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The Hokum - Chapter 7
Emperor Valsur was in his office at the Presidio, located on
the Hokum homeworld. Sitting in front of his desk was the
Imperator of the Army, Bemus, and the Imperator of the Navy,
Conovus. The two officers were present to give Valsur a
concise briefing on the status of the Navy and Army before
all three went to the council chamber to inform the
assembled ministers in a more comprehensive fashion.
Conovus went first. “Sire, based on the reports from our
liaison officer in the Commonwealth’s Combined Fleet, and
with a collaborating report backed by scanner data from the
greyhound group in Circuit Run, now recalled to rejoin
Frontier Fleet, we can expect our allies to conduct their
assault into Bedrock in the immediate future, if they have
not done so already.”
“I certainly hope so, Conovus,”
Valsur said. “If only to release some segments from the
Expeditionary Fleet to bolster Frontier Fleet’s advance.”
“Yes, Sire. Frontier Fleet will be
entering the Binary Code system presently. The warp point
wasn’t mined, and scouts have yet to detect any Axis
presence. It’s likely the Geode warp point will be invested
with defenses. As for Strike Fleet at Bandstand they’re
stationed at that system’s second warp point. As the plan
for Strike Fleet is to stand on the defensive in Bandstand
for the foreseeable future, I’ll venture the idea of placing
three of the six prefabricated type-6 bases there, with the
other three slated for Tire Iron.”
Valsur nodded. “I agree.
Considering how expensive they were to being with, and
twisting the arms of Finance to agree, using them will
finally silence his economic grousing.”
Conovus continued. “As for the
Expeditionary Fleet their reinforcement will be at a
minimum, and all units it receives will have the latest
refits. Refitting of Expeditionary Fleet units will continue
at a deliberate pace, using a few mobile shipyards in
Fallowed Field with emphasis on lighter units before
focusing on the main strength of fleet carriers and
battlecruisers. As for the Axis fleet that ran back into
BRB-1 our pinnaces had made several transits, confirming the
existence of a minefield with an attending control ship.
We’ve been informed that a Commonwealth task group will be
entering BRB-1 in a few days. Our allies have mined the
Abyssal-019 warp point, and our own defenses are guarding
the Solid State warp point. Unless the Axis have additional
forces in BRB-1, including minesweepers and a stock of mine
clearance rounds, they’ll be on the clock regarding
supplies. Accompanying the task group is a relief force
slated for the Blood Pride system. We’ll maintain the
minefield we’ve placed at the Ampere/Blood Pride warp point
until the Commonwealth has secured Blood Pride.”
Valsur thought for a moment. “Given
the low population of that planet is concentrated in a few
settlements the Commonwealth occupation troops had plenty of
room to evade Axis forces.” He then looked at Bemus with
level eyes. “Had our own Army levels been sufficient I
would’ve been tempted to send in our own relief force after
the Battle of Com-14.”
“We can thank the Ministers for
that, Sire,” Bemus said in an equally level voice. “They
have limited Army funding until such time that ‘a practical
method of quelling civilian Comensal resistance has been
devised.’ As of now we’re only able to rotate Army units on
Crimson Expanse. We don’t have enough capacity in both troop
levels and transports to invade Bandstand. Even the trio of
low-population worlds in Fallowed Field will be a strain. We
been only able to monitor their activities and kinetic
strike any heavy industrial and resource stockpiling they
happen to have, as well as suppressing their ability to
build spaceports and ground bases.”
“I don’t relish the thought of
spending decades periodically bombarding factories and
busting underground redoubts, even with relatively ‘clean’
kinetic strikes,” said Valsur. “The same goes for fighting
planetary populations that are more than willing to abandon
their cities and fight in the wilderness until hell freezes
over. Professor Alba is of the opinion that it will take
decades of isolation from higher authority for even younger
Comensal to question their commitment to resistance.”
“It’s shaping that way, Sire,”
Bemus admitted. “Eventually their caches will run dry, and I
daresay they’ll go so far as using spears and arrows to
supplement any gear they capture.”
“Two weapons that their children
are taught to use in elementary school and used in sport
competitions, along with pipe rifles,” Valsur snorted. He
then shook his head. “Enough of that. The Ministers will say
the same thing 10 times over.” He turned to Conovus. “Now,
any update on that unaccounted group of Axis ships in the
rear-area systems?”
In terms of warp connections, the shortest route between
Whel and Cain had five. Naturally the ISN used this route
the most, especially for their battleships and dreadnaughts
due to their low cruising speed. As for the second most used
route it had seven connections, being the domain of pinnaces
and freighters. These two routes made extensive use of comm
and scanner buoy chains and pinnace waystations. Both sides
of all warp points in these chains were mined and watched
over by small prefabricated bases or cruisers equipped with
automated weapon controls. It was taken for a given that the
Axis detachment, the one that separated from the fleet
before the Battle of Com-14, had the supplies to conduct
operations for months, if not a year or more.
All other systems in what was
collectively called the Com Pocket were slowly being sown
with their own comm and scanner buoy chains between warp
points. One of them was Com-22, and a small, but special,
convoy was moving through it. Comprised of one Fusillade battlecruiser,
two Interior heavy
cruisers, one Imperial
Wave small carrier, two Type 1 destroyers, a Type B frigate, and an Oxgoad tug, this convoy
made its way across the system. As it did, a shuttle
preceded it, deploying scanner buoys so that they had a 50%
overlap, returning to the cruisers to resupply. Comm buoys
were farther apart, using tight-beam communications to
extend their range. If the Axis group was in Com-22 it was
hoped the convoy’s small size will prompt it to attack. To
that end the last ship in the convoy was expected to provoke
such an attack.
The ship was an Axis Grim Reaper class
dreadnaught. It was captured after the last abortive Axis
attack on the Cain/Laser Burn warp point. After being
converted and receiving minimal repairs it would’ve gone on
the short route between Cain and Whel. Instead the ship had
more substantial repairs. All armor and shield generators
were restored, along with life support, cargo holds, shuttle
bay, half of its point defense, electronic warfare and
datalink, and its sole HET laser. The only exception was the
engines. While repaired, the drive field signature was left
intact. Upon seeing that signature any Axis commander was
compelled to attack for the standing order was to destroy
any ship that fell into enemy service. The big ship was
being tractored by the Oxgoad
so that it could match the cruising speed of the formation.
Due to their greater
resolution the long range scanners on the cruisers picked up
the presence of a small craft drive signature before the
most recently deployed scanner buoy did. The shuttle was
recalled and a Spear fighter, equipped with a scanner pack,
was sent out. Before too long the contact was resolved into
36 Hatchet F1 fighters, 36 Stiletto escort shuttles and 60
Machete armed pinnaces. A formidable force in face of its
opposition only having 18 fighters, but they were all F2
models with internal guns. All the Hokum ships had the
latest refits and had stocks of AFHAWKs on hand. The Grim Reaper, while
datalinked to the frigate and tug, had to count on its
truncated point defense suite and strong passive defenses to
see it through.
The convoy commander recalled
the Spear fighter. Running, while an option, was out of the
question as the dreadnaught couldn’t keep up, even with
detuned engines or engine tuners. Moreover, the orders were
to engage any Axis force to gauge and denude the enemy of
strength. AFHAWKs and advanced point defense would go a long
way to mangling Axis fighters and small craft. So, holding
his 18 F2 Spears in reserve, the commander waited as the
oncoming craft approached like a stormfront.
With precise timing the Grim Reaper engaged its
engine tuners and the convoy altered course 120 degrees just
as the Axis formation, now moving at top speed for a
pinnace, reached the edge of the AFHAWK envelope. With 19
AFHAWKs fired in the first exchange three Stilettos were
shot down, followed by five more in the second exchange. At
2 LS range 4 more fell. To a one they all have antimatter
close attack missiles, their fireballs pocking the void like
exploding ancient lightbulbs.
