by Isaac Hooke
“You grieve for the enemy fallen?” Wethersfield seemed puzzled.
“I grieve for those Raakarr that will fall,” Jonathan said. “And I’m not talking about those in their military. I couldn’t care less about the deaths of the bastards who attacked us. What I’m concerned about is the Raakarr colony. I’m trying to justify the planned deaths of five million inhabitants. Some days I succeed. Some days I don’t.”
“Today is one of the days where you fail?”
Jonathan nodded.
“Take heart,” Wethersfield said. “If it was a colony of five million humans, I doubt the enemy would spare them. We already saw what they did to our other colonies.”
“Humanity is supposed to be above that, though,” Jonathan said.
“Are we?” Wethersfield replied. “If there were any other way, I would agree with you. But we need to send a message to these Elk. They cannot flagrantly invade our space. And that doing so has consequences.”
“I just wish we could find a less populated world,” Jonathan said.
“Consider, if you will,” Wethersfield said. “That there are nearly one hundred eight billion humans in the galaxy. And according to Valor, there are an equal number of Raakarr. Five million lives is literally a drop in a bucket. Not even 0.005% of their population.”
Jonathan sighed. “Sometimes I wish I had a mind like yours. One that could easily focus on the rational and logical side of things, and program away the emotional. If I felt too much guilt over something, I could just self-edit that part of my mind and remove the feeling.”
“Self-editing tools like the one you describe are in fact available to humans,” Wethersfield said.
Jonathan laughed. “I suppose so. But I’ve never been a big fan of neural alteration. Come on, let’s go to the bridge. I’m growing weary of these surroundings, and could use the exercise.”
THE TALON RENDEZVOUSED with the rest of the fleet on schedule. The slower alien fighter contingent arrived several hours later. After some debate with Ford and the other captains, the admiral ruled the fighters safe and allowed them to cluster around the Talon.
Delayed because of their rescue efforts, the Halberd and Stalwart finally arrived a day and a half after the alien fighters. They carried the survivors of the Fade aboard. They rejoined the fleet at Achilles I so that there were now two battle units in play within the system: B1, behind the aforementioned moon, and the new B2, composed of those twenty-odd ships left behind at 1-Vega hundreds of millions of kilometers away.
B1 launched telemetry drones in high orbit around the gas giant. Several repeater drones were strung out between them to account for the interference caused by the intense radiation released by the giant.
Those telemetry drones reported the arrival of new heat signatures a few hours later.
Jonathan watched his tactical display, and over a span of two minutes twenty-six new dots appeared in the system, sourced from 2-Vega.
“I’m counting twenty-six targets,” Jonathan said. “That’s two more than Valor claimed earlier.”
“Yes,” Barrick said. “The extra two weren’t detected in the preliminary snapshot their probe captured from the Slipstream. Perhaps the heat signatures were obscured by ships in front of them.”
Jonathan frowned. “Wethersfield, they can’t obscure their ships like that from us anymore, because of the telemetry drones we’ve set up throughout the system. Right?”
“That’s not entirely true,” Wethersfield interjected. “While it is difficult, given our current system-wide sensor grid, it isn’t entirely impossible, given some creative thermo masking. Though admittedly, they would have had to have known where all of our telemetry drones resided in advance.”
“So we’ll assume it’s impossible,” Jonathan said. “Barrick, give me a breakdown on the ship types.”
“The first twenty-four match up with the preliminary snapshot,” Barrick said. “Two pyramid ships, five capital ships, three laser ships, and fourteen dart ships. As for the new ships... they are a new type.”
“A new type?” Jonathan asked.
“Valor calls them ‘Reach’ vessels.”
“Reach...” Jonathan said.
