The Raygin War

by Larry S. Gerovac

  The Raygin ships breaking formation never returned to the battle. This meant the Ogarii command ships had to be in close proximity to maintain control. So far, Wineena’s single mistake was in not knowing her enemy. If not for the People’s Nation, the humans would already have lost the war. I have to get moving, there are still things I need to do. Mac walked toward the elevator as his escorts fell in step behind him. “I’ll be on the hanger deck.”

  “Aye sir. On the hanger deck,” said the com officer.

  When the elevator arrived on the hanger deck, the doors opened. Mac saw rows and rows of fighters. A sure sign the Constellation was ready for a battle. His eyes latched onto an ancient Chinese warrior dressed in the old-style battle gear of his era. Yue Fei seemed to be enjoying himself. Imagine a robot enjoying itself instead of always spewing facts or performing mundane tasks? He started to walk over to the three comrades.

  “What’s going on?” asked Mac.

  “We’re starting to get technical data from the Wasp about the Ogarii ship. We are looking for anything to help our cause.”

  “Great. It’s what I wanted to talk to you about. I have determined the Ogarii ships have stronger shields due to the material used for the exterior surface.”

  Yue Fei and Smitty looked at each other in disbelief.

  Yue Fei leaned over and whispered to Smitty, “He sees from a perspective I have not learned to mimic. It is beyond my ability.”

  Smitty nodded his head and said, “Okay, Mac, lets say you’re right. What next?”

  “I have a question. Can you place a small gravity well drive, like Apeiron put in Ayashe’s fighter, into a kinetic energy weapon?”

  “Sure, but why? Kinetic energy weapons can’t penetrate shields. In fact, I bet they can’t penetrate the skin of an Ogarii ship even without its shield.”

  “What if we placed an anti-particle round into the kinetic energy weapon?”

  “How do we test it?” asked Tinker.

  “We don’t,” Mac winced, “and I need it in twenty-two hours.”

  “This isn’t as easy as you would think,” said Smitty. “Before a gravity well gets created, the generator finds the lowest density of gravitons to travel point to point. Wait a minute. Maybe we can do it. I suppose we could re-adjust the target computer and have it look for the equivalent mass density of the Ogarii ship,” said Smitty.

  “I can take care of the computer programming,” said Yue Fei.

  “Smitty, won’t the delivery device blow up on contact with the shield?” asked Tinker.

  “No, I think Mac is right,” said Smitty. “According to the laws of confinement, the weapon would treat the ship’s shield as energy, not mass. The gravity well will move the weapon through the shield. Think of it as a ship traveling through the energy of the universe in its own gravity well. The difference being, our weapon will destroy itself upon hitting the skin of the Ogarii ship. If we place an anti-particle round in the nose of the new weapon, I’m sure it will move through the shield. Impact will cause the release of positrons, creating instant annihilation. By that I mean the destruction of some matter and the massive release of radiation.”

  “A photon torpedo is not a kinetic energy weapon, but I’ll bet I can make it one,” said Tinker.

  “I’ll figure out how to stabilize the positron container in the warhead,” said Smitty.

  “Give me as many as you can get done in 21 hours and forty-five minutes,” said Mac.

  Yue Fei rolled his eyes.

  “Hey, I saw that,” said Mac as he looked at Yue Fei.

  “Pretty human, huh? I have seen other people do it when you ask them to do the impossible.”

  “You’re real funny,” said Mac.

  Smitty nudged Yue Fei as if he were human. “You know what you have done? You have asked us to design a whole new weapon system by cannibalizing at least three other systems. Getting it done in less than twenty-two hours may be impossible. We are still working on a list of priorities you asked to complete!”

  “I know. Believe me, I didn’t forget.”

  “It was hours ago,” said Tinker.

  Mac gave Tinker a look.

  Tinker knew immediately what it meant. “Okay, I know. You have told me a hundred times, a battle is fluid often times we must improvise, adapt, and overcome.”

  Mac smiled at Tinker. “You’ll make a great leader one day. I gotta get back to the bridge. Good Luck.” Mac spun around and left the trio to work on their new task.