For having one-third of the
Stilettos shot down the Axis force continued its inexorable
closure on the Hokum ships. The fifth exchange had them just
within advance capital point defense range. Four Machetes
were splashed by deadly intercept missiles while five
Stilettos and one Hatchet fell to AFHAWKs. It was at this
point the Hatchets and Stilettos sped up, so at the sixth
exchange the Machetes were 1.5 LS from the ships with the
rest at 1.25. At this range all AFHAWKs were directed to the
Hatchet fighters while advanced point defense mounts took on
the Stilettos. Five Hatchets, six Stilettos, and two
Machetes erupted into antimatter-fueled fireballs.
Due to the disparity in
speeds between the now two separate enemy groups the convoy
commander elected to keep the Hatchets and Stilettos
engaged, now 0.75 LS out. The Machetes were 1.25 LS away and
in the blindspots of the ships, but neither they nor the
ships could engage the other. In the face of concentrated
firepower the Hatchets and Stilettos were reduced to 12
each. Maneuvering at the last moment the convoy kept the
fighters and shuttles out of the collective blind spots at a
range of 0.25 LS. This effort had all remaining Stilettos
splashed, one Machete dispatched, and only 4 Hatchets
surviving. Seeing that the Hatchets had enough FRAMs to
destroy his carrier outright the convoy commander launched
his fighters, and just in time for the Hatchets fired on the
CVS, destroying it completely. The Spear fighters went after
the Machetes, for staying with the ships will only see them
whittled down by the Machetes’ point defense. In this way
more Machetes will fall. Taking this opportunity, the last
four Hatchets moved at maximum speed away from the ships.
With the Spears maneuvering
into their blind spots half of the Machetes turned to bring
their guns and point defense to bear. The ships did what
they could against that particular formation, firing AFHAWKs
to keep their point defense busy so they couldn’t be used
against the Spears. All told 34 Machetes were felled, but
came at the cost of 13 Spears. Now in two groups, at a range
of 0.5 LS, the first one was in the blind spot of the ships
with the other closing on the rear port quarter. The five
Spears knocked down four Machetes, and the ships bagged
eleven, leaving just four in the blind spot.
Fuel as much by hate as by
fusion power the death-bent craft were now 0.25 LS distant.
The convoy commander ordered the escort frigate to
accelerate to maximum speed. This put the ship out of the
reach of the last Machetes; not so for the two Type 1 destroyers. For
all their work only one miserable FRAM hit one of the
destroyers, collapsing its shields. A final broadside of
point defense lasers destroyed the last of the Machetes.
The convoy commander brought
his ships about, heading for the spot where the carrier was
destroyed. SAR teams were dispatched, and the pilots of the
five Spears abandoned their craft, being picked up by
cutters. A few minutes later fresh drive contacts appeared
on long range scanners. There were nine, all Axis, moving at
maximum speed towards the Com-10 warp point. One of the
contacts broke off and took an apparent intercept course for
the four Hatchet fighters. Clearly the Axis force had been
lying in wait, drives down, along the direct route between
the system’s two warp points. Com-10 had no scanner and com
chain, for there was no need for one until recently.
Com-10 connected to
Com-6 and Com-3. The former was part of the seven-transit
route between Whel and Cain and thus all of its warp points
were mined. As for the latter it was two transits out from
Whel, and its warp point to Com-10 was already heavily mined
and had laser buoy parks as well. As for the convoy it
resumed its trek to the Com-10 warp point after spending two
days on SAR work. The Axis ships had long since slipped
beyond the reach of long range scanners. They had either
entered Com-10 or were in the outer reaches of Com-22. The
scanner chain was completed, the last buoy a mere 8
light-seconds from the warp point. With that done the convoy
reversed course and headed for the Com-11 warp point.
Messages sent, it was up to the planners in the Presidio on
what to do next.
Frontier Fleet reached the Binary Code/Geode warp point
without incident. With a scout dispatched to watch over the
Binary Code/Redline warp point, Admiral Jocelin sent in a
probe to see what defended Geode. Instead of pinnaces he
used all six of his Union
Animals, hedging that the defenses were light
considering the size of the lunar and asteroid populations
in the system.
Two minutes later a pinnace
from one of the ships returned with good news. Defending the
Geode side of the warp point was a paltry shell of 240 mine
patterns and 60 buoys. Only six F0 Hatchets served as the
CAP with a full-sized Type-2 base a mere 8 light-seconds
out. These pilots were painfully green as only five of the
twelve FRAMs fired hit, reducing the shielding of one Union Animal by 67%. The
base crash-launched three additional squadrons of Hatchets
just before the pinnace transited back to Binary Code, and
that the ships shot down 25 buoys.
Three minutes after the first
pinnace came the second, reporting that all the buoys were
gone and the three fresh Hatchet squadrons, again green to
the gills and of the F0 variety, expended their FRAMs and
were retiring to their base. For the buoys only 31 remained
when they were primed and fired, erasing the armor of each Union Animal by 33%.
When the Hatchets attacked, they were faced with the ships
having taken the inverted star formation, so that five ships
were able to cover the blind spot of the sixth. The ship
with the partial shield damage lost the rest of them and
barely had any armor left. Only one squadron was able to
fire before it and the other two were down by intense
advanced point defense fire.
Jocelin sent in three of his
Implacable
dreadnaughts immediately. After warp transit effect subsided
the trio fired SBMs with lasing warheads at the base. With
the third volley the CAP squadron had finished rearming and
made its fatalistic run. They were all downed by advanced
capital point defense so that AFHAWK stocks remained intact.
The rest of the fleet entered, firing mine clearance rounds
from external racks and internal launchers, leaving what
remained to the minesweepers.
Instead of taking the fleet
to the lunar colonies on Geode-3-A and B, Jocelin sent a
single Bird Nest
scout to investigate, waiting to see what they had in the
way of defenses. The fleet went to the Com-30 warp point.
Com-30 connected to the Iron Sky system, one that, according
to captured records, had a sizeable population on the main
planet along with a minimal sprinkling of asteroid outposts.
A separate minelaying group went to the Com-27 warp point.
Two transit out from Geode was the Smelter system, host to
some asteroid outposts in two very rich asteroid belts.
Having a minefield present would serve as a tripwire defense
in the unlikely case the AFC had stashed away some warships
in Smelter. It turned out to be prudent move, but not in the
expected way.
A Bird Nest scout was dispatched to the
midpoint of the direct route between the Com-30 and Com-27
warp points. Tasked to start a hunt for comm buoys, the
scout instead picked up a drive field contact. After an
hour’s observation it was clear that the contact came from
the direction of the Com-27 warp point and was on a direct
course to the Com-30 warp point. Moving at top speed, the
scout launched one of its recon fighters when the range
permitted it. By then it was resolved that the contact was
comprised of 132 separate drive sources, all Axis commercial
engines. Closer in the count was 3 type-4, 100 type-9 and 29
type-10 freighter hulls. They were classes never seen
before, and the recon fighter stayed at a range of 8
light-seconds for five minutes to get a comprehensive
recording of his findings. At no point did the huge convoy
indicated that it was aware of the fighter’s presence,
either through deliberate inaction or that they had no long
range or tactical scanners or had access to scanner buoy
data. Later it was found out that there were no scanner
buoys along the route, and that the convoy truly was blind.
Upon receiving the news
Jocelin conferred with his staff. They concluded that the
convoy was, in all likelihood, a colony mission, retiring
after emplacing either an asteroid colony or a set of
asteroid outposts in the Cache system. While it was a
tempting target several points were raised. It could be that
the convoy knew it was discovered and elected not to destroy
the recon fighter or reverse course. Some of the freighters,
especially the type-10s, could be small craft carriers,
stuffed to the gills with armed pinnaces or escort shuttles.
It was also known that the Axis had a penchant of putting a
squadron of fighters on some of their auxiliaries.
