Colin smiled, knowing that Percival – assuming that he had an accurate report on the Battle of Jackson’s Folly – would be astonished and horrified to discover how quickly his ships had been repaired. Thanks to Daria – and, to a lesser extent Hester – he had tapped into a rich vein of talent in the Beyond, engineers and repair crews who actually knew what they were doing. The Imperial Navy might prefer not to educate its crews too much, but the Beyond had no time for such luxuries and Colin hadn't hesitated to take advantage of it. The superdreadnaughts had swapped out all the damaged components and replaced them within days.
“Excellent,” he said. He glanced up at the commanding officer of the General Grant, which had been the main target during the Battle of Jackson’s Folly. “Are you sure that your ship is in fighting trim?”
“I am certain of it, sir,” the young commander said. Like Colin, he’d been an XO on the Observation Squadron before the mutiny and an enthusiastic participant from Day One. It was ironic, but if there was one thing that the Empire and the Popular Front had in coming, it was that neither of them would willingly give a superdreadnaught to a man they didn't trust. Colin had decided, not without regret, to move the superdreadnaught officers elsewhere, just in case. “We had to go EVA to swap out some of the armour plates, but we’re back in order now and” – he grinned at Damiani – “raring to go.”
Colin smiled. “Excellent,” he said, again. The recon missions had already been dispatched to Greenland, although he had been reluctant to use the same tactic more often than necessary. By now, the Imperial Navy would know to look for a freighter that appeared to have been abandoned by its crew. Or perhaps they would be paranoid about everything that entered their system, with very good reason. The reports from his agents at Camelot had reported that Admiral Percival had started updating the IFF signals again, this time making it impossible for a ship to enter the inner system without being searched. “If there are no other concerns...”
He waited, but no one spoke. “This may be our most challenging encounter yet,” he added. The preliminary recon missions had suggested that there was nothing unexpected within the system, yet two armoured fortresses in orbit and thousands of automated platforms were nothing to laugh at, particularly when they couldn't sneak up on the bastards and blow them away before they could react. “Once we get the recon data back from the gunboats, we jump in hard and fast, concentrating on wrecking as much of the Roosevelt Family’s investment as possible, before we vanish again.”
Colin smiled ruefully at the thought. Standard Imperial Navy doctrine held that superdreadnaughts were only to be used for decisive attacks – and, of course, for intimidating anyone who might be questioning their loyalty to the Empire. The idea of using them for hit and run raids would have horrified his instructors, but Colin had discovered that the tactic worked very well. Certainly, battlecruisers had their advantages when it came to raiding – they could outgun anything that could actually catch them – yet there was something to be said for using ships so powerful that very little else could stand up to them...and besides, it wasn't as if the planets could run away. No one had yet succeeded in building a flicker drive powerful enough to transport a whole planet somewhere else.
“There’s no point in pushing to actually take the planet,” he concluded. He'd thought as much, but he’d resolved to remain flexible until he saw what they were actually facing. “We get in, wreak havoc and get out again. No heroics.”
He smiled at their expressions and then made a show of checking his watch. “You have your orders,” he said. “Good luck to us all.”
Colin sat back as the holograms vanished, one by one. The Empire’s standard etiquette was that sending a hologram was rude, unless the sender was bedridden or otherwise unable to attend. Personally, Colin had never understood it...but then, he had never really understood the point of many traditions. Percival, who had been a past master of political backstabbing, had once commented – in a moment of candour – that failing to maintain what society regarded as good manners was often seen as a sign of weakness. Among the Thousand Families, showing weakness was very likely to lead to disaster. Even so, Colin saw no reason to maintain the tradition and had no intention of allowing his fleet to adopt it.
“No heroics,” Anderson said, from where he had been sitting on the other side of the cabin. “Do you think that that is going to make them cautious?”
Colin shrugged. There were some wilder souls in the rebellion who deserved their own independent commands, where they could indulge their taste for fighting without risking the overall plan. Once the newer starships started coming out of the shipyards the Geeks were constructing, he would be able to start assigning more officers to command slots, while ensuring that the superdreadnaughts remained firmly in the hands of his loyalists.
“I see no reason to risk ourselves here,” he said, finally. “It isn't as if we can take the world...and it isn't as if we’d be allowed to keep it, even if we did take the world.”
He changed the subject before Anderson could return to the issue. “Did you learn anything from the secret files?”
“Nothing,” Anderson admitted. “There was a great deal of data – some of which we can use for blackmail, or simply release it into the public sphere to cause confusion – but nothing relating to any long-term Roosevelt-led plans for this sector. I suspect that if Commodore Roosevelt knows anything about them – and I don’t think she does – the details would be locked up in her pretty head. You should have let me brain-suck her.”