  Once back on the bridge, Mac reviewed the latest vids from Mahpee’s micro probes, looking for any changes. The Ogarii ships were no longer cloaked. They grouped themselves to lead the Raygin fleet. He remembered this formation from when they attacked planetary defenses. They were learning. By using Ogarii ships in the lead position they increased shield strength and firepower.

  He wished they knew how the enemy managed to combine and project their shields. For now, the technology was beyond their understanding. The entire human race was working on the war effort and associated problems. Knowing something is possible means in time someone will figure it out.

  The secret UFC shipyards are running at max capacity, but they need time. Time. There it is again. It is a common thread. Having the new kinetic energy weapon would guarantee human survival. We will still lose, but we can set a few traps and move to hit and run tactics. It will allow our technology and production to catch up.

  In the few remaining hours, Mac deployed all the weapons. Arriving ships were assigned their tactical positions. Ground-based troops received the latest concoctions to overcome Raygin armor and its filtration systems. Planetary troops received the latest obit-based weapons capable of destroying shielded ships. For now, he couldn’t stop the Raygin from capturing planets and billions of humans.

  The commodore reported to the com officer he would be in the bridge stateroom. He felt exhausted and needed to sleep before the battle. He resisted calling Ayashe. He began to clear his mind. He told himself he had done all he could with what he had available. He stretched out on his bunk, closed his eyes, relaxed his muscles, breathed slow and long his as he meditated. Questions still remained about the Ogarii and the structure of the universe, but he had no time to focus on them. He let the thoughts go like wispy clouds as he fell asleep.

  When he woke up, he put aside his dress uniform hanging in his room. Public relations wanted him to wear the fancy clothing into battle for photo opportunities. He sighed. It wasn’t right to deceive the people into believing he was someone he was not. He wasn’t the great leader they wanted to portray him as. He was simply an efficient killer. He put on his plain, unadorned, body armor and walked onto the bridge.

  He looked at the screen. It was still a blur. They were too far away for a crisp focus.

  “Mac, come here,” said Admiral Harding. “Look at this. It’s the latest vids from the micro probes. You can see the fighters better here. Looks like that’s how they plan on responding to the walker threat.”

  “Smart move,” said Mac. “I knew this wouldn’t be easy. They have no concern for their Raygin soldiers.”

  “Mac, we have an urgent call for you,” interrupted the com officer. “The caller says he will talk to you and you alone.”

  Mac nodded.

  The officer activated the com unit. “You’re on sir.”

  “This is Mac. Who am I talking to?”

  “Mac. I’m Gurko. My family was on Nyx during the mining war. You saved us from some mercs and you got us transported off planet. I was seven years old at the time.”

  “I remember you Gurko. How can I help you?”

  “It’s not me needing help this time. It’s you. We have been watching the vids of the Raygin fleet. It took forever to get in contact with you! I’m a charge detonator for Tonk. By placing shaped charges on the larger planet sized asteroids, we can direct a small meteor shower right in the face of the enemy ships!”

  “Navigation,” said Mac, “how long until the Raygin reach the a
steroid belt?”

  “Four hours eight minutes, sir.”

  “It will be close, but if you’re willing let’s do it. How do you want to make this happen?”

  “We suspected you would say yes. The charges are already in place. We are on the staging asteroid, Mimas. It took us a little longer to place the charges than we anticipated and we only have one shuttle. Could you send two additional shuttles to pick us up?”

  Admiral Harding gave Mac a head nod.

  “We are on our way. This is a lifesaver. Thanks, Gurko.”

  “Anything for a brother. You’re a legend to the Tonk miners. Gurko out.”

  “What’s that about?” Admiral Harding asked.

  “Darkmore was my first assignment. I was there when the fighting broke out. The war moved to the mining planet Nyx. The mercs killed my brother and his wife. They weren’t even miners. In retaliation I volunteered for sniper duty on their remote planet. I killed so many mercs I lost count. The brass told me I saved a lot of miners. To this day – I’m not sure if I did it for them or for myself. The big conglomerations forced all free miners off Nyx. To survive, they started Tonk Mining. They worked together and were able to compete with the big companies. Today they are the biggest asteroid miners in our universe.”