Any thought of attempting to
capture some of the ships was rejected. Jocelin didn’t want
crippling losses to his fighter strength if it could be
helped. Also, armed with ADMs, the fleet would have to close
to a range that would make externally mounted missiles on
the freighters effective. Never mind losing destroyers or
heavy cruisers, it was the thought of the ‘counting coup’
concept that weighed on Jocelin’s mind. Armor damage spread
across his heavy units would render them less combat capable
until repaired, putting them out of action for at least a
month while Frontier Fleet’s paltry number of repair ships
and mobile yards tended to them and slowing the offensive by
that much. The plan on dealing with the convoy came abruptly
as Jocelin noticed the minelayer group heading for the
Com-27 warp point. After ten minutes of discussion the plan
was put into effect.
The minelayer group went to
full speed, sprinting to Com-27 warp point while the fleet
moved on to the Com-30 warp point. A scout went ahead,
pushing its engines until they came within two light minutes
of the warp point where it launched its recon fighters. The
comm buoy was found in due course as it was just one
light-second from the warp point. There were no scanner
buoys evident anywhere within one-fourth of a light minute
of the warp point as well. It was clearly a case that the
Axis considered Geode to be a rear-area system. Either a
lack of time or equipment or importance prevented even one
scanner buoy to placed there.
As for the Axis convoy
commander he was informed that the Com-30 communications
buoy was destroyed or no longer transmitting due to some
technical fault. It didn’t help matters that the buoy was as
blind as a post. For all the commander knew the buoy
could’ve been destroyed by a random meteor swarm or weapons
fire. He was informed from the colony on Geode-3-A that the
abom Hokum had entered the system. Given the distances
involved the convoy had a good chance getting to Com-30.
With its own belt of mines and buoys it would’ve slowed the
Hokum down, perhaps enough for the convoy to return further
back into Axis space.
Now that all changed. The
commander had to assume Hokum ships were at the Com-30 warp
point. His contingency orders came into play. With
abruptness the convoy reversed course and headed back to the
Com-27 warp point. Going back to Cache, and with supplies in
hand (including what the outposts could produce), the convoy
would hide in the outskirts of the system for as long as
possible. But the convoy had to get there first.
A transmission from the Hokum
was received, informing the convoy to surrender and to make
for the colony at Geode-3-A. After listening to this
message, which included the affirmation of good treatment
for the crews, the convoy commander had a laughing fit so
intense that it made him light-headed for several minutes.
He replied that he will not surrender the convoy to a mere
voice and that it will take boarding actions on every ship,
provided they didn’t self-destruct first. Besides, the
commander thought as he sent his reply, with 72 F0 Hatchet
squadrons embarked the abom Hokum would get thrashed for
their effort.
Meanwhile the minelayer
group, comprised of five Empresas
and one Empresario
control ship, reached the Com-27 warp point. In no time a
standard shell of 600 mine patterns were deployed. With
engagement parameters set and mines armed the minelayer
group moved off, leaving a scanner buoy 8 light-seconds from
the warp point. Moving to a spot 30 light seconds out the
group went drivefield down and waited. Again, being as blind
as a post, the comm buoy couldn’t warn the convoy.
Upon arrival the convoy
stopped a light second from the warp point. In total
ignorance the first ships to proceed were the FT4s. They
moved in trail, and they died by the numbers as their
navigation was preset and couldn’t be changed in time. The
only usefulness to come out of their loss was the discovery
of the number of patterns present in that particular patch
of the minefield, now number 98 plus change. The Hokum
watching this wondered what the convoy would do next.
Scattering and hiding in the outer system seem the most
likely course of action, while turning back and going to the
lunar colonies to land the crews and scuttling the ships
being the second option. Surrender seemed an unlikely third
option; the convoy went for a fourth.
The drive fields went down
for twenty minutes on all the freighters. Tractor beam usage
was noted during that time. After that, the fields came back
up and all 100 FT9s spun up their ECM, engage erratic
maneuvers, and approached the warp point. Upon entering the
previously encountered minefield patch all the freighters
fired EDMs from their external racks. Combined with less
than optimal point defense fire the first mine attack was
blunted, though all the freighters lost shielding with those
with less shielding to begin with sustained armor damage.
The ships kept moving with 49 being assaulted, resulting in
totally depleting the mine patch. The Hokum knew the
majority of those ships took internal damage for 20
indicated a drop in drive field strength.
Afterwards the convoy ships
transited one by one into Com-27. Two hours later the Empresario went forward
to redistribute the mine patterns. Once done the Empresas left to rejoin
Frontier Fleet while the Empresario
kept watch. Eventually a small prefabricated base and laser
buoys will be deployed as per standard procedure. Jocelin
had expected the convoy to scatter and hide in Geode after
encountering the minefield. Seeing that the Axis would
rather sustain damage to auxiliaries rather than
surrendering or scuttling implied that the ships were
considered valuable enough to save.
Jocelin wondered if it would
been a different story had antimatter mines been available.
The Commonwealth had them, being instrumental in defeating
the Axis assault against the Hamthen home warp point. But
there was only so much money to go around, and the R&D
effort for antimatter mines had only started the month
earlier, after all the other projects were nearly or had
been completed. One of them was second generation missile
pods, and those will be used against the defenses of the
Iron Sky system once the stockpile was complete.
On further contemplation
Jocelin concluded the convoy would still have gone through
the mines even if they were antimatter. The FT9 freighters
being sacrificed in order to insure the larger, more
valuable and more expensive FT10s were preserved. This may
explain why the Axis group in Com-22 attacked with only
fighters and small craft. Destroying the Imperial Wave carrier
prevented it from using its fighters in reconnaissance,
allowing the Axis group to slip away. Otherwise it would
involve its ships in direct combat. Had they did, they ran
the risk of losing launch platforms for their small craft.
The recon of Geode-3-A was
complete. A small spaceport resided on the moon’s surface in
the same spot as the previous one while a
battlecruiser-sized space station sat in orbit. There was a
spaceport on 3-B as well. Jocelin decided to send in three
missile battlecruisers with a carrier division to destroy
these installations. While he did consider earlier to let
reinforcements take care of this job, by the time they
arrived the colonists could’ve easily filled those
spaceports with escort shuttles, construct fighter ground
bases or even add fighter bays to the space station. Given
the range of escort shuttles they could become a nuisance to
supply convoys and pinnaces that will be coming through in
short order. Once dealt with, the colonies will be watched
over by a Bird Nest
scout, snuffing out any attempts to build ground bases. In
the meantime Frontier Fleet reached the Com-30 warp point
and began sending in pinnace probes to see what awaited on
the far side.
It was a cold morning as Prime Commander Konset arrived at
the Science Development Bureau building on Eletoshani Prime.
He was early as usual, and once in his office he went
through the latest dispatches from other R&D teams
across Axis space to prioritize them for his superior,
System Admiral Wanfel. The dispatch that held the highest
importance was from Gymnasium. The R&D project assigned
to Wanfel’s team was to reverse-engineer the fighter
long-range scanner pack; Gymnasium ran independent
simulations based on data provided by Wanfel.
Konset’s bony brow furrowed
as he read. Being involved in the project he discerned that
the numbers weren’t adding up to the simulations conducted
by the team. He decided to run the provided simulations from
Gymnasium in an independent and physically separated
mainframe computer, one that was constructed after the damn
abom Eletoshani conducted their sabotage nearly a year
earlier. When Wanfel showed up he was appraised of what was
happening, approving of the action taken by Konset.
It only took an hour before
the independent mainframe showed signs of corruption. Huge
gaps appeared in the output, the computer seemingly
struggling to process an increasing demand of functions. “I
have a bad feeling about this, Sir,” said Konset as he
watched the processing indicator lights pulse at a rate to
give someone an epileptic fit.
“It’s those damn Eleto
again,” Wanfel seethed. “In no way could the R&D team on
Gymnasium send us corrupted data.”
