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The Gyst - Chapter 4 The Silverware system was one of the first systems colonized by Kingdom twelve years ago. Located five warp transits from Royal Ascendant, the habitable world of Silverware boasted a population over 3,200,000. Task Force 12, commanded by Admiral (Third Barb) Lysaan, wasn’t in orbit above Silverware but at the warp point that lead further out into Kingdom space. Space that was now under the control of the Bhohim Enclave. Lysaan reviewed both the deployment of his forces and how the war was progressing so far. His forces included three Knight BCs, three Spiked Mace CLs, three updated Infantry DDs, twelve Prism DDs and twelve Spar FGs. The Silverware/Manor warp point defenses consisted of six beam-armed BS3s, six capital missile-armed BS3s, three buoy/mine control ships, 360 laser buoys and 300 patterns of mines. The bases were evenly divided ‘north’ and ‘south’ of the warp point. Each trio of beam bases were within half of a light second of the warp point while the missile bases were 4.5 light seconds out. The Spars were with the northern beam bases while the Prisms stayed with the southern group. Lysaan’s BCs, CLs, and the Infantry DDs stood near the northern missile bases. Ten months ago King Kysjyt announced that his forces destroyed a raider force after chasing it back to its system of operations. Immediately afterwards that system, colonized and called Vault by the Bhohim, was occupied by Royal Navy forces. Ground forces took control of Vault’s two worlds, Combination and Timer. Predictably the Enclave bitterly protested the initial seizure. Their declaration of war followed just days later upon learning of Kysjyt’s intention of making the ‘raider system’ a part of the Kingdom. For those ten months, encompassing most of Kysjyt’s twenty-second year as king, the Royal Navy and Space Security Forces had fought vigorously over Vault. The next system in line, Gold, was assaulted successfully by the RN in the fourth month but was subsequently ejected in month eighth. In the meantime the SSF has been quite successful in its drive from Gable. That system and its colony of 126,000 were conquered in the third month. Gable was located ten warp transits from Royal Ascendant, and in the intervening seven months the SSF had bashed all the task forces sent forward to engage them. Now, here, in Silverware the RN had assembled credible defenses. Laser buoys and mines had frustrated the Bhohim’s efforts, both of them, to enter Silverware. That was very likely to change. Not for the last time Lysaan wished he had more of everything. Had he a choice, it would be for more buoys. The effort at Vault has taken the lion share of resources. Task Force 12 was sufficiently trained but practically new. Only the three missile destroyers employed the latest shield and missile launcher technology. More buoys were in the pipeline but none would reach Silverware for another ten days. Six mobile yards were assembling three more missile bases in orbit of the planet, but it would be four weeks before they were completed. Those bases had the latest technology as well, and the promised ship reinforcements will either have refits or consist of new construction. Lysaan was staring at the holoimager in the combat information center of BC Visor when the alarm went off. “Transit warning,” said the bridge sensor tech over the intercom. The admiral made for his console. “Battlecruiser hulls arriving in standard transit pattern.” Captain Pyrsal, younger brother of Lysaan, was already seated at his station on the bridge and activated his repeater displays. “Sensors, confirm class of incoming ships.” “Sir, they appear to be Weed Killers,” Sensors replied. With relief Lysaan saw that three of his beam and four of his missile bases have reached action stations. Following pre-battle orders, the buoy controllers on those three beam bases ordered 120 laser buoys to fire into the Week Killers. All of the SSF ships were crippled in seconds. Three Spars, six Prisms, a CL and a BC went active and finished what the buoys started. Another wave followed. 