Colin shook his head in disgust, although, if the truth were told, he wasn't sure what he was disgusted at! Stacy’s secret files had included a great deal of blackmail material, including at least one Admiral and several civilian contractors who were into the most disgusting perversions, even by the standards of the Empire. No amount of protection, influence or wealth would save them if the information got out, which might have helped explain why Stacy had been allowed to maintain her command. Colin found himself caught between two possibilities; he could expose them, or blackmail them. His practical side suggested that blackmail would help the rebellion, but his vindictive streak suggested that releasing the information would ensure that the perpetrators got what they deserved. It had, quite simply, never occurred to him that anyone would be – could be – a greater pervert than Percival.
“No,” he said. “Do you have any theories?”
The Security Officer frowned, stroking his chin. “None,” he said, finally. “It could be a display of wealth intended to impress their fellows – they’re always boasting about how fabulously rich they are – but anyone they thought was worth the effort of impressing would already know how much money they have. Or...perhaps they wanted to create their own workforce and eventually dominate the sector...”
“They already dominate the sector,” Colin said. He was thinking of Lady Ellicott-Chatham. She didn't have any connections to the Roosevelt Family, as far as he knew, but perhaps she would know something. Jason Cordova could ask. Colin was no expert in the arts of love, yet he was sure that Cordova was attracted to the girl. “Or maybe...”
The GQ alert sounded, interrupting him. “All hands to battle stations,” Damiani’s voice said. “Set Condition One throughout the ship; Admiral Walker to the CIC. This is not a drill; I say again, this is not a drill.”
Colin stood up, reaching for his jacket. “We’ll discuss it later,” he said. “Once the battle is over, we’ll go through the data again.”
The CIC was buzzing with activity when Colin stepped into the compartment. “Report,” he ordered.
“The gunboats have returned, sir,” the tactical officer reported. “We’re getting the data download from them now.”
Colin nodded, pushing the other concerns out of his mind. It was time to make war.
“Show me,” he ordered. The display lit up with the latest data. There were no unexpected surprises within the system, although the weapons platforms in orbit seemed to be strong
er and more numerous than the early reports had suggested. “Bring up the flicker drive and prepare to jump.”
He settled down in his command chair and waited for the other ships to report in, linking into the datanet binding the fleet together. “All ships report ready, sir,” the tactical officer said. “They await your command.”
Colin nodded. “Jump,” he ordered.
***
The sound of alarms echoing through the ship brought Daniel out of a fitful sleep. “Captain, this is Lieutenant Ellsworth,” a voice said. “Sir, multiple hostile warships have just flickered into the system!”
Daniel pulled himself out of his bunk, grabbed his jacket and raced for the bridge. “Begin powering up the drive,” he ordered, as he ploughed through the door. “Give me a report, right bloody now!”
“We have nine superdreadnaughts and assorted smaller ships,” the Lieutenant said, as he gratefully vacated the Captain’s chair. “IFF signals do not match anything in the updated database.”
“Prepare to take us out of here,” Daniel ordered. The sound of the drive powering up echoed through the ship. A destroyer’s great advantage was that it could flash-wake the flicker drive and be reasonably certain of arriving at the endpoint in one piece. The rebels didn’t know it, Daniel knew, but they had flown right into a trap. And the trap was about to be sprung. “Jump!”
A moment later, Snow White vanished from the Greenland System.
Chapter Thirty-Five
“Jump completed, Admiral,” the helmsman said. The display flickered to life, revealing the Greenland System ahead of them. There was no point in trying to hide their presence, so the sensor departments were using their active sensors at full power. The freighters and the handful of warships within the system weren’t responding yet, but they would. Even a blind starship captain would recognise the nine superdreadnaughts bearing down on the planet.
“All ships are reporting in,” the tactical officer said. “All weapons systems are online and ready for activation.”
Colin nodded, leaning back in his command chair and trying to project an impression of unconcern. “Launch probes, full spread,” he ordered. It was possible that Percival had tried to hide a surprise within the system, perhaps another squadron of superdreadnaughts. Colin hadn't been able to decide if Percival would have the nerve to ask for help from Sector 99 or not. “I want every dust mote within this system tracked and logged.”
“Aye, sir,” the tactical officer said. “I am launching probes now.”
The probes sped away from the superdreadnaughts, transmitting their findings back to the ships thought tightbeam lasers. Colin watched as they updated their results, confirming that there were no starships within the limits of detectable range. With cloaking devices, or a starship simply shutting down all of its systems and pretending to be a harmless asteroid, that wasn't as large as he would have preferred, yet even the Geeks hadn't been able to improve the sensor systems to the point where they could detect a powered-down starship drifting in empty space. They were still promising breakthroughs, but Colin would believe it when he saw it. He’d also like an FTL communicator, while he was wishing, or a superweapon that could take out a superdreadnaught in a single shot.