Then it happened. Screens
went blank for a moment before displaying ‘Error 601’, a
message that there was too much information for the
mainframe to process. “Only a compulsive directive would
cause such an error, Sir,” said Konset. “A corruption of
core code is the only way such a thing could happen.”
Wanfel glared at the
mainframe, its indicator lights all glowing a solid red.
While the project will still go on without independent
simulations it will be definitely slowed down by months.
“Damn! Send word immediately to all other R&D stations.
Tell them what happened here, and strongly advise they don’t
run any simulations provide by other stations, even on their
independent mainframes.”
“Yes, Sir. Anything else?”
With righteous indignation
Wanfel disconnected the infected mainframe from power and
kicked it, earning a stubbed toe though he didn’t feel the
pain past his hate. “Inform the ASP director to see me
immediately. I want to know just how the damned Eleto were
able to do this to us again.”
Chapter 7.25
Free from pursuit and undetected, the
Axis raiding force entered the Com-10 system via the
Com-22 warp point. Finding no Hokum scanner buoys within a
one light-minute radius the force headed to a spot from
where it could reconstitute its fighter and small craft
strength. After six weeks the work was complete. The
commander decided to head for the Com-10/Com-6 warp point
with the intent of entering Com-6 to resume raiding.
Since Com-6 was part of a route
that connected Com-1 to Com-18 (Cain system) the commander
had to take it as a given the Com-6 side of the warp point
would be guarded. To that end he sent in two regular
pinnaces to reconnoiter the immediate area around the warp
point. Both pinnaces came back. In the immediate vicinity
of the warp point were 30 weapon buoys in six distinct
subgroups. The pinnaces couldn’t detect if there were
mines, but no doubt there were mines along with a control
base or ship. Beyond the warp point at 2 light-second
range were 6 escorts and 6 frigates. Both were known
classes, and the Axis commander drew up a plan and
executed it within an hour.
As for the Hokum they had not been
idle. The Com-22 warp point was sealed off with mine
patterns and weapon buoys, kept watched by an attending
control ship. Com-3, already heavily mined, was made even
more so due to its proximity to the Whel system. Six
new-commissioned Type A
frigates, intended for Frontier Fleet, were diverted to
Com-6 to guard the Com-6/Com-10 warp point along with six
Turtle escorts
from Tire Iron. All ships were assisted by tugs as to
arrive at Com-6 faster. Once done the tugs retired to Cain
for the time being. Light minefields continued to be sowed
in systems connected to Com-6 with further reinforcement
planned when the raider force was finally detected.
It wasn’t a long wait. Six Axis
cruisers emerged from the warp point, facing the Hokum
defenders directly. Transit addled capital force beams
from four of the cruisers only managed one hit on a
frigate, demolishing half of its shields. The anti-mine
rounds on the extra racks performed much better, knocking
out 8 patterns in the targeted section, leaving just 22.
In reply two frigates became active, their needle beams
inflicting three hits while a sole escort fired its CAM
and laser. With shields down the cruiser was revealed to
be a freighter as much of its internal volume was devoted
to cargo holds. As for the control base, located 8
light-seconds out, its crew was quick on the mark, priming
the 30 force beam buoys but holding fire in case there was
going to be a second wave.
There was no initial second wave, as
the cruisers stayed to dilute the effects of buoy fire,
but two of the cruisers launched a squadron of Hatchet
fighters each. They were upon the frigates as the first
one fired its needle beams against the shields-down
cruiser. It missed the force beam mount but wrecked the
targeting scanners, curtailing its effectiveness for
minesweeping. Three cruisers fired back as one, finishing
the frigate’s shields and shattering the armor. At this
point all thirty force beam buoys fulfilled their role and
fired. Due to ECM two of the cruisers retained some
shields, but two more were revealed as freighters while
one that launched fighters showed it had no other weapons.
The Hatchet fighters fired their lasers
and half of their FRAMs, taking down two frigates. One
active frigate took out the force beam and targeting
scanners of another cruiser. The Turtles moved as a group and closed on
the warp point, now only 1.5 LS distant. Three of the
cruisers came about and transited back to Com-10 when the
fighters stuck again, taking down one more frigate with
another severely crippled. Revenge came sweet as the two
remaining frigates removed the force beams and targeting
scanners of two other cruisers, meaning none of the three
still in the system had an offensive weapon. The three
cruisers transited out, leaving the fighters on their own…
for now.
The three remaining frigates split up,
enabling them to provide mutual coverage of their blind
spots against the Hatchets. The cripple frigate was
dispatched in short order with the initial one taking
internal damage. Two Hatchets were splashed by point
defense fire while the Turtles,
while urgent, missed with their lasers. Combined, the ten
Hatchets fired again, their lasers finishing off one of
the two remaining frigates while only losing one of their
own.
As if on cue the Axis force sent in
their second wave, comprised of all three of their Pinyon Jay carriers
and three Fishing Hawk
carriers. The Jays
only fired their HET lasers, targeting one of the Turtles now that they
were only 1 LS out. A single hit was scored, removing half
the armor. For their part the Turtles were now all active, firing on
one Jay. The
remaining CAMs and the sole Type A’s needle beams took down 75% of
the shields while the Turtles’
lasers burned off half the armor. Unengaged, the 9
Hatchets attacked the Type
A, burning away its armor and inflicting internal
damage.
As the remaining three Fishing Hawks made
transit the second wave ships, now with stabilized fire
control systems, engaged the Turtles with external nuke-armed CAMs,
hetlasers and plasma guns. The Jays also launched their Stiletto
shuttles, and with the 9 Hatchets obliterated the Turtles and the last Type A. As for the
Hokum control base the crew abandoned it, the fleeing
shuttle just escaping the demolition charges. In short
order the Stilettos destroyed the spent force beam buoys
while the present Axis ships reloaded their external racks
with mine clearance charges. Joined by the three Balm CA-hulled repair
ships, now armed with mine clearance charges on undamaged
racks, 12 additional patterns were dispatched, leaving
only 10 in the patch selected earlier. Waiting only long
enough to equip EDMs, the Jays, three Fishing Hawks and the Balms entered the
patch and swept the remaining patterns.
Taking stock, the Axis commander sent
four of his Fleet
Tracker scouts out to investigate Com-6’s three
other warp points and the direct routes between those
three. He took his force to a spot that placed him on the
far side of the Com-12 warp point. From there repairs
could be conducted while waiting word on what the scouts
have found. His plan was to stage a probe into Com-12,
using practically empty CA-hull freighters to coax the
Hokum to focus their attention there. With the rest of the
force, he planned to enter Com-11 to get to Com-7 and
finally into Com-2, giving him the choice to enter Com-8,
thus threatening the Stonewash system, or Com-9, blocking
the way into former Eletoshani space in general and the
Bandstand system in particular. The commander hoped that
for every additional month his force was loose in
abom-controlled space would tie down more Hokum ships
looking for him. Seeing it that way, failure wasn’t even
possible.
Tecutani Minter, owner of a greeting card and stationary
shop in the city of Deep Bay on Eletoshani Prime, stepped
off the bus two stops short of his destination as usual.
Over the years he found that he could reach his shop
faster on foot due to the increased congestion at
crosswalks and vehicular traffic further down the route.
The shop was owned by his family for six generations.
Despite the Axis occupation and depredations of the
Anti-Abomination Security Police business remained good.
At this time of the year university graduations were
coming up and was one of the few occasions his shop earned
a notable profit.
It was then Minter felt a pressure on
this back and caught a glimpse of the Eleto that had
somehow snuck up behind him. “Good morning, friend,” the
strange Eleto said from his left mouth in a low tone. “May
I suggest a new route to your shop this morning? They say
it promotes brain activity from all the new stimuli
experienced.”
Certain that it was indeed a gun
against his back Minter let the stranger guide him across
the street and through a back alley. If it was a mugging
then it would be a poor take for Minter never had more
than a typical day’s expense on his credcard. After five
minutes of brisk walking both Minter and the stranger
entered the back of a building and ascended three stories.
