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The Hokum - Chapter 5
The Expeditionary Fleet held station one
light-minute from the Tire Iron/Bedrock warp point. At
this point in time it was at strongest level yet.
Comprised of 42 BCs, 42 CAs, 72 DDs, 22 CVS and 6 CVs,
plus supporting vessels, the fleet could hold its own in
a mobile battle. With the Commonwealth Space Force in
possession of Bedrock the fixed warp point defenses were
rather paltry in mine patterns and weapon buoys.
However, within a space of three hours many of Lord
Admiral Janus’ senior staff officers wished there had
been two dozen bases guarding that warp point.
In the battlecruiser Watch Tower’s CIC there was much activity. Janus waited as the quarterly hour update was processed for her consumption. The main holoimager bathed the compartment with its dull amber light. Presently it showed the warp link chain between Bedrock and Metalstorm. With the successful Axis assault in Bedrock the systems of Tire Iron, Fallowed Field, Solid State, BRB-1, and Abyssal-019 presently formed a potential route for retreating Commonwealth forces that were posted at Bedrock Prime. It was a clause in the military cooperation treaty that allowed the aforementioned route to be used only in case Bedrock was regained by the Axis. It also permitted Commonwealth forces to send reinforcements for the purpose of retaking the system. Given the strength the Axis demonstrated in its return it would be months before any such counterstroke could be attempted. “We have the composition of the Commonwealth flotilla in Bedrock heading for the Tire Iron warp point,” said Cirro, Janus’ chief of staff, from his console next to the holoimager. “Six superdreadnaught and six dreadnaught troopships, two battleship-sized transports, four light carriers, two escort cruisers, a pair of dreadnaught sized mobile shipyards and one dreadnaught-sized freighter. They’re moving at a speed of 0.05c and should reach the warp point in 19 hours.” “Any Axis formations in Bedrock heading for the Tire Iron warp point?” Janus asked, eyes fixed on the holo representation of the aforementioned system. “One confirmed formation, Admiral. Our Commonwealth allies have inferred that the formation is comprised of 40 battlecruiser hulls moving at maximum speed. No definite reads on classes as the Axis sent scouts ahead in a bowl formation to locate and destroy all sensor buoys in their path. All Commonwealth scouts attempting to get close are being chased off or destroyed by Hatchet squadrons. At its present speed the Axis formation will reach the Tire Iron warp point in 218 hours.” Janus adjusted the view on the holoimager, highlighting all drive field sources reported by the CSF in Bedrock. Her eyes darted from one labeled contact to the next. “The troopships will reach us without fear of interception, and those heading for Brickyard will be safe but isolated for the duration. I imagine the latter have most of the supplies, so it makes sense to have them hide in Brickyard and be on hand for the eventual CSF counterattack.” “Those troopships are running empty,” Cirro observed as he read from his screen. “I surmise that since there weren’t enough transports on hand their commanders decided to leave all the troops in place rather than leave a portion behind.” “A tragic decision, Cirro. Either leave some behind to their deaths or leave all of them in hopes that some will be alive when relief comes. If they had been able to pull everyone out that would have meant abandoning all of their planetside equipment. Leaving some behind would entail greater morale problems that just leaving all of them.” Janus’ eyes locked onto the holo icon representing the CSF troopships. “Our allies have suffered far more than us in garrisoning Axis worlds. I hope they’re not developing a case of fatalism in regards to their troops. Or it’s stubbornness that compels them not to fight for the same piece of land twice.” Captain Benevix, Janus’ chief intelligence officer, frowned as he looked up from his terminal next to Cirro. “If a new route isn’t found to Axis space then our allies will have fight over Bedrock again, Admiral. No doubt the Axis will force the issue and retake Circuit Run at the earliest possible moment and in turn take Laser Burn. We will need to reinforce the Cain/Laser Burn warp point. Though Frontier Fleet repulsed the Axis force attempting to retake the Geode system should Laser Burn fall…” “We’ll lose 35% of the active fleet,” Janus concluded. “Fleet HQ in Whel will likely have Jocelin fall back to Cain even at the expense of burned-out engines. As for bolstering the Cain warp point defenses we can send all available assault units in Crimson Expanse.” Benevix nodded. “What of the Axis ships we’ve captured here in Tire Iron and in the other systems, especially Cain? Should those awaiting conversion and repair be scuttled?” “We paid for those shorted-out captured hulls with our blood, Benevix. Those unconverted Axis hulls here in Tire Iron will be towed to an area far from the Tire Iron/Abyssal 018 warp point. All other Axis hulls in Abyssal 018, Crimson Expanse and Cain will be converted and repaired just enough so that they can travel to Whel for their final refit. Those mobile yards and repair ships that become free as a result will speed up the refit of our ships.” “Admiral,” said Cirro, “that Axis formation heading for the warp point could be a combined minelayer and guard force. Though several months of neglect have led to attritional losses the minefields on the Bedrock side of the warp point are still formidable. We can take the initiative and wipe out those mines before the Axis can service them and,” he added with some optimism, “prevent them from placing fresh mines and weapon buoys.” “You may have something, Cirro. Forcing the Axis to expend more ships and effort to guard the Tire Iron warp point can only help our allies in the long run.” Janus shifted her eye from the Tire Iron to the Circuit Run warp point icon. “At present have our three Broadside cruisers, the anti-mine munitions transport and the minesweepers go and clear the remaining mine fields on the Bedrock side of the warp point. In regards to the approaching Axis formation I want several action plans by this time tomorrow. Dispatch the tugs to relocate the hulks awaiting repair and conversion here in Tire Iron and Abyssal 018." “As you command, Admiral.” Back in the Geode system the Axis was consolidating in wake of its return. At the lunar colony on Geode-3-B a fresh task was in hand. In lieu of a new space station a fighter ground base was being built with the help of a small mobile construction yard. As much as it was for local defense the fighters that would eventually be based there would also serve as a ready supply to replenish Axis carriers. An identical base was being built at Geode-3-A, and together would provide 96 fighters for the defense. In six months the bases would be complete, and fully fitted out a month later. In addition to expansion of industrial complexes the Geode system was set to become a forward supply base for the Axis fleet set on reclaiming the warp chain leading to Crimson Expanse. Three ISN cruisers, part of Admiral Jocelin’s Frontier Fleet, were in the Smelter system, two transits out from Geode, when the Axis sent its first assault probe. Jocelin repulsed that assault, but when word came of the Axis return to the CSF-occupied Bedrock system he was ordered to fall back to the Cain system to mount a defense. A portion of Jocelin’s fleet remained in Geode to serve as a rear guard and discourage further probes. The cruisers were ordered to return to Geode at cruising speed, and had there been more time they would’ve continued on to Cain. Events turned out different, and Frontier Fleet and its detachment went to full tactical speed after the Axis made its second and successful assault. Word was sent to the last scout in Geode to rendezvous with the three cruisers, now in the adjoining Com-27, since the communication buoys in Geode were either picked up or destroyed. Now cut off, the senior captain of the three cruisers, Hortens, looked at the facts. Having been dependent on Frontier Fleet for supplies there was only enough on hand for one month. After that the ships would experience accumulative breakdowns, leading to combat impairment and eventually destruction. With Axis populations in Smelter and Geode the likelihood of warships appearing soon in Com-27 was certain. Reaching a decision with the other two captains Hortens offloaded supplies onto the scout, enabling it to operate at full capability for 36 months. It would stay in Com-27, at a pre-assigned spot near the Smelter warp point, engines down so as to be virtually undetectable. So positioned the scout could watch Axis ship traffic transit the warp point and provide intelligence for ISN ships, if and when the ISN returns to Com-27. As for the cruisers Hortens had a plan that didn’t require what little supplies he had left. Upon entering Geode the ships made a beeline for Geode-3. Hortens reasoned that since the Axis recovered the system there would be a presence at the aforementioned gas giant’s lunar colonies. Any infrastructure being rebuilt would be destroyed. Afterwards the cruisers would remain in combat until destroyed and in doing so Hortens hoped to give pause to the Axis advance and give more time for Frontier Fleet to fortify the Cain system. The cruiser crews understood this line of action, finding it more preferable than hiding in Com-27 and experiencing an eventual, undignified death. Needless to say the AFC units in Geode were caught off guard. The Com-27 warp point was closer to Geode-3 than the other two, and the local commander was tardy in sending a squadron of frigates to Smelter, leaving it instead to a Picket class scout to re-establish contact. It was believed that the ISN, after learning about the Iron Sky system, wouldn’t have bothered to leave combat units in Smelter as there was only a pair of small unarmed freighters present along with the half-dozen outposts. Well, those two ships had been destroyed by the cruiser trio and soon the approaching Picket would join them. One hour after entry the cruisers had the small ship on tactical scanners, 15 light-seconds out and just four minutes from SBM range. At this point the Picket launched its quartet of escort shuttles, each armed with a pair of antimatter close attack missiles. Hortens didn’t know what they were for the information from the scout didn’t made mention of the craft. In two minutes they would be in range of point defense, and hopefully they would be dispatched before they could inflict harm. To his chagrin only one was shot down at a range of 1 LS, so Hortens ordered his ships to conduct erratic maneuvers, generate maximum ECM and assume a mutually supportive formation. The three remaining craft, between the size of a regular shuttle and pinnace, homed onto one cruiser. While in the blind spot of the target the other two ships were able to engage and destroy them. Resuming course, Hortens held his fire until the small ship was within 2 LS. It turned out to be a small freighter hull comprised of shuttle bays, a solitary engine room, a munitions hold and ship-grade long range scanners. It was dispatched with force beams, leaving a debris cloud as the cruisers continued toward Geode-3. Moving at full speed it took less than three days to traverse the distance. Sensor contacts appeared on either side of the cruisers but at observed speeds they were unable to intercept the trio until after they arrived at Geode-3. Hortens watched as one contact resolved into three as his ships approached the gas giant’s second moon. One turned out to be another small freighter of the same type encountered earlier for it launched four big shuttles and fled at a paltry speed of 0.033c. The other two were full-sized heavy cruiser hulls, formed over the second moon and began moving at full speed at the trio of Interior class cruisers once the range dropped to 10 LS. Hortens opened fired with laser-tipped SBMs, scoring a single hit. Closer in at 7 LS only two of the capital missiles fired obtained a lock but both were shot down. Both Axis cruisers slowed to .033c, bringing the range down to 5 LS and at which point both sides opened up with external ordnance. Of the four internal and four external