Ep.#15 - That Which Other Men Cannot Do (The Frontiers Saga)

by Ryk Brown

  Captain Nash stared at the admiral, considering his words. “Do I have a choice, Admiral?”

  “Of course. This is your command, Captain. I will not order you to send men into battle who you truly feel are not ready. But sooner or later, there will be no choice, and there also may not be any control over when and where their first combat experience is to be had. The Jung may make that decision for you.”

  Captain Nash took a deep breath, letting it out slowly. “Had you asked me this question a week ago, I would have said no. However, over the last few days, the first two groups have really been starting to click. It might be advantageous to throw them into the deep end of the pool while their confidence is high.”

  “A wise choice, Captain.”

  “How soon are we talking?”

  Admiral Dumar pulled a data card out of his pocket and handed it to Captain Nash. “The mission profile is on this data card. Have your men at their jump-off waypoints by fifteen-thirty, Earth Mean Time, tomorrow.”

  Captain Nash looked at the time display on the wall, quickly doing the math in his head. His eyes suddenly widened. “That’s fifteen hours from now, Admiral.”

  “Indeed it is,” the admiral admitted as he rose. “I suggest your men stay on base tonight, Captain, to avoid complications.”

  “Yes, sir,” Captain Nash agreed, standing. “Admiral, can I ask you something?”

  “Of course,” the admiral replied.

  “That norey movah thing. Do the Takarans still do that?”

  Admiral Dumar smiled. “Why do you think Takaran fighter pilots are so arrogant?”

  “Weren’t you one?”

  “I’ve mellowed with age.” Admiral Dumar turned to depart. “Good luck, Captain.”

  * * *

  Cameron stood behind her command chair, leaning against its back, facing the tactical station directly aft of her. The large, clear, view screens that had been installed during the refit of the Celestia’s bridge had greatly increased each operator’s situational awareness, and the two-way capability of the tactical station’s main screen made it easy for Cameron to see what her tactical officer was explaining to her. The technology was amazing, to say the least. Despite the attempts of the Takaran technicians to explain to her how they worked, she could never quite understand how two sides could be displaying opposed images, yet still seem clear to viewers on opposite sides. She was just enjoying the flexibility it was giving her and her tactical officer, as he showed her some of the attack patterns he had been experimenting with using computer simulations.

  “The last one, which I call ‘Delta Seven with a flipped reversal,’ is the same as the standard Delta Seven attack pattern, but we flip over as we reverse course, keeping our forward tubes on the target throughout the one-eighty.”

  “I’m not sure our maneuvering thrusters are powerful enough to pull that off,” Cameron said.

  “If we are at the slowest combat maneuvering speeds, and we roll the ship as we flip over so that we can use one outboard main in deceleration mode, and the opposite one angled outward in normal mode, it should work. At least it does in the simulation.”

  “Have you run this past Lieutenant Hunt?”

  “Yes, sir. He thinks he can pull it off as well.”

  Cameron studied the simulation as it continued to replay on the clear view screen between them. “That’s going to put a lot of torque on the ship, with the outboard engines working in opposition that way.”

  “I checked with the cheng, and he didn’t seem too concerned.”

  “Well, if Lieutenant Commander Allison isn’t worried…” She paused mid-sentence, as the simulation reached the point in the maneuver that concerned her. She shuddered at the sight of it, seeing her ship do something that shouldn’t be possible. “It looks like something Nathan would do,” she commented with a slight chuckle.

  “Maybe,” Luis agreed. “I may have even gotten the idea from him. I did room with him for four years at the academy, and we did go through basic flight together.”

  “Some of his craziness must have rubbed off on you, Lieutenant,” Cameron agreed. “Add it to the training schedule, and we’ll give it a whirl during our next exercise. But we’ll start at well below combat maneuvering speeds, just in case the cheng is too optimistic in the amount of lateral torque our main frame can withstand.”

  “Yes, sir,” Lieutenant Delaveaga replied, pleased with himself.