From there they went into a hallway and finally a room. It
was an apartment, judging from the furnishings, and the
two windows were closed with drapes drawn, except for a
tiny sliver at the bottom of one of them. What appeared to
be a pen attached to a clamp was on the sill of that
window, peering outwards.
“Okay, you can take a seat, Mr.
Minter,” said the stranger. With that the shop owner sat
in the nearest chair, finally getting a good look at the
man. He was not that much older, but it was clear he had
experienced rough times as there was more scales that fur
at the top of his head. “Sorry for bringing you here in a
dramatic way.” The stranger showed the object that was
pressed into Minter’s back. It was a tube of candy, one
that the stranger opened and dispensed the contents,
offering some of it to Minter. The shop owner politely
refused. “You can call me Lake, Mr. Minter, and I have
just saved your life.”
“Pardon me for not taking that
seriously, Mr. Lake,” Minter said. “Unless you’re saving
me from having that final bowl of sweet stew that will
collapse my intestines either take my credcard, blackmail,
torture or kill me.”
“Well, Minter, if I was a collaborator
working for the ASP then I would do all that except
blackmail as that would be redundant.” Lake produced from
a belt pouch a tiny viewscreen the size of a credcard. He
gave it to Minter. It was on, and what he saw was a view
of his shop’s exterior. “We’re in the apartment building
across the street and a block down from your shop. To be
blunt, you’ve been a subject of interest for the
Resistance for some time. Things are coming to a head
regarding the Axis presence here on our planet. Your
printing service would be useful when it came time to
spread the word of open resistance.”
Minter heard the words but was fixed on
the screen. Two ASP vans pulled up to the shop and out
came ASP agents. They simply broke down the front door
with axes, the bipeds barging in like bandits. A crowd of
Eleto began to gather at some distance, wary as ASP agents
formed a perimeter with weapons drawn. In short order
agents carrying boxes exited the shop, shoving them in one
of vans and heading back inside to get more.
“You’re wondering why your shop is
being raided, Mr. Minter. It seems a peculiar thought
entered what passes for brains of those boneheads at ASP
HQ. They believe your cards with musical chips are
sophisticated spyware models. A few of your cards were
found at or around Bonehead terminals.”
“Preposterous!” Minter exclaimed from
both mouths. “Those chips barely have enough memory to
play a 10 second tune, and they’re officially sanctioned
by the government.”
“Indeed, Mr. Minter. Those chips are
the same as those used in simple calculators. I would be
amazed if the ASP doesn’t raid the manufacturer. All the
same they’ll come up with a convoluted theory to
self-justify their actions. After all,” Mr. Lake said past
his two smiles, “we Eleto can be a devious bunch.”
“What will happen next?” Minter asked
as he watched as more boxes of cards being hauled away.
Lake wolfed down another piece of
candy. “Your shop will be impounded, and a complete search
will be conducted. This will entail all your walls being
stripped, flooring pulled up, and pipes removed, among
other things. All your inventory will be searched and then
burned, as with all furnishings. Of course, you and your
immediate family will be arrested, interrogated and then
sent to a labor camp.” Seeing Minter visibly shake Lake
raised a forestalling hand. “Do not worry. Your wife and
son have been picked up by my fellow confederates thirty
minutes ago. In a week you’ll be with them.”
Minter looked dejected and resigned.
“So I’m to become a member of the resistance by default?”
“Regretfully so. Everyone we rescued
has contributed in some form or another.”
Looking back at the screen, Minter saw
a commotion. An elderly Eleto male, distinguished by his
grey tuff of fur on his head, was arguing with an ASP
agent, both mouths speaking at the same time, something
that the boneheads considered to be disgusting. That alone
was enough to send someone to interrogation, but it was
worse for Minter saw it was a relative. He showed the
screen to Lake. “It’s my great uncle. He worked at the
shop as a boy, before he signed up to join the Army during
the war with the Axis. This was his weekly visit.”
“Regrettable, Mr. Minter. That means
he’ll be on their database, as all surviving members of
the Army and Navy were made to serve in labor battalions
for ten years after the war. He’ll be sent to a labor camp
after questioning.” Lake placed his hand on Minter’s
shoulder. “I’m sorry. We only had a six-hour notice of
this raid, and we only had assets available to pick up
you, your wife and son.”
Minter sighed. “He has terminal cancer,
as the boneheads have denied advance treatment to all
veterans. I think he did this as a final act of defiance.
Too bad there’s no sound. I’m sure he’s venting his
spleen, as was his wont in private conversation.”
Lake removed the miniature camera,
taking it to the bathroom along with the view screen and
depositing both in the sink. After filling it halfway with
water he added a tablet from the very bottom of the candy
tube. In an hour the camera, screen and their electronics
would be totally dissolved. “Let’s go, Mr. Minter. It will
take the better part of today to get to the first safe
house.”
Lord Admiral Jocelin, commanding Frontier Fleet, was
considering his options to enter the Axis system of Iron
Sky. Thanks to previously captured records he knew Iron
Sky’s other warp point linked to an uninhabited cul-du-sac
system, designated Com-34. As for Com-30, linked to the
Geode and Iron Sky systems, there was a short chain
comprised of Com-31 and 32 (itself a cul-du-sac), and
Com-33, leading into former Eletoshani space.
While mining the Iron Sky warp point
and leaving a detachment behind was appealing there was a
problem. Iron Sky had a population of 4 million at the
start of the war along with six lunar outposts across the
system. Given time, a raiding force, like the one
bedeviling the systems between Cain and Doorstop, could be
constructed and sent into Com-30 to prey upon Frontier
Fleet’s supply lines. So, after the sixth pinnace probe,
all of them being singular armed pinnaces equipped with
external sensor packs, Jocelin learned what comprised the
defenses, and devised his plan accordingly.
After the initial Hokum advance towards
Iron Sky was halted and then recalled the AFC decided to
fortify the warp point beyond its initial set of bases.
Joined by a mobile shipyard, the space station over Iron
Sky produced nine type-4 bases, equally split between
fighter, beam, and capital missile types. Along with the
twelve type-3 and three type-2 bases the fixed defenses
were augmented monthly with automated weapons. As of now
480 patterns of mines and 180 reusable weapon buoys ringed
the warp point, joined by a CAP of 7 squadrons of Hatchet
fighters and a handful of escort shuttles. 23 more Hatchet
squadrons waited in their hanger bays, all armed with
antimatter close attack missiles. A very thin shell of
mines filled the 0.75 light-second distance between the
warp point belt and close in bases. In a few months three
more fighter bases would be complete. What resources not
being used for construction and maintenance were stored
until such time the route back into Axis space was clear.
After splashing five consecutive abom pinnace probes the
warp point defenders steeled themselves for an attack that
surely was imminent.
The attack came in the form of 400
objects, apparently pinnaces, with interpenetration
claiming 60 of their number. Given the violence of their
destruction it was clear they carried antimatter ordnance,
and with passage through the mines a further 49 were
claimed. The CAP Hatchet squadrons, along with the
Stiletto shuttles, stayed at the warp point, tasked to
attack any transiting ships. Meanwhile the objects made a
direct line for the fighter and capital missile bases,
passing the ‘north’ close in bases, comprising of a BS4
and 4 BS3s. Only the BS4 was able to achieve battle
stations and fired all weapons at the objects, eliminating
4.
Sensor technicians on all the bases
were perplexed that the objects didn’t broadcast on the
expected fire control frequencies. Given the numbers
involved, two of three close-in base groups could’ve been
invested and dealt mortal damage. Moving at full pinnace
speed, it would take the strange objects under two minutes
to reach the fighter and capital missile bases. In that
time the other two fighter bases have the chance to
crash-launch their remaining Hatchets as well as the small
BS2 to flush out its Stiletto shuttles…
With fire control systems stabilized
and targeting profiles engaged the Hokum missile pods
launched their deadly munitions, 861 missiles in all. In
the face of this massive wave the defense computers on the
BS4s and BS2s, acting on a contingency program that point
defense operators couldn’t override, had their point
defense engage those missiles that directly threatened
their individual units. For each base an above average
number of missiles were dispatched, and EDMs (2 from each
base) culled more, but the outcome was the same for all.
