direction. They modified their courses slightly when we started moving, and they’re still accelerating, but not as quickly as our model indicates that they could be. They’re also executing some random course changes as they go, so I wouldn’t bet on a C-Drive missile strike being very effective.”

  “We’re not planning to engage them,” Reynolds said, “but that doesn’t sound good at all. So you’re saying that they are trying to give the appearance of pursuing us, but they aren’t really trying to overtake us and bring us to action, right?”

  “Yes, ma’am, that’s the way it looks to me right now. If they really wanted to catch us, one of them could have easily transitioned to the opposite side of the battlespace to box us in.”

  “Their behavior may also be consistent with their taking the time required to digest their orders from Commodore Sarafi before they commit themselves to any course of action,” Prescott added.

  “That’s true as well, sir, but let me show you one more thing that worries me.” Lau turned to enter a series of commands at his console, causing a shaded polygon to be superimposed across the region of space formed by all of the vessels with the exception of the two battleships. “If we project the positions of the Theseus, Keturah, Hadeon, Baldev, and Babayev onto a single plane … this,” he said, highlighting a single point in space, “is its geometric center. And then if we project the courses of Zhelov and Serapion —”

  “Well,” Reynolds replied, “there’s no way that’s a coincidence. See how they’re continuing to spread out as they get closer to that point?”

  “It’s probably not a coincidence,” Prescott sighed, rubbing the bridge of his nose between his thumb and index finger, “but what, if anything, does their behavior tell us about their intentions?”

  “Two possibilities stand out for me,” Reynolds said. “They’re either hedging their bets while they figure out what they want to do — in which case, holding the center of the battlespace gives them the most options, kind of like sailing ships working themselves to windward of their opponents in order to take the weather gauge. Or … they already know what they plan to do — and holding the center of the battlespace still gives them the most options.”

  “Lau, did you say that point was the geometric center of all of the vessels in the area?” Prescott asked.

  “Yes, sir, with the exception of the two battleships.”

  “Including the disabled Resistance ships?”

  “Yes, sir.”

  “Show me the Zhelov and Serapion’s beam weapons range based on the data from our battle with the Baldev.”

  “What are you thinking?” Reynolds asked, noting a rising tone of urgency in his voice.

  “Why would they take into account the range to their own ships — especially the disabled ones that are adrift and relatively isolated — even if they are positioning themselves to mount an attack?”

  Lieutenant Lau immediately simplified his diagram to place the centroid of the battlespace in the center of the display window. The two enemy battleships were now surrounded by large red bubbles to indicate the maximum demonstrated range of their energy weapons. With the exception of the Theseus herself, it was clear that all five vessels would be in range once the two-ship formation reached the point at the center of the diagram.

  Although Prescott could still conceive of several possibilities that might fit the current scenario, the one that now seemed by far the most likely was one he had not even considered prior to the two battleships’ arrival. With chilling objectivity, the rational side of his mind judged that it was probably already too late to change the outcome of what was about to take place, but the emotional side scr
eamed with righteous, indignant fury for immediate action — demanding vengeance for an act that had not yet taken place.

  “Lee, position the Sherpa to pick up our Marines and tell your brother to get his people off the Keturah immediately,” Prescott ordered urgently. “As soon as they’re aboard the shuttle, head them in the opposite direction at best possible speed. Dubashi, warn the Hadeon that we believe the two battleships are about to open fire and order them to depart the area immediately. Ensign Fisher, on my mark, C-Jump us right in the middle of those two battleships. Tactical, all we’re trying to do is hold their attention long enough to get Rescue 11 out of harm’s way.”

  A chorus of “aye, sirs” filled the bridge, followed a few seconds later by an update from Ensign Fisher at the Helm console. “Completing our turn back, Captain. Ready to C-Jump in zero niner seconds.”

  “Did we get a response from Commander Takkar on the Hadeon?” Prescott asked impatiently.