capital missiles that acquired a lock only one of each hit; the former with antimatter and the later a bomb-pumped laser, collapsing the shields and scouring the armor of the selected Axis cruiser. In turn the two Axis ships fired 9 external laser-tipped SBMs, getting 4 lock-ons and three hits. Perplexed as to why the two Axis ships elected to expend themselves with only one massed salvo Hortens got his answer. One of the ships launched a squadron of Hatchet fighters, joining the quartet of big shuttles in a full-out drive on the Interiors. That cruiser went to full speed and turned about, leaving its companion to carry on. Armed with a capital force beam the remaining Axis cruiser stayed at .033c, engaging ECM and took what hits the Hokum had to offer, waiting to see results of the fighter/shuttle strike. Hitting the armor-damaged Interior, the Axis ship lost its passive defenses and two engine rooms in the return fire. Slowing to .05c and assuming a three-point formation the Interiors braced themselves for the onslaught. None of the weapons that could be brought to bear scored a hit on the Hatchets and all missiles fired at the Axis cruiser were shot down. The six Hatchets fired 12 of their FRAMs, crippling an Interior with those that managed to hit. As for the quartet of big shuttles they brought the shields down and most of the armor on another. The Axis cruiser fired but missed with its force beam. Moving at a crawl, the Interiors attempted to swat the Hatchets as they made their second pass. The big shuttles, having fired their FRAMs, hightailed it for the still-retiring freighter to reload. Again no Hatchets were shot down. Despite erratic maneuvers and ECM a second Hokum cruiser took heavy internal damage. For its taunting attack the Axis cruiser, now seen to be a mobile yard, suffered the loss of all but one of its engines. The one intact Interior pursued the retiring Hatchets while still in range of point defense, finally bagging one. Finishing off the devastated first Interior the Axis ship was destroyed in turn. Hortens has his intact cruiser inspect the two lunar colonies. Finding two ground bases under construction he had them destroyed by force beam fire. Then he waited, noting the various other contacts being relayed to his ship had come to a stop. Except, of course, the now rearmed fighters and shuttles returning to finish the job. Both Interiors moved as one and allowed the Axis craft to close. Just before engagement both cruisers fired their courier drones, nine in all, on separate trajectories. While the destruction of the remaining Interior cruisers was achieved (at the expense of one escort shuttle) the drones did have the effect Hortens hoped for. System Admiral Gothan, commander of the task force that retook Geode, was determined to remove the blemish from his record. Scouting assets were reassigned to investigate each drone’s flightpath, resulting in several months of fruitless search. Four light carriers with escorts were dispatched to Smelter on the offhand chance there were Hokum ships present. Overall it delayed the Axis force in Geode a full two months, leaving it to the fleet in Bedrock to take over and assign a reserve force to take Cain once Circuit Run and Laser Burn were secured. Those two months were just what Jocelin needed. The rainy season for the Pinecone region of Eletoshani Prime was ending. For that reason Nisecu Lake was thankful, but now he wished there was a torrential spring downpour right now. He and his companion, Holsecu Pound, were being pursued by Comensal Anti-Abomination Security Police (ASP) agents. Comensal disliked rain and hated the monsoon-like weather of the northwestern regions even more. Traversing the forest across wet foliage, fallen trees and occasional streams made Nisecu’s four feet and ankles hurt, not that he was out of shape so much that he was out of practice. Holsecu, however, seemed to be having the time of his life. A hydrologist and geologist, Holsecu was use working outdoors and thought nothing of the weather. An outdoorsman as well, Holsecu traveled light in comparison to Nisecu, picking edible berries and mushrooms during their flight from the pursuing ASP. Due to his outdoor experience and knowledge of the Pinecone region Holsecu was tapped by the increasingly active resistance movement to train field operatives. Provided they elude capture. “Those damned boneheads,” Holsecu said in a low voice, picking his way through the dense ferns and low-hanging branches with Nisecu doing his best to follow. “They burned down my house just out of spite. It use to belong to my grandparents, and it was built with wood cut down on-site.” Nisecu shifted his left pair of stalked eyes to observe behind him. There was nothing, but the sound of wildlife in the distance told him that the ASP agents were nearby. “Many more treasures will be lost before the war is over. We have to do our part to ensure those losses weren’t in vain.” “Provided that the allied aliens can get to us in time, Nisecu. The Comensal need us for our industrial production. If they get to a point where they can live without us then they’ll bombard this planet into oblivion.” “They’ll have to go really deep into the alien’s territory and place more outposts and colonies on rich rockballs to make up the production they’ll lose from exterminating us. Right now let’s make sure we aren’t exterminated.” Nisecu looked behind him again, this time using all four eyes. “We’re quite safe,” said a confident Holsecu. “I left an explosive charge behind us for our ASP friends. It’s on a timer, and if they maintain their pace…” a hollow booming sound filled the forest air, agitating the wildlife into making calls and howls. “Pardon me if I’m not reassured, professor. That didn’t sound like a particularly powerful explosive.” “Just listen. You can hear it.” After a moment Nisecu did hear what sounded like a syrup-laced pancake slipping off the top of a stack of buttered up brethren. What followed were the sounds of cascading rocks, trees being uprooted, panicking wildlife and yelling Comensal with the latter ending abruptly after a particularly loud crescendo. “Just what was that, a landslide?” “Actually a mudflow,” said Holsecu. “That particular hillside had a relatively thin layer of topsoil and the rock below is resistant to the roots of the ferns and small trees that manage to grow there. Will all the heavy rains the soil layer got saturated, and with this brief dry spell a layer of water remained between the rock and soil layer. All it needed was a particular sound at the right frequency to get things moving.” “We better move even faster, Holsecu. If only one bonehead is alive it’s sure as sin that he pushed his panic button. A cutter will be here in minutes.” “Don’t worry. By the time they find the bodies we’ll be in the deep woods and beyond their reach.” In the Axis system of Non-Stop there was concern and expectation felt by the ISN crews: concern about the reverse suffered by the Frontier Fleet in Geode and the Axis recovery of Bedrock and expectation of what Admiral Calixto plans to do next. The latter was satisfied as Fleet HQ in Whel sent new orders. Calixto’s command was officially designated Strike Fleet, a term she found amusing. All together this fleet barely had enough ships to constitute two segments, including auxiliaries. However, an officer commanding two segments had to be the rank of segment admiral. Looking at her new rank insignia she liked to think her promotion was due to her efforts in Non-Stop and not to fulfill a bureaucratic requirement. Along with that promotion was a task commensurate to her new rank – to conduct an offensive to invade the Axis system of Bandstand, just two warp transits from Non-Stop. Calixto detailed her Greyhound squadron stay behind to track and intercept the six Axis ships remaining in Non-Stop while the Strike Fleet moved to invest the Non-Stop/Woodshop warp point. The first pinnace to probe the warp point came back and its report explained the reason why. A mere six Hatchet fighters and like number of big shuttles were keeping guard over a collection of 120 weapon buoys. Calixto waited a mere 18 hours before sending in the first assault wave. Appearing first was a pair of Soar-H carriers, repaired and reconditioned for Hokum crews. Following was an Imposer, a converted Axis battleship, a Dispersion class escort, and two Rodeo Clown minesweepers. External mine clearance rounds blotted out seven mine patterns while three buoys were nicked by transit addled point defense systems. Slow on the uptake, the Axis defenders only managed to get a duet of escort shuttles to action stations, attacking the Dispersion. Had a third one been active then the little ship would’ve been destroyed. As it was both of the automated weapon control bases, sitting 8 LS out and kept company by a small craft base, failed to activate. The Dispersion was able transit out, being replaced by six more. As for the Soars, after launching eight squadrons of Spear fighters, stayed in Woodshop so that the inevitable buoy fire was diluted by 11 ships instead of 9. First to fire was a Rodeo Clown, targeting and destroying five of the six CAP Hatchets and six buoys all thanks to the advanced point defense mounts she carried. The only success the Axis defenders had was in the destruction of a second wave Dispersion from the remaining CAP Hatchet and one escort shuttle. Again both control bases failed to active, and in response the Hokum attackers reaped more buoys to leave only 71 out of the initial 120. Four escort shuttles were bagged, leaving the initial two heading at full speed for their base. Wave three was comprised of five Dispersions. A Rodeo Clown bagged eight more buoys when one control base became active and fired the remaining 63. While all ships were hit none suffered internal damage, especially in regards to the 10 Dispersions with their thick armored hides. Four of them transited back to Non-Stop while six Broadside missile cruisers emerged from the warp point and fired internal and external mine clearance rounds. Of the fifty patterns in the targeted patch only 28 remained. Observing the two retiring shuttles and the base they landed on the assault commander had the Broadsides fire upon the other full-sized type 2 base. One datagroup fired antimatter armed SBMs while the other used laser-tipped warheads. Hits were observed and obviously provided enough motivation for the base to launch 18 Hatchet fighters. Together with 18 of the big shuttles launched from the other base they closed on the Hokum ships. With most of the Dispersions returned to Non-Stop and with six Interior cruisers to replace them fire was shifted again to reduce the targeted minefield patch. The Five Gods shown their favor that day as the clearance rounds were spectacularly effective, leaving only seven patterns. As a group the five first wave ships and the remaining Dispersion entered the exhausted mine patch. Except for the small ship none had breached armor though the one Soar-H targeted by two patterns only had 10% of its armor remaining. With tractor beams taking care of the leftovers a clear path was made for the other ships to follow. Now in control of the engagement parameters the Hokum moved and attacked the approaching Axis horde at a range of 1 LS. Jammers denied the Hatchets from firing as squadrons, allowing the Spear fighters to harvest them like orchard fruit. Even so 5 Spears were lost but none of the ships were hit. The Imposer battleship, escorted by 12 Spears, moved on the bases at full speed, intent to clear the way for the cutters and shuttles behind it so they could board said bases safely. In the intervening two-and-a-half minutes the pair of big shuttles and the sole remaining Hatchet had rearmed and launched, focusing on the Imposer. Both shuttles exploded like fireworks from the attention given to them by one squadron, and the sole Hatchet fired its FRAMs, breaking down partially restored shields and searing the ship’s armor-cladded flank. That fighter’s death was just a footnote as the battleship began the process of stripping the shields off the bases so that its needle beams could lance point defense mounts and magazines. Defiant to the end, the three bases launched their complement of two shuttles and three pinnaces. Intent on ramming, the craft failed and were brought down