by D. J. Holmes
This wasn’t good, James knew. The young man must have been Admiral Zheng’s son. The Admiral wasn’t going to take his death well. What would he do now that he knew about the coup? There was no chance he would surrender, not if the only thing that awaited him was prison. “How long until the message reaches the Admiral’s battleship in orbit.” James asked the COM officer.
“It will take the transmission another three hours sir,” she replied.
“I guess we better get ready then. I think things are about get interesting.”
When the message reached Valkyrie Jensen came to the same conclusion. She immediately sent a transmission to the courier ships that had jumped in with her flotilla. One was to inform Admiral Cunningham of the development. The other was to inform the rest of her squadron back at their position outside the V17 system and then to go on to Excalibur to order any ships that had arrived there to come straight to V17. A battle was surely approaching.
*
Back at the squadron’s rendezvous point the next four hours were frantic. Every ship was taking its turn to come alongside the resupply freighters as they topped up their fuel and weapons. Regular updates kept coming from the scouts in the system as the Chinese fleet gathered itself, clearly intending to try and break out of the blockade.
At last the message came through. The Chinese fleet was taking a direct line for the shift passage back to Chinese space. Admirals Cunningham and Jensen had worked out plans for every eventuality. In this case, each section of the fleet would jump to a prearranged point and get into formation before jumping into the system to confront the Chinese fleet.
The number of ships forming up overawed James when they jumped to the fleet assembly area. Admiral Cunningham had four battlecruisers under his command; combined with their flotillas they constituted more ships than James had ever seen in one place. The smaller cruisers and destroyers that were taking up position along the outer edge of the fleet further bolstered the numbers. Jensen’s squadron slotted in at the back of the fleet to inflate its numbers to an even more impressive level. In total six battlecruisers prepared to jump into the V17 system. Whatever happened, James knew this was going to be the biggest space battle in human history.
His role was likely to be rather small. The battle computers aboard Valkyrie would direct the fire of the point defenses of the flagship’s flotilla. Jensen would also be designating targets for her ships to attack together. Only if the flagship were damaged would James have to step in and take direct control of how his ship was fought.
There was a moment of silence as the fleet waited for another scout ship to jump in and give them the latest flight vectors of the Chinese ships. When it did, every ship was updated with new jump coordinates from Admiral Cunningham’s flagship. A timer appeared on the main holo display. They would be jumping in two minutes.
Before they did, Admiral Cunningham made a fleet wide transmission. His face appeared on the main holo display above the countdown. “Men and women of the fleet. We already have a cease-fire with the Chinese but you all know the situation before us. If this Chinese fleet gets back to their home space, they will reverse the changes taking place in China. Full-scale war will resume. That means that the real peace must be won here, today. I cannot guarantee we all will make it home safely. But that is not why we signed up to the Royal Space Navy. We signed up to protect our families, our homes and our country. That’s what we are here to do today. Britain expects every man and woman to do their duty. I know you will give of your best. For King and Country,” Admiral Cunningham closed with a salute.
Despite everything that had happened James found himself saluting and repeating the Admiral’s last phrase with everyone else on board Raptor. No one could miss the historical reference to Britain’s greatest Admiral. They had a tradition to live up too.
Thirty seconds after the Admiral’s speech, the fleet jumped into shift space. The jump itself only lasted a handful of seconds. Then, once again, James found himself accelerating into the V17 system. The Chinese fleet had already been heading out of the system for the last two hours. They had reached the maximum speed of their battleships and were clearly still hoping they would be able to fight their way past whatever British ships appeared to engage them.
Admiral Cunningham had come into the system in a way that would allow his ships to loop around the advancing Chinese ships and come up alongside them. That way the two fleets wouldn’t pass one another but would instead slowly converge. As a result, the Chinese fleet would be within missile range of the British ships for an hour before they would reach the system’s mass shadow. The Chinese Admiral could try and veer away from the British fleet but doing so would take him away from the shortest route to the mass shadow. In turn, Admiral Cunningham could alter course and keep with the Chinese fleet, actually prolonging the time they would be in missile range. Admiral Zheng had no choice. If he wanted to try and get back to Chinese space he had to fight his way out. This was the British philosophy drilled into all her officers from the academy. When an enemy needed to be stopped, it was the duty of His Majesty’s ships to lay alongside the enemy and hold them in their sights for as long as possible. One way or another the battle would end in a decisive outcome.
For the next two hours, James had to sit back and watch the two fleets slowly converge. He had read about many famous navel battles in the past and the firsthand accounts always mentioned the waiting. Both fleets knew they now had to destroy the other to live. Neither Admiral planned to back off. Yet everyone on board each ship of the fleet had to sit and wait. There was nothing that could be done until they got within range of each other. James tried to keep his crew busy. He ran a few firing drills to make sure everyone was on their toes. Then an hour before the battle he made sure everyone got a chance to go to the canteen and eat and take a five minute break from their battle stations.