  “Damn Mac. Was there a conflict you weren’t involved in?”

  “I don’t think so. During times of war the military loves a killer. I guess I owe it all to Vice Admiral Farragut.”

  “Come on now, Mac. From what I’ve seen I know it’s not why you’re here today. The admiral saw in you what we all see in you.”

  Mac didn’t argue. He knew the truth. The better he got at killing the higher up in rank he went. He looked back at the battle formations using the holo-projector. This tactic Tonk came up with would deliver a solid blow to the enemy. After today, the Ogarii wouldn’t be so quick to come after them.

  Mac modified his battle plans to take advantage of the new tactic. This is where he excelled as a leader. He brought ships in behind the Raygin fleet. He hoped to create a bottleneck as the Ogarii pushed through an intentional weak spot left in the asteroid belt. Tonk left a path requiring a sharp turn and placed a few big asteroids in the way, so the enemy wouldn’t suspect a trap within the trap. They would see it was the best path, not perfect, but at least workable.

  To go around the solar system’s planets would put the Raygin fleet at unnecessary risk. Instead, Mac knew they would push through the asteroid belt and attack the human fleet head on. Gorko’s brilliant blast idea would destroy the enemy fighters or force them to take shelter. The launch of the walkers would follow the debris from the blast giving them time to do their work.

  The humans watched as the oversized Ogarii shield began to push the asteroids making a pathway for the Raygin fleet. They took the bait making a hard turn to clear an easier path. Mac began to move his ships to attack the enemy’s front and the rear. After a few hours, the Ogarii broke through the Asteroid belt. The Raygin fleet began to enter the opening. The tiny fighters hovered all around the big ships.

  “Mr. Tomes,” said Mac, “get ready to detonate the charges on my mark. After we have visual verification of detonation, launch the Walkers.”

  “Aye sir. On your mark, detonate the charges. Once we have visual verification, launch the walkers.”

  Mac wanted to wait until the Raygin fleet started to move through the asteroid belt.

  “Mac, Tinker,” came over Mac’s com. “We have six grav torpedoes ready. We attached them to six Screamers.”

  Mac felt some tension leave his body. God bless them, they came through for him. “Nice work. Let me talk to the wing lead.” Mac briefed the wing commander on what he needed.

  Three minutes later, the fighters flew out of their launch tubes. They were armed with a new weapon and zigzagged their way towards the lead Ogarii shield ships.

  “Mr. Tomes, prepare for detonation of the asteroids. I will count down from five.

  “Aye sir, ready for detonation.”

  “Five, four, three, two, one, detonate.”

  The explosive charges detonated. Mr. Tomes looked at the view screen. Gigantic cone shaped explosions blew shrapnel right at the Raygin fleet. “Visual verification of asteroid detonation confirmed. Launching Walkers.” All eyes on the bridge watched as he pushed the launch button.

  “Okay Admiral Harding. Let’s move in on the lead Ogarii ships.”

  “Aye, Mac. Commencing frontal attack.”

  Thor’s hammer was in full swing. The humans threw everything they could fly at the Raygin Fleet. It looked like a ballet of ships with fireworks going off in the middle. Mac timed the asteroids detonation with perfect precision. The human battleships even pushed derelict ships into the Raygin formation. The meteor shower destroyed thousands of fighters. Some enemy fighters took cover behind the large battle ships. Behind the man made meteor blast came the walkers. They moved unimpeded and latched onto enemy battleships. By the time the fighters realized the meteor shower was over, they had lost hundreds of battleships.

  At the same time, six undetected Screamers moved closer toward the Ogarii lead ships. Behind the Screamers, poured hundreds of human ships. They flowed like water from behind the local planets. The attack’s genius was Mac had managed to hide the final formation until the last moment. It was obvious the Ogarii expected the humans to form a defensive formation due to the enemy’s superior numbers. Instead, the humans began to attack the enemy ships as they exited the asteroid belt.