by the Spears. Just as the last fireball faded away the three bases self-destructed, denying any intelligence Calixto hoped to find. It didn’t adversely affect the operation for Woodshop’s layout was known as well as that of Bandstand. The almost armor-denuded Soar-H and the Dispersions were sent back to Non-Stop to get repaired and refitted while the minefields and automated weapons were picked up and moved to the Woodshop/Bandstand warp point. The new advanced point defense system had proven itself in combat. Quite soon other new weapons will get their baptism of fire. Chapter 5.25 The destruction of the deteriorating Axis minefields at the Bedrock/Tire Iron warp point was complete. With armor untouched the Rodeo Clown minesweepers returned to Tire Iron while the Broadsides had their magazines cleared of remaining anti-mine charges and filled with regular ordnance. A pair of Fast Walker scouts entered Bedrock. One scout stayed at the warp point while the other headed for the approaching CSF troopships and auxiliaries. After informing their ally that they could continue the scout headed for the more distant Axis formation. Like the CSF scouts the Fast Walker couldn’t get close enough for definite reads on the ships. From drive signatures alone it was clear they were 40 battlecruiser-sized hulls, but how many of them were warships or carriers couldn’t be determined. Lord Admiral Janus decided to complicate the situation for the Axis. She brought in the Expeditionary Fleet into Bedrock and held it, with drivefields down, over the warp point. The operation was done with such speed that the enemy initially had no idea how many Hokum ships were present. When a trio of Axis scouts approached they were engaged by six Spear squadrons carrying partial loads of stand-off missiles. With detuned engines the scouts ran, counting down the minutes until the Spears had to break off due to life support limits. That time came and went, and five minutes later the Spear squadrons dropped their missiles and closed on the scouts. Given the numbers involved it made no difference to scatter so the scouts stayed together. Great was their surprise as the Spears opened up at a range of one light-second with internal lasers while moving at the speed of an unloaded F1 fighter. The lead scout was crippled in the opening exchange, and all three launched their courier drones to back up their transmissions to the minelayer taskgroup. No longer detuning engines, the scouts came about and accepted their fate. In all four Spears were shot down, but it was small price to pay to destroy three scouts and make the Axis take stock of the situation. At a range of two light-minutes the Axis force came to a stop and waited. Three hours later Janus launched twenty Spear squadrons and sent them to investigate. All moved as if they were fully loaded, though they were actually unarmed except for six. With restraint the Axis commander allowed these squadrons to close for his fighters outnumbered this force by over 7 to 1. He wanted to preserve his carriers’ identity for as long as possible. When it came down to 8 light-second range the Spears came about and moved away at just under their maximum loaded speed. The Commander could only surmise that this was just a probe to provoke him to launch his fighters and therefore reveal something of his strength. Since he launched no fighters, and the enemy hadn’t come close enough for scans, he felt his secret was safe. He was wrong, for six Spears carried the newly developed fighter scanner packs. Janus now knew she faced 30 Eagle Crest carriers and 10 battlecruisers of a class not seen before. At a minimum it meant 900 Hatchet fighters, giving them a 50% advantage. She had no doubt that heavy losses would be incurred if she stayed, but with the Garrochas of the assault element serving on the defense those 900 Hatchets would be destroyed in their entirety. It all depends on when and how the Axis will advance and attempt to fortify the warp point. Camp Lazlo was quiet on the night when the news of what happened to the CSF in Bedrock was made general knowledge. In one of the motor pools the mechanics and Mongoose crews of Company B, 31st Tactical Armored Regiment, resumed work on their vehicles. The Mongoose known as Loaded Vice was undergoing a 500 hour overhaul, entailing the instillation of a new powerpack, rail gun, and suspension adjustments. Furdex, the vehicular commander, was assisting two mechanics in connecting the powerpack. “I’m telling you, fame cuts both ways. The Five Gods decided that we’ve done such a good job that they’ve invoked the Axis to reclaim this planet.” “Or that no good deed goes unpunished,” said Pendex, Loaded Vice’s driver. “Just two months left before the regiment is to be rotated home. Whoever said the duration is longer than the war wasn’t kidding.” “I was looking forward to having a year back home while the regiment got reequipped with tanks,” Licus commented as she tested new electronic modules before having them installed. “We’re either going to be stuck here or evacuated without our heavy equipment.” “What? I won’t hear of it.” Spuran, the gunner, poked his head out of the turret. “Our baby doesn’t deserve to be reduced to slag. She deserves to come back with us.” Furdex wiped his brow with his right front hand while working a kink on his side with his left back hand. “No such doing, Spuran. Loaded Vice is going to the surplus pool here at Camp Lazlo when we leave. She’ll be put to service when another platoon has a Mongoose combat loss.” “Those have been increasing lately.” Licus subconsciously rubs her right ear when recalling bad news. “The boneheads are using more and more of those cheap shape-charge rockets in massed volleys. Remember what happened to that one Mongoose in the 29th? A technical ambushed it and used a calliope to overwhelm the point defense system. Two rockets got past the reactive armor blocks and breached the hull and turret. Only the driver survived because her compartment was separate.” Pendex patted the bow of the combat proven vehicle. “Even more reason why we’re being upgraded to tanks. Thicker , denser armor. A more comprehensive point defense system, additional weapons, and treads. No disrespect, Vice.” Spuran shook his head. “Treads? Why not ground effect like the Axis tanks? Treads are so old that they don’t event count as old school cool. Plus the tank the Army made is just an updated 500 year-old design.” “Those Axis blowers are power hogs, Spuran,” said Furdex. “Sure, they can go over water, but they require a cutter-grade fusion bottle to move around and fire their overblown laser pointers. Plus those blowers move around like pinballs even from hits that don’t penetrate their armor. I’d rather have 40 tons on the ground than 100 floating around on a cushion of air.” Licus penned her signature on a tablet and handed a comm module to a technician to install in Loaded Vice. “We’ll get to see how they perform in combat before we leave. An armored regiment arrived from Iridescent last week. I’m sure they’ll find an appropriate pocket of Comensal resistance to put the tanks to the test.” A small formation of ISN ships was making its way across the Non-Stop system, heading for a rendezvous with the mobile repair squadron in the outer reaches. At the lead was a DN-sized Soar class assault carrier, captured from the Axis early in the war and made compatible for Hokum use. It was moving at cruising speed, towing another captured and converted Axis ship, a Dispersion warp point probe ship. Keeping pace with the Soar were 10 more Dispersions, each having armor damage to one degree or another with one having to patch up its life support to make the trek. Providing escort was a pair of Type 1 destroyers and a Podium pinnace carrier. With 24 F1 Spears and 4 Garrocha armed pinnaces on hand it was felt it would be enough to handle the attention of the known pair of Axis patrol squadrons still present in Non-Stop. After four days the formation was detected by one of these squadrons. Comprised of one Pinyon Jay and two Fishing Hawks, this squadron attacked a Hokum convoy over a month earlier. While successful, the striking power was reduced to 8 Hatchet fighters (out of 12), 12 Stiletto escort shuttles and 7 (out of 20) Machete armed pinnaces. Moving at full speed it took over 36 hours to close the range. With no supplies remaining, and having received a message from the last Fleet Tracker squadron about the Hokum investment and apparent entry into the Woodshop system, the Axis commander elected to attack this new contact while he still had a potent attack force. The Greyhound squadron sent by Calixto was out of position to intercept. It still closed on the outside possibility of the Axis succeeding in its mission. Two light minutes before interception the Hokum captain in charge released the 10 Dispersions, having them move at full speed on a different vector, and dropped the crippled Dispersion the carrier was towing. At 9 LS range, the Axis commander, upon receiving confirmation that the dreadnaught hull was a converted Soar, made it the primary target. He had no choice, for a general order issued by the First Leader required that all AFC ships captured and used by the enemy had to be destroyed. At 5 LS range both sides launched their fighters and small craft. With ECM spun up the opposing sides commenced firing at 3.75 LS. Only 13 of the 21 external capital missiles locked onto the Soar, and after point defense and EDMs just 3 inflicted damage. The Pinyon Jay’s sole HET laser hit, scouring off one external missile and further weakening the Soar’s armor, damaged earlier in the assault on Woodshop. In reply two of the Soar’s HET lasers hit the Jay, removing its sole EDM, and took a hit from a Type 1’s force beam. Holding onto unreasonable optimism the Axis commander thought he would still be victorious. On the defensive the Hokum units engaged the Hatchets, Stilettos and Machetes at point blank range while the respective ships exchanged volleys at 2.25 LS. The Soar lost it shields, remaining armor, and three of its engine rooms from one abbreviated Hatchet squadrons. All four Garrochas were shot down by the point defense mounts of the Stilettos and Machetes. In a swirling maelstrom the Spears dealt death to the Axis craft, and all but 4 Hatchets were destroyed. Closer in at 1 LS range the Jay knocked down one Spear and scored a solid hit with its laser and three of the Hatchets did the same with theirs, reducing the Soar’s speed further and wiping out three hanger bays. Both of the plasma bolts fired from the Fishing Hawks were slapped down by the Soar’s capital point defense unit. Using up their remaining standard close assault missiles and laser packs,the Spears knocked down the passive defenses of the three ships, allowing one Type 1 to lance the Jay’s HET laser while the other one missed the plasma gun on one Hawk. Further hits made the Jay effectively toothless. One Hatchet was splashed by the point defense mount on the Podium. The Hawks moved away, putting distance between them and the Type 1s while the plasma guns were recharging. It was in vain for both needle beams lanced the gun mounts like boils. Now down to a pair of laser-armed Hatchets the Axis commander gave the final order. Incredibly, despite the Axis penchant of fanaticism and devotion to duty only one Fishing Hawk managed to explode. As for the other one the engineering crew made a mess of its control systems, reducing the ship to a crawl. With scanning data provided by the Type 1s the Spear squadrons worked over the remaining Hawk until it was a true mobile wreck. The Pinyon Jay had its magazines and engine rooms lanced. At that point the Soar launched its marine-loaded pinnace and boarded the Jay. After the marines boarded the pinnace went to the Podium and took its marines to the Hawk. Where they failed to explode the Axis crews did destroy their computers. Also, before they were shot down the last two Hatchets had done more damage to the Soar. Now down to five intact hanger bays the commander of the carrier had a brain storm. All 23 Spears landed in sequence, each loaded with one life support pack, and launched while emergency repairs were conducted. This procedure was repeated twice as seven bays were patched up over a period of nine hours. The 11 that couldn’t land on the Soar took refuge in the