  “Yes, sir,” Dubashi replied. “They were just about to break contact with the Baldev when the two enemy ships arrived. They’re already on the move and should be clear shortly. He indicated that they will be awaiting further instructions at Location Willow.”

  “Good. Go ahead and signal our fighters to rendezvous with us at Willow as well. I don’t think there is much they can do for us here at this point.”

  “Aye, sir.”

  “Sir,” Lieutenant Lee said from the Science and Engineering console. “I’ll have the Sherpa ready to evacuate Rescue 11 in two two seconds. Lieutenant Jacks is ready to go, but reports that it will take him a couple of minutes to get everyone aboard.”

  “I trust you impressed upon him that he may not have a couple of minutes?”

  “I did, sir. He said the only way to speed things up is to abandon the survivors. And I can promise you that’s not something he will be willing to do.”

  “Captain,” Lieutenant Lau announced from Tactical 2, “the Zhelov and Serapion are now in beam weapons range of the Resistance ships.”

  “They’ve also engaged their supplemental aft shields,” Schmidt added. “They’ve stopped accelerating, but are continuing along the same course as before.”

  “Ready to C-Jump,” Fisher announced.

  “Tactical, hit them both as hard as you can with the railguns and directed energy weapons. Pretty much everything we have should bear on one target or the other. Helm, execute your jump,” Prescott ordered.

  “Aye, sir,” Fisher replied. “C-Jumping in 3 … 2 … 1 …”

  On the bridge view screen, Theseus’ AI automatically minimized a number of previously open windows in order to provide an unobscured view of their arrival between the two Resistance battleships. With just over five hundred kilometers now separating the Theseus from each of the two enemy vessels, neither was as close as the Baldev had been during her earlier attack runs. Given the speed and power of the weapons involved, however, the three warships were still within what might be referred to as “point-blank range” from one another. Just as Captain Prescott had predicted, every operational weapons mount aboard Theseus had a clear line of sight at one or the other of her two targets and, within seconds of her arrival, she was showering both with a steady hail of railgun penetrator rounds and energy weapons bolts.

  “No response from either ship, Captain,” Schmidt reported as Theseus passed aft of her targets. “They have not returned fire and are continuing on course.”

  “Any apparent damage?”

  “Superficial only, sir. Their shields are more effective from the sides — even against the railguns.”

  “Keep it up. Helm, extend this run downrange so that we have a little more time to concentrate fire on their sterns, then give us another pass right down the middle.”

  “Aye, sir,” Fisher said.

  “Captain, the Hadeon has transitioned to hyperspace.” Lau reported.

  “Thank you, Lieutenant.”

  “I have to say that I’m a little surprised that they aren’t bothering to return fire,” Reynolds observed, looking up from her touchscreen for the first time since their C-Jump.

  “At this point, I’m guessing that’s a combination of their following orders while at the same time making the point that there’s nothing we can do to stop them from doing whatever they like,” Prescott replied. “Captain Yagani said that the battleships were being told to ‘avoid contact with enemy forces here and depart immediately for Terra.’ Their not bothering to fire on us is consistent with having received such an order. The problem is, they could have stayed in the exclusion zone and immediately transitioned back to hyperspace — but they didn’t.”

  “Instead, they calculated a flight profile out of the area that would take them within weapons range of their own disabled ships,” Reynolds continued. “I suppose it makes sense that the commodore didn’t share that particular piece of information with Captain Yagani …”

  “Sir, both enemy ships are firing,” Lieutenant Lau reported gravely. With most of the bridge view screen occupied by an aft-facing view of the two warships, his report was largely unnecessary as the bridge was once again lit by the hellish, orange-tinted flash of energy weapons fire. There were several seconds of silence on the bridge as every member of the crew watched, transfixed by the horror playing out in front of them.

  “Schmidt, give us visuals on the Keturah, Baldev, and Babayev, please,” Prescott ordered.

