Ghost Fleet

by D. A. Boulter

  Poor Mart was so tired. Now, when they slept together, they slept, and they never had enough.

  Lieutenant Krirtol caught her eye and grinned. Then the grin disappeared. “Oh my God!”

  “Report, Lieutenant.”

  “Ships dropping. Theirs. A whole fleet.”

  “Damn.” It wasn’t fair. “Captain to the bridge.”

  VINDICTIVE

  “Four nines, sir.”

  “Drop!”

  Second and Fourth Fleets dropped together. The long trip in hyperspace had put paid to their synchronization. It would take at least a full day if not two to regain order. Then the short jump to Lormar.

  The Engineers would be glad of the chance to do routine maintenance on the engines. They had driven them hard, strained them sorely. Yet, as the Admiral had predicted, no one complained. During off-duty hours the crews of the ships had been held by the vid screens and the drama unfolding above Lormar. Officers had to order their crews to get sleep.

  Admiral Blarenti knew he’d made a good decision. His crews longed for battle. The sight of the Adians returning with two captured frigates had caused cheering throughout the Fleet. The vids from the failed boardings, the view of the damage to Vindicateur and the unloading of her wounded and dead onto Mercy tempered that joy.

  Watching the outdated and outmatched Adian and Confederation ships doing their best to hold off each successive Tlartox feint and probe had the crews where they burned to get there in time. To get there and send the Tlartox running.

  “Sir. More bad news.” It was Captain Jensol.

  “What is it, Captain?”

  “Tlartox just got reinforcements. Another entire fleet by the looks of it. They are deploying for an attack.”

  Blarenti frowned. “This won’t be any probe, either.”

  “No, sir,” Jensol agreed.

  “We won’t arrive in time.” His shoulders slumped for a moment before straightening. “But they won’t have time to re-form before we’re on them, either.” He glared at his screen where the data of the Tlartox drop scrolled. “Hurry them up, Captain. We have a date.”

  LORMAR

  Relnie Fronel watched the vids with a sinking feeling. There were just too many of the enemy. From her last tele-vid with Lemm she knew that he remained on Prime Alpha. That meant that Tempest had not yet finished with repairs. She felt thankful for that even though she knew that Lemm fretted. He felt it wasn’t fair that he was safe while the others battled for their lives.

  It wasn’t right, she knew, but all she wanted was for him to return to her, safe. Did it really matter if they lived under the Tlartox? Did anything really matter as long as they were together?

  “There is little question this is for real,” the announcer said. “The Tlartox fleets are in battle formation surrounding Lormar. We expect the attack to begin at any moment. Morale remains high despite the losses we’ve suffered, and we have word that reinforcements are only a few days away.”

  Relnie looked over to Colli. Her daughter’s dark eyes were wide with fear and anticipation. The battles had mesmerized her. Never had she really known what her father did for a living. Now she knew and it shocked her.

  “I always knew Dad was in a dangerous business, but I never really knew,” she’d told Relnie. “How does he do it?”

  “Sometimes I wonder, myself,” Relnie had replied. She didn’t bother with the ‘he’s doing it for us’ speech. Colli was far beyond that now. Perhaps this was all for the better, she thought grimly. If everyone really knew...

  “Yes, the Tlartox have definitely turned and are inbound.”

  BREVNIZ

  Sillan stood rooted to the spot. He, along with every man, woman and child in the village, sat or stood within the Community Center. This was it; they’d been warned by the Adian, who seemed to take everything in stride. He felt his stomach starting to flip and wished he were up there—with Bel.

  A cheer went up. “There they are!” Sillan looked to the first screen. Bel and two of the marines they’d hosted waved to the camera as it scanned past them. A parade of faces in different locations on the station—stations, as the other vid-streams proved—followed. And then came shots from the various ships. More and more faces, smiling, grim, stone-faced and nonchalant. A catalogue, he thought. His mouth felt very dry, and he wanted desperately to swallow.

  PRIME ALPHA

  “They are working like demons, Listra, but they won’t be in time. It’ll be another day, anyway and the Tlartox are about to attack. And I’m here, on Prime Alpha.”