120 more buoys were used, and in conjunctions with even more activated bases and ships the six SSF minesweepers joined their predecessors. Lysaan placed a hold on the remaining 120 buoys. With the rate of ships reaching actions stations the admiral wanted to save the remaining buoys for future assaults. He quickly changed his mind. “Multiple transits in progress,” barked the sensor tech. “How many?” Lysaan demanded from the tech’s screen image. The explosions from interpenetration were clouding the screen of his repeater plot. “I read sixty-five ships. There were at least seven explosions.” The tech looked closer at his screens. “Confirmed. The enemy has ten battlecruisers, two destroyers, and fifty-three frigates. Looks like he lost two battlecruisers and twelve frigates or destroyers based on the explosion strengths.” “Heavens, what a force!” Pyrsal exclaimed. Then he went about on rushing his crews to action, for the Visor had yet to fire a weapon in anger. Rapidly Lysaan sent new orders for his buoy controllers. Moments later the remaining buoys spent themselves on the 65 SSF ships, each targeted by at least one buoy. In that way, taking advantage of the relatively weak armor of SSF ships, Lysaan sought to cripple as many datalinks as possible. The beam bases were tasked to take down the battlecruisers while the frigates and destroyers sought to whittle down their opposite number across the minefields. A sense of satisfaction was felt by the RN tactical officers and Lysaan as three BCs were destroyed with two more heavily damaged. Nine frigates were blotted out, but then the bad news arrived. It appeared that the SSF had some new energy weapon. All six beam bases reported massive electrical discharges, shorting and burning out systems. Some still had weapons while others were practically hulks. One frigate was crippled as well. Lysaan ordered his light cruisers forward to engage, and despite the elapsed time some of his ships still hadn’t reached action stations. Fortunately the fourth assault wave made transit normally, coming in the form of three BCs and three DDs. By now all the beams bases were gutted by the new weapon, and five FGs and seven DDs were rendered weaponless, crawling wrecks. The SSF lost three FGs with five more crippled. One fourth wave battlecruiser was smashed by missile fire while two previously damaged BCs went up in clouds of debris. A fifth wave entered, identical to the fourth. Lysaan’s trio of light cruisers had closed to within 1.5 light seconds of the enemy, finishing off the broken fourth wave BC. Five more frigates disintegrated and a destroyer was wrecked, but all of Lysaan’s frigates and destroyers were either crippled or gone. Captain Pyrsal was upset that in three minutes his ship still wasn’t at action stations. Lysaan heard the captain’s voice over the link to the bridge, urging the crew to pick up the pace. It was just down to the missile units and the Spiked Maces. As long as the SSF was afraid to enter the minefield the day just might be carried. But then he noticed the enemy complete a 60° turn to starboard, now facing the ‘northern’ missile bases directly. They also did have fifty-four ships, and if they choose to got through that particular minefield patch now…
Admiral Penny, commander of the 1st Security Fleet, was pleased with the progress so far. The simultaneous transit plan, expensive as it was, had denuded the Fendalens of their close-in strength. With the size of the opposing minefields known, and with barely the required numbered of ships, it was now feasible to breach a section of it. Penny detailed three of his new destroyers and a frigate to stay behind to take care of the approaching cruisers while the sixth wave, composed of six Midbow light cruisers and two EX, made transit. With a button press the designated ships entered a minefield patch. The minefields were set at a rate of twice the normal expenditure. So while the battlecruisers faced forty mines each the little frigates contended with eleven. Engine modulation and EDMs helped the big ships, and most of the destroyers and frigates still had their energy weapons. Only one DD and five FGs, all little more than just singular engine rooms, died as a result of the mines. With tractors and force beams set at wide-angle mode, the BCs cleared a safe lane through the mines. The four ships left at the warp point crippled one Fendalen CL, but two of the newly arrived Midbows were heavily damaged. Meanwhile the southern missile bases took advantage of the stern arcs presented to them and heavily damaged one BC. Two of the Fendalen BCs joined in, rendering the Economist to just a mobile pair of engines. Another BC received the attention of the northern missile bases while the trio of Fendalen Infantry DDs pummeled a Brass Knuckles, taking advantage of the damage done by the mines. It, too, was rendered useless for combat. The final wave of Midbows, along with two more EX, arrived, but the Fendalen CLs elected to finish off the two cripples from the previous wave before they died. Penny ordered his frigates and the one destroyer that survived the minefield to do an about-face and then leave the system en-masse. It was better to risk another mass transit than to suffer losses that would come if they went back one by one. With rational haste Penny ordered his battlecruisers and remaining combat worthy DDs at full speed, closing on the northern bases. He also sent new orders for his Midbows. The enemy certainly wouldn’t like what they were about to do.
