A silence fell over the room. It gave way to a question from Colonel Beth Cutter, a veteran of Black Marble. “Can you tell us how broad this general offensive is?”
He straightened, his fingertips still on the table. “As far as we can tell, we’re hitting all of the Kitright holdings. Eight densely populated planets and a dozen trading posts. Make no mistake, we are the tip of the spear. Right here.”
Chapter Twenty-One
The Battle of Kitright Prime
Four hundred nuclear-tipped warheads detonated in cascading waves of fire and energy, foretelling the strike force’s arrival.
The first warships appeared through the vortex in time for the dissipating flames to kiss their hulls. A pair of human cruiser-class vessels, specifically designed to serve as the vanguard of an invading force, plowed through the ocean of background radiation. Their sensors struggled to paint an accurate picture of the battleground to come.
Sensor arrays, engineered to cut through this specific interference, plotted the enemy fleet. First dozens of enemy contacts appeared, then hundreds, and finally two large structures that could only be stations.
Their position was the most troubling. Deployed near the gate, the Kitright fleet moved to counter the incursion.
Undeterred, the cruisers sought to fulfill their purpose. Rows of portholes slid open along their three-quarter-kilometer-long hulls, unleashing hundreds of nuclear-armed missiles. The barrage advanced on the enemy with the simple purpose of delaying their response, buying time for their comrades.
Ship after ship jumped through the gate. The Battle for Kitright Prime had begun.
***
Encased in the holo display on board the bridge of the battleship South Africa, Admiral Chen surveyed the field of battle. With the grace of ballet dancers, his forces moved into formation. On his right, one hundred ships, long oval tubes with cone caps on the ends, the signature design of humanity’s warships, took their place. On the left, a like number of Bearcat design formed up. The South Africa sat in the rear, in the center of the formation. From there, Chen would command the largest space force in either people’s history.
After careful negotiations, overall command of the strike force fell to humanity. Humans wielded a superior military force, a fact the Warrior’s Forum had come to accept as the last hundred years of war had bled them of a considerable portion of their strength.
For agonizing seconds, all Chen could think about was the father he hardly knew. His father’s ship had carried the fabled Red Barons on the first leg of the Big Red mission, returning after twenty years had passed on Earth.
His parents met and fell in love soon after. The demands of the war, however, meant that his father played a minor role in both his and his mother’s lives. Any hope of forging a relationship had vanished completely with his father’s death in battle.
Days after receiving the news of his passing, Chen, against the strong protests of his mother, joined the Fleet. For years, he believed he joined to exact revenge against those who killed his father. One day he realized why he really did it. He wanted to know who his father was, and the only way to do that was to become him.
After decades of service, he still wasn’t sure who his father was, but Chen knew he would’ve loved this fight. Somewhere he was looking down, proud as hell that his son was in command of it.
Chen smiled before donning his war face.
Zooming in on the enemy ships, he plotted their destruction.
The Kitright fleet consisted of one class of capital ship. They were golden, oval-shaped vessels with smooth hulls, measuring over a kilometer in length and hundreds of meters in diameter at the center. Judging from reports of the fight for the Kitright trading post, these were enlarged versions of the tripods they used for ground defense. The holo displayed four hundred and thirty of these ominous ships holding formation around the twin stations.
Having lost the initiative early to the missile cruisers, the enemy appeared content to wait in their trenches for the inevitable attack. After all, time was their ally.
“Any sign of enemy fighters?” Chen asked the flag bridge crew managing stations outside the holo cloak that encircled him.
“No, sir,” Captain Beaux replied. “It doesn’t appear they have any. Maybe they’re holding them till later? It seems curious that their fleet is comprised of only one ship configuration.”
“Maybe that’s all they’ve ever needed, Captain.”
Silence washed over the room as the crew contemplated the admiral’s insight.