  “Deceleration burn complete,” Ensign Sperry reported from the Celestia’s navigation station. “We are now on course and speed for entry into the Delta Pavonis system.”

  Cameron stood up straight, turning to face forward. “Very well,” she replied as she glanced at the time display on the starboard auxiliary view screen. There were still three minutes until zero hour.

  “Plot our jump to the launch point and stand by,” she ordered.

  “Aye, sir.”

  “How do our weapons look, Ensign Kono?”

  “All six jump KKVs are on course and speed for the target area,” her sensor operator replied. “Currently eighteen point five million kilometers ahead of us and increasing range rapidly.”

  “Jump is plotted and is auto-updating as we go,” Ensign Sperry reported. “Ready to jump on your command.”

  “Very well,” Cameron replied as she took her seat. She glanced at the time display once more. “We jump to launch point in one minute.”

  “Two minutes,” Lieutenant Commander Rano reported from Cobra One’s copilot seat.

  Captain Nash glanced at the mission time display on the center console on his right. His eyes dropped to the tactical and navigation display just below it, noting their course and speed. There were four blue icons on the screen. The one indicating his ship was at the center of the display, with the other three icons spreading out behind and to starboard, in a perfect line.

  He thought about the other group of four gunships, currently on a similar approach track, but from the opposite side of the Delta Pavonis system. He had considered breaking that group up, and mixing it with two of the ships from his own group. His pilots had several more weeks of experience in their ships, and while Captain Nash was still not certain they were ready for combat, they were better prepared than any of the crews in the second group. However, there had not been time. Despite their lack of actual flight time, what time they did have was together. Breaking them apart on short notice and without any time to get used to one another would only have created new problems…ones they didn’t need going into their first combat action.

  He looked at the mission plan on the display screen below the tactical display. Their first attack pass was using attack pattern Alpha Four Five, with the second pass being Alpha Four Five plus twenty, and the third one minus ninety. With any luck, a fourth pass would not be needed. Theoretically, their snub-nosed mark three plasma torpedo cannons could overwhelm and collapse a single section of a Jung frigate’s shields with only twelve to eighteen direct, full-power hits. So, by the time they made their third pass, the target’s hull would be unprotected, making her easy to destroy.

  But that was in theory.

  “Jump flash,” Mister Navashee reported from the Aurora’s sensor station. “Comm-drone from Scout One.”

  “Receiving incoming data stream,” Naralena added. “Transferring to tactical.”

  Jessica examined the latest recon data being sent to them by Scout One’s comm-drone. “No change in their positions or patrol patterns. Target packages are still valid.”

  “Mister Riley, jump us to the launch intercept point,” Nathan ordered.

  “Aye, sir,” the navigator replied. “Jumping to launch intercept point, in three……two……one…”

  The main view screen dimmed momentarily as the jump fields built into a flash that briefly illuminated the interior of the bridge with a momentary blue-white light.

  “…Jump complete.”

  “Contacts,” Mister Navashee reported. “All six weapons, coming up from behind, passin
g us to starboard.”

  “All weapons are on course and speed, and have proper spacing,” Jessica reported. “Time to launch point: thirty seconds.”

  “Transmit launch authorizations.” Nathan ordered. “Comms, notify the Celestia and all units at the rally point. Go as scheduled.”

  “Drones launching now,” Naralena replied.

  “All launch codes transmitted, all verifications received. All six jump KKVs are armed and will jump in fifteen seconds,” Jessica announced.

  “Attack jump one, plotted and ready,” Mister Riley reported.

  “Weapons are passing us now,” Mister Navashee added.

  Nathan glanced up at the mission clock, as the countdown changed from minus eight, to minus seven seconds.

  “Jump KKVs launching in five seconds,” Jessica reported. “Three……two……one……”

  Nathan looked to the main view screen, as six small flashes of blue-white light, spread apart evenly, appeared simultaneously far ahead of them and slightly to their right.

  “JKKVs away,” Jessica reported.