The six BS4s and 3 BS2s were destroyed utterly. An
additional BS4V did manage to crash launch its fighters in
the moments before its death, as well as the BS2
containing the Stiletto shuttles and another arming the 90
reusable laser buoys. However, with no life support packs
and no hanger bays within range meant that in a few scant
hours all the spaceborne Hatchets had to be abandoned.
All 69 Stiletto shuttles engaged in SAR
operations, and after 36 hours it was decided to stop,
sending 24 of them to rendezvous with a tug that held
station one light-minute from the warp point to transfer
survivors. The attack had rattled the defenders to their
core, solace only coming from the observation that if the
abom Hokum had more of the new weapon they could’ve
destroyed more bases.
The Hokum returned 40 hours later as if
a psychic button was pushed. 200 more pods emerged from
the warp point, this time heading ‘south’ through the
minefields. After interpenetration and minefield attrition
only 141 remained. This time, however, the CAP of 11
Stiletto shuttles followed. Three managed to engage with
their point defense but missed. Aside from that, the pods
were uncontested as they were outside the engagement
envelope of the southwest and southeast base groups.
As the pods continued south the first
wave of ships arrived; four Turtles and two Rodeo Clowns. Each ship upon entrance
started to turn for their exit vector. A BS4 fired,
destroying one Turtle
with external CAMs and dousing a Rodeo Clown with capital energy beams and
a spinal force beam. Having been armed previously, the 90
reusable laser buoys fired, destroying the remaining Turtles and all but
removing the armor on the BC-sized minesweepers.
Then the pods fired. Programmed to
engage any BS3 within 4 light-seconds, the eight BS3s were
swarmed by antimatter-armed SBMs. Only the two engaged
anti-fighter BS3s survived, but without passive defenses
and some internal damage. A northern plasma-gun armed BS3
fired and destroyed one Rodeo
Clown. As for the rest, only the two damaged
anti-fighter BS3s managed to engage with their HET lasers
with one missing.
The surviving minesweeper finished its
turn as the second wave completed entry. Three Indomitables were
followed by two Imperial
Valors and one Cain
assault carriers. One of the Indomitables was a converted Axis
dreadnaught, guaranteed to be the focus of fire from all
Axis units. The 11 CAP escort shuttles had turned about
and closed on the warp point but were out of range for
their FRAMs. Those crashed launched shuttles from the
first wave didn’t engage, thought they combined on the
warp point and waited for the order. With all available
active bases the converted dreadnaught was destroyed while
only light shield damage to the second dreadnaught. In
turn transit-addled energy and needle beams and nuke CAMs
destroyed the passive defenses of one plasma BS3, burning
out its overload dampeners in the process.
As the minesweeper transited out the
carriers launched their fighters, 19 squadrons strong. 10
went towards the northern bases with 3 each going to the
remaining southwest and southeast bases. Three squadrons
remained on the warp point to engage the escort shuttles,
now totaling 23. Following the exiting minesweeper was the
Cain; the two Imperial Valors were
still coming about to achieve their exit vectors. The
second Indomitable
was the initial focus of fire, and when its last engine
room was lanced by needle beams all it took was the CAMs
from the finally active southeast BS4 to kill it. Fire
then shifted to one Valor,
and it barely held on after both remaining rooms remained
active despite precise hits from needle beams.
That was the best the Axis defenders
could do for all the remaining bases succumbed to the
lasers and antimatter attack missiles of the Spear
fighters. As for the escort shuttles, armed with standard
nuclear attack missiles, they went after the damaged
carrier, but its strong armor held true. Only three
Stilettos remained, and they left the warp point, came
about and tried to ram the carrier. Again the strong armor
held firm, and with that last act of defiance the Hokum
claimed the warp point. Only two Spear fighters were lost.
While the remaining 112 began removing the weapon buoys
six Implacable
DNs transited in and began to fire mine clearance charges,
creating a lane for a task group to enter.
Preceding the task group was a
reinforced Greyhound element. In short order they found
the retiring tug and escort of 24 Stilettos. Covered by
AFHAWKs the Spear fighters took down the shuttles with
light losses, allowing the ships to close in to fire their
anti-drive missiles and lancing internal systems of the
tug with needle beams, leading to a speedy boarding action
and capture. The task group in the meantime reach Iron
Sky, finding only a fighter groundbase and an orbital
station with the mass equivalent to three dreadnaughts and
three unfinished BS4Vs sans fighters. Backed by fighters
and AFHAWKs the task group closed to within missile range
of the station and bases, destroying them. As for the
groundbase it was wiped out with antimatter warheads, and
a carrier element was left behind to keep watch, along
with a freighter loaded with kinetic bombardment
satellites to discourage the Iron Sky inhabitants from
rebuilding the base or any orbital works. Scouts kept tabs
on the lunar outposts and one was sent into Com-34 to lay
scanner and com buoys at the warp point and to investigate
the system. Back in Com-30 Frontier Fleet reassembled and
entered the Com-33 system, further advancing into Axis
territory.
Emperor Valsur had two guests in his office on the space
station Orbit-1. Admiral Crunan, head of the Imperator of
the Navy’s staff, and the Minister of Arms. After giving a
critical eye to what he read on a datapad Valsur turned to
Crunan. “Admiral, what is the Navy’s consensus on the
deployment of missile pods?”
“Highly favorable, Sire,” Crunan
replied. “The damage inflicted measurable surpassed losses
we incurred, though I must point out that in each instance
the Axis forces involved weren’t able to communicate
knowledge of the missile pods to higher authority.”
“Indeed, Admiral. The bases destroyed
in Solid State amounted to nothing more than shooting
boars in a pit, and Com-14 was against a mobile enemy.
However, I question the deployment of the pods in Iron
Sky. With the pods on hand, Admiral Jocelin could’ve
destroyed all the close-in bases, waited a few days, and
then gone in with his assault carriers and pinnaces. At
least three waves of carriers could’ve entered and
launched their fighters by the time the first
crashed-launched Axis squadrons reached the warp point.”
Crunan was briefed that he could expect
such a question, so he tried to be neutral in his
response. “Sire, Jocelin deployed his forces in the battle
to preserve his fighter, pinnace and assault carrier
strength for future operations deeper into Axis territory.
The losses we sustained in Iron Sky are more sustainable
for Frontier Fleet than the potential loss of three
assault carriers.”
Valsur turned his gaze towards the
Minister of Arms. “Yes, about sustainability. Arms, how
long will it take to build up the stock of the newer
second-generation missile pods?”
“It’s a matter of budgeting, Sire,”
Arms said. “All of our stock of second-generation pods
were used in Solid State. Those that were recovered have
been slated for use in an operation to deal with the Axis
force moving about the various systems between Whel and
Cain. There are no more first-generation pods. As of now,
we can only afford to build and arm forty
second-generation pods per month.”
“We’re that limited?” Valsur
questioned.
“Yes, Sire. The budget is stretched to
the limit, despite the slowly increasing revenue from
trade with the Terpla’ns. New construction, refitting of
both fleet units and captured Axis ships, reequipping and
stocking up on the new datalink-equipped armed pinnaces,
and prefabricated bases leaves very little in the way of
discretionary spending. The figure of forty pods a month I
mention comes at the expense of fighter production and
stockpiling. If we go with that figure, only five
squadrons per month can be built.”