  Captain Benteel smiled at him. “I’m glad Tempest kept you safe, Tag. If what I’ve watched is anything to go by, you’ll see all the action you might want. You’ll do your part.”

  Taglini looked about him as if to check if anyone were nearby and listening in. “I’m scared, Listra. I have a bad feeling about all this. You are the only one I can tell, and Chaos knows that I don’t want to put it on you. For everyone else, I have to be calm and in control.” His face twisted suddenly. “I don’t want this anymore. Knerden should be here. This is more his line.”

  Listra Benteel made a soothing gesture. “It’s all right, Tag. It just means that you’re grown up. Knerden is still a child.” She laughed suddenly. “And I’d like to say that to his face sometime.”

  Taglini laughed with her. “And I’d like to be there when you do.” A klaxon sounded in the background. “I’ve got to go, Listra. I love you.”

  “I love you, too, Tag.”

  RESTIGOUCHE

  “Here they come, Admiral!”

  “All weapons trained and ready, sir.”

  “Fleet reports ready for action.”

  Fenton looked at her repeater screen. Detectors showed heavy attacks inbound to the three stations she could see. The fourth would be no different.

  “Gentlemen, Ladies, this is what we’ve waited for.” She gave a course adjustment to counter a Tlartox move to flank them. “Keep them away from Prime Alpha!” Now that was going to be a little more difficult than she made it sound. In fact, she figured, they hadn’t a chance.

  “All ships: begin firing as soon as they enter range.”

  Restigouche’s heavy weapons turrets turned and prepared to engage the enemy.

  Gunnery Commander Crennlot sat tensely. “Open fire!”

  Restigouche and Havoc began their long range searching shots. Within minutes the two heavy cruisers joined in and then the rest of the fleet.

  PREDATOR

  At last. Now they moved into the battle themselves.

  “Enemy firing.”

  “Evasive maneuvers.”

  “Enemy within range.”

  “Open fire. Priority to any torpedoes.” They’d learned their lesson, Sab thought. All Confederation and Adian torpedoes were destroyed as soon as possible. There had been no repeat of the first action and Tlartox casualties had been light compared to their enemy’s.

  “Battleships turning towards us, coming right at us!”

  “Kill them!” Tlomega hated and feared those Adian giants, gave them more weight than their due. Tlartox fire concentrated on Havoc and her shields fell.

  Predator shuddered as she was hit. Shields held. More hits. The smaller, more easily trained weapons of the battleships went to rapid fire and they raked Predator.

  “Shields failing.”

  “Get us out of here!”

  “Sabre is hit, shields down. She’s declaring herself out-of-action.”

  Then they slipped past the two battleships, which wallowed in shallow turns and began the chase, catching the Tlartox between themselves and their supporting ships.

  “Sabre is still taking hits. Great Tlar, multiple hull breaches. She’s breaking up!”

  “Message coming in, Admiral.”

  Fenton appeared. “Veryt does not apply. We warned you.”

  Sab flattened her ears. “Cut her off!”

  “Shields back up, approaching their battle line.”

  “Straight thro
ugh. Stop for nothing.” Sab kept her attention on the display. “Break through ... there.” The Fleet turned on her command.

  PRIME ALPHA

  “Here they come. All weapons free-fire.”

  “Well, Commander, I think I’d better leave you to your part in the play. If I’m not mistaken, that is a troop assault vessel. My scene comes upon us quickly.” Major Coll Britlot stood and headed for the exit.

  “Luck, Major.”

  “Luck, Commander. Try and take out as many assault pods as you can. We’d appreciate it.” Meehknet nodded and began directing fire towards the heavily armored and shielded assault ship. “Get me Tempest and Hurricane.”

  “Pods breaking away from assault vessel, sir.”

  “Get them! Ah, Taglini. Our Major Britlot says that we have boarders coming. See if your gunners can take out some of those assault pods.”

  “Do our best,” Taglini replied grimly. “Target the assault pods.”