Finally, the firing orders began to come in. Cunningham had decided that the first two salvos would be aimed at the smaller Chinese ships. Then, once the point defenses of the Chinese fleet had been weakened, the battleships and battlecruisers would be targeted until they surrendered or were destroyed. If they could take out the main ships of the Chinese fleet, with their senior commanders, it was likely the rest might give up and surrender.
It was the British ships that broke the silence first. Six hundred missiles poured out of their missile tubes and began to accelerate towards the Chinese fleet. A couple of minutes later the Chinese responded. James couldn’t count all the missiles the gravimetric plot was showing but the computer estimated there to be at least seven hundred and twenty. The battle had begun.
Chapter 31 - Sacrifice
In the end history has taught us that all wars boil down to one simple thing, kill the enemy before he kills you. If you cannot achieve this, do the next best thing..
-Excerpt from Empire Rising, 3002 AD
31st July, 2465 AD, HMS Raptor, outer edge of V17 system
As James watched the first missile salvo crash into the Chinese fleet, he knew they had used their time since the first battle of Excalibur well. All the smaller British ships had fired at least one of their penetrator missiles, while the larger ships were keeping theirs for the third salvo. Even so, a lot less British missiles managed to get through the Chinese ships’ point defenses than expected. Only one medium cruiser and three destroyers were destroyed. A light cruiser had also been damaged enough to cause it to begin to fall behind its comrades. As it did, it disappeared from Raptor’s targeting priorities. Any ships that dropped out of the Chinese fleet could be ignored and picked off later. The objective was to stop any of them reaching the edge of the system’s mass shadow.
Next it was the turn of the Chinese missiles to get their chance at causing damage. Their seven hundred and twenty missiles were first reduced to less than two hundred by the flak guns. Only fifteen actually managed to break through the inner point defense fire to lock onto targets. ECM jamming confused three more but the final twelve f
ound targets. Three destroyers disappeared as they each took a direct hit, one, hit twice, left no trace of itself after the explosions cleared. A heavy cruiser was rocked by two proximity hits but continued on, shrugging off the damage. Two light cruisers weren’t so lucky; as each took a proximity hit, they began to register some serious damage on the fleet status screen. Further explosions among the fleet took out four frigates and a corvette.
Immediately, the smaller ships of the fleet began to reposition themselves to best fill the gaps in the point defense fire that had been opened up by the losses. Once in position, every ship fired as one and the third salvo of British missiles, now reduced by over forty compared to the first, began to tear their way across the gap between the two fleets. The second salvo, fired before the Chinese missiles began to explode among them, was already getting into range of the Chinese fleet.
Again the Chinese point defenses served them well. Of the initial six hundred, only twenty managed to get close enough to detonate against a target. This time, three light cruisers and two destroyers were destroyed or severely damaged. Crucially, eight frigates were taken out as direct or even proximity hits ensured the fragile ships disintegrated. James had to pump his fists. The Chinese point defense fire was being whittled away.
His jubilation was short lived when the next Chinese salvo came crashing into the British fleet. One medium cruiser was destroyed and one of Admiral Cunningham’s battlecruisers took two proximity hits from what appeared to be the heavier battleship missiles. With almost a third more explosive firepower than the smaller cruiser missiles the British battlecruiser lost five of her missile tubes and was struggling to stay in formation.
For another twenty minutes the two fleets continued to pound each other. After each salvo more and more ships dropped out of formation from each fleet. Raptor barely managed to dodge a missile that had beaten her point defenses and Valkyrie had taken at least one proximity hit. Their flotilla had also lost its flak frigate to a direct hit.
James already felt himself losing tactical awareness of the battle. It was hard to determine how it was going. Ships were constantly changing positions to fill in gaps and present the most effective defense. At other times ships he had thought had survived the latest salvo, were simply gone the next time he looked at the plot. It was likely they had brushed off a hit only to find their damaged systems had overloaded. Still, as far as he could tell they were beginning to get the upper hand. He had seen each of the two battleships take proximity hits and the whole Chinese fleet had been forced to reduce their speed to allow one of the battleships to stay in formation. One of the battlecruisers had also pulled out of formation. It had taken a number of proximity hits and then, when the first heavy cruiser of the battle had exploded, a part of its nose section had collided with the battlecruiser.
“New orders coming in,” shouted the COM officer. “The fleet is to adjust course to heading five four two point three.”
James checked the new heading. Admiral Cunningham was veering away from the Chinese fleet to keep the range open. He clearly thought the British ships were getting the better of the missile engagement. He didn’t want to give the Chinese a chance to close to plasma range.