  The Ogarii adjusted their formation and shield to meet the human attack. Without realizing it, their ships were open to a side on attack by the Screamers. Each fighter picked a separate target. At two thousand meters from the Ogarii shield’s parabolic curve the screamers launched their new grav torpedoes. As predicted, the torpedoes moved through the shield like it wasn’t there. When each torpedo hit their target, two bright blue bursts of Cherenkov radiation appeared. They formed along each Ogarii ship’s perpendicular longitudinal axis.

  The Screamers disappeared in a blur of movement as they accelerated away from the remaining Ogarii ships. No sense in taking risks. The big protective shield flickered out. The human battleships took immediate action. They used joint fire targeting to take out another command ship. The Ogarii returned the favor, using the same tactic to destroy a human battleship. To save themselves, the Ogarii moved behind the Raygin ships as they gushed out from the asteroid belt. The six command ships hit by torpedoes remained stationary.

  Not wanting to move into a trap, Mac said, “Someone confirm those Ogarii ships aren’t moving because they are inoperable?”

  “Commander Baako here sir, I’m the science officer. Those are the ships the torpedoes hit. They aren’t moving because the electronics are fried and the crew is dead. We estimate the combined gamma and Cherenkov radiation exposure they received inside the ship to be over three thousand Sievert. The crew died when the flash occurred.”

  “Thank you, Mr. Baako.”

  Thanks to the miners, the battle had begun better than Mac had expected. With their noses bloodied the Ogarii would want revenge but would not attack without discussing possible traps. The faster speed of human computers helped to keep the superior numbers of Raygin ships at bay. The overwhelming number of Raygin ships meant they were willing to trade ship for ship during the battle. The fight went on for half the day with each side gaining here and losing there. It was as he feared. Humans had to disengage. They couldn’t afford to stay in a battle of attrition.

  It was time to call Ayashe, he thought. “Com, I need the Tachyon.”

  “Go ahead, sir.”

  “Ayashe, Mac. How is the battle?”

  “Mac, I’m so happy to hear from you! We have reached a stalemate. They seem willing to lose their ships without concern.”

  “Same here. Initiate operation Egypt.”

  “Initiating operation Egypt. Be careful my love. Ayashe out.”

  Operation Egypt was the withdrawal of
all human ships from the battle. They would follow a specific route. Mac’s battleships stayed in place as the smaller ships began to leave the battle zone first.

  From the beginning, the Raygin were fighting on two fronts. The human ships attacking the enemy’s rear retreated from the fight. The Ogarii refused to split their fleet to pursue them, fearing another trap. The human battleships at the attack’s front launched a final barrage of walkers. The weapons targeted the Raygin ships coming through the bottleneck. The Raygin lost a few ships, but an even more significant result was the walker attack caused temporary confusion. It gave the humans time to disengage from the battle.

  The human ships used the nearest planet’s gravitational pull to cause a slingshot effect. The Raygin chased them using the same path and tactic. As the enemy moved alongside the planet, large lasers hidden on the planet’s surface began to fire on the Raygin ships. The Raygin fleet had to break formation to move away from the planet. They moved right into a minefield. Mac had bought the human fleet the time they needed to engage their singularity drives. Now it would become a game of cat and mouse until the humans gathered their strength. They had lost the battle, yet in time he was sure they would win the war.

  *****

  “Aaahhh.” Wineena screamed so loud the sound echoed off the bridge walls. “Who the skonk is this Commodore McCormack? I am a born leader, one in a hundred billion. You mean to tell me a human has out maneuvered me? Where did these weapons come from? Where the skonk was Portus when we needed him?” She pointed at the navigational droid, “I want answers.”

  “I will endeavor to find the answer for you, Overseer,” said the droid.

  The overseer looked at the view screen and the retreating humans. “Fritnee, are we able to send a chiliad of ships to pursue of the humans?”

  “No, Wineena. It is all or nothing. We have lost too many control ships. If we split our forces we will lose control of hundreds of Raygin ships. ”