Finally the Visor reached action stations. The trio of BCs and DDs moved away from the northern missile bases at speed, keeping the range between them and the SSF BCs open. On his screens the Fendalen admiral watched as the enemy BCs closed on the northern bases. Then he saw what the missile cruisers were doing. “It’s over,” Lysaan said quietly into a secure comm line to his brother Pyrsal. “Those missile cruisers will detune their engines just long enough to get a healthy lead over our ships, and they’re heading in-system. They’ll find the Silverware colony soon enough.” “We can still try,” pleaded Pyrsal, equally quiet. “We have to try.” Lysaan looked at his repeater screens again. “If we go after them now, in the most direct route, those SSF battlecruisers will detune to cut us off. We’ll have to go around them, and only then the Infantry DDs will have a realistic chance to catch up. But the Midbows will make mincemeat out of them. Moreover, even if we catch up, we’ll run out of ammo long before they’ll do.” Pyrsal was coming to a conclusion he didn’t like, but he finished what he started. “The bases being assembled over Silverware can knock out those ships. They’re almost done.” “Almost is not the same as combat-ready, brother. All three may have their weapons, but shields and armor are being installed last.” “Then what is there left to us?” Lysaan spoke up so that everyone in the CIC heard him. “We’ll continue to pump missiles into those battlecruisers until they’re destroyed, leave, or when we run out of missiles. Maintain separation between our forces at 4.5 light seconds.” The RN units didn’t run out of missiles, having destroyed three SSF BCs during their run towards the northern missile bases. In ninety seconds, reaching a range of half a light second, the Bhohim ships destroyed the bases and then turned 180°, facing the warp point. The run back to the warp point claimed just one more BC. Then they were gone. The admiral took count of what he had left. One portion of the minefield had been breached. Only three missile BCs, three DDs, three DD-sized tenders and three BS3-Ms remained. As for the ten Bhohim cruisers and the four scouts they still continued to head in-system, the cruisers de-tuning their engines to build up an imposing lead. Lysaan wanted to chase after them, but to leave the warp point now would put the remaining bases in jeopardy. But more importantly, Lysaan couldn’t help but think the enemy had sent those cruisers just to act as a diversion, pulling the remaining ships away long enough for a fresh incursion. To that end he had his tenders move forward to close the breach in the minefield by rearranging the remaining patterns. Both BCs and DDs went back to keep station with the BS3-Ms. Lysaan was proven right two minutes later. The ten cruisers turned around and stopped de-tuning their engines, though they kept to their regular top speed. A flock of 20 courier drones, set for maximum speed, flew to the warp point. It was pointless to shoot them down since the enemy only needed one to get through, not to mention the lack of firepower on Lysaan’s part. Closing relentlessly, the ten cruisers reached a range of seven light-seconds and were beset by capital missiles from the Fendalen BCs and BS3-Ms. Something told Lysaan that the Bhohim would be making a fresh transit very soon, so he had his trio of tenders deploy those minefield patterns they’ve already collected in the breach. Two more salvos went out in the interim, destroying one CL and damaging another. But it wasn’t soon enough. Having moved into the breach the tenders were about to deploy their partial loads when the Bhohim made their entrance again. Three BCs and a like number of DDs, plus a FG, broke in. Despite their transit-addled electronics the ships wrecked the tenders and their minefield controllers. Lysaan ordered a change of priorities. Capital missiles went against the BCs while the Infantry DDs abandoned their station and sought to close the range with the Midbows. Following on the BCs heels were the remaining four Pugilist FGs that were combat-capable. Each BC had restored the majority of their shields while waiting on the far side, and they handled the first volleys. In turn, though, each one lost some engine power. A fourth BC, Admiral Penny’s, came after the frigates. It wasn’t targeted due to the fact the DDs had entered energy-beam range of the bases. Priorities changed again, and the DDs died but not after inflicting enough internal damage to destroy the bases’ datalinks. The Infantry DDs revealed the advantages of the advanced gun/missile