“They haven’t had time to come up with something new,” she said, grimly. “We just need to head the enemy ships off before it’s too late.”
***
Impossible, Rani thought. How the hell did they manage to coordinate such an operation across interstellar distances?
She didn't want to believe what she was seeing. The Commonwealth Navy could not be entering her system. And yet, there was no way to avoid it. The enemy ships - her analysts had already tagged some of them as having been at the Battle of Titlark - must have followed her all the way to Wolfbane. They couldn't have coordinated such an operation. It had to be sheer bad luck.
War in the streets, mutiny in the ranks and now an enemy fleet, she asked herself. What now?
She felt sweat trickling down her back as she turned to Bradbury. “Order Admiral Howarth to engage the enemy ships and drive them from the planet,” she said. “Fortress One is to be tackled later.”
“Aye, Admiral,” Bradbury said.
Rani turned back to the display, silently cursing her luck. She was in deep - deep - shit. If she could keep the enemy ships back, she might manage to retake control of the high orbitals and clear a path to orbit and escape; if she failed, she would lose. The Commonwealth wouldn’t have any hesitation when it came to blasting the fortress from orbit. Taking out the corporate towers would only help the Commonwealth in the long run.
Damn traitors, she thought, coldly. They’ve betrayed their own world.
She forced herself to think. She’d built a reputation on thinking her way out of tight spots - a reputation Admiral Bainbridge had casually destroyed - but she couldn't see many options remaining. Her ships were undermanned - thankfully, they’d reloaded their magazines - and most of the orbital defences had been compromised. She could trump some of the threats facing her, but not all of them in combination. Together, they were lethal.
“And record a message for Detachment Nine,” she said. It was a gamble, but she was fast running out of other options. “I have some special orders for them.”
“Aye, Admiral.”
Rani nodded, her eyes flickering around the compartment. Paula looked pale and worn, Emma was showing no emotion ... Bradbury was working his console, looking grim. How long would it be, she wondered, before one of them decided to betray her in exchange for their life and freedom? She had no doubt that the thought had already crossed their minds ...
***
“The enemy fleet is altering course,” Mayflower reported. “They’re heading towards us and shifting into combat formation.”
Mandy nodded. The enemy commander - she doubted Admiral Singh was in direct command - didn't seem to be inclined to be subtle. His ships were heading directly towards hers, aiming for a battering match. He had to be pissed, she thought. Normally, a defending fleet would fall back on the planetary defences and combine their firepower, but that wasn't an option now. The Wolves had to remain between the Commonwealth Navy and Wolfbane, yet they couldn’t go too close to Wolfbane itself. They’d be stabbed in the back.
“Alert all ships,” she ordered. “Prepare to open fire.”
She tensed as the range dropped sharply. They’d adapted their point defence systems - and even added modifications to deal with enemy pinnaces - but there was no way to know how well they’d work in the real world. Nothing went as planned, no matter how carefully she strove to cover all the bases. She’d just have to hope - and pray - that she’d done enough to give her ships a fighting chance. The Wolves hadn't had time to come up with more innovations, had they?
“Enemy ships are opening fire,” Mayflower reported.
“Return fire,” Mandy ordered, automatically. The range was still closing. “Tactical analysis?”
Mayflower coughed. “They loaded their external racks,” he said. “I can't separate the new missiles from the old yet.”
Mandy nodded. She’d hoped the Wolves wouldn't have bothered to load their external racks - normally, they weren't loaded unless the CO was expecting a battle - but fate had decided to rule against her. Admiral Singh must have been feeling paranoid. Her ships shivered, a moment later, as they flushed their own external racks. The range was still closing. Her opponent, it seemed, wasn't inclined to reverse course and hold the range open.
Which makes sense, if they think they have a decisive advantage, she thought. But do they?
“I’ve isolated five pinnaces,” Mayflower reported. “They’re keeping pace with the missiles.”
“Target them with shipkillers,” Mandy ordered. She felt a flicker of admiration for the enemy pilots. Unless the Wolves had made a real breakthrough, which seemed unlikely, their pinnaces had to be pushing their compensators right to the limit. Her analysts agreed that there was a very real chance that their systems would collapse under the strain. “Can you isolate some of the advanced warheads?”
“Not as yet,” Mayflower reported. He paused. “The enemy ships are launching their second salvo.”
Mandy braced herself as the tidal wave of missiles roared into her point defence envelope and began to vanish. Her point defence systems had been improved, after the last battle, and hundreds of missiles were wiped out of space, but a handful of missiles managed to make it through the network and throw themselves against her ships. Her display began to chart a mounting liturgy of destruction as starships were destroyed or damaged by the enemy missiles. The enemy were firing at her flankers, she noted. Their second salvo seemed to be aimed at her capital ships.
Which is smart, she acknowledged. They’ll put their advanced warheads into their second offensive, once they’ve reduced our point defence.
“Picking up a signal from the ground,” Lieutenant Robins reported. “ID confirmed, Commodore. It’s the advance team!”