“Yes,” Barrick told him. “That’s the best interpretation of the three-dimensional point cloud Valor projected in my head. As for the actual shape, which he transmitted afterward... it reminds me of a hand mirror. But instead of a reflective surface installed in the flat, oval head, there are long metallic threads criss-crossing from one side to the other, forming a grid that can be used to triple the effective particle beam range of nearby ships. It has no weapons capability on its own, and usually operates in tandem with pyramid ships, which fire their four beams one after the other through the grid portion. The range-tripling effect only works when the Reach resides within ten thousand kilometers from the firing ship.”
“So we have two Reach-class ships, one for each pyramid,” Jonathan said.
“That’s correct,” Barrick replied.
Jonathan tapped in Levieson. “Have you ever heard of a Reach?”
“A what?”
“Apparently it’s a vessel that can triple the particle beam range of nearby Raakarr. Works in tandem with other vessels, usually pyramid ships.”
“This is the first I’ve heard of it,” Levieson said.
“You’re telling me our Zarafe allies haven’t shared all the ship types we’re liable to face out here?” Jonathan asked.
“No,” Levieson said. “The Zarafe haven’t revealed any other ship classes beyond the basic dart, laser, capital, pyramid, and enemy fighter we’ve already encountered. Though I would say it’s a fair assumption the aliens have thousands of different classes, given how many unique models the United Systems has in its inventory.”
“Right,” Jonathan said. “Well, looks like we’re going to have to modify some of our planned tactics, because the two pyramids out there are joined by two Reach-class, range-tripling ships.”
“I saw the pair of extraneous heat signatures,” Levieson said. “And was just about to ask you about them. I appreciate the clarification. I’ll inform the admiral. In the meantime, see if you can find out if there are any other ship types we should expect in the days to come.” The vice admiral closed the connection.
“Barrick, I need to know what other ship types we might face in the next systems,” Jonathan said.
“Valor says he’ll tell us as we encounter them,” Barrick responded.
“Not good enough,” Jonathan said. “It behooves him to share the classes sooner rather than later, you know that right? In the name of furthering our alliance...”
A moment later Barrick said: “He refuses. He says he’ll tell us about all Raakarr vessel classes only when we reveal every human ship type.”
Jonathan tapped in Levieson and reported what Barrick had told him.
“That’s too bad,” Levieson said. “Because of course we’re not going to reveal all our ship classes. All right. Thanks for trying.” The vice admiral disconnected.
Jonathan spent a few minutes observing the slow advance of the twenty-six ships on his aReal. The enemy set a course for 1-Vega, and the twenty-odd ships of B2 operating there. Apparently they hadn’t spotted the numerous telemetry drones scattered about the system, nor the extra numbers orbiting Achilles, the hiding place of B1. Or if they had, they weren’t paying them any heed. They were perhaps launching their own tiny telemetry drone equivalents to survey the system. Jonathan didn’t expect B1’s hiding place to remain secret for long.
Jonathan programmed his aReal to notify him if the enemy changed course and then he returned to his berthing area.
A day later he received notice that the fleet had changed directions for Achilles I. The ruse was already up.
The Elk really want that planet killer.
Assuming the newcomers actually were members of the Elk faction. Jonathan still wasn’t sure whether this was some big ruse on the part of Valor. The incoming ships coul
d be Zarafe for all he knew. He had given specific instructions to the Centurions, Wethersfield, and Barrick: if Jonathan were killed by Valor or any of his underlings, the robots and the telepath were to stage an uprising and make their way to the bridge—if they weren’t already there at the time of Jonathan’s demise—and attempt to terminate the bridge crew. He doubted any of them would succeed of course, but they had to try. Hopefully the resulting chaos from such an attempt would counter any further treachery on the part of the Talon. The orders would probably prove unnecessary, but Jonathan wanted a dead man’s switch in place nonetheless.
A few minutes after the “direction change” notification came up, Jonathan received a comm request from Levieson. It was tagged fleet-wide. Jonathan accepted.
“Okay Captains,” Levieson sent. “The Admiral wants to execute Plan D, Option 2.”
