We discussed this and other possibilities before returning to our own ships.
Some of the Dresdens in the original task force required a few hours down time for repairs, and the admiral ordered his FFC’s to dock with them. He also ordered each ship to recertify each missile in its inventory. He didn’t want any problems down the line.
I wasn’t surprised to learn that a small percentage of missiles had to be pulled out of the queue for maintenance. None of those missiles were found on either Elian’s or my ship. We had already made that mistake.
I had to give up the Kestrel but I got my shuttle back. Admiral Lee had brought out a crew with him, and the two pilots had been spending many hours in simulators beforehand, so they were already up to speed when they arrived to pick it up. I spent two hours in the cockpit with them, going over everything I had learned, and then they were gone. I sighed, wishing I could pilot it. Then I sighed again, this time with pleasure. I had a Dresden and it was far more powerful. I also had a bunk and good coffee.
Once the plan was finalized, the three elements began simulated workups to ensure that each captain knew what his role was and exactly what he had to do at each stage. Simulations were much easier to arrange and eliminated the possibility that one or more ships might push their acceleration up enough to alert the bugs.
After four days of workups, the admiral called all his captains back together for the final conference. He could have held it via comm, but he preferred having his conferences to be live, as he was able to get a much better read on his crews’ overall understanding of the plan as well as the underlying feelings that commanding officers tended to try to hide. He carefully went over the attack, spelling out clearly and concisely what each element was tasked with doing, when it had to do it and why it was doing it. He labeled his task forces, Alpha, Beta and Gamma, and assigned each one a carrier, two or three Dresdens and twelve Hawks.
He kept his carrier, our two Dresdens and the four Kestrels apart in a fourth element, which would be tasked with the most hazardous assignment, that of suckering the bugs into making an attack on us while the three elements attacked simultaneously from separate headings.
The idea was that our feint would suck out enough forces to enable the three-pronged attack to get in close without incurring heavy losses. The attacks had to be precisely timed or the Constitution and our own tender hides would be in serious trouble. While it could sustain an acceleration of over eleven G’s, very good for a ship its size, that was not enough to keep it away from the two hundred fighters the bugs could put up.
He gave his final orders and then released everyone back to their ships. Alpha and Beta elements left almost immediately as they would have to curve at a low rate of acceleration around to the far side of the bug flotilla, remaining at least one hundred million kilometers distant at all times.
The attack was set to commence in fourteen days, at which time the Constitution would send in its forty fighters, our two Dresdens and four Kestrels as a feint to draw out the bugs.
Admiral Lee told both of us that he wanted us to stay in close enough to be able to maintain constant tight beam communications with his bridge.
At Elian’s suggestion, Admiral Lee ordered all the fighters to launch and work out with one of the Kestrels. Elian wanted to ensure that none of the fighters was accidentally ‘dirty’, and he wanted to get a feel for how well they could integrate the Kestrels with the Dash 4’s. As a bonus, our fighters got to maneuver with the new ships, which were going to be difficult to spot as well as keep up with.
As the time for the launch of the attack neared we stood down our crews from the fairly high alert status they had been under for such a long time. Most of the crewmembers took the opportunity to get some much-needed sleep.
Finally, The Constitution launched six of its drones and they began sweeping towards the bug formation. Behind them came the Kestrels. As the newest ships in fleet inventory, they possessed the most sensitive seeker systems, and the admiral wanted them out front where they could spot trouble almost as early as the Dresdens, which of course were less stealthy and far slower.
Admiral Lee decided not to launch the fighters until they were within twenty million kilometers distance of the bug formation. He worried that in an extended engagement they would run dry just when they might be needed most. The Kestrels were well out in front and should serve to alert him in time to launch all the fighters.
As soon as the Kestrels began picking up bug emissions that indicated the enemy had spotted their approach, they reported back to the Constitution and fighters began spewing from its launch bays. This carrier was the first of a new series of ships fleet was working up. It had far more defensive armaments on board, including sixteen anti-missile launchers and over forty energy mounts, plus the heavy ablative shielding. It was approximately ten percent larger than the auxiliary carrier we were familiar with but it had less usable interior volume, due to the far greater volume occupied by it engines.
We went to battle stations and closed up the ship. As we anticipated that we would need more anti-fighter missiles than our automatic systems could carry, The FFC’s loaded us up with as many additional missiles as we could fit in. Elian and I worked out a plan whereby we would empty one tube rather than rotate the missiles between tubes. That would give our crews the opportunity to begin reloading the first tube while we shifted to another one. This tactic might work if we had enough time.
The Kestrels reported that they couldn’t account for a fairly large number of ships, and could see very few fighters. As soon as we heard this report Elian and I talked about it for a few seconds and came to the conclusion that the bugs may have sent off an attacking force against the last reported position of our task force, which had sat in one spot for such a very long time. If that was so, our small contingent might get pinched between the main force and the missing elements.