His eyes darted from point to point, studying his own deployment. “Where are the rest of my fighters? The forward combat space patrol is too weak. I want it reinforced, now.”
Beaux hurried to bring the information up on his panel. “Earth’s Fist is the last through. All of the battlecarriers are launching the last of their fighters and drones.”
***
“Dark Knights, you’re a go for launch!” the Flight Deck Chief shouted.
Lt. Ross’ body slammed back into her chair as several Gs bled through the inertia dampener. Microseconds later, the rate of acceleration lessened after her Avenger fighter emerged from Earth’s Fist’s magnetic launch tubes, allowing her to sit normally.
“Dark Knight Three clear,” she reported, banking her fighter left to take her place in the forming horde.
In the early days of the Second Contact War, the slow and clumsy design of the first space fighters, along with reckless tactics, led to an ungodly casualty rate. The hurried design and hastily trained pilots were no match for the enemy’s anti-fighter batteries. Unsustainable losses of sixty percent and above were all too common.
Ross’ modern Avenger placed a premium on agility and speed to make it a harder target. Navigational thrusters firing high velocity ions peppered the hull of the delta wing-shaped craft, enabling it to maneuver in any direction Ross’ thoughts commanded it. The onboard fusion reactor gave the gravity-drive engine the thrust needed to survive the deadly laser and missile environment of space combat.
Improved tactics also called for fighters to operate in closer proximity to their own capital ships, preventing the enemy from concentrating on them. Additionally, the drones no longer functioned as an independent force. Each fighter was assigned a ball-shaped drone to serve as its wingman. The drone was specifically programmed to maintain a position between its fighter and enemy fire.
Battlecarriers each held thirty fighters and forty drones, leaving a reserve force of expendable craft to jump in without hesitation to take the place of a fallen comrade, helping to extend the lives of the highly-trained pilots. All of these changes dramatically reduced pilot losses.
The Dark Knight’s five fighters with their five drones added their number to the growing mass.
***
Chen highlighted a point in space. “Order the combined fleet to this point.”
“Sir, shouldn’t we keep a rearguard at the gate to ensure a clear path of retreat?” Captain Beaux protested.
Chen shook his head. “We can’t afford to play it safe, Captain. We tapped out on this offensive from the beginning. No retreat, no surrender.”
The metallic herd, numbering seven hundred and twenty-five, shifted its position to bring their combined weight down upon one station at a time.
His tactical mind spun as it formatted a strategy to carry the day and make his father proud.
So many unknowns. He gritted his teeth. Stop that! It’s too late for doubt. Everyone is counting on you to command. He took in a slow, steady breath until his lungs were full. Then he attacked the holo display with his hands and mind to send orders.
“All battleships to the line. Organize them in pairs. Each pair to a single target until it’s destroyed. Cruisers in groups of three in between them, fifty kilometers back. Tell the Bearcat commander to hold his destroyers in reserve.”
“What about our fighters and drones, sir?” Captain Beaux’s voice penetrated the holo cloak.
&nb
sp; “Hold them in reserve as well. All of them.”
Chen paid no attention to the movements of his fleet. His command staff would ensure they formed up properly. Instead, he glared at the Kitright. Except for bringing forces up to extend their left flank to match his, they stayed put, hugging their base. The twin pyramidal structures measured nine hundred meters along each line,
They must want the bases’ firepower to contribute to their defense. I’ll bet they pack one hell of a kick. He bit his lip.
Beaux’s voice brought him back. “The fleet is in position, Admiral.”
“All units - advance.”
Forty Bearcat and forty-eight human battleships fired their engines to lead the charge at the enemy line.
“All missiles fire!”
Hundreds of missiles sped out in front of the advancing line, racing toward their targets. Predictably, none punctured the Kitright point defenses.
At a hundred and fifty kilometers, fifty kilometers outside the firing range of allied vessels, the pyramid came to life. Balls of light formed at each point before streaks of energy shot into a singular point in front of the structure. Concentrated, the force leapt forth.