Admiral Ford had sent out different combat plans and formations days ago, when the Talon first returned the preliminary snapshot of the enemy. She knew of course that battle spaces changed in realtime, therefore as any good fleet commander would do, she asked the individual captains to apply intelligent modifications to the plan as necessary, while still observing any overriding instructions from her.
The current battle plan contained provisions to account for the range increases brought on by the Reach classes. He glanced at his tactical map. The two appropriate ships were marked with big Rs on the display. They were located roughly in the center of the incoming red dots, each one near a pyramid ship, labeled P.
Jonathan reread the battle plan and then gave the Talon’s instructions to Valor via Barrick.
Then he settled inside his psi-shielded tent.
It would be a long while before battle was joined.
fifteen
As per the plan, the majority of B1 plotted a course away from Achilles I, leaving behind the Builder, which would stay in cover behind the moon with a small escort of five warships, forming B3.
The thirty-five ships remaining in B1 maneuvered into high orbit above the gas giant and spent the next half day sluggishly crossing to the far side.
At that point the enemy was only a day away, and once more Battle Unit B1 divided. Fifteen ships would remain behind in orbit above the gas giant, forming Battle Unit B4 led by the vice admiral’s craft the Leviathan, with the Talon included among their ranks.
Meanwhile B1, commanded by Admiral Ford’s Renegade, would escort the destroyer that harbored the planet killer—the Dammerung—away with the last twenty ships on a course toward the outer system.
As expected, the enemy fleet altered trajectory to intercept B1. The lure of the planet killer proved too great.
“If there’s one fatal flaw possessed by our enemy, it’s that they’re predictable,” Jonathan said.
“Be careful not to become complacent regarding an enemy,” Wethersfield said. “Usually when one lowers one’s guard, and expects the enemy to do what he has always done, that’s when the enemy turns around and strikes.”
“Sun Tzu’s The Art of War?”
“Wethersfield’s,” the Artificial replied.
When the enemy fleet was twelve standard hours away from B4, thirty degrees to starboard and twenty-two degrees declination, Levieson gave the order to begin accelerating to escape velocity. It would take B4 roughly seven hours to leave behind the immense gravity well of the gas giant, and another five to intercept the enemy.
Those seven hours passed uneventfully. When finally the radiation and gravity of Achilles was behind them, B4 plotted a direct course toward the enemy fleet, which was now only fifteen degrees to starboard. At the same time, B1, fifty million kilometers away by then, began decelerating to initiate the planned pincer maneuver.
As the opposing fleet approached flyby range, Barrick said: “Nine ships are breaking off to deal with us. We have a laser ship, a capital ship, a pyramid, a Reach class, and five dart ships.”
Jonathan glanced at the tactical display of his aReal. Those nine ships were labeled E2, while the portion that continued on toward the planet killer was marked E1.
“We’ll have to deal with E2 before we can initiate any sort of pincer maneuver,” Levieson said over the B4 comm band. “Let’s start with that laser ship. My tactical officer is transmitting a firing solution now. We’re going to fire multiple waves of missiles targeting the laser, which we predict will begin breaking into its usual five firing segments. Those missile waves are going to travel on wide trajectories, giving fifty thousand kilometer berths to the laser ship segments, with each wave targeting a different lens segments. The missiles will start closing in when they’re roughly thirty degrees to starboard from their individual targets.
“In the meantime, we’re going to have to give that long-range laser something else to fire at, given its effective range is a hundred thousand klicks. Saber, Harbinger, that’ll be your job. We’re launching a screen of Avengers and mortars now. Fall in behind them. Talon, give us ten of your alien fighters to augment the screen.”
“You got it,” Jonathan said. “Are you giving me a mandate to join the Harbinger?”
“That’s a negative,” Levieson said. “The Talon is to stay back and avoid major fighting, as per the battle plan dictated by Admiral Ford.”
“Never hurts to try, right?” Jonathan said. “By the way, you’re aware that the charged field generators on the Avengers won’t protect them from that laser, right?”