launcher, damaging one Midbow and wiping out a second at point-blank range. In reply the Bhohim FGs and Penny’s BC knocked out one DD and removed the passive defensives on a second. Lysaan’s BCs had moved away from the bases and fired on the battlecruisers, but that didn’t stop them from destroying the missile platforms. One BC managed two long-range force beam hits on one of Lysaan’s BCs, the first damage scored on them in so far in battle. It devolved into a running battle between the Knights and Midbows, range kept at 4.5 light seconds. Both sides had a similar goal. While the Fendalens worked on causing enough damage so as to cause the Midbows to fall out of formation the Bhohim wanted to slow the Knights so that their frigates could finish them off. Problem was that while the Midbows had expended the same rate of missiles the Knights were activated at different times, meaning their salvos would become weaker sooner without having to be damaged first. That became irrelevant rather quickly. With massed volleys of standard missiles and long range force beam fire the Bhohim broke the shields of one Knight. The few frigates involved were within energy beam range, and their damage slowed the Knight. Lysaan shifted his fire onto the frigates, crippling their engines so that they couldn’t catch up. It was too late for the Lancer; energy beams took out another engine room, and force beams and eventually gun missiles brought the ship to a crawl. Now only four ships were left, all intent on taking as many of the foe down with them.
Penny watched as the missile battle
unfolded. While his ship was in range force beams
pounded on one Afterwards it was a disheartening display of long-range superiority. With only two BCs the Fendalens grounded away each Midbow in turn, damaging them just enough so they couldn’t keep up, even with engine detuning. Then they pulled out to the very edge of standard missile range, pounding each CL until it had no more weapons to fire. One BC apparently ran out of missiles and pulled away, but that left one. It fired a further ten volleys, this time to pick off cripples. Out of the twelve Midbows Penny started out with only four cripples remained. His own BC received the last five volleys, but thanks to restored shields no further internal damaged was incurred. He felt only respect for that defiant captain as his ship finally turned and left. “At least they didn’t try to ram us,” Penny said aloud in his cruiser’s CIC. “Bring up the force composition on the imager.” “Aye, Sir,” said the Chief Compiler, bringing up the requested data on the holographic projector. It was a dismal display. All twelve minesweepers were gone. Ten out of eighteen BCs destroyed. Eight of twelve CLs, seven of nine DDs and thirty-one of sixty-three FGs destroyed. All of his ships, save the eight EX scouts and ten survey ships, were damaged heavily. Some would’ve been complete losses had it not been for emergency repairs to their life support systems. Three fleet transports came forward and started SAR operations. Whatever room was left over would be used to hold Fendalen survivors. At a minimum 10,000 SSF personnel were dead with at least 10,000 more in life pods. It was the most expensive victory for the Bhohim so far. Victory, Penny scoffed, would’ve been sweeter had the Magistrates sent use reinforcements instead of the Vault front. We’ve been making all the progress. Progress that will bring those Fendalen prigs to the peace table. All of this will end once they agree to hand back Vault. Penny eyed the system display on a nearby flatpanel repeater. If they don’t, then we’ll just have to conquer them. After the war the Magistrates had better make me a fleet admiral for all the territory I added to the Enclave. His eye then fell on his Operations officer. “Yerrga, I have new orders. Have two of our scouts shadow the retiring Fendalen ships. The rest are to sweep the system for additional installations and shipping. Our survey squadron is to commence their search for additional warp points. After SAR operations are done send boarding parties to inspect those Fendalen hulks that haven’t self-destructed. We may get some useful data like we did in the previous system.” “As you instructed, Admiral Penny.” It was a month after Silverware warp point battle. The six repair ships in Penny’s fleet train had concentrated on the frigates first. Twenty-four were fully restored for action. Three frigates, still fitted with force beams, were sent back home to get the new energy beam armament. It was now the turn of five of the battlecruisers, including Penny’s Paymaster, to