shuttle bays of the Podium, unable to launch until retrieved by a cargo ship in the support group. Two tugs were dispatched to tow the new captures as well as the Soar and the lifeless Dispersion. For the loss of one fighter, four armed pinnaces, and heavy damage to an assault carrier (that was going to be refitted with new equipment in any event) the Hokum gained two more Axis hulls. The Pinyon Jay was slated for conversion to a fleet carrier with the Fishing Hawk to a Stout (Hokum) class cruiser. In five months the two ships, as well as the damaged Dispersions, became available for Calixto’s Strike Fleet. Above Hokum Prime was Orbit-1, the largest and oldest space station in the Imperium. It continued to be the largest for two additional shipyards were being built, fueled by revenue generated from trade with the CPS. After making a tour of the construction site Emperor Valsur retired to his official office in the station. Located in the core, the office was circular in shape and had a domed ceiling. Antique but usable furniture was spread about with the hand-crafted wooden desk in the middle. Sitting behind that desk Valsur motioned to the two men before him to take a seat in chairs made from thousands of years old Ironbark trees. Conovus, Imperitor of the Navy, wore his dark purple vest smartly. The gold buttons gleamed in the light as did his official badge of rank and Imperitor medallion. Manosum, on the other hand, was the opposite. From his looks one wouldn’t believe he was the head of the Naval Weapons Development Department. The green vest he wore was rumpled instead of neatly pressed. Both lower pockets were stuffed with gummy worms, his favorite snack food, and his upper right pocket was jammed with his well-worn minicomp. As for his ID tag it was stained from when it was dunked into his coffee from two weeks ago. He didn’t change it as the chip inside was perfectly functional. Besides, guards don’t look at pictures anyone – that’s what DNA and rental scanners are for. “Conovus, I understand that you have an update on the new weapon system,” Valsur commented. “Yes, my Emperor. We conducted our third field test with the warp capable missile pods. This time it was against a mock-up of defenses around a warp point, comprised of old bases and ships taken from the ship boneyard parking orbit. A simulated assault force was used in conjunction with the pods. We even used fighters and armed pinnaces of the simulated CAP to attack the 100 pods. While it was a foregone conclusion that such derelict hulls would be destroyed we gained information that will be most useful in an actual assault.” Valsur lifted a datapad with his right back hand from the desk, reading the displayed print briskly. “I see. You’ve even activated a portion of the minefields for enhanced realism.” “Correct. It was felt that actual observe results would make for better calculations than relying on hypothetical outcomes before the first combat use of the weapon system.” “Mines are easy enough to replace, not so much armed pinnaces and their crews.” Valsur lowered the datapad. “I congratulate the both of you. We now have a way to enter fortified systems without having to pay an exorbitant amount of lives. How many pods do we need to stockpile to form a worthwhile reserve?” Conovus was expecting this question. Funding the construction of thousands of pods would mean reductions in other areas, and those in charge of procuring armed pinnaces and ships, the most likely candidates, would be most vociferous in their objections. However, there was a way to greatly ease those objections. “Emperor, while impressive, the pod system we’ve developed can be improved upon. To minimize obsolescence I suggest that only 120 first generation pods be constructed per month.” “Ah.” Valsur turned to Manosum. “I suppose you can elaborate?” Manosum resisted the urge to pull out his minicomp and syncing with Valsur’s displays so that he could show what he was talking about. “Most certainly, Sire. It’s within our technical grasp to construct a new class of pod. With improved launch tubes and a 25% increase in size a second generation pod can hold six SBMs instead of three. Even the pod’s speed can be increased by 14%, making it as fast as a corvette. Better yet, using a more robust drive based on that of a pinnace this class of pod can be reused if it survives warp transit and combat.” “You certainly gained my interest, Manosum,” Valsur said briskly. “Being the smart man that you are, you wouldn’t have made your pitch without knowing how much such an endeavor will cost. Regretfully to say, there are those in the Imperial Council that are more concerned with money than the lives that will be saved.” “Yes, yes, quite true, Sire. The development cost is reasonable, especially compared to those programs used to develop the advanced point defense systems. You can tell them that for the price of three updated dreadnaughts this second generation pod is a bargain. When used in a warp assault the defender’s fire will be split four ways instead of three, resulting in overall fewer losses in Garrochas, Spears and ships. Savings all around.” Valsur smiled. “You can sell atoms to the Five Gods and still make a profit. Very well. Manosum, I expect your technical specification report and request for funding on my planetside desk on the day after tomorrow. I will give my official endorsement on one condition.” “What is it, my Emperor?” Valsur held out his back right hand, open palm up. “In the days of old, when a subject approaches his sovereign for a favor he brings a gift. In this case it’s an admonishment. Genius only gives one so much leeway. You’re in the presence of your Emperor, and you couldn’t spare five minutes to make yourself presentable. Make it one of your understudies’ responsibilities to make sure you look decent.” “Yes, my Emperor,” said a suitably admonished Manosum. On his part Conovus couldn’t suppress his smile. “Now,” Valsur said, the fingers on his extended hand flexing in a ‘gimmie’ manner, “hand over your gummy worms. My son enjoys them.” The spaceport for the Comensal enclave on Elotoshani Prime was 60 kilometers from the population center. Access to and from the spaceport was by means of a vacuum tunnel 30 meters under the surface. Any attempt to access the spaceport from any other means will entail evading minefields, patrols, automated bunkers and ever-vigilant guards on the 20 meter walls. Trodanscu Vat, retired wildlife ranger and member of the resistance, had made it his mission to observe the spaceport ever since the forest that use to be there was destroyed during the construction . It had become so second nature that he could know which watch commander was on duty by their deployment of patrols and wall guards. The past week was different, for the number of guards was doubled. Such an occurrence happened when VIPs arrived, but there was no scuttlebutt about such a thing happening. Plus this doubling of the guard for an extended period happened only twice before, once when the First Leader made his visit to the Comensal enclave. This appeared to be related to the second occurrence. Four months ago there was a flurry of activity within the spaceport. Trodanscu followed it with keen interest from one of his many hidden observation posts in the surrounding hills. Mammoth side dumpers emerged from the spaceport walls and deposited tons upon tons of dirt and rock onto a fresh piling situated in a natural depression five kilometers away. In three weeks it was over. It wasn’t an extension of the actual spaceport, but of the base beneath it, equipped with no less than 72 fighter launch tubes. That it took 20 months to build this base was indicative that it was a rather large underground facility. Now the side dumpers were moving again. With high-powered binoculars Trodanscu followed the squat, long vehicles as they made their trek to the pilings. Then he heard a whistle coming through his headphones. He had left the parabolic mic focused on the spaceport for there was no need to listen to the loud grumblings of the dumpers. He refocused his binoculars on the spaceport. It was a whistle Trodanscu hadn’t heard in some time, and it was a warning that there was going to be surface blasting. After the whistle there were three short blasts, followed by multiple explosions. After the dust cleared the vigilant Eloto noted that there were twelve neat holes in a previously clear patch within the confines of the spaceport. He seen them before, and they matched in size and pattern of the holes made for the fighter launch tubes. An increase in the number of fighters? Interesting to say the least, he thought to himself. Why waste time and material upgrading a base if there’s no need? Have the boneheads suffered another reversal? Perhaps. The bigwigs will make better sense of this. As much as he wanted to leave and inform his contact Trodanscu had the patience to wait. It would be another five hours before he could make the trek back to his cabin. The current bonehead watch commander had a thing about the hills where Trodanscu was hiding, and the old Eloto didn’t want to become another notch on some bonehead’s rifle stock. Chapter 5.50 Lord Admiral Jocelin, commander of Frontier Fleet, wondered not for the last time why the Axis was taking its time. In the day cabin aboard his command cruiser the admiral poured over a plaspaper printout of warp connections centered on Cain. It had been over two months since Frontier Fleet had been recalled from the Geode system to garrison Cain at the expense of burned-out engine rooms. The Bedrock system was reclaimed by the Axis, and having the advantages of position and time they could’ve rushed from Bedrock into Circuit Run, Laser Burn, and finally to Cain. From there the Axis could reclaim Crimson Expanse, just one transit out. Circuit Run had been reclaimed last month yet there had been no Axis probe from there into Laser Burn, not even a pinnace as far as it could be determined. The Axis force that recovered Geode hadn’t even probed Laser Burn as well, despite securing the Binary Code system five weeks ago. That they had not done so was clear proof of their priorities were elsewhere. Tire Iron was still secured by Admiral Janus’ Expeditionary Fleet, leading the big-wigs at the Presidio to believe that, for the time being, the Axis was set on reclaiming those systems conquered by the Commonwealth. Jocelin appreciated whatever delay the Five Gods had imposed on the boneheads’ advance into Hokum-held systems. Practically all the ships of Frontier Fleet suffered engine burnout. The assigned quartet of repair ships, sitting two light-minutes from the warp point, was adhering to a fixed schedule of one CVS, BC, CA and DD per cycle. Instead of simply fixing the engines they were being replaced for the ships, indeed the whole of Frontier Fleet, was taking whatever time was available to get refitted with new shields and point defense equipment. All fighter losses were made good with replacements, all of which were of the new F2 Spear model, as well as fresh Garrocha armed pinnaces. As for the fixed defenses there was cause for optimism. Twelve bases guarded the Cain/Laser Burn warp point, backed by a main shell of mines with two additional, much smaller shells for attrition against armed pinnaces. 