The beam of white light struck the battleship Nepal, instantly ripping it apart.
Chen’s eyes expanded to their limit. He was glad the flag bridge crew couldn’t see the sudden fear in them.
“Admiral?” a rattled voice called.
“Steady!” he answered, digging deep for his own courage. “Press the attack. Get in close and clear a path to that station!” he said, with as much manufactured confidence and bravado as he could muster.
No reply came from outside the holo cloak.
Forty-three battleship pairs opened fire on their targets as the Nepal’s companion, the Eastern Alliance, suffered the same sad fate.
Again and again, the battleships hammered away at their foe with their primary laser cannons. Juking and jiving between salvos, they hindered the enemy fleet’s counter-barrages.
The Kitright armor was wanting. Thirty of their ships quickly succumbed to the attacking fire. Shattered golden vessels, oozing a bizarre liquid, polluted the defender’s line.
Unfortunately, the destructive power of their energy weapon proved as effective against ships as it was against soldiers. Seventeen battleships melted under their fire. Three more fell to the station.
Beads of sweat rolled down Chen’s forehead, and he wiped it away. Frantic words from the flag bridge leaked through the cloak to sour his thoughts.
How can we stand up to that station? Its raw power is awesome. Maybe I should pull back? No! We’re too committed for that.
“Order the cruisers to advance. Push forward with the battleships. I want an open lane to that station.”
By the time the orders were executed, another six battleships and two cruisers had melted into balls of lifeless metal or been torn to pieces.
The weight of their own bombardment thinned the enemy line even more. Holes opened on the Kitright line. A path to the heart of the enemy defenses was there for the taking.
Sensing an opportunity, Chen took in a deep breath to steady his nerve. His next move would commit the entire force to victory or death. Ready, he gave the audacious order, putting all of the chips on the table, “All fighters and drones, make for the enemy base. Deploy the Bearcat destroyers to the flanks. Hold at all costs.”
***
“You heard the man,” Lt. Commander Cutworth, commanding officer of the Dark Knights, announced with gusto. “It’s time to join the party!”
“Aye, aye, sir!” Susan responded energetically to mask the fact that her stomach had suddenly fallen into her boot.
“Listen up,” Cutworth continued, “That station is causing us a world of hurt. Leave the ships for our fleet. Every fighter and drone is heading for the station. Weapons free! Arm your nukes and lets rock n’ roll! Go Dark Knights and take hell with you!”
With a nervous thought, Susan activated her pair of low yield, anti-ship nuclear-tipped missiles. Only packing a one hundred-kiloton sized punch, it was enough to do serious damage but not enough to make using it at the necessary pointblank range to circumvent enemy point defenses an act of suicide.
Her Avenger could also pound the enemy with its laser cannon and kinetic kill cannon, or KKC, loaded with two thousand rounds of depleted uranium shells each measuring ten centimeters long.
She was gazing at the station when an idea struck. Bringing up the craft’s sensor recording, she sought to confirm her hypothesis. “Dark Knight Three to Dark Knight One.”
“What is it, Ross? I’m kinda busy.”
“Sir, I think that station hasn’t moved. It’s stationary, I think?”
“It’s been holding tight formation with their fleet. What’s your point, Lieutenant?”
“A stationary target as big as that thing is perfect for a mid-range double K strike. Imagine what a hundred and fifty fighters could do if we concentrated our fire.”
Dead air filled the connect.
“Good thinking. Hold on while the brass run the sim on the battle computer.”
Figuring it was worth a try, the formation of three hundred and twenty-five fighters and two hundred drones broke from the circular course they’d held to build speed and charged.
A hundred and sixty kilometers out, Cutworth opened a channel to the swarm. “Attention all units. Kinetic strike in nine seconds. Aim for the center, thousand round burst.”