have their damage seen to. Good news came in the form of reinforcements. At first appreciative, Penny became irate when he learned the true reason behind the schedule for those reinforcements. In his quarters Penny was holding a private meeting with a representative of the Magisterial Council, one Sharrsa Coinpurse. He came with the new ships, and his opinion of them was as high as he had of himself. Twelve more minesweepers, six frigates, six of the new Broker missile cruisers and sixteen Electric Glove corvettes. Dressed in crimson and gold fabric, a sign of wealth only allowed for the Magistrates, Sharrsa briefed Penny on the war’s progress back in Vault. Afterwards he described the journey to Silverware. First experiencing hospitality Sharrsa then faced Penny’s vitriol. “Are you telling me, Sharrsa, that the ships I needed were held up for a month because you decided to retain them while you visited Gable? Did you fell so threatened in a rear area that you needed those ships?” “It wasn’t I who held them back, far from it,” Sharrsa shot back. “To be absolutely clear, the arrival schedule was completely accurate. The one-month stay at Gable was planned from the very beginning.” “A fact not mentioned at all in my orders,” Penny said with disgust. “Why were those ships in Gable for a whole month?” “For training maneuvers. With the way you’ve been expending ships, especially,” Sharrsa said in reprimand, “with this last battle of yours, it was felt that some training would remove some of the green from the crews. You’d agree a crew that can shoot better from the onset is preferable.” Penny’s antennae we very nearly horizontal, indicating his anger. “Green or not I’ll take them as they are, Sharrsa. Had those ships been sent directly here then last month’s battle would’ve ended more in our favor. For one, those new corvettes would’ve been handy in chasing down Fendalen battlecruisers.” “All the same you still could’ve waited one more month.” Sharrsa’s own antennae were level, pointing directly at Penny. “You could’ve held the warp point. Now the Fendalens, with just two battlecruisers, have effectively sealed us out for a whole month. With no word from the scouts you left behind, who knows if and how they’ve reinvested the warp point.” Penny’s mandibles grounded with impatience. “Had I waited another month, then the enemy would’ve been stronger. It was a risk worth taking to weaken their forces here. Wars are won by fighting in and conquering enemy territory, not by reclaiming your own. I already sent my recommendations to the SSF brass, but tell this to the other Magistrates. Give me the ships and I’ll personally raise the flag on Royal Ascendant. Any further dilly dallying on their part will cost us the war.” A chime interrupted Penny, sparing Sharrsa from the admiral’s verbal offensive. Answering a comm screen on his desk, Penny’s skin turned a slightly darker shade of yellow. “Good news, Sharrsa. A courier drone made it from Silverware. The Fendalen force on their side of the warp point is rather weak. Just three bases, two battlecruisers, and a destroyer, most likely a mine/buoy control ship.” Penny sent a series of quick orders over the comm, then focusing on Sharrsa again. “I’m leaving now to conduct the conclusive assault on Silverware. By this time next week you’ll be treated to a dinner in Silverware’s governor’s mansion. Now, if you’ll excuse me,” he said, pointing to the hatch, “I need to change into my shipsuit. I’ll be embarking on the Bonded Agent very shortly.” Sharrsa harrumphed. “Very well, Admiral. I’m going to hold you to your word.” Lysaan looked at the annoying image of a SSF scout on his main console screen. The little ship stayed well out of capital missile range, circling the warp point. Then on the far side it closed the range just enough to scan the environs of the warp point for ships. Still out of missile range the scout launched a courier drone. It made it through, and Lysaan didn’t really care. Chasing after the scout would’ve been futile, and had the enemy emerge then it would’ve found his ships out of position. So he elected to keep his two cruisers with the bases, waiting as the minutes pass by for the inevitable attack. For two days no attack came, and Lysaan had his crews stand down so that they may get some needed rest. He told himself that had the Bhohim any decent force they could charge right in at any time they wanted. Perhaps they were waiting for substantial reinforcement like he was. In two weeks the almost non-existent Task Force 12 could expect twenty more ships, including six Knights. The Silverware