200 force and 400 energy beam buoys kept the inner shell of mines company. Reinforcements did arrive in the form of additional Imperial Echelon carriers, Broadside missile cruisers, Decisive heavy cruisers and Type 2 destroyers. Admiral Janus even assisted by releasing assault units assigned to her fleet to reinforce Frontier Fleet. Among them were converted Axis ships, and their presence would insure the Axis to destroy them first and thus distracting them from pure Hokum units. As for the small space station and its associated squadron of mobile yards at the Cain/Stonewash warp point the priorities were changed. There was still a sizable cache of captured Axis ships awaiting conversion and refit. In order to save as many hulls as possible only the bare minimum of repairs – engines, holds, life support and shuttle bays – were conducted, leaving the rest to be handled by the space station in Whel. To further help in that regard the four Opera repair ships in the system will finish what remained of the Axis ships after completing assembly of a quartet of bases. A chime went off in the cabin, prompting Jocelin to turn his attention to the slim monitor on his desk. The message it displayed put to rest speculation on the Axis’ intention for the Laser Burn system. Four battleships and two DN minesweepers had emerged from the warp point leading to Binary Code, taking the fire of 100 laser buoys in stride. One of the battleships launched 12 Hatchets before retiring with the others. The sole mine warfare ship tasked at the Laser Burn/Binary Code warp point was chased down and destroyed. What remained of the laser buoys were undoubtedly destroyed by pinnaces. Eventually the sensor net in Laser Burn will be neutralized by Axis scouts. If the same pattern used for Binary Code is followed then in two weeks, possibly four, the Axis will invest the Laser Burn/Cain warp point. Jocelin mulled over the data for several minutes. He came to the conclusion that, having two months to reconstitute, the Axis was ready to reclaim the Cain system. It was late morning at Camp Lazlo. The Mongoose crews of the 31st Tactical Armored Regiment gathered around sixteen Bear tanks from the newly arrived 51st Division. A Novillero (Major) from the division, commanding a company of Bears, was giving a briefing about the tank so that the Mongoose crews would become familiarized with it. “Fully loaded, a Bear weighs 42 tons. More than twice the weight of a Mongoose,” said the Novillero. “Front and side armor is 18 centimeters thick with a 35-degree slope, comprised of six layers of composites mixed with starship-grade steel. Back armor is 12 centimeter thick with the same level of slope. The lower hull has armor 10 centimeters thick and is designed to resist improvised explosives as well as mines known to be used by the Axis Army.” “Just how much of an improvised explosive are we talking about, Novillero,” said Piton (Lt) Corsun, commander of a Mongoose platoon. “Does that include sub-kiloton nuclear charges? Our Commonwealth allies have reported that the Comensal used such charges in the Quad Cities on Borehole.” “Actually, yes,” the Novillero said with forthrightness. “What the Commonwealth Army reported matched our testing results. In both situations the tanks were lifted as high as 30 meters. Even so the tanks were recoverable and restored to service. The crews in those Commonwealth tanks suffered 70% fatalities with the survivors sustaining major injuries, and it’s projected that our tank crews will have similar results. I remind you that a Mongoose would be obliterated by a sub-kiloton nuke, and there would be no survivors.” “Not to mention body parts,” said Furdex, commander of a Mongoose named Loaded Vice, in a low voice to his gunner Pendex. “At least with a tank there’ll be bodies for the funerals.” “You usually hold off on the dark humor until the fourth beer, Sarge,” Pendex replied. “The boneheads don’t need mini-nukes to destroy a Mongoose. Remember that rockfall that crushed one from the 14th last month? The resulting fire from the broken powerpack cremated the crew and cooked off the ammunition. Talk about the ultimate in closed caskets.” “Now that’s being dark, Pendex.” The Novillero had been talking during the exchange, reaching the next main subject – armament. “The main weapon is a 90mm smoothbore cannon with autoloader. Total number of projectiles on board is 87, comprising a mix of high-explosive standard, anti-armor sabot, beehive anti-personnel, incendiary, anti-air mini-missiles and micro UAV canisters. A pair of 7mm rail guns are carried – one in a universal mount on the turret and another mounted coaxial with the main gun. On either side of the turret there are two canisters for multi-purpose missiles, and the hull has ten adjustable hardpoints for rockets. Located in the forward upper portion of the hull, clear of the turret, are cover plates for two 50mm mortars. Each has an 18 round magazine with a rotary feed and has 20 degree of traverse left and right along with an elevation up to 50 degrees. “Aside from armor, the Bear has three times as many point defense strips than a Mongoose and twice as many smoke projectors. Reactive armor blocks can also be fitted. Top speed is 83kph. It has the same power pack as well, and range is comparable if not more due to the fact that the Bear doesn’t have a large rail gun. Also its thermal signature is lower due to the same reason.” Five minutes later the Novillero dismissed the group so that they could talk with the Bear crews and inspect the vehicles close up. Spuran, driver of the Loaded Vice, looked at the front of a Bear. It was blunt wedge shape, very much like that of a pike used by ancient warriors. In addition to being a good shot deflector the front also had an intimidation factor. Any bonehead seeing that coming at him would no doubt run away unless he wants to be impaled. “Looks great,” he said to Licus, the Vice’s comm and sensors operator, “but I would still like to have a bow-mounted mortar. I rather blow up an enemy in front of me than run him over.” “Spuran, with this 42 ton beast any Bonehead you run over will hardly register as a bump. Besides, you hadn’t used the bow mortar directly since training. What’s the likelihood of that happening in the time we have left?” “Licus, don’t tempt the Five Gods that way. Speaking of one’s deficiencies in public is a sure way to gain their attention.” “You got my attention,” said the driver of the Bear, poking his head up through the open hatch. “Spuran, is it? Come in and take a look at your future office.” Climbing up the side of the tank, Spuran lowered himself down the hatch and settled into the seat. He noticed that the driver’s compartment wasn’t separated like it was in the Mongoose. The electronics operator station was at the other end in one corner. Behind and above that was the crew access port to the turret. As for the seat the driver, crouching behind him, showed that it could be lowered to the prone position. There were handles on the ceiling and along the floor. When he asked Spuran was informed that these handled allowed the driver to pull himself out so that he could make use of the belly escape hatch. With only the top hull hatch a Mongoose driver ran the risk of being shot by a sniper if escaping from a burning vehicle or being entombed if said vehicle rolled and ended up with the hatch blocked. “Your transition to the Bear won’t be difficult,” said the driver as he continued his explanation of all the controls. “This control station is very much like of a Mongoose. Once you mastered driving a Bear the rest will be just like a glorified re-certification program.” Spuran put his front pair of hands on the gear levers. Forward and both treads moved the huge vehicle forward and back for reverse. To spin the tank in place one lever goes forward with the other pulled back. Right foot to accelerate and left foot for the brake. The back pair of hands stood ready over switches and knobs. The Mongoose used a butterfly steering wheel, but aside from that Spuran was sure he could master a Bear in record time. With a blindfold he could operate the smaller vehicle like a pro, going solely on instruments and tonal cues coming over his headset. The driver continued. “Even the lasers used by the boneheads on their huge blowers will have difficulty with a Bear’s armor. It’s infused with laser dispersion ceramics, just like on a Mongoose, but thicker. ” “We haven’t seen a bonehead tank laser, or even a man-portable lasing tube in months,” Spuran commented. “I’m sure they’ll bring some of them out just to see how they’ll work against a Bear.” The Axis Fleet Command, after nearly two months of standoff in the Bedrock system, was making its move. Lord Admiral Janus gazed critically at the main plot in the Watchtower’s combat information center. Earlier a drive field contact registered 72 light-minutes out, moving at full speed for a dreadnaught. Once within 12 light-minutes of the Expeditionary Fleet the contact was resolved into 50. All drive signatures were Axis. As there had been no ship contacts until now, just shuttles and pinnaces ferrying supplies to the Axis force of 30 fleet carriers and ten battlecruisers sitting two light-minutes away from the Bedrock/Tire Iron warp point, Janus had four Spears on standing patrol four light-minutes out sent to investigate. “We should know very soon,” said Cirro, Janus’ chief of staff. “Unless the Axis developed their own F2 fighters we will know what kind of ships we’ll be facing.” “Especially if they’re assault carriers,” Janus commented. “As none of their scouts have come close enough to know what we really have they’ll likely err on the side of caution. For every assault ship they send against use is one less facing our other two fleets as well as our Commonwealth allies.” Cirro glanced at a repeater plot displaying a recently received communique. “Speaking of fleets, it seems Admiral Calixto is doing very well, given what she has to work with. We can only hope her impending assault into Bandstand will have the desired effect and cause the AFC to redeploy reserve forces there.” “Likely, but none of that will help us here. Their tenacity isn’t to be underestimated. Crimson Expanse is the only major colony world that we’re occupying. If the Axis succeeds in pushing us out then we’ll have no choice but to fall back to Doorstop or even Whel itself.” Over an hour passed. With anticipated Janus and everyone else in the CIC waited as Maro, commander of the Expeditionary Fleet’s strike wings, read off the report from the recon fighters. “They were unable to get definite class identifications, Admiral. The boneheads had no less than sixteen squadrons of F1 fighters running interference with 14 more deployed in a shell 9 light-seconds from the ships. Based on drive strength, there are 18 dreadnaughts, 12 battleships, 12 heavy cruisers, 6 destroyers and 2 corvettes. At least five of those dreadnaughts are assault carriers, factoring in the 30 Hatchet squadrons so far encountered.” “Well, we should be honored that the Axis has dispatched such a force against us,” Janus mused. “We can’t take them in open space and have a fleet afterwards. Recall all but the red line recon fighters, Cirro. They are authorized to drop life support packs to increase their speed. If the Axis ships or fighters move in force against us then implement the withdrawal plan.” Cirro had his back pair of hands together in front of him, palm to palm in a gesture of compliance. “At a range of 2 light-minutes a fully loaded strike will reach us in one hour, Admiral. The remaining red line recon fighters can reach their carrier well before the Axis Hatchets arrive. It will take 16 minutes for all the ships in the Expeditionary Fleet to transit back to Tire Iron. Do you still want to employ the last part of the withdrawal plan?” A sly smile crept on Janus’ face, revealing the tips of her canine teeth. “Yes. It’s only proper that we say something after being on their doorstep for so long.” Once combined the Axis force launched its attack. The 30 fleet carriers spat out 1008 fighters, more than was anticipated, and sent them hurtling towards the Hokum fleet. Accompanying them was a Pursuer class scout, acting as the strike leader. After recalling the recon fighters Cirro waited until only 25 minutes were left, and then gave the order for the fleet to transit to Tire Iron. The Watchtower was the next to the last ship to leave. It was only a Fast Walker that remained to be identified by the Pursuer’s sensors. The feeling of being cheated radiating from the disappointed Axis pilots required no sensors to detect. Collectively, the Hatchet fighters and the Pursuer came to a halt 8 light-seconds from the warp point. The Fast Walker transmitted a message to its opposite number, asking for a face to face meeting between representatives. The Axis fleet commander, System Admiral Novhom, felt it was a trap as the abom Hokum would allow a ship to dock to theirs. No doubt to self-destruct and take both to oblivion. To prove their sincerity, the aboms agreed to having the fighters and Pursuer present, and for the Fast Walker to be at a spot 4 light-seconds from the warp point. In such a spot the little scout would be one minute from escape, and would be in the firing envelope of the Pursuer the whole time. Also, once docked, what’s to prevent the destroyer’s marines from taking over the scout? Novhom