  Nathan imagined the weapons coming out of their two-light-year jumps a split second after they had disappeared from his view, only a few kilometers from the Jung battle platform they had been sent to destroy. Some of them would miss their targets, and continue to cold-coast across the Delta Pavonis system, until one of the Super Falcons could be sent to retrieve them. The others, hopefully more than one or two of them, would slam into the shields of their target, overpower them, and cause them to collapse, allowing the following JKKVs to impact the hull of the massive platform. Just once, he wanted to witness that event, instead of seeing it thirty seconds later.

  “Coming up on attack jump one,” Mister Riley warned.

  Another glance at the mission clock. Five seconds.

  “Execute,” Nathan ordered calmly.

  “Attack jump one, aye. In three……two……one…”

  Nathan closed his eyes momentarily, taking in a deep breath as the jump flash again washed over them. He remembered the last attack against the battle platform in the Eta Cassiopeiae system. It had not gone well.

  “Jump complete,” Mister Riley reported.

  “Contact,” Mister Navashee reported with his usual calm. “Jung battle platform… She’s coming apart,” he added, with a little extra excitement in his voice.

  Nathan could see several distant flashes far ahead of them on the main view screen. He tapped his control pad on the right armrest to magnify the image. Before them, the battle platform, riddled with internal explosions, was breaking apart. Two of her six arms were already gone, sending large debris fields spreading away along the trajectory of the JKKVs that had passed through them. Two more arms were in the process of exploding, as secondary systems came apart inside them and caused their hulls to open up to space. Even the main central column, to which the six arms were connected, was lighting up with internal secondary explosions.

  “How many?” Nathan wondered.

  “One moment,” Mister Navashee replied.

  “Incoming message from the Celestia,” Naralena reported. “They confirm the Jung battleship has been destroyed. They are changing course to attack cruiser one.”

  “I’m picking up two of our JKKVs, outbound,” Mister Navashee reported. “That makes four direct hits on the platform.”

  “New course,” Nathan ordered as he reset the magnification on the main view screen to normal. “Cruiser two, attack pattern Delta Seven.”

  “Cruiser two, Delta Seven, aye,” Mister Riley reported. “Next jump in twenty seconds.”

  “Both cruisers are still several light minutes out from the primary attack zones,” Mister Navashee confirmed. “They’ll never see us coming.”

  “Jung frigate, dead ahead,” Lieutenant Commander Rano reported as the jump flash faded and their forward windows cleared. “Pitch up five.”

  “Up five,” Captain Nash answered.

  “Gunners, weapons free,” the commander added. “Fire at will.”

  “Pitch complete, tracking as we pass under,” Captain Nash said, as red bolts of plasma energy raced past his windows on either side, headed toward their target, passing only five hundred meters under them.

  “Their shields are coming up,” Lieutenant Commander Rano warned.

  “I’ve got a firing solution,” Captain Nash announced. “Firing all forward tubes.”

  “First four away,” Lieutenant Commander Rano reported, as the red-orange light of their plasma torpedoes lit up their forward windows. “Second four away.”

  Captain Nash continued pitching his ship up and over, keeping their nose on the target, as they slid under the enemy frigate.

  “Third four away.”

  “Jump flash,” his sensor operator reported.

  Lieutenant Commander Rano glanced at the tactical display as another blue icon appeared on the screen, behind them and slightly to the right of the track. “Cobra Two is firing.”

  “Jumping away,” Captain Nash reported as he pressed the jump execute button on his flight control stick. He pitched the nose of their gunship back over forward as they jumped, then brought his power up to execute their next turn.

  “Flying the attack manually, I see,” Lieutenant Commander Rano commented.

  “Just testing how she handles in real combat, my friend.”

  Lieutenant Commander Rano smiled. “Come to three four seven, up eight, and maintain speed. Next jump waypoint in thirty seconds.”

  “Jump flash to port,” the sensor operator reported. “It’s Cobra Two. They’ve finished their first attack run and are making their turn.”

  “So far, so good,” Captain Nash stated as he continued his turn.