shipyard was working on six missile bases, completion expected in two months. A new shipyard module at the station even now was making more laser buoys. In addition to his paltry force of two Knights, an automated weapons control ship, and three missile bases the Admiral had just 238 patterns of mines, evenly spread around the warp point, and 120 buoys from Royal Ascendant. One-third of the buoys were active at any one time, but if the Bhohim conducted another mass transit assault that very well may not matter. But if they tried a normal assault… “Transit alert,” intoned the Visor’s sensor tech over the intercom. “Battlecruiser-sized hulls are transiting in normal manner. All are tentatively identified as Weed Killers.” As expected the forty active buoys flared to life, lacerating the six Weed Killers’ armor. The only unit to reach action stations so far was the Visor. Pyrsal had drilled his crew intensely for the past month and effort showed. One missile managed to get past numerous yet transit-addled point defenses of one sweeper, knocking down some shields. A second wave of sweepers followed, but the buoy control ship was still rushing to action stations. Only one missile base became active and, along with the Visor, singled out one sweeper that had used most of its point defense to knock out buoys. Lysaan knew his brother Pyrsal was smiling as it was one of his missiles that make the breach in the sweeper’s hull. Atmosphere gushed out like blood from a wound. Then as the third wave made transit, composed of six frigates, the rest of Lysaan’s forces became active. With speed the buoy control ship activated the remaining buoys. Only 42 were left out of 80, thanks to the harvesting effort of the Weed Killers of the first wave. All eighteen Bhohim ships were damaged by the buoys. The sweeper hit by Pyrsal’s missiles belched even more debris, and became the focus of the battlecruisers while the three missile bases fixated on another. Massive point defenses degraded their efforts, but the target was stripped of shields and armor. However, Lysaan knew that his Bhohim opponent was perfectly willing to charge minefields en-masse. With the size the field now they could very well breach it. His attention was on the minesweepers as the fourth wave made transit. They were battlecruiser-sized ships, either more Weed Killers or regular combatants. Each mine pattern was set at maximum expenditure. It was best to use them all up in attack rather than having them seen swept up by tractor beams set to wide-angle mode. All eighteen ships used as much engine modulation as possible while still being able to move. Those ships that still had EDMs launched them, and as a group they entered a patch of mines directly in line with the bases. Three Weed Killers succumbed to mine hits and exploded violently. Of the nine remaining only three had scraps of armor left. Three frigates died with the rest just having their energy beams and an engine to their names. Both Knights and bases tore into the wounded sweepers. Lysaan didn’t want to leave cripples that would only be repaired and used again. With both internal launchers and external loads another Weed Killer was gone and a companion turned into a scarcely mobile wreck. For the Bhohim it was a successful breach, for the selected mine patch was reduced to an inconsequential 68 mines of the original 2000 that use to be there. Another wave of frigates followed the new cruisers. Then something caught the sensor’s tech eye. “Admiral,” he with some urgency, “those new battlecruisers aren’t Weed Killers or Privileges. It’s a new class.” “Shift fire to one of the new ships…” Lysaan said before the tech made a new announcement. “Capital missiles have been fired upon our bases, Admiral! The salvo density is the same as a squadron composed of Knight command variants. The new cruisers are entering the mine field breach at maximum engine modulation.” Damn! It was going to happen sooner or later. They built their own version of our Knights. Lysaan pressed a button that sent a prearranged signal. Both cruisers leapt away from the base at max speed, putting distance between themselves and the new threats. Upon seeing the assault shuttles launched by the remaining sweepers he knew he made the right decision. He was in fact ordered by the Admiralty to abandon the warp point if the enemy assault was clearly unstoppable. Those shuttles may not be meant for him but he couldn’t take that chance. As the most experienced commander of the Home Fleet, Lysaan was an asset that couldn’t be lost. With severe reservation the Admiral watched as