couldn’t pass up the chance to get some prisoners, so he agreed to the meeting. He sent three destroyers, making the captain of one his representative, and to prove his good faith he had the Pursuer pulled back to 10 light-seconds from the warp point. What Novhom didn’t know was that Janus had a plan all along. Of the mine patterns in Tire Iron at her disposal two months ago she brought them into Bedrock and deployed in two shells around the warp point. The first shell surrounded the warp point at a range of five light seconds for a total of 360 patterns. Closer in, at four light second range, the second shell comprised of 192 patterns. As for the Axis they were completely ignorant of this, and the Pursuer didn’t come close enough to find out. The shells were meant to slow and confuse an attack of a smaller, combined armed force. In this instance they served their purpose. Oblivious to what awaited them the trio of Sprinter destroyers entered the outer shell. Set to full engagement parameters the trio of mines patterns in that particular part of the shell went after the ships like filings to a magnet. Already unprepared, the destroyers didn’t even have ECM up as that might spook the abom Hokum to turn about and flee. Severely damaged, the destroyers went on for the captains knew that two of their number wouldn’t make it past the remaining mines. The survivor emerged, moving as fast as its remaining engines would allow and full of malice towards the source of its current torment. As for the Hokum scout it had come about and moved 1.5 light-seconds closer to home, firing its sole courier drone as insurance. The Pursuer closed to a range of 9 light-seconds and fired a SBM from its internal launcher but missed. Still half a light-second from the warp point the Fast Walker was able to witness the demise of the third Sprinter as it encountered the second shell of mines. The Pursuer fired again, hitting the Fast Walker with an antimatter-armed SBM. Made a wreck and down to one engine room the scout nonetheless escaped, leaving Novhom angry for what had happened and anxious of how he was going to explain this debacle to Star Admiral Mansel. Millstand was the nearest Eloto city to the Comensal spaceport on Elotoshani Prime. Naturally the Comensal ASP had a strong presence here, but there were still a few places where ASP agents didn't check frequently or thoroughly. One of these was crematoriums. The ASP had banned funerals; due to their size they could serve as rendezvous points for resistance members. Instead deceased Eloto were cremated immediately after autopsies (under ASP supervision) and the ashes deposited in clear plastic globes so that nothing could be hidden from view. Due to the smell being quite disagreeable to Comensal sinuses visits to crematoriums by ASP agents were few and far between. A fact appreciated by the resistance. In the basement of Millstand's crematoria was Nisecu Lake, one of the resistance's field operative managers, and Trodanscu Vat. Being told what to expect still didn't prepare Nisecu for the smell, but Trodanscu was unfazed. "I bet you experienced your fair share of foul smells in the wild, Mr. Vat," said Nisecu, looking a little purple around the mouths. The retired wildlife ranger pulled a capsule from a compartment on his utility harness. He broke and held the capsule in front of Nisecu's left mouth. "Inhale. This will temporarily deaden your sense of smell. Useful when going through stinkweed patches when claiming a kill." Nisecu took a deep breath with his right mouth and took the capsule in hand. "Thanks. I feel better already, though that may not last. You've provided valuable intelligence over the years, Mr. Vat. It has made a significant contribution to our plans, and the council has come to a decision. If the war between the alien Commonwealth and the Comensal comes to this system we will actively engage in our liberation." "Open resistance? That will entail Comensal retaliation on a mass scale, Mr. Lake." "If we allow it, Mr. Vat. While the orbital bases and space station may bombard us they will only do so under the direct order of the planetary governor and the commander of the Axis Army garrison." Nisecu took another whiff from the broken capsule. "If one of them was killed, then the commander of the orbital works will take his place in regards to the bombardment. However, if both the governor and army commander are killed then there will be no bombardment, from space at least." Trodanscu looked incredulous. "You wouldn't be telling me this unless I've been chosen to perform this task. That is much to ask of an old man. I'm good with a rifle but both of those men will have to be very stupid to become targets." "Well, they aren't stupid but they have made your job easier, Mr.Vat. We have learned that the Comensal colonial governor, upon hearing that a Commonwealth warp point assault is in progress, will be taken to the defense center underneath the spaceport. With your findings, and technical plans our other agents managed to secure, it is possible for one agent to get inside the defense center and detonate an anti-matter armed fighter close attack missiles in one of the magazines. Needless to say the resulting chain-reaction of exploding anti-matter warheads will utterly destroy the defense center, spaceport, and the surrounding region. Millstand will be devastated by groundquakes, shockwaves, thermal pulses and falling debris." "Balancing the survival of our race with our civilian casualties and my noble sacrifice?" Trodanscu said with smiles. "Yes. How can I refuse? My family is gone, my health is going downhill, and the Comensal have desecrated the forest to such an extent that destroying it is the only way it can be redeemed.” Nisecu stood up. “You’ll find the data on a bio-degradable reader at one of your dead drop points. Once you’ve memorize the contents you’re to heat the reader and then eat it. Stomach acid will do the rest.” From a leg pouch Nisecu handed to Trodanscu a thin sliver of plastic. “This is a beeper that’ll inform you when the operation is on. Upon hearing it carry out the mission. Keep it on you at all times. There will be no more contact with you. Good luck.” “Thank you, young man. I’m sure the replanted forest will be named in my honor. Just make sure my name is spelled right.” “Don’t worry. It’ll go through all the proper levels of academic review and endorsement.” Chapter 5.75 Assault elements from Star Force 1, Third Advance Fleet, were now positioned at the Laser Burn/Cain warp point. A probe force consisting of four Blockhouse battleships and two Ablative battlecruisers was used instead of the slow, tedious process of scouting with pinnaces. There was no alternative for the number of Dispersion escorts present were too few to insure a handful, or even one, would return with definitive sensor data. The ships went in and none returned, not even a courier drone. Lord Admiral’s Jocelin’s Frontier Fleet and warp point defenses were such that the two Blockhouses carrying fighters were destroyed outright as well as one Ablative. As for the other three ships, after having their overload dampeners lanced by needle beams, they were drenched with energy beam fire from weapon buoys. Boarding parties took care of the surviving crews and tugs pulled the trio towards the Cain/Stonewash warp point. For the cost of losing three laser buoys and light armor damage to one base the Hokum gained fresh hulls for them to convert to their own use and then turned upon the Axis. Under pressure from Star Admiral Mansel, the commander of SF1, System Admiral Versov proceeded with his assault two days later. In the first wave 160 small ships, ranging from explorers to frigates, emerged along with 200 Machete armed pinnaces. 46 ships and 30 Machetes interpenetrated, their explosions serving as involuntary fireworks as two Soars and three Falcon Crest carriers followed. Transit-addled sensors painted a formidable picture. 1.25 light-seconds out, within jamming range, and positioned subjective northeast and southwest were two groups of bases. 4 LS to the ‘north’ were six bases with three more 4 LS south. The CAP alone comprised 144 fighters and 32 pinnaces, all of which left their 0.5 LS orbit and mingled over the warp point. Further out to the southeast at 1.5 LS were the warships: 23 BCs, 23 CAs, 27 DDs and 6 FGs. In addition there were 3 DNs and 6 BBs, all former Axis hulls and painted in the Hokum colors of yellow and blue. There was no doubt which targets the Axis were going after first. At 3.75 LS north were three groups of ships containing fleet and small carriers, escort cruisers, and battleship-sized pinnace tenders. Buoys numbered 657. With unflinching resolve the crews of the Axis ships fired their temporarily degraded weapons at the solitary type-5 base and mine clearance charges at a point of space 0.25 LS beyond their exit vector. In the opening exchange just 9 of the small ships were destroyed. As for the assault carriers they were either obliterated or had their fighter-filled bays crushed, save one, proving that their fighters were armed with standard close-attack missiles. Of those carriers that survived their engine rooms were knocked out of commission from the lavish use of ADMs by the Hokum fleet. 17 Machetes were blotted out, but for that all 32 CAP pinnaces, both armed and regular, were shot down in turn. 12 buoys and 32 mine patterns in the innermost shell were likewise blasted from the continuum. Fortunately two bases mounting buoy control systems activated and fired 200 force beam buoys. Only 7 small ships still had their shields up despite what force and needle beams and capital missiles could do. 14 of 24 CAP squadrons failed to reach action stations. Just two Grenadier 3s and two Dispersions transited back to Laser Burn with the former denuded of their overload dampeners and het lasers thanks to needle beams. Coming in to replace them was a Talon Pride, two more Soars, two Hand of Providence SDs, and a Raptor. The sole Falcon Crest with intact hangers launched its four squadrons of Hatchets, bent on engaging the defending Spear fighters while the Machetes set out to destroy the inner shell of bases. It was a harrowing ordeal for the Axis flight crews. For a full light-second the pinnaces, divided into groups of two, were decimated by mines. While the inner shell was thick enough to hem in the ships the outer parts were very thin, just enough to menace the Machetes. 51 of the armed craft were destroyed by the mines when the 102 survivors (51 and 51) reached the inner bases, each group having five CAP squadrons (having expended their FRAMs on the carriers) in tow to further reduce their numbers. With the fleet just out of range of the northeast bases, except for those ships equipped with Dcx, the Machetes fulfilled their mission and obliterated all six bases and a like number of Spear squadrons but not before taking heavy losses. As for the Grenadiers they kept to their mission of firing mine clearance charges while those armed with lasers lacerated a Hokum battleship. The Providence SDs joined in, half of their weapons still finding the mark and crushed shields and armor alike on the converted vessel. As for the Hokum they used their needle beams to lance overload dampeners and jammers while more ADMs burned out engines. The 28 Spear squadrons crash-launched earlier were just moments from the warp point, much to Jocelin’s relief, and he was pleased that another buoy control system went on-line and, in coordination with the other two, a grand total of 300 energy beam buoys were fired against 100 Axis ships. A good number of the Grenadiers were unfazed only because they had to burn out their overload dampeners while the Critical Mass ships were e-hulked. Just two more Dispersions, a Critical Mass 2 and three Grenadiers transited back to Laser Burn. Going with them were the Machetes, now clean of FRAMs, taking what the minefields dished out and incurring more losses. Still, had they stayed, they would’ve been shot down, and having 31 crews out of the initially 200 was better than none. The four Hatchet squadrons were dealt with, and again there wasn’t enough damage inflicted on all of the second wave carriers. 