A volley from the base plowed into the formation at the border between the human and Bearcat fighters. The bolt consumed four of each, including the Avenger’s drone escorts. Another three perished on both ends as their flanks came close to the Kitright line.
One hundred and forty-three Avengers unleashed one thousand rounds of dense death apiece.
The KKC was an enlarged version of an MRG. Its acceleration tube ran the entire length of the fighter. One hundred and forty-three thousand rounds leapt from the fighters’ noses at thirteen kilometers a second. Added speed from the launching Avengers increased each round’s destructive power.
Her strike away, Susan executed a dizzying array of evasive maneuvers to close on the target. She prayed the enemy didn’t have kinetic energy shielding.
They did.
However, no defense is perfect.
The aim of the Avengers’ targeting computers was true. The sheer volume of dense rounds striking the center of the station, at such a speed, simply gave the shielding more than it could take.
The first fifty thousand rounds to hit home disintegrated from the impact. Their sacrifice allowed over ninety thousand to slam into the golden hull, weakening it.
The next thirty thousand turned the outer armor into Swiss cheese.
Another thirty thousand plowed into the station’s inner chambers, tearing it wide open.
The last of the attack reached deep inside the pyramid to gut it.
Smelling blood, Susan jerked the nose of her fighter to face the target and killed the engine. Momentum carried her on a parallel course in front of the station.
In the old days, she would’ve pressed the button on a joystick to fire, or steer for that matter, but now all she did was look and think.
The laser cannon fired two long streams of hot power into the gaping wound. She ignited her engines to bring her in even closer.
Hundreds of laser streaks pried the wound wider.
A single squadron, unable to contain themselves, discharged their entire compliment of nukes. Normally this would’ve been a grave error. Even at this range, the station’s point defenses should’ve rendered the effort moot. Structural damage had rendered most of those defenses useless, however.
A few haphazard shots took out four of the missiles, leaving six to do the deed.
The missiles entered the mortal wound one at a time, detonating in order. Each small nuclear blast cracked the enemy station’s spine a little more until the final blast caused a critical malfunction.
&nbs
p; “Take that, you bastards!” Susan exclaimed, pumping a fist in the air.
***
The cheers of the flag bridge crew surrounded Chen as he looked upon the image of the dying station with great joy. Those victorious cries gave way to stunned silence. The pyramid’s death convulsions turned deadly.
At first, an explosion from deep within the station grew to consume it. Then, the ball of expanding energy slowed, receded, and began to collapse in on itself, like something ate it from the inside.
“Mother of God,” Chen muttered to himself. He surged forward, taking himself out of the holo cloak. “Retreat! All units fall back! Fall back now!” he frantically ordered his command staff.
***
Susan’s mind was occupied with an attack run against one of the enemy capital ships when the general retreat was called. “Commander, why the hell are we retreating? We’re winning,” she complained.
“Damn it, Ross! Follow orders. Turn tail and bug out!”
“Aye, aye, sir.” Steering the craft toward her own lines, she hammered down on the throttle. The Avenger’s stressed-gravity drive engine sent a hum through the fighter. It lurched forward without nearly the vigor it should have.
“Valkyrie, report?” she commanded her ship’s CAL, named after the mythical Norse women warriors who chose which soldiers died in battle.
“This craft is caught in the wake of a gravitational singularity,” it answered with no emotion.
“A black hole? You’re telling me I’m trapped in a fucking black hole? Where did it come from? There wasn’t one here before.”
“Correct, this cosmic anomaly could be referred to as a black hole. I am unaware of its source.”
“Divert all available power to the engines!”
“Warning, that will exceed engine safety protocols.”
“Screw the protocols! Command override! Give me everything you got, Valkyrie!”
Overtaxed, the hum of the engine turned into a vibration. Warnings flashed inside her mind’s eye. She slammed her lids shut, fruitlessly trying to avoid them.
The Last Revenge (The Last Hero Trilogy Book 2) Page 18