  “Firing, triplets and singles, all forward tubes,” Lieutenant Delaveaga reported from the Celestia’s tactical station.

  “Pitching over,” Lieutenant Hunt reported from the helm.

  “Jumping forward, one click,” Ensign Sperry added.

  The red-orange light from their departing plasma torpedoes was suddenly replaced by the blue-white light of their jump flash, as the Celestia jumped one kilometer forward, instantly passing under the enemy cruiser as all sixteen plasma torpedoes, twelve mark three and four mark fives, slammed into the cruiser’s protective shields.

  “Jump complete,” Ensign Sperry reported as the jump flash subsided.

  “Cascade shield failure!” Ensign Kono declared. “They’re all coming down!”

  “Ten seconds to firing angle,” Lieutenant Hunt reported.

  “Target is bringing her main rail guns onto us,” Ensign Kono warned.

  “Fire when ready,” Cameron ordered. “Same pattern, triplets and singles.”

  “She’s firing her guns!”

  They watched the main view screen as the ship finished pitching over and the cruiser came to rest in the middle of the main view screen, growing smaller as they moved away from it. Swarms of pale blue flashes appeared all around the view screen as the incoming rail gun rounds impacted the Celestia’s shields, robbing them of all their kinetic energy.

  “Firing all forward tubes,” Luis announced. “Triplets and singles.”

  The swarms of pale blue flashes faded, overpowered by the red-orange light from their departing plasma torpedoes. Three seconds later, distant reddish-yellow explosions, followed by more intense, yellow-white ones tinged with orange reported the Jung cruiser’s fate.

  “Direct hits,” Ensign Kono reported from the sensor station. “Numerous secondaries. The target is coming apart.”

  “Message from the Aurora,” Ensign Souza reported from the comm station. “Phase one and two are completed, they are moving to phase three.”

  Cameron spent no time enjoying the victory. There was more work to be done. “Lieutenant Hunt, take us to Chiya.”

  Captain Nash rolled his gunship onto its starboard side as it came out of its jump, pulling the nose up until his torpedo targeting system gave him a green light. A squeeze of his
trigger, and four full-power, mark three plasma torpedoes shot from their tubes, skimming under their bow as they departed and raced toward the Jung frigate passing over them.

  Swarms of pale blue flashes lit up their forward shields, the result of rail gun slugs fired from the enemy’s point-defense systems impacting the gunship’s protective shields. With their kinetic energy stripped away as they passed through the shield barrier, they simply bounced harmlessly off their hull.

  Another round of plasma torpedoes, a touch on the jump button, and they were suddenly well beyond the range of the frigate’s defenses, but still within reach of her missiles.

  “Come to one seven five, down four,” Commander Rano instructed.

  “Coming to one seven five, down four,” Captain Nash replied.

  “Two just jumped in behind us, turning away and climbing relative,” his sensor operator reported.

  “Cobra One, Cobra Two!” Captain Annatah called excitedly over the comms.

  “Two, go for One,” Nash replied.

  “Cobra Three’s last shot took down the target’s starboard ventral shield! Another pass might do it, sir!”

  “One copies. Stay on plan.”

  “Aye, sir!” Captain Annatah replied. “Two out.”

  “Jump point in five seconds,” Lieutenant Commander Rano warned.

  “I got it,” Captain Nash replied. “Let’s go finish them off, shall we?”

  “Oh shit,” Josh swore as the Super Falcon began to shake violently. “They said the atmosphere here was thick, but damn! I can’t even read my displays!”

  “It’ll smooth out as we drop out of this cloud layer!” Loki assured him.

  Josh glanced out his forward window, seeing nothing but dark, blue-gray fog. “What the hell is this stuff?”

  “Thunder storms,” Loki replied. “Really common over this world’s populated latitudes. They form in the equatorial regions, where most of the water is, and then…”

  “I don’t need a fucking weather report, Loki!” Josh interrupted impatiently. “Do you have the targets or not?”