36 fresh Hatchet fighters leaped into space, joined by the incoming third wave comprised of three Falcon Crest carriers, two Battering Ram DNs and a Cannonade. Backed by the jammers on the large assault ships they tore into fresh Spear squadrons launched a minute earlier. The Raptor let loose its horde of 20 Stiletto escort shuttles. Jocelin saw first-hand that the craft were just small enough to be ignored by mines as they raced to the Imposer class battleships. With help from the assault ships the little craft secured the death of two Imposers before they were killed in turn. None of the new carriers were left with intact hanger bays thanks to the influx of Spears and the other third wave ships were very much the worst for wear. Again needle beams and ADMs from newly active ships, plus follow-up by 88 energy beam buoys, took care of Axis engine rooms, leaving many adrift. When the fourth wave came in it was passed by those Dispersions and Grenadiers that had lost their weapons and jammers but retained motive power to leave. While the latest wave was lead by two Falcon Crests what came after them were unidentified classes. There was a pair of battlecruisers roughly the same mass as that of a Foreguard, each armed with a spinal force beam and capital energy beam, and two superdreadnaughts. One had four hetlasers and another fifteen sprint missile launchers. It didn’t matter for there was enough firepower on hand to crush, but not destroy, carriers and warships alike. Only a single Grenadier 3 left when the fifth, and final, wave entered Cain. Two minesweeping DNs, three BBs and a BC were beaten and broken, making the area about the warp point a collection of shattered hulls and clouds of dispersed atmosphere. Jocelin tallied the losses: four Imposer BBs, one BS5, two BS4E, two BS4, one BS4Pg, 86 Spears, 20 Garrochas, 12 pinnaces, 19 buoys and 90 patterns of mines. Indeed, had the Axis been more aggressive they could’ve cleared that part of the inner mine shell they’ve targeted. Or had there been twice as many Machetes then the ship losses would’ve stood higher. Instead the Hokum were now in the possession of one Talon Pride SD(V), 2 Soar DN(V)s, 7 Falcon Crest CVs, 1 Raptor BB(V), 2 Providence SDs, 1 War Engine SD, 1 Sapper SD, 1 Battering Ram DN, 2 Grim Reaper DN(MS), 1 Cannonade BB, 1 National Power BB, 2 Rapier BCs, 1 Hero BC, 14 Grenadier 5s, 11 Grenadier 4s. 6 Grenadier 4?js, 6 Grenadier 3s, 8 Grenadier 2s, 8 Dispersion ESs and 13 Critical Mass 2 EXs. The Hokum marines had more than their fill of combat as they boarded all the ships, additional platoons being drawn from the destroyers to take care of the Grenadiers. While the combats were underway the two attached fleet tugs went to work. First, all 89 ships were taken to a spot 20 light-seconds from the warp point. Once combat was resolved the tugs, along with the pair of Leash 2s (which brought the six defense frigates to Cain), began the process of towing the Axis hulls to the Cain/Stonewash warp point. Priority was given to the carriers and full-sized frigates with the rest being retrieved as time allowed. With the inner bases gone any future attack will be focused on the ships. With two more months before the last three bases were completed Jocelin was left to ponder how Lord Admiral Janus, his superior, was going to respond to the news. ******** In the common area of her cabin aboard the flagship Watch Tower Janus was tracing with her back left forefinger the lines of a holographic map. With her was Cirro, her chief of staff. The lines responded to her touch, turning from blue to amber to red, depending how long she held her finger on any particular line. In this case the lines represented warp links with one forming a long, red strand. “Well, Cirro, it appears we got them exactly where they want us,” Janus said with dampened sarcasm. “Our fleet is holding the line here in Tire Iron, preventing the Axis forces in Bedrock from linking up with the colonies in the Fallowed Field system. Jocelin’s fleet in Cain has repulsed the enemy, and he has to stay there to prevent any more incursions from Laser Burn. But what the Axis has failed from direct attacks he may succeed from blockade.” “It comes down to just how much of an effort they’ll put into it,” Cirro responded, looking at the highlighted warp line. “Moving on from Metalstorm the Axis now has Abyssal 019, BRB-1, Red Wire, Ampere and most likely Blood Pride. They were all systems conquered by the Commonwealth and I doubt there were any minefields in place. Why would there be, since we controlled the systems beyond the ones I mentioned.” Her finger jabbed at three small spheres representing systems. “Com-14, linked to Ampere, has just 300 patterns of mines, 120 laser buoys and a solitary control base. Com-16 is equally fortified with its link to Red Wire. Defenses at the Cain/Red Wire warp point has twice as many automated weapons and three fighter bases. All were put there earlier in the campaign with the first two serving more as tripwires meant more to slow the enemy and give us time to formulate a response.” “They have plenty of choices if they get control of Com-7, one transit out of Com-14.” Cirro touched the holographic sphere until it turned red. “From there it’s just two transits from Doorstop, allowing them to fortify the warp point to Whel. Or they can go to Com-11, Com-21 and Stonewash. With forces in Stonewash, Ampere and Red Wire they’ll seal off both the Expeditionary and Frontier fleets." Janus double-tapped the sphere icon representing Com-14 so that it returned to its original blue color. She then touched and held the Solid State icon until it turned red. “I don’t doubt they’ll send in a raider group via Com-14 to disrupt our transportation routes and wreck the comm buoy network in our rear area. The main purpose for the Axis incursion, I believe, is to reestablish contact with the Fallowed Field system.” Her finger traced the link between the two sphere icons. “The defenses guarding the Solid State/Fallowed Field are comprised of three fighter and three missile bases with two automated weapon control ships and a respectable mine field and buoy parks. When the Axis entered Solid State via BRB-1, after dispatching the light minefield we had placed there a few weeks ago, we were able to confirm the presence of some ships near the warp point after the fighter patrols chased them off.” “Admiral, what do they hope to achieve since we can send in light forces to further bolster security?” “When you consider the time involved, Cirro, the amount of resources stockpiled by the three colonies in Fallowed Field must be appreciable. While we made sure they built no spaceports there’s every reason to believe they have underground storehouses or other hidden facilities with which to hide supplies and processed materials. Should Solid State fall and contact reestablished the Axis will have the means to produce much in the way of automated weapons, replacement fighters, armed pinnaces and those new attack shuttles.” Janus removed her back left hand from the holographic map and enabled a viewer with her right front hand. “The Presidio has sent new orders. What reinforcements that were slated for us will be going to Com-7 to guard the Com-7/Com-14 warp point. Admiral Jocelin will be assigning some of his ships to cover the Cain/Red Wire warp point. His reinforcements already enroute will cover the Cain/Stonewash warp point. As for us I’m assigning the six small carriers currently undergoing refit in Fallowed Field to assist the defenses in Solid State once the work is done.” “What of our Terpla’n allies?” Cirro asked. “Those freighters, troopships, mobile yards and their escorts that escaped Bedrock are currently in Fallowed Field. Had it not been for the rapid Axis advance they would’ve been in the Blood Pride system by now.” “I’ve been considering that, Cirro. The task group commander knows about the sighting of the Axis scouts in Solid State, so he had to come to the conclusion his way out has been shut closed.” She regarded her subordinate like a schoolmaster proctoring a test to an honor student. “I’m sure a sincere and to-the-point request for assistance will persuade them to help.” The chief of staff flexed his back pair of hands. “The way you’re looking at me tells me that I should write and send that request at my earliest convenience.” “That will be appreciated, Cirro.” ******** System Admiral Wertay wondered what those infernal, quad-armed Hokum freaks were up to in Woodshop, one transit out from Bandstand. Seventeen of their snooping pinnaces had been detected and destroyed at the Bandstand/Woodshop warp point, leaving Wertay to believe that at least one will make a successful scan of the immediate environs. What they will see are two Bulwark 2s and a like number of Bulwark 3 asteroid forts. Matched one for one, they sat opposite each other 1.25 light-seconds from the warp point, just within jamming range. Along with them were two refitted Battlement-class forts, trading fighter bays for additional beam and sprint missile launchers. Three BS5 fighter bases, two automated weapon control bases, one small craft base, 44 squadrons of Hatchet fighters and 56 Stiletto escort shuttles completed the manned fixed defenses. 810 patterns of mines (in two shells) and 300 laser and 120 primary beam buoys surrounded the warp point. Just six destroyers and three light cruisers comprised the mobile defense force. Wertay knew that the demands for Operation Restoration required sacrifices, but he didn’t realized just how far Fleet Operations and the First Leader were willing to go. Bandstand was considered a ‘backwater’ system. Three warp links up the chain lead to a system that had a close warp point leading further back into Axis space. Naturally this point was heavily fortified on the far side should the enemy capture data on the warp point’s location. Battlement had a similar arrangement for one of its other warp points leading back to Axis space. All the capital ships completed in Bandstand’s shipyards were immediately sent to other fronts without the crews undergoing extensive training under Wertay’s tutorage. He had to make do with what was on hand and wait for units currently under construction to be completed. Three more Bulwark 3 forts and six BS5s will be completed in one and two months’ time respectively. Additionally fighter bases for lunar and asteroid colonies were proceeding at a pace dedicated by available resources, meaning that their belated start all were currently at 20% completion. What was the biggest thorn under Wertay’s skin was the underwhelming amount of mine patterns and weapon buoys. Being a backwater system there was no need for such weapons, and the control bases were only there in the first place because they were stored as prefabricated parts. Indeed, the three fighter bases were partly there so as to train new pilots, and roughly half of all the Hatchets were of the F0 model for replacing them with F1s went at a slow pace. Of course it would be another month before the current number of automated weapons at the warp point would see a major increase. Time looked as if it favored the enemy. Segment Admiral Calixto offered her thanks to the Five Gods for giving her the time to assemble and prepare her forces for the Bandstand assault. 