And while I'm wishing, I’d like a pony, he thought, with sudden amusement. He smiled, studying the display. Judging from the sensor probes that were sweeping up towards his fleet, the defenders of the planet had noticed their arrival and were preparing to put up a fight. Collectively, his fleet had more firepower than the two massive orbital fortresses covering Greenland, but individually...it was going to be close, or at least it would have been if Colin had intended to take the planet. The yellow icons representing orbital installations appeared below the orbital fortresses, their crews already abandoning ship in lifepods and shuttles, saving their lives. Colin had known, even though he had taken no pleasure in it, that they wouldn't have any time to issue warnings this time. They had to take out the facilities and retreat before Percival sent in reinforcements.
“Good work,” he said. The Geeks had managed to improve the control systems for the probes. While the Imperial Navy might be only able to launch six probes at once – or risk losing control of the additional probes – his ships could launch up to fifteen, each. It gave him an unprecedented level of tactical awareness, yet he had to keep reminding himself that merely having the probes didn’t make him aware of everything within range. It was still possible for a bold or cunning ship’s captain to slip close to his ships. “Helm...take us on the planned trajectory.”
The superdreadnaught seemed to strain at the leash as she moved towards the planet, her weapons systems coming awake one by one and locking onto their targets. Colin smiled darkly as he took in the sensors emanating from the orbital fortress, wondering when her commander would choose to open fire. If Colin had been in his shoes, with as much firepower as he had at his disposal, he would have opened fire as soon as the starships came into range, even though it would have given Colin’s point defence longer to lock onto and destroy the incoming missiles. It would have distracted the attackers – and their tactical sensors – from returning fire and it might, if the defenders were very lucky, knock out an external rack and damage a superdreadnaught’s ability to fire.
Greenland was a second world that had been given an unusual level of development, thanks to the Roosevelt Family. Colin would have been delighted to have the small complex of shipyards and industrial nodes in orbit around the planet under his control. Indeed, given a few more years, Greenland would probably become the production capital of the sector - particularly after the pasting the rebels had given Piccadilly. Colin turned it over and over in his mind, but no explanation seemed plausible. The Roosevelt Family was either led by fools – which might have explained why they’d trusted the system to Stacy Roosevelt – or they had some deeper motivation for their actions. Whatever it was, Colin hoped, his war had put an end to it. And who knew what would happen to the Roosevelt Family – and the Empire – if they were unable to complete their plans?
He pushed the thought out of his mind as the small fleet crossed the invisible line in space marking weapons range. He’d planned to hold fire until they reached a closer range – the fortress had a powerful point defence system and it was surrounded by automated weapons platforms – but if the fortress had opened fire, he would have had to return it and use the external racks. The fortress seemed inclined to wait for him to get closer, which was odd, even though it was what he wanted. A chill ran down his spine as he contemplated the words of one of his old instructors at the Academy.
“If your battle is going according to plan,” the old man had said, two years before he’d been taken away for some political offence against the Empire, “you are about to lose. No battle plan has ever survived contact with the enemy and no battle plan ever will.”
Colin scowled, unable to suppress the feeling of imminent disaster. “Launch a second set of probes,” he ordered. The tactical officer gave him a surprised glance, but he didn't argue, even though there was no overt reason to launch additional probes. “Prepare to engage the enemy.”
The fortress was finally coming alive, almost exactly when Colin had predicted, a compromise between range and speed. The shorter the range between shooter and target, the faster the missiles could travel...and the shorter time in which they could be intercepted. Colin watched the updating display for a long moment, checking that the fortress’s impressive salvo of missiles hadn’t been augmented somehow, before looking up at the tactical officer.
“Lock missiles on target,” he ordered. It was an unnecessary order, but Imperial Navy protocol demanded that it be issued. “Prepare to fire.”
“Missiles locked on target, sir,” the tactical officer said. His hands danced over the control systems, targeting the missiles on the massive fortress. Unlike the last fortress they’d destroyed, this one was fully aware of the danger and was prepared to meet it. Its point defence would take a heavy toll of C
olin’s missiles, hence his willingness to spend lavishly in order to take out the fortress. “We are ready to attack.”
“Fire,” Colin ordered, calmly.
The superdreadnaught rocked sharply as she unleashed the first barrage from its external racks, just before tiny destruct charges separated the remains of the racks from the starship and pushed them into space. A moment later, the ship rumbled again as she unleashed the firepower of her internal tubes, the updated missile control systems taking control of both salvos and melding them together. The spread of ECM missiles, armed with jammers and decoys rather than standard nuclear warheads, followed afterwards, adding to the confusion. Depending on the skill of the enemy sensor techs on the receiving end – and the Roosevelt Family could hire the best, if they were so inclined – they might have problems separating out the real missiles from the decoys. Their screens would be showing over a million missiles bearing down on them.
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