Just moments after the British fleet came onto a new heading and fired another salvo of missiles, the Chinese reacted. Their speed told James that it was a prearranged maneuver. Almost all of the Chinese fleet came onto a new heading that didn’t just compensate for the British change in course but actually meant the Chinese ships were closing the gap to the British. Three ships didn’t follow the course change though. A battleship accompanied by two heavy cruisers turned away from the British fleet. James guessed Admiral Zheng was on board the battleship. He was sacrificing the remainder of his fleet in order to escape back to China.
That left Admiral Cunningham an almost impossible decision to make. If he turned his ships after the fleeing Chinese battleship, he would be presenting his bow to the main Chinese force. They would be able to fire missile salvos and soon plasma bolts at the British fleet while Cunningham’s ships could only respond with their bow weapons. Typically, only half of a RSN navy’s plasma cannons could actually target forward threats and even the battlecruisers only had four bow missile tubes each.
That meant that if Cunningham wanted to stop Zheng from escaping, his fleet would have to go through the main Chinese force, and fast. He could stand off and hammer them to pieces. Certainly they now had the numerical advantage. Yet as James did the calculations it was clear that unless they got some lucky hits and took out the Chinese ships quickly it would take too long. Admiral Zheng would be able to escape. The only other option was to close to plasma range. Yet there was no guarantee that any of the British ships would come out of a plasma duel undamaged. They would certainly take heavy losses and even then the survivors may not be in a position to catch the fleeing Chinese ships.
It seemed like Cunningham had to choose between keeping his fleet and protecting the Chinese reforms being made under Na. He couldn’t do both. James certainly didn’t know how he would make the decision, if he were in charge.
Before Cunningham made a move, Rear Admiral Jensen reacted. “Sir,” Romanov called worriedly. “Valkyrie is breaking formation. She’s turning towards the fleeing Chinese ships! Wait, Ghost is following.”
Immediately, James knew what she was doing. Being at the back of the fleet Valkyrie could risk turning her bow to the Chinese fleet. On her new heading they wouldn’t be able to get into plasma range before Jensen could bypass them.
“Take us after them,” James ordered. It was a suicide mission. There was no doubt about it. If the main Chinese fleet didn’t bother sending any missiles their way, the battleship and two heavy cruisers would probably finish them off anyway.
“Signal from Churchill,” Sub Lieutenant Beckford at the COM station called. “Valkyrie and her escorts are to return to formation.”
“Sir, what shall I do?” the navigation officer asked.
“Keep station with Valkyrie, we’re only turning back if she does,” James answered.
It only took a few moments for Jensen herself to contact James. When he opened the COM link he saw Lightfoot had been included in the discussion. “This is my fight, I have unfinished business with Zheng. I’m ordering both of you to return to the fleet immediately,” she said as crossly as she could.
Lightfoot was the first to respond, “sorry sir, you’re breaking up.” Before Jensen could say anything more, Lightfoot cut the transmission from Ghost. Jensen was left staring at James. She tried to say something further but James cut his own transmission as well.
“Sir,” the COM officer said as she waved him towards the main holo display. “A message is coming in from Ghost. It’s text only.
Across the main screen came the message from Lightfoot.
She’s planning to close to plasma range. Our smaller guns won’t be effective but without our flak cannons she won’t get close enough to do any damage. It’s our job to screen the flagship, so let’s make sure Jensen gets to where she wants to go.
“Send an acknowledgement,” James ordered. The gravity of the situation suddenly hit him. Jensen had nothing to gain and everything to lose. There wasn’t much chance Valkyrie would survive once she got into plasma range of the battleship’s heavy guns. Why was she so willing to sacrifice her life to stop this Chinese Commander? Even if he got away what damage could he actually do with a battleship and two heavy cruisers? Then he realized. Duty. It was her sense of duty that drove her. She had seen the impossible situation Admiral Cunningham had been placed in. He had to choose between losing most of his fleet and letting Zheng escape. Jensen had taken the choice away from him and, in doing so, protected the rest of the fleet. He was reminded of an old navy saying, if you can’t kill your enemy before he kills you, do the next best thing, take him down with you.
Suddenly, James realized that he had only been playing at being a naval officer before. All his life he had always had other t
hings that were his priority, his family, his reputation, his future, and Christine. The common factor was that they all revolved around him. Even when he had made command decisions that everyone had applauded him for, he had still been acting to win approval, to further his career, his standing. Now he saw what a true sense of duty looked like, what true valor looked like. Jensen was going to sacrifice herself to save the fleet. Momentarily his thoughts turned to Christine. She had chosen her duty, to put herself second and others first. Now he understood.
“Captain,” Romanov called breaking into his thoughts, “we have another message from Admiral Cunningham. He’s threatening us all with a court martial if we don’t turn back. What shall I do?”