  Meehknet cut the channel.

  “Cruiser targeting our batteries.”

  Commander Meehknet clamped his jaw shut. He had to make a decision.

  SEARCHER

  “Enemy cruiser firing on Alpha, sir,” Sub-Lieutenant Parenner reported.

  “Gunner Dorvon, remember what you promised just before the Adians arrived?” Searcher twisted and turned, avoiding Tlartox fire.

  “Aye, sir. Four 60s right up a cruiser’s tail-pipe.”

  “Exactly. Well, Dorvon, there’s your cruiser.”

  “Thank you, sir.”

  “Lieutenant Weytok.”

  “Sir.”

  “Gunner Dorvon requests that you put us in position for him to fulfill his prediction.”

  Searcher shuddered as her shields took a powerful blast. They held, but barely. Fast and nimble, Searcher avoided two Tlartox frigates and then turned in a sharp circle.

  Feneya’s eyes shone bright, her face wet with perspiration. She wiped her forehead with one hand while the other flew over the controls. Searcher’s wild gyrations might have broken necks had her crew not sat strapped in. She heard a sound: the Sub-Lieutenant retching.

  “Gunner Dorvon, she’s yours.”

  Dorvon had been waiting, correcting his firing solution constantly. He glanced up momentarily, seeing the massive cruiser growing larger by the second. His finger stabbed down and the torpedoes left the ship.

  PRIME ALPHA

  “Who’s that?”

  “Britlot and Searcher.”

  “Look at her go.”

  “Keep your attention on your duties. Kill those pods!”

  “Sir, shields won’t take the strain much longer. We have to stop that cruiser.”

  “First pod nearing the shields. Shields down.”

  “Sir, if we don’t get the cruiser, we won’t have anything to stop the pods with.”

  Meehknet cursed. He’d have to let the pods go.

  “Look at Searcher, she’s going to ram!”

  His eyes sought the vid. It certainly appeared that way, but Meehknet didn’t believe it. The Confederation navy had no suicide jockeys. A wide smile split his face.

  “Four 60’s away, sir!”

  Searcher jinked sideways, reverse thrust slowing her as her torpedoes smashed the Tlartox shields from point blank range. “Kill the cruiser!” Alpha’s main batteries raked the cruiser from stem to stern. It took only thirty seconds at that range. “Get the pods! Vid to Searcher.”

  “Yes, Commander?” Britlot looked complacent as his body jerked in its restraints.

  “Thanks for the assist, Captain.” Meehknet gave him a half salute, half wave.

  “Always at your service.” Smoke filled Searcher’s bridge as she took several hits in quick succession. The vid blanked.

  “Damn!”

  “Pods attaching.”

  The Commander toggled the Intra Station Broadcast on. “Major Britlot. Act two, scene two. Repel boarders!” He toggled it off as the klaxons sounded the alarm.

  TEMPEST

  The pods kept closing with the station and attaching. Another Tlartox cruiser closed and began to fire at the station’s batteries. Without shields, the batteries were silenced, one by one.

  “Target that cruiser, everything you can bring to bear,” Taglini ordered. He had been unable to stay away from Tempest, though she was nothing more than a glorified gun mount at present. “If we don’t stop her, Alpha will be defenseless.”

  “Commodore, look.” Captain Fronel pointed to the screen.

  “My god.”

  Havoc and Restigouche punched their way through the Tlartox fleet. Their heavy weapons targeted the cruiser and, as she was moving slowly in order to inflict maximum damage to the station’s batteries, smashed her shields in short order. The Tlartox ship hit full thrusters, but that wouldn’t save her.

  She had but one chance left, given the Adians did not abide by the Veryt Convention. She took it and began her jump to hyperspace. Like the vessel before her, she destabilized during her jump and blew apart.

  As the wreckage of the cruiser drifted off, Havoc and Restigouche replaced her, placing their hulls between the Tlartox attackers and the station. The small turrets on the hammerheads actively targeted assault pods while the heavy weapons lay down a covering fire, keeping the Tlartox at bay.