his bases succumbed one after another to both missile and beam fire. The buoy tender had moved out of range, but the last detailed readings it sent were of the Bhohim shuttles reaching for the bases. They met up with the assault shuttles launched from the bases and exchanged point-blank shots. With the loss of only one shuttle the Bhohim successfully reached the first base and conducted their boarding actions. Green as they were the base personnel continued to keep firing on the enemy. With datalinks gone the bases fired on the fifth wave frigates, now just one light second away, with their force beams while sending their missiles out to take down one more sweeper. It was over soon enough. Energy beam fire and point defense destroyed the last of the base shuttles and burnt out internal systems. Less than five minutes the battle was over. The Knights had moved out of missile range of the frigates that were now at point blank range of the bases. With the odds against it the Royal Navy did rather well, destroying six minesweepers and eight frigates. It damaged the other six sweepers and one frigate. The loss of the entire Silverware system was bitter pill to swallow, and with the existence of CM-armed Bhohim ships the days of picking off frigates at long range were gone. Captain Pyrsal spoke over the Admiral’s private comm circuit. “I suppose our orders don’t have us going back to the planet and link up with the station for a last stand?” “That is correct, Captain,” Lysaan said formally. “We are to go next door to the Barn system and take command of the defenses. It may just be mines and buoys, but there are plenty of both. The Bhohim will have to build a god-load more sweepers and frigates if they want to carry through to R.A.” “Let’s hope you’re right, brother. We’re going to need a god-load of ships if we’re ever going to recover Silverware, Loadstone, and Gable.” “With the refit and construction programs we will get those ships, Captain.” An adjustment to this primary panel showed Lysaan the extent of the Bhohim force as recorded. Aside from the sweepers, there were at least six missile BCs, thirteen FGs and fifteen CTs. In no way could two battlecruisers stop a force like that, especially now that the enemy has missile battlecruisers of his own. “There will be a reckoning. Of that there is no doubt.”
Standing in what was once the command center of a Royal Navy warp point base Admiral Penny looked quite pleased. Not even Sharrsa with his overstuffed sense of self could dampen the accomplishment that not only Penny but the whole task force was feeling. With scouts on their coattails the two RN cruisers left the system, revealing the location of the second warp point that the survey group had so far been unable to find. As expected, the small space station over Silverware self-destructed rather than fall into Bhohim hands. In three weeks 50,000 troops of the Expeditionary Force, Enclave Planetary Army would arrive and occupy the planet. After the battles of the last eleven months this has been the most rewarding. Then Sharrsa, entering the room and still wearing a pressure suit, opened his mouth. “So what are your plans, Admiral? It will take time to bring forward the mobile yards to build a meaningful replacement station. Plus, having gone so far into enemy territory, it is likely the Fendalen supply lines are shorter than ours. How will your offensive plans reflect that consideration?” “I’m so glad you asked, Sharrsa,” the Admiral said diplomatically. “Since the higher ups have seen fit to give the Vault front priority on new ships I’ve decided to halt this phase of the offensive for now. We need to fortify this system to capitalize on our gains. Based on what our surveys have found in previous systems I believe we’re on the most direct route to Royal Ascendant. With minefields, buoys, and bases we’ll have a secure bastion from which our forces will advance to victory.” Sharrsa had been looking about the room as Penny talked. He saw the various burnt-out consoles and shattered view panels, all caused by overloads that the circuit breakers couldn’t handle. “The Magistrates will be pleased to hear that, Admiral Penny. Securing this system with its productive population will elevate you in their eyes. Especially after all the casualties.” “Yes, I suppose they’ll forgive me for those,” Penny replied. He kicked the remains of a burned chair. The outer covering of the elongated saddle-shaped fixture fell to the floor in several charred pieces. “As well as those from successful battles to come.”
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