17 pinnace crews failed to return from their probes but the 18th did, giving her confidence for success and assuring her that those crews didn’t die in vain. With the Axis incursion into Solid State, the repulsed assault from Laser Burn, and the continued need to hold Tire Iron the pressure to succeed here at Bandstand was great. Strike Fleet received ships in the form of new assault carriers and dreadnaughts originally slated for Admiral Jocelin’s Frontier Fleet. However the bulk of her force was made up of captured and converted Axis hulls. Given their predilection of destroying such ships on sight it was a fine way to distract the Axis but even they weren’t fools all the time. Besides, mitigating losses had to be considered and in that Calixto found a way. A Garrocha wave 216 strong was sent in ahead of the ships to destroy and cripple as many of the asteroid forts as possible. Divided in two groups, the armed pinnaces went after the forts like three-day starved dogs. After losses from interpenetration, the decimation in the two mine shells and the attention of those active fighters, escort shuttles and forts the Garrochas destroyed two of the latter, crippled another and eliminated the passive defenses of a fourth. For that there were 70 survivors. Instead of retreating back to Woodshop the pinnaces moved away from the forts, now tasked to look for other enemy forces and to entice the Hatchets and Stilettos to follow. Discipline held in the Axis ranks for there was no pursuit of the Garrochas. All attention was given to the warp point for the first Hokum ships made transit. Two Indomitables, three Implacables and an Imperium formed this wave. Since the last ship was unmistakably an Axis hull it was fired upon and destroyed first. Both Indomitables followed and the Implacible trio lost shielding and some armor. The F0 Hatchets, having fired half of their FRAMs against the Garrochas, used the rest on the ships and then headed for their bases to rearm while the F1s retained a partial load to use against the next wave. For all this only one fort went online and fired before it was in turn gutted by force beam fire. The third wave was made of four Imperial Valor and two Whel class assault carriers. Damage was spread all around on these newcomers as well as the Implacables. External ordnance spent, the last of the Hatchets on the CAP headed for their bases while the Stilettos hanged around, ready to engage any fighters. Despite datalink jamming the Implacables battered down the shields of one Battlement and took out one-third of its armor. Wertay, commanding from one of the Battlement forts, considered the amount of armor damage inflicted and ordered the use of 90 laser buoys, 10 per Hokum ship present. Armor was scoured off and internal damage done to four of the ships. As an additional touch the Battlements used their capital tractor beams and latched onto the two Whels, intent to use the improved fire control solutions to destroy them before they could escape. Joining the growing battle were 10 Hatchet squadrons, launched 90 seconds earlier from one of the distant BS5Vs. Two light-seconds behind them were 11 more squadrons. What they saw emerging from the warp point were two Axis-hulled dreadnaught minesweepers, two undersized Axis corvette hulls and two Hokum-hulled battlecruisers. Launched from the third wave assault carriers were 38 Spear squadrons. Despite the temptation to destroy the newcomers the Hatchet pilots stayed true to their targets. While both of the Battlements were destroyed by 36 Spear fighters the Hokum lost two Implacables, three Imperial Valor assault carriers, and one Headhunter corvette from weapons fire, FRAMs, and 60 more laser buoys. All 10 Hatchet squadrons, and 14 buoys, were destroyed by the remaining Spears. More Hokum ships entered as the last Implacable transited back to Woodshop. Three Indomintables, two Headhunters, and a fleet carrier – all Axis hulls – bore witness to the attack of the second group of Hatchet fighters. With the last Axis jammer gone the advantage was with the ISN crews for all of these Hatchets as well as six destroyers and two light cruisers were vaporized. It came at the cost of the remaining three assault carriers, three Headhunters, and one Union Animal. 90 more buoys finished what Hatchets and ships started, and those buoys that remained were targets for those Spears that had no fighters to shoot at. Three Rangemaster heavy cruisers and three Headhunter 2s came in time to watch the last Axis cruiser being pummeled by the Indomintables and perforated by needle beams. As for the nearly dead remaining Battlement it got its last point defense and magazine lanced by needle beams as well. Shuttles and pinnaces filled with marines were sent to board the fort. As for the third BS5V it finally crash launched its remaining ten squadrons. Joining them were the two squadrons from the control bases as well as 22 more escort shuttles, rushing to the warp point to inflict as much harm on the Hokum ships before dying. 99 Axis primary beam buoys fired on the 12 ships on the warp point, taking out engine rooms and point defense. The Headhunters were immobilized. With nothing else to shoot at the Spears destroyed those buoys remaining that hadn’t fired as well as starting on the now-spent primary ones. The fleet carrier launched four squadrons of Spears and retired to Woodshop. With the seventh wave came the combat debt of a new class of ship for the ISN, the Fusillade. Three of them, plus three updated cruisers of the venerable Interior class formed up on the warp point and waited for the remaining Hatchets and Stilettoes to approach. Firing capital anti-mine clearance charges from external racks and internal launchers the Fusillades appeared to be Imperium-class ships, but the Axis were about to learn different. Six more Interiors transited in, and at this point 60 Hatchets and 2 Stilettos were 1.5 light-seconds ‘north’ of the warp point with 12 and 20 south, outside of jamming range. The Spears had gone out to engage them though it was at the maximum range for laser packs. As for the reason it became clear as the Fusillades resolved their fire control solutions and let loose with the first AFHAWK volley of the war. 9 northern Hatchet squadrons were fired upon with 12 fighters destroyed with three more from fighter lasers. 18 southern Stilettos were next, and though only three were destroyed ten were forced to use their point defense to defend themselves and thus were unable to use them against the Spears. With sniping from shipboard lasers, needle beams, and advanced capital point defense four more Stilettos fell. Only three Spears were lost in the exchange. Knowing that taking out fighters, while satisfying, meant little in the long term the Hatchet and Stiletto pilots forged ahead and engaged a Hokum ship at the warp point. This time it was one of the Axis-hulled minesweepers, and despite having their datalinks jammed the Hatchets destroyed it with the help of the external missiles from the fighter bases. Again the Spears took care of the attackers. Forming up, they waited as the bases rushed to rearm their surviving CAP fighters while the Fusillades, Interiors, Rangemasters and Imperiums fired loiter-mode SBMs in order to maximize their salvos against one base. When the 11 rearmed Hatchet squadrons came within 2 light-seconds of the warp point one base had lost its passive defenses and sustained some internal damage. Four squadrons worth of Hatchets were shot down by AFHAWKs from the missile-armed Hokum ships. Again ignoring the Spears it was the other Axis-hulled minesweeper that bore the wrath of the Hatchet pilots. Heavily damaged, the ship survived to transit back to Woodshop and it was a forgone conclusion the Hatchets were shot down in their entirety. Those Spear squadrons still armed with close attack missiles, both nuclear and antimatter, went after the now empty fighter bases. One base, under sustained missile bombardment, was destroyed by the time the Spears arrived. The other two were almost destroyed, firing only stopped when their spinal force beams were silenced. Marine boarding parties were dispatched to those two bases as well as the tractored light cruiser, engineless and weaponless. SAR teams scoured the area about the warp point for life pods. Five dreadnaughts, six assault carriers, two battlecruisers and four corvettes were destroyed. Along with 146 Garrochas shot down the total casualty count was 7,132 dead and 1,013 wounded. As for the two control and the small craft base they self-destructed, their shuttles and pinnaces tracked by scouts to see where they were heading. It turned out to be Bandstand Prime, and the scouts settled into their patrol routine, keeping the planet and the orbiting infrastructure under careful watch. Just 20 Spears were lost, but that left 210 without hangers to return to. In another circumstance those fighters would’ve be scuttled, but Calixto recalled a piece of information in a report from Commonwealth Space Navy. After the conquest of Battlement the allied commander there had the same problem. He solved it by having the fighters land in the empty shuttle bays of pinnace tenders. While the fighters couldn’t be rearmed and take off from those bays, and removing them would involve a cumbersome operation between ships, it would preserve them for future use. In regards to the future it would be some time before Calixto could consider going forward from Bandstand. Additional assault forces were en-route to Bandstand but it would be three months before they arrived. However Garrochas could be replaced far more quickly and more pinnace tenders would allow for an advance if conditions so permitted. A task element centered on minelayers was sent to the system’s other warp point to secure it. Scouting forces found fighter bases under construction on every moon and asteroid colony in the system. Thankfully only one squadron per base, each with outdated F0 fighters, were encountered and destroyed. That left Bandstand Prime with a formidable space station. Left alone that station could add more weapons and fighter bays to itself, not to mention munitions and new fighters and small craft. In a calculated move Calixto brought Strike Fleet to the edge of maximum SBM range of the space station to goad the Axis to attack. Wertay’s successor saw something on the scanners that made her Comensal self-righteous blood boil. Of the Hokum ships present three battlecruiser, six heavy cruiser and six light cruiser hulls were clearly of Axis origin. Worse still were the three CVL and three CV hulls. There was no need for further consideration. 420 Hatchet fighters, 90% of them F0s, launched from hanger bays on the space station, planetary defense center, and both of Bandstand’s moons. Calixto was disappointed in the sense that the space station didn’t fire any missiles, thus giving an indication for its firepower. She was glad that the Axis gave in to hate, and as the Strike Fleet moved away at full speed (all the remaining DNs and damaged ships were at the entry warp point) she waited as the Hatchets edged closer and closer into AFHAWK range. When the time came the missile-armed ships opened fire. Each ship fired individually so as to maximize the coverage. In the first volley at 2.5 LS nine Hatchets were splashed. Closer in that number was more than tripled due to improved fire control solutions. At 1.5 LS range those ships with needle beams and advanced capital point defense systems cut loose, culling a further 47 and bringing the total to 84, a full 20% of the force with at least one Hatchet out of each of the 70 squadrons shot down. Calixto released her fighters, pitting 450 Spears against the Hatchets at a range of 1 LS from the ships and within the supportive envelope of datalink jamming. It was a vastly unequal contest for while 47 Spears where shot down a full 327 Hatchets were obliterated, leaving just 9 to be brought down by point defense for Calixto wanted to save on AFHAWKs at this stage. Fighters landed and rearmed, the fleet came about and went back to Bandstand Prime. As much as she wanted to support the fighters with long-range missile fire Calixto understood said fighters were far more replaceable than ships. So 403 Spears loaded with 3 FRAMs each charged the station, encountering point-blank fire that ranged from force beams, plasma bolts, point-defense lasers, and a handful of pinnaces and assault shuttles. 36 Spears were splashed and for that loss the station was utterly destroyed along with the attending small craft. Ten minutes later a smaller strike group took out the planetary PDC and the two incomplete lunar fighter bases. The system was under Hokum domination. All that was lacking was a physical presence on the surface of Bandstand Prime. With no troops planned for the foreseeable future the task was to ensure the Comensal remained blockaded. This won’t prevent them from stockpiling resources and weapons, hoping for rescue and restoring their production capability. After broadcasting the required demand for the Comensal to surrender (which was promptly denounced by the planetary governor) Calixto kept a scout and a small carrier over the planet while the rest of Strike Fleet made for Bandstand’s second warp point. Despite the losses it was treated as a major victory over the Asteroid Axis. Losing another productive system had to be increasing the strain on the Axis war economy. Calixto hoped to increase that strain until the enemy became an exhausted, spent wreck of a nation. 05/25/13 updated 06/28/14 |