It was Elian who had developed a thesis that the bugs might be able to use their presumed huge astronomical search systems to look for traces of enemy ships. It had taken a couple of days to determine that it was technically feasible.
I reported to Admiral Lee the possibility that a large portion of the bug flotilla might have departed on an attack and he took me at my word. There wasn’t much he could do about it as he had already separated his forces, but he did what he could. Via the drones he radioed to the three task forces what apparently had happened and ordered them to push up their attack by six hours. This was our first use of the drones in this manner, and it gave us a decided tactical advantage over the bugs.
His message would take almost ten minutes to reach the three groups, and he didn’t have enough time to wait for their replies. He told me, “Robert, the next time I separate my forces, kick me in the ass.” I said, “Yes sir.” This wasn’t the time for joking.
The admiral queried the Kestrels for a count of those bug ships they could see. They were now within ten million kilometers distance of the outlying destroyers. They reported back that all four of the battle cruiser sized ships were positioned fairly close to the mother ship. They counted over fifty fighters, flying in squadrons of sixteen each, with approximately twelve destroyers. They couldn’t account for the balance of the fighters and a large number of destroyers.
The Kestrels decelerated and the Lee and Grant caught up while the fighters swept on ahead. At six million kilometers the fighters launched two Mark 67 missiles each, and eighty missiles began scorching in at their highest drive setting. We now had a good supply of missiles, enough so that we could effectively throw away these missiles as a feint to increase the vulnerability of the bug mother ship to the other three attacks.
Within moments the bugs reacted. The mother ship began launching additional fighters, which we thought to be a good thing, as every fighter still in the main flotilla was one less fighter in our rear.
The Dash 4’s were still pretty far out and were probably not yet visible to the enemy, although the missiles they’d launched
certainly were. Eighty missiles were probably not enough to take out the mother ship, but then, they hadn’t been launched at it. Each battle cruiser was now the target of twenty missiles.
Meanwhile, the fighters returned to the carrier. As soon as each ship docked, crews hurriedly mounted four anti-fighter missiles. It took about ten minutes to turn a fighter around and send it back out. We expected we would need all those missiles, and more before the day ended.
Two of the battle cruisers were positioning themselves between the mother ship, and us, which was what he had hoped for. The other two were actually reacting as if we might have additional forces coming in from other compass points, which in fact we did.
At Elian’s urging, the Admiral retargeted the missiles onto the two nearest battle cruisers. That was possibly not enough to completely destroy them, but it was enough to keep them busy.
Admiral Lee sent two of the Kestrels back towards the Constitution and beyond to position them to our rear as trip wires in case the missing fighters and destroyers showed up while we were otherwise engaged.
Within thirty minutes all the fighters had rearmed and were mostly back on station in front of the carrier, which had decelerated to rest, relative to the bugs.
The two Kestrels in front of us reported that the battle cruisers were belching clouds of missiles back at us. At the time of the report they had already launched over one hundred sixty missiles.
As long as we were fairly close to them they were relatively easy to pick off, due to their low rate of acceleration.
I talked to Admiral Lee and discussed what we might do if the missing ships showed up behind us. He decided that the best solution would be for our task force to run toward a point in space mid way between Alpha and Beta.
Our capital missiles passed the bug missiles about the time that three of the bug fighter groups decided that this was a serious attack. The fighters accelerated directly at our position. Close behind them came eleven destroyers, plus the two battle cruisers.
As far as we were concerned, we’d accomplished our mission, which was to suck as many of the defenders in our direction as possible, making life easier for our three attacking groups. Now, all that we had to do was avoid that great big hammer that was coming down on us.
At one million kilometers the Mark 67’s began curving in on their final attack runs. They had accelerated all the way and their relative velocity was extremely high, making them difficult to destroy. Their jamming systems came up and they began moving around unpredictably. This had been an addition Elian and I suggested. Admiral Lee enthusiastically accepted it.
If we were able to destroy or take out of commission just those two ships we would consider it a win, and get the hell away from all those missiles, fighters and destroyers.
At one hundred thousand kilometers the battle cruisers unleashed a torrent of energy fire at the missiles, which were already proving to be harder to hit than in the recent past. Still, inevitably, first one, then another blossomed in a silent boil of light.
I reported to Admiral Lee, “Sir, at this rate, a majority of our missiles are going to get in. I suggest that we begin retreating now, before we have to deal with their missiles. The fighters, the Grant and the Lee can screen you as you retreat, sir.”
Admiral Lee nodded his head and his ship began accelerating away from the action. The two outlying Kestrels were over a million kilometers further out, and reported blank screens.