“Forward it to Colonel Stalker,” Mandy ordered. “And see if you can get an update.”
She felt a moment of grim satisfaction as her missiles crashed into the enemy formation. The Wolves had improved, she noted, but not enough. Her missiles crippled two battleships and destroyed a third, along with a handful of smaller ships. Leaving the enemy flankers alone had been a calculated risk, but it seemed to have paid off. Smashing the enemy’s mobile units would be enough to win the war, even if Mandy and her fleet were wiped out. The Wolves would be unable to resume the offensive before it was too late.
“The enemy pinnaces have been destroyed,” Mayflower said. “The enemy missiles are still coming.”
“Of course,” Mandy said, dryly.
The display updated, again. Mandy winced. The enemy had launched their advanced missiles, throwing them right into the teeth of her defences. Taking out so many of her flankers had been a gamble - just like hers - but it had worked out for them. She couldn't take out their missiles until they roared into her formation, by which time it would be too late to keep them from inflicting real damage.
“Move the remaining flankers forward,” she ordered, coldly. The flankers would take heavy losses - again - but her capital ships would survive. “And continue to engage the enemy.”
She forced herself to watch as the enemy missiles tore into her formation. Triumphant, Spectre, Magnificent and Daredevil were blown into atoms, while Cavalcade and Braveheart fell out of formation, streaming plasma and lifepods into space. She hoped the enemy would give her crews time to escape before finishing the job ... she cursed, under her breath. The hulks would have to be destroyed before she left the system, if she had to retreat. They couldn't allow the enemy a chance to study the remains.
“Lamington reports that she’s lost four of her drive nodes,” Mayflower said. “Her CO is requesting permission to disengage.”
“Order her to hold position as long as possible,” Mandy said, curtly. The enemy couldn't have an unlimited supply of advanced warheads. She’d have lost her entire fleet at Titlark if they had. “She is to keep firing until she shoots herself dry.”
“Aye, Commodore,” Mayflower said.
Mandy returned her attenti
on to the display. The enemy formation was wavering, although they were holding together remarkably well. She’d inflicted a great deal of damage, enough to convince a normal enemy that the time had come to retreat. But the Wolves couldn't retreat. They were defending their homeworld. Admiral Singh might decide to abandon Wolfbane - it wouldn't be the first world she’d abandoned - but her subordinates might have different ideas ...
“We received an update from the ground, Commodore,” Robins reported. The display updated. A number of fortresses turned yellow, denoting them as allies. Mandy hoped they weren’t fair-weather allies. “The ... ah ... rebels are holding some of the fortresses, but others are remaining loyal or have gone dark.”
Surprise, surprise, Mandy thought. If one side thought it was going to lose - and it had the chance - it would do everything in its power to keep the other from taking control of the orbital defences. And we don’t know how far we can trust the rebels ...
“Keep a wary eye on them,” she ordered. There were over a thousand crewmen on each of the giant fortresses. It would be dangerous to assume they were all friendly. “We’ll keep our distance until we’re sure ...”
Mayflower cleared his throat. “Commodore, one of the friendly fortresses has just been destroyed,” he said. “The others are taking heavy damage.”
Mandy nodded. Wolfbane’s network of orbital defences and industrial nodes was taking a severe battering. Whatever else happened, the planet would need years to rebuild after the war ended. She wondered, absently, just what the rebels were thinking. Did they believe that getting rid of Admiral Singh was worth the price? Or were they thinking the war had already gone too far?
She shrugged. The civil war had already begun. It was too late to have second thoughts.
***
“The enemy fleet has taken a pounding,” Bradbury reported.
Rani nodded. Under other circumstances, it would have been good news. The new missiles had worked as advertised, as had the tactics for deploying them in open combat. But now ... every ship she lost reduced her bargaining power, if she had to open negotiations with ... anyone. The mounting damage was enough to prove - to her, at least - that Wolfbane had lost the war. She closed her eyes for a long moment, conceding the point. It made her next moves so much easier.
“Order the fleet to pull back,” she said. “They are to conserve their missile loads as much as possible.”
Her lips quirked with cold amusement. The mutinies and uprisings had been well-planned - and the enemy had had a remarkable stroke of luck - but it wasn't perfect. They hadn't come close to threatening the fortress, while the mere presence of so many civilians so close to her headquarters prevented them from simply blasting her from orbit. Her position had been gravely weakened - there was no point in trying to deny it - but she still had some cards to play, assuming her guards remained loyal.
And if they all turn on me, she thought wryly, I’m screwed anyway.
“Order the loyalists to hold position or withdraw to more defensible locations,” she added, coolly. Any formation lacking human shields was doomed, as soon as the enemy secured the high orbitals. “Units that can make it to the outer defence lines are to do so; other units are to hold in place if possible.”
Paula nodded. “Yes, Admiral.”