“I see. So Jocelin may have been
inadvertently shrewd in Iron Sky, but he will have to be
more circumspect when it comes to his next warp point
assault.” Valsur raised both of his back pair of hands up
on the desk, a visual cue for his guests to pay close
attention. “There will be a more rationalized production
policy the next time the council meets. For now we will
accelerate the replacement of all F1 fighters within the
boarders of the Imperium from one squadron to three
squadrons per month, with two of those squadrons being
scrapped and one being crated up and stored. Also, all
armed pinnaces replaced by the datalink version will be
scrapped. All revenues will go towards increased
production of missile pods. Arms, you’ll get a written
decree on your desk shortly that will formalize what I
just said here.”
“Yes, Sire.”
Valsur focused on Crunan. “Admiral,
inform the Imperator of the Navy he will also get a decree
as well. It will be a balancing act between economy and
supply. We must be prudent in choosing our battles for the
foreseeable future. While our allies may have the
attention of the Axis fleet that doesn’t mean local
surprises can’t happen at our various fronts, not to
mention the possibility of more raiding groups like the
one we’re dealing with now.”
“The I.N. will be informed, Sire.”
Chapter 7.50
With the advance of the Terpla’ns and their allies deeper
into Axis space the ISN, with the approval of Emperor
Valsur, recalled two-thirds of the Expeditionary Fleet in
Tire Iron back to the Whel system. The remaining third had
been refitted with the latest equipment, keeping company the
bases and automated weapons guarding the Tire Iron/Bedrock
warp point. The rest of the ships are slated to be refitted
in Whel, and from there will be divided between Lord Admiral
Jocelin’s Frontier Fleet and Segment Admiral Calixto’s
Strike Fleet.
On board her flagship Watch
Tower Lord Admiral Janus was in her ready room,
located next to the combat information center, going over a
report with Commander Aulus, an intelligence officer. Janus’
senior staff stayed in Tire Iron to assist the new commander
of the Expeditionary Fleet, Segment Admiral Ush. Having been
a junior officer of Janus’ staff since the capture of
Crimson Expanse, Aulus had a good read on Janus and offered
a concise opinion. “In combination with the other reports
from the Terpla’ns, the Presidio believes the Commonwealth
is taking a pause in their various routes of advance. They
had admitted to heavy losses in securing the Gymnasium
system, as well as the extended logistical routes and the
need to reinforce the defenses of the Kerama Retto system.”
“They still had no luck in securing
a more informative database from the two incursions the Axis
made in that system,” Janus observed. “Blue giants have been
known to host a good number of warp points. Unfortunately,
the previous incursions at Kerama Retto have been from
closed warp points. The Terpla’ns must invest more in the
way of mobile forces to blunt any more incursions.”
“Speaking of incursions, Admiral,
we’ll be entering the Crimson Expanse system tomorrow
morning. Will we pick up personnel slated for return to the
Imperium?”
“Yes. In my orders we’re picking up
Region General Ronon. Together we’ll be heading to the
capital after our ships are docked at Whel. The Emperor
decided that the Co-Belligerent relationship that existed
between the Commonwealth and the Imperium must be formalized
into a proper military cooperation treaty. Ronon and I will
assist in drafting the treaty as well as become members of
the Joint Allied Coordination Council.”
“The Emperor values your opinion
and experience, Admiral.” Aulus brought up a warp point map
on Janus’ desk display. “The raider group operating behind
our lines is continuing to pose a problem for us. Depending
on how well stocked they are in mine-clearing munitions, as
well as supplies, they could further disrupt shipping
routes. Not only for us, but for our Terpla’n allies in the
Blood Pride system.”
“Our allies have been informed
about that group, Commander. The Ampere warp points have
been mined. As for us, Com-2 and Com-3 have been mined, as
well as Com-8, 9, 10, Stone Wash and Com-12.” Janus pointed
to the mentioned system icons on her desk display. “I have
advised the Presidio that the mining effort be extended to
Redwire, Com-16 and Com-7. Afterwards, all the other systems
involved will be mined to the extent that will force the
raider group to ration their mine clearance munitions and
EDMs. The result is that they must move all their ships into
a selected depleted minefield patch to clear it. Hopefully
that will mean they will incur damage past their shields,
either depleting their supplies or forgoing repairs. I have
strongly suggested that 20% of all the mines be of the
antimatter kind, further exasperating the raider group’s
problems.”
“That will require the construction
of thousands of additional mine patterns, Admiral. All new
ship construction will have to be suspended for months to
enact that plan.”
“Something that Emperor Valsur is
aware of, Commander. The minefields in Tire Iron, Laser
Burn, and Crimson Expanse will be drawn down to facilitate
the plan. If anything, it will make the task element
assigned to hunt them down easier. All other forces involved
in the search are being routed to Jocelin and Calixto. A
feint into any Com Pocket system will result in all the warp
points connecting to the system of origin to be mined more
extensively.” Janus chuckled. “Any fears of a Bonehead
suicide charge towards Whel or even Blood Pride for that
matter will come to naught. I received a message from the
Presidio earlier this morning. It contained some interesting
news from our allies.”
The display of the Com Pocket warp
lines was replaced with that of one that originated in
Metalstorm, linking to Abyssal-019, BRB-1 and ending in
Solid State. “As you recall, an Axis task group that entered
Solid State several months ago decided to retreat into
BRB-1. Since reclaiming this warp chain, the Terpla’ns have
been trying to locate that task group and its support ships.
Six weeks ago, they found them in Abyssal-019.”
“A difficult enough task in any
system, and even more so in a starless nexus. How did they
manage it?”
“Luck played its part, Aulus. Also,
our allies used a random number generator that included
historical dates in Comensal history to come up with
locations. So equipped, they found the ships five light
hours from the 019/BRB-1warp point. There was no combat,
however, as the ships were abandoned.” The incredulous look
on Aulus’ face made Janus raise her left back hand. “It’s an
out of the blue occurrence, but it’s true. They could’ve
gone back into Metalstorm and die in a blaze of glory.
Instead, they went to a predetermined point in a starless
nexus where the crews simply left their ships.” Janus pushed
a datapad towards Aulus. “Take it. I’ve given you clearance
to read the report. I’d expect to hear your observations
tomorrow at the morning officer’s mess.”
The Sloop-class scout, Kettle Horn,
approached the inert formation of Axis ships after spending
an hour circling at the range of 12 light-seconds. There
were no active sensors probing the little ship, and no
replies to the calls made on common Axis frequencies. Closer
in, the types of ships were defined. It matched the report
by the Hokum months earlier: three fleet carriers, six light
carriers, two small carriers, a pair of battlecruiser hulls,
five heavy cruiser hulls, three light cruisers, and twelve
destroyer hulls. There were support ships as well; six
dreadnaught-hulled freighters, six CA-sized freighters, four
destroyer-sized freighters, two battlecruiser-sized and two
light cruiser-sized repairs ships. They had retreated from
Solid State, and the search had focused on BRB-1, Ampere and
Abyssal-019. Now that search was over.
With shields down it was easy for
the scout to probe the ships. No life signs, no power, and
all the external airlock hatches and shuttle bay doors were
open to space. Kettle Horn’s captain sent over his
marine contingent, 20 strong, over to one of the fleet
carriers. Using a pair of airlocks, the suited marines made
their way to the hanger decks along the utterly deserted
passageways. They noted how all the hatches were manually
locked in the open position, and that no loose material was
floating in the zero-g environment. Once in the hanger
spaces they found the fighters situated on their launch
cradles, sans external armament. Next came the magazine
spaces where particular care was taken to detect traps. What
they found was that the magazines had jettisoned some of
their ordnance at some point, for the disposal chutes were
still open.
Control spaces, such as the bridge,
engineering, damage control, life support and flight ops
were inspected next. Again, empty, and the crew mess decks
and quarters were devoid of any signs of haste. In all it
appeared that the crew cleaned and attended to the interior
of the ship as if an inspection was scheduled. Even the
cargo holds and food lockers were prepped so that storage
box contents were protected from the vacuum of space.
