by Dietmar Wehr
“Can we get our fighters that close before the enemy re-emerges from the atmosphere, Astrogator?”
“There’s no way to know for certain. We don’t have any data on how fast they can refuel, Sir. But if their refueling time is similar to ours, then the answer is yes. Defiant would have to jump as close as possible to the opposite side of the gas giant to where the enemy fleet is, so that their jump detection gear won’t pick us up. We then launch our fighters which will accelerate at maximum in order to make a close, high speed pass and fire their attack drones when they have visual contact with the enemy ships.” He was about to say more when Tanaka interrupted.
“What if they keep some of their fleet in orbit to stand guard while the rest refuel? If I was their fleet commander, I wouldn’t risk exactly that kind of ambush by refueling all ships at the same time. How would we deal with that?” There was a short pause, then Iceman spoke.
“We launch our fighters and use the gas giant’s atmosphere against them. Our recon drones will monitor their position and speed as they refuel. The fighters will enter the atmosphere far enough away so that they won’t be spotted by the enemy. When the distance has dropped to less than 100 kilometers, our fighters will swing around so that they’re behind the alien ships still refueling and then move back up to the edge of the atmosphere. The enemy won’t be looking down at the planet for signs of human activity. They’ll be watching the space around and above them. When all 55 ships have finished refueling, our recon drones will relay that data to our fighters, which will emerge from the atmosphere, stay behind the enemy fleet at close range and launch attack drones. At precisely that same time, our recon drones will go to active scanning, use that data to triangulate each enemy ship’s exact position and relay that data to our attack drones. The enemy will react to the radar scanning from above, fire at our recon drones while our attack drones get within one kilometer of their targets. They then use their own radars for terminal guidance and that fraction of a second before impact won’t be enough time for the enemy to retarget their lasers.” No one said anything for almost five seconds. Finally Shiloh said.
“That plan will require split second coordination to work but other than that, I don’t see any flaws with it. Does anyone else?” The responses were uniformly ‘no’.
“Iceman, have you calculated all of the vectors and signal times needed to make this work?”
“Ah, roger that, CAG.” was the immediate response. Shiloh took note of the fact that Iceman referred to him as the CAG and not as the ship’s CO.
“Very good. In that case I want Iceman to coordinate this attack. He will issue the necessary orders to Defiant’s Helm, all the fighters involved as well as monitor the attack as it proceeds and react as needed if things don’t go as planned. Iceman, make sure you keep the Defiant’s tactical computer updated on all vector changes and transmissions. XO? You’ll monitor but not interfere with Iceman’s Helm directives.” As Tanaka nodded, Shiloh continued. “Iceman, how soon do we need to begin the attack plan?”
“The longer we wait, the less chance of pulling this off, CAG. I would not recommend waiting more than five more minutes. The sooner, the better.”
“Understood. Does anyone have any questions?” No one spoke up. “In that case, return to your stations.” When everyone was back at their assigned stations, Shiloh took a deep breath. I hope I’m doing the right thing, he thought to himself.
“Okay, Iceman. The mission objectives are the total destruction of that alien fleet. With that as your goal, you have my permission to commence that attack plan.”
“I won’t let you down, CAG.” Almost immediately, Defiant’s engines started pushing her onto a new vector. The main display showed a countdown to a microjump. Shiloh’s station started showing increased activity in the Hangar Bay as the support teams began to load more attack drones onto each fighter. The moment that Shiloh had been dreading, being in command of a major battle WITHOUT any reliable vision to guide him, was now upon him. If this plan went wrong, and he survived the battle, Howard would be within his rights to court martial Shiloh. It was time to roll the dice.
To Be Continued
Author’s Comments: Part 2 starts with the battle and there are four more battles before Part 2 ends. Iceman and his fellow A.I.s will have plenty of involvement with humans. Part 2 also lifts the curtain just a little bit on the mystery of Shiloh's precognitive visions. Victor Shiloh is in for one hell of a ride. You can follow me on twitter at @DwehrSFwriter. Long Live Space Opera!