  Though it had been only seconds since the Zhelov and Serapion had opened fire, their two most distant targets were already taking tremendous damage. Their immediate prey — the Baldev and the Babayev — were completely defenseless against the onslaught, adrift and with no shields to protect their most vulnerable internal components. Accordingly, the two battleships focused their fire on the areas most likely to result in secondary explosions in an effort to bring about the ships’ complete destruction as quickly as possible. Unlike their Terran counterparts, Sajeth Collective warships were still required to carry large quantities of propellant for use in their sublight engines. The volatile chemicals used for this purpose were typically stored deep within the most heavily armored and shielded sections of the hull. In this case, however, the two battleships had the additional advantage of knowing precisely where to concentrate their fire for maximum effect.

  Aboard Theseus, Captain Prescott continued his attempt to draw the enemy battleships’ fire, but it was now painfully obvious that the entire effort had been in vain. A stunned silence seemed to permeate the bridge as the Zhelov and Serapion methodically disassembled their targets with a cold, calculating precision that might have engendered a sense of admiration were it not for the realization that they were witnessing the senseless, brutal murder of thousands. On the view screen, both enemy warships maintained a continuous, heavy bombardment — energy weapons fire issuing relentlessly from beam emitters mounted all along the sides facing their respective targets. In the windows displaying the Baldev and Babayev, it was clear that their hulls had already been torn into several large sections, each one tinged with a wicked, red glow of twisted, molten metal — and still the energy weapons fire continued. What possible justification, military or otherwise, could ever be put forward for such an act, they wondered … what leader, bound by any reasonable system of morality, could live with the repercussions of issuing such an order?

  “Lieutenant Lee, what’s the status of Rescue 11?” Prescott asked with a weary tone of resignation in his voice.

  “I’ve been monitoring their tactical comm, sir. They made more rapid progress than expected in getting everyone back aboard their Sherpa. I’ve got them headed in the opposite direction now, but the shuttle’s painfully slow, sir. Shall I patch them through?”

  “Yes, please. Ensign Fisher, do you have them?”

  “Yes, sir.”

  “C-Jump us as close as you can to put us in a position to bring them aboard. Put us between the Sherpa and the two battleships. Make sure our bow faces the enemy ships so that we can shield the aft flight
apron from incoming fire.”

  “Understood, Captain. Projecting two six seconds to C-Jump. I’ll get us as close as I can, but after we’re over there it will take some time to get us in a good position to make the recovery.”

  “Just do it as quickly as you can. The most important thing is to protect the shuttle from enemy fire. Execute when ready.”

  “Aye, sir.”

  “If both of those battleships open up on our bow, our weakened forward shields may not last long,” Reynolds said.

  “You’re probably right, but our armor hung in there pretty well against the Baldev’s energy weapons — and at much shorter range. With any luck, we won’t have to sit there for long. In any event, I’m not sure we have much choice in the matter. The Sherpa would never survive even a single hit.”

  “Sir, we’re up on Rescue 11’s tactical comm channel again,” Lieutenant Lee reported, accompanied by the obligatory chime over the ceiling speakers.

  “Lieutenant Jacks, this is Prescott. Are you clear on what we’re about to do?”

  “Yes, Captain, and I can tell you that we’re all quite anxious to get back onboard at this point.”

  “I’m sure you are. Hang in there just a bit longer and we’ll make that happen.”

  As if on cue, Ensign Fisher completed Theseus’ turn and announced their imminent transition to hyperspace for the short trip back to the Keturah. “C-Jumping in 3 … 2 … 1 …”

  Chapter 16

  TFS Navajo, Earth-Sun Lagrange Point 2

  (Combat Information Center - 1.5x106 km from Earth)

  “It’s good to see you, sir,” Admiral Patterson said as he addressed the vidcon image of his immediate superior, Admiral Duke Sexton, Commander in Chief, Terran Fleet Command. “Before we get started, I wanted to let you know that the two Resistance battleships we have been expecting for some time have just arrived at Location Dagger.”

  “It’s good to see you as well, but perhaps it might be better if we postpone this conversation until the situation at Dagger is resolved.”