  “The remaining pods are retreating!”

  “Expand our shield coverage to maximum,” Taglini ordered.

  Fronel smiled. “Aye, sir. That may help a little. I’ll pass on the word to Hurricane.”

  Expanding their coverage to maximum would weaken the shields but would give some cover to part of Alpha. It was better than nothing. “Pass the word to Commander Meehknet. We don’t want him shooting up our shields. Tlartox will be happy enough to do that for him.”

  “Passing the word, sir.”

  Taglini looked at the screen and saw Havoc taking hit after hit. “What is keeping those battlers in action? I’ll bet my pension that their armor isn’t the armor that they left the Confederation with.”

  “Tlartox frigate trying to flank and come from planetside.”

  “Target her and fire torpedoes when she gets close. We have some 60s?”

  “Aye, Logistics didn’t see any advantage in saving them. The 60s wouldn’t help them if the Tlartox boarded. Messages say that all four Primes have been boarded.”

  “Speaking of that, I wonder how it’s going inside.”

  PRIME DELTA

  “Almost through,” called the engineer. Group Leader Rai Tlel made a quick last check of her equipment. At last they would see action. At last the hunt was on. Their approach to the station had frightened her badly. Though heavily armored, the pod lacked defenses in a real sense. Just a target. Now, however, they were heading into her element. Close combat.

  Unconsciously she began to purr, the purr taken up by those under her command.

  “Through!”

  “Let the Hunt begin!” Rai called out, and the first of the commandos stormed through the breach. Rai, herself, came out quickly and her ears flattened under her helmet as she saw several of her troops screaming with feet lacerated by jagged bits of broken glass and sharp metal scattered upon the deck.

  She cursed both them and the stationtox. Someone knew that many Tlartox preferred to hunt without footwear. She had warned them against this, but a few always ignored the warning.

  “Pass it back: footwear mandatory!”

  Rai growled deep in her throat. They would pay. Weapons fire became general as the station defenders rushed to their breach. Rai saw a marine go down as he spun around a corner and three commandos fired as one. “That way,” she yelled, having gotten her bearings. They would take this station and her Group would lead the way.

  Already medics treated the injured, and an engineer swept the debris away. Falling on it would be no fun.

  Humans in dark blue uniforms defended each hatch and passageway. They battled backwards, fighting ferociously. Rai Tlel admired their courage even as she hated the
m for it. Her group would earn honor, no doubt, but it would cost them more than she wanted to pay.

  * * *

  The weight of the attack drove the Marines back. The sudden smashing blow of the Tlartox fleet had succeeded more fully at Delta than at Alpha. Almost all of the Tlartox pods had made it through. Nearly nine thousand commandos now on board faced a much smaller number of Marines and volunteers.

  Arrand Brenndol slipped another charge into his weapon and kept up his fire. A commando dove across the passageway and returned fire from a room one step closer. Soon the position would be untenable and they would have to retreat again—those who survived. The sergeant grimaced at the bodies stretched out in the corridor. Marines and commandos lay next to and on top of one another.

  “Back, back,” he ordered, and the eight remaining troopers in his squad retreated. He and a youthful Confederation volunteer brought up the rear.

  The deck shook beneath their feet as an explosion occurred on the level below.

  “Run!” Arrand shouted as he saw the heavy air-tight coming down in front of them. Even as he ran he knew it they could not make it.

  “This way,” his partner yelled and drew him down another passageway. They ducked in a door and stood there, breathing heavily.

  “Where are we?” Arrand asked, remembering that the man’s name was Derall.

  “Dead end, I’m afraid,” the youngster replied. “But there wasn’t anywhere else, except back towards the Tlartox.”

  “Fair enough. Keep watch, but don’t attract attention. I need a breather.” He sat down heavily. This was it, he knew. Eventually they’d get around to searching the compartments, securing their backs. Then the Tlartox would find them. No more shore leaves for him. Arrand looked about, wondering if this compartment contained one of the vid-cams. Perhaps their last battle would be seen back in Brevniz.