“I’m well aware,” Levieson replied. “But I want them there as a backup. Saber, Harbinger, proceed. Remaining members of B4, drop to half speed.”
“Barrick,” Jonathan said. “Order Valor to dispatch ten of the alien fighters. Have them fall in behind the respective screen of Avenger fighters and mortars.”
Jonathan tapped in Levieson on a private line. “Vice admiral, might I suggest sending nukes in the place of the Saber and Harbinger?”
“We have a limited supply of nukes,” Levieson replied.
“We have a limited supply of ships, too,” Jonathan said.
“Just the same, I believe we’ll be able to eliminate the laser segments faster with ships,” Levieson said.
“How about considering kinetic kills instead, at the very least?” Jonathan asked.
“I’ve already made up my mind.” Levieson terminated the private connection.
On the tactical display, Jonathan saw that the nine ships forming E2 were already decelerating, allowing the laser ship to move forward. It was separating into its usual five lens segments as part of its firing preparations.
The minutes ticked past. The large rocks that were the mortars drifted forward. The alien fighters joined the Avengers in taking cover behind those rocks. Sheltered beyond them, the Harbinger and Saber traveled in single file, with the Saber in the lead.
The eight ships of E2 halted at the five hundred thousand kilometer mark from B4, while the segments of the laser ship continued forward, the individual pieces stopping at intervals of a hundred thousand kilometers. Once the lead segment reached a distance of one hundred thousand kilometers from the Harbinger, that laser would open fire.
“The segments appear to be escorted by alien fighters,” Barrick said.
Jonathan saw the red dots that had begun to appear around the indicators on the tactical map as the enemy fighters came into the targeting resolution range of the Saber. “I see them.”
“The laser is opening fire,” Barrick announced.
“What? They’re still two hundred thousand klicks out,” Jonathan said.
“I realize that,” Barrick replied. “Apparently they want to chip away at the mortars the entire way, letting the damage slowly build up, I suppose.”
“Wethersfield,” Jonathan said. “Taking into account the increasing intensity of the laser the closer they get, how long until the mortar shield is useless?”
“It won’t last longer than fifty five thousand klicks away from the leading lens,” Wethersfield replied. “Assuming the laser fires repeatedly at the same
spot.”
“Well then, we’ll just have to give them some other scraps to fire at,” Jonathan said. He considered for a moment which of the fighters were more valuable to them, the Avengers, or the alien variants. He decided that the Avengers would be more useful in the long run, considering their particle beam protection.
“Levieson,” Jonathan sent. “I’m sending the alien fighters out from cover so that the laser has something else to shoot at.”
“Negative,” Levieson replied. “Just because I allowed you to send the alien fighters isn’t a commission to waste them. But I do agree the enemy needs something else to shoot at. I’m ordering the Avengers from cover.”
Jonathan bit his tongue, and watched as the blue dots representing the Avengers moved out from behind the protection of the mortar mass. The laser continued to fire in ten second intervals.
“They’re ignoring the Avengers,” Barrick said after a few minutes. “And continuing to pound the rock mass... the lead lens segment is decelerating. But the enemy fighters escorting it are continuing toward our incoming vessels.”
After another few minutes, Barrick said: “The laser has penetrated the mortar shield and the Saber took a non-breaching hit. The Saber is rotating to bring its starboard side to bear, to prevent the enemy laser from striking the same spot next time, I’m guessing.”
“That’s all they can really do,” Jonathan said. “How far are they from the lens segment?”
“Fifty thousand kilometers,” Barrick said.
Ten minutes later, the enemy fighters reached attack range, and the Avengers engaged.
“Jonathan,” Levieson said. “Get the Talon’s ten alien fighters to help out.”
Finally. Jonathan relayed the command to Valor.
Some of the enemy fighters broke away from the Avengers and closed on the two vessels that lurked behind the mortars. The point-defenses of the Harbinger and Saber kicked in, their mag-rails firing defensive slugs.