Rani keyed her wristcom. Colonel Higgs was already waiting outside with a squad of loyal guards. He’d secure the room, making sure that her subordinates knew they were with her to the end. Maybe they did have plans to turn on her, maybe they didn’t. All that mattered was keeping some bargaining chips long enough to make her escape.
I could always turn pirate, she thought, as the guards filed into the room. Or blast Avalon before they realise where I’ve gone.
***
“Commodore, the enemy fleet is reversing course and falling back,” Mayflower reported, slowly. He sounded as though he didn't believe his own words. “They’re dropping mines to cover their retreat.”
And making it obvious, Mandy thought. That was bad tactics unless they wanted to slow her down. They probably did. She'd battered a dozen enemy ships into bleeding hulks and the remainder weren't in much better shape. If nothing else, they needed to buy time to patch up the damage and reload their missile tubes. We can't give them that time.
“Deploy countermeasures,” she ordered. Too many of her own ships were damaged for her to order a quick advance. “And muster every ship capable of matching their speed.”
She scowled as she realised precisely what the enemy ships were doing. They were falling back on the planet, angling themselves so they’d be shielded from the mutinous orbital fortresses. If she went after them, she’d be exposing herself to fire from the loyalist fortresses as well as the fleet ... if she didn’t, she’d be giving them all the time they needed to make repairs. And if she tried to take the high orbitals herself, they’d be in a perfect position to intercept her.
And there’ll be weapons on the ground too, she thought. As long as they remain in enemy hands, taking the high orbitals is going to be dangerous.
“I’ve reconfigured the formations,” Mayflower said. “A third of our ships are going to have to remain behind.”
“Detail them to cover the wounded,” Mandy ordered. “The remainder of our ships are to give chase ...”
A new alarm sounded. “Commodore,” Robins said. “Long-range sensors are picking up a second enemy formation, heading straight for the planet!”
Mandy swore. “Time to intercept?”
“Four hours,” Robins said. “I ... there’s four battleships and a number of cruisers!”
They want us to see them, Mandy thought. Admiral Singh had probably been planning to retake the offensive as soon as possible. No wonder she’d decided to concentrate her forces. It was common sense. She’d definitely not expected the Commonwealth Navy to attack Wolfbane. If that fleet is in our rear, we cannot push through against Wolfbane itself.
“Pass the alert to Colonel Stalker,” she said. It felt like a bad joke. She'd crippled the enemy fleet - and rebels had broken Admiral Singh’s hold on the planet - but now she would have to retreat, leaving the job undone. Perhaps Colonel Stalker would have an idea. “And order the fleet to hold position.”
“Aye, Commodore,” Mayflower said.
Four hours, Mandy thought. Wolfbane’s industrial nodes had already been damaged, but there were hundreds of other targets within the system. The asteroid bases, the remaining shipyards, the cloudscoops ... We could do a lot of damage in four hours.
She cursed under her breath. The Commonwealth would still win the war. But now ... now the cost was going to be far higher.
And it won’t be paid by us, she thought. She could withdraw - she would withdraw, once she had smashed the industrial base. Admiral Singh wouldn't be able to catch her. The rebels will pay the real price.
Chapter Thirty-Six
Jasmine could hear shooting echoing over the city as she led the way out of the safe house and down to the corporate security convoy. Tallyman’s men looked professional, she noted as Mouganthu clambered into the AFV, but she had no idea how they would handle a real firefight. They weren't noticeably sloppy, yet there was a rote quality to their movements that suggested they hadn't come under attack when escorting a convoy before.
“We have control over the inner city, all the way up to the inner circle,” the driver called back, as the vehicle lurched into motion. The escorts fell into formation around them, their guns swinging from side to side. “Some of the districts have been barricaded, but others are still in chaos.”
Jasmine nodded. “And the loyalists?”
“Trapped in the inner circle, for now,” the driver said. “Unless they’ve gone to ground outside it.”
Mouganthu snorted. “They can't hide for long, can they?”
“Maybe,” Jasmine said.
She shrugged. Securing an entire city was always a nightmare, even with plenty of soldiers and a unified command structure. Tryon had hundreds of dif
ferent forces, ranging from corporate security and mutinous militia regiments to gangsters, students and home-grown defence forces. Getting them all to cooperate afterwards - or simply disarming them - would not be easy. Rogue enemy forces could hide their weapons and go to ground for a while, if they were careful. She doubted they could hide for long, but they might have a chance to do some damage before they were rounded up.
The streets seemed to be quiet, too quiet. Parts looked almost normal, if deserted; other parts were scarred and blackened by war, bodies lying where they’d fallen. She hoped that someone was picking up the wounded, but she knew it wasn’t likely. The hospitals would be overloaded, if they hadn't already been destroyed. Long-term thinkers would consider them important targets. Securing medical supplies might make the difference between life and death.
“Dear God,” Mouganthu breathed. They drove past the burned-out remains of a convoy of vehicles, charred bodies clearly visible inside. “Is this real?”
Wolf's Bane (The Empire's Corps Book 14) Page 36