As our 67’s slashed in on their final run, we received reports that Alpha, Beta and Gamma were in position and would soon begin launching their own missiles. They had a combined total of nearly one thousand capital missiles between them. Admiral Lee had ordered them to conserve half of those missiles, due to the missing ships and fighters.
Our two Dresdens were also conserving our capital missiles, as we were the only offensive weapons the Constitution had available. We wanted something in reserve for the missing destroyers. Two hundred forty capital missiles ought to keep them on their toes.
The Constitution fighters began unleashing their anti-missile missiles at the incoming bug missiles. As soon as a fighter emptied its racks it turned and headed back to the carrier where it was to rearm with four more.
Admiral Lee had gotten cagey. Their first load consisted of two capital missiles, the second, the longer-ranged 15h’s, and the third, if there was time, would consist of the much faster 15g. If the plan worked they would have a full load of missiles for use against any ships, fighters or missiles that approached within one million kilometers of the carrier.
All the fighters finished emptying their racks and sprinted for the carrier, which was now moving at nine G’s away from the bug missiles. Finally, the trail of intercepted -67 missiles reached the two battle cruisers. We counted over fifteen hits on the nearest one, which disappeared in a massive explosion, followed moments later by the second. Our first encounter with these battle cruisers hadn’t gone nearly as well. It struck me that the difference was in the terminal velocity – this time our missiles were moving appreciably faster than the first time. Apparently, their defenses were either not accustomed to such velocities, or were not capable enough for them.
That still left the flotilla’s destroyers and fighters, as well as over six hundred missiles, which our counter missiles were beginning to winnow down a bit. Of the one hundred sixty counter missiles, over one hundred thirty succeeded in hitting its target, leaving a little under five hundred.
Our Dresdens were approximately one hundred thousand kilometers behind the carrier and five hundred thousand kilometers from the approaching enemy ships. We began launching our longer-ranged anti-missile missiles, one tube at a time. One hundred and twenty eight missiles accelerated towards the incoming bug missiles, which had now been in flight for over fifteen minutes, and were still accelerating.
Admiral Lee asked, “How much longer can those missiles run?” I said, “Sir, as long as you continue at your present rate of acceleration they should go ballistic well before they come within range. I recommend that we send the other two Kestrels out ahead of you. We know what we have behind us, and I don’t like not knowing the location of the missing enemy ships, sir.”
The admiral agreed and the two Kestrels immediately accelerated out ahead of the carrier. The two already out continued to report nothing on their screen, and were ordered to move still further out from the carrier. I knew that if the missing bugs did show up, we would be in a bad position, so I worried. I was still alive, as were the members of my crew, because I considered and planned for disaster.
Enemy missiles began to get hit by the Dresden counter missiles, marking a line of ugly red explosions in the depths of space, each one a little closer. We eliminated approximately two hundred more with the combined Dresden missiles. Our crews were working feverishly to reload the eight launch tubes. We now faced just under three hundred missiles. If we wanted to evade them, we would have to go to max acceleration within the next minute or so, but I continued to worry about what was behind us.
Elian commed me, “Roberto, I suggest that we cease to be tourists.” I laughed and our two ships turned and accelerated hard to catch up to the carrier and her fighters, the first of which were now recovering back aboard her for the second time.
As we began to close the gap between us and the carrier, a Kestrel broadcast, “Constitution, Kestrel03. Approximately fifteen destroyers, escorted by an unknown but large number of fighters, approaching from your twelve O’clock! Distance, fifteen million kilometers.”
Our present course was nearly directly toward the incoming bugs. Admiral Lee immediately ordered a course change that would turn us away from both the incoming missiles and the approaching ships. Elian and I cut the corner, crossed behind the Constitution, and moved out to place us between her and the new plots on her screen. We were now heading in the opposite direction of the main bug flotilla and toward Alpha and Beta.
I looked at a plot of our courses and commed Admiral Lee, “Sir,
if we can maintain this acceleration we should pass between Alpha and Beta in approximately twenty-five minutes. I recommend that you order them to increase their acceleration and alter their course so that they meet us. If we begin decelerating in twenty minutes, we should have available the combined firepower of all three groups.”
Admiral Lee said, “My people agree with your assessment. We think that we may have to fend off at least some of those incoming missiles however, and that is going to leave us with fewer missiles for the second group.”
He was silent for a few moments as he queried the Kestrels, then resumed, “The Kestrels report that this second group doesn’t have much built-up velocity, but if their fighters are carrying missiles, as I believe that are, we are going to be very busy.”
The four Kestrels began turning, placing themselves between the approaching fighters, which were accelerating out ahead of the destroyers. Between them they had just over one hundred Dash 15’s, and our two Dresdens had over two hundred capital missiles, which was enough to seriously hurt but probably not enough to stop them.
Hawk Seven (Flight of the Hawk) Page 68