All signs pointed to the ship being
mothballed in situ. In the normal manner, however, all
consumables, munitions and other equipment would’ve been
removed. Everything remained on the carrier, even the
insulated water tanks were filled, as if the missing crew
would come back at any moment. The marine lieutenant
followed a hunch and checked the vac suit lockers. Save for
the helmets, they were all empty. He then has his marines
inspect the airlocks, using batteries to power the control
panel. Data was extracted, and the last entries of the two
airlocks inspected had security footage. With revulsion he
saw Comensal crewmembers in vac suits, with no helmets, open
the exterior airlock hatch using the emergency handle and
blown out into open space. It was even more gruesome when
the hanger and shuttle bay recordings were found as most of
the crew departed the carrier in that manner.
By the time a task element reached
the Kettle Horn the marines had inspected eleven
more ships, six of them freighters. On two of the freighters
there were signs of violence. At the airlock of one
freighter a wall was marked with laser pistol fire. In the
other there were copious blood stains at the hatch controls
for the shuttle bay. Clearly not all Comensal were willing
to commit regulation suicide, or not at least in this
manner, perhaps wanting to die in combat instead.
As far as it could be determined
the ships inspected had their databases intact, apart from
transit data prior to the re-entry to 019 having been
erased. It was later estimated that the task group had
enough consumables to last three months. Conceivably they
could’ve gone to Metalstorm and tied down Terpla’n forces.
Yet they hadn’t. The conclusion proposed by the Kettle
Horn captain was that faith in their own superiority
was so great that the Comensal decided to preserve their
ships so that follow-up forces could reactive and use them
again quickly, rather letting them deteriorate into useless
scrap. A tug was detached from a support group to tow
the ships to a spot one light-minute distant from the
Abyssal-019/BRB-1 warp point, to be readily accessible when
the decision on their final fate is made.
“Commander Aulus, what are your deductions from the report?”
asked Janus in the officer’s mess the following morning,
pushing away an empty plate to the center of the table.
“I’ll have to agree with Professor
Alba’s observations on Comensal psychology, Admiral. The
conditioning of Comensal young to obey authority is
comprehensive. I surmise the two incidents of violence on
the ships could’ve either been an expression of martial
zeal, in that the personnel involved wanted to die in
combat, even against their fellow crewmates, or an example
of insufficient resolve.”
“Resolve?”
“It could be as simple as those
Comensal that didn’t measure up for serving on warships are
instead placed on auxiliaries where any shortcomings in
‘resolve’ can be managed by officers and senior NCOs.”
Janus’ back pair of hands were in
front of her, steepled in a single of contemplation. “An
interesting opinion. We’ll be orbiting Crimson Expanse for
three days. You can visit Alba and see if captured Comensal
personnel records have anything describing a ‘resolve
deficiency’. Some use may come from it, especially regarding
boarding actions on freighters.”
“Hopefully so, Admiral. Under the
right circumstances, we can coax surrenders instead of
fighting them to the last man. On the brighter side, the
Terpla’ns, in their report, have offered to give us that
task group. Those ships will make a fine addition to the
fleet.”
Janus nodded. “The Presidio, on the
behalf of the Emperor, will no doubt accept that offer.
However, given all the other recovery operations in Axis
space, and the planned mining effort in the Com Pocket, it
will be some time before mobile yards are dispatched to
Abyssal-019. The ships will be modified just enough to
permit operation with a skeleton crew and then sent to Whel
for final conversions. That is why I believe the raider
group in the Com Pocket will impose on themselves the same
fate that the task group did. Retaining just enough supplies
that, in their hope, an Axis relief force will find and
reactive them and be put back in action.”
“Admiral, I wonder if the Axis
crews that sacrifice themselves in this manner don’t
consider themselves dead, but going on duty in the spirit
realm?”
“Ships haunted by their dead crews
would be par for the course in a horror video, Commander.
It’s just as well captured ships are exorcised by our
priests. An old custom from our history, but one that puts
our crews’ minds at ease.”
Tebes Norsencu worked the compact control panel on the desk
with practiced hands. He had secreted that desk into the
space underneath the paneled stairwell of his home. He was a
member of the resistance, and his task was to monitor Axis
civilian communication traffic between Eloto and Evergreen,
the two habitable planets in the Elotoshani system. His
receiving antennae was embedded into the interior of his
chimney, something that took time and a considerable bribe
to the contractor to keep his silence. So equipped, and well
versed in code breaking, Tebes was able to listen to what
the boneheads were doing.
The true hub of Axis activity
in the system was the space station orbiting Evergreen. It
had the mass of 16 battleships and hosted 10 standard
shipyard slips and 6 smaller ones. That station was tasked
to construct prefabricated base components, auxiliaries such
as freighters, munitions of all sorts, and the occasional
warship, though no larger than destroyers. In contrast, the
station over Eloto was scarcely more massive than a
dreadnaught, and its single shipyard constructed corvettes.
Tebes noted how for the past three months all newly
constructed warships were being sent out without the usual
one-month shake-down drill, instead doing an intensive set
of drills for a week to find and correct any major issues
that crop up. Because of this, the crews used civilian
frequencies when reporting to the station over Evergreen. He
listened as the latest trio of destroyers made their verbal
reports before departing for Jemstone, a system two transits
out from Gymnasium. They used the civilian radio link to the
harbormaster, and it was that individual that mentioned the
destination. That the boneheads spoke so casually about the
destination without using code words could be chalked up to
complete confidence in their encryption or that things were
going so badly that an oversight on security was excusable
in this instance.
Tebes changed frequencies. He
listened to intra-system civilian traffic, and compared the
announcements to a mental list for he never wrote anything
down. Shuttle flights to the Eloto’s sole warp point had
dropped to pre-war levels for the past three months. Earlier
in the war practically all the minefield patterns and
automated weapons at the warp point had been redeployed to
other systems. Being a rear-area system, Eloto was
considered secure, and the replenishment of the minefields
was at a glacial pace. Now even that paltry effort was
suspended as all the minefields and weapon buoys that could
be produced were being shipped out of the system. All
available freighters, even small ones the size of corvettes,
were being used in this effort, indicating the urgent needs
of the new frontline systems.
A final twist of the dial brought
up the small craft frequency used by the Eloto station. A
pinnace was scheduled to arrive, carrying hundreds of casks
of Evergeen wine. The traffic controller on the Eloto
station told the pinnace pilot to use the priority cargo
landing cradle as the wine was slated for a celebration.
Universal Victory Day was next week, a day that celebrated
all the victories of the Axis, and this vintage of wine was
grown from the first orchard planted by Comensal colonists
on Evergreen.
Hearing that made Tebes wince and
both mouths grimacing. In his pained heart he knew the
Comensal didn’t plant their own grape orchards; they simply
appropriated the ones from the Eloto they killed. As a boy,
he grew up on Evergreen. His family ran their own wine
business and grew their own grapes on several orchards. He
was on Eloto, studying business administration when the war
with the Axis started. He received a deferment as his
g-tolerance was below the threshold. Wanting to return to
Evergeen before the Axis invaded the home system, the
government had banned all but the most essential transfer of
personnel. So, like everyone else on Eloto, they gradually
found out the fates of the Elotoshani colonies, and in
hushed whispers the stories of what was happening to the
survivors on Evergeen.
Tebes dared not to believe, and
with an almost maniacal obsession he constructed his own
radio receiver in secret. He listened in the dark of night
over a period of ten years to random burst of transmissions
sent from the resistance on Evergreen. The gruesome tales
became less and less frequent, and in a way Tebes was
thankful that he was forced to abandon his first radio
receiver in the tenth year. Later, and not exactly sure how
it was arranged, he was contacted by the resistance on
Eloto. Using a latent mathematical talent to decrypt Axis
radio transmissions, Tebes applied himself to his secret
second job.
In the years that transpired he
learned a great deal about Axis activity in the system, and
in turn passed it on to his resistance contacts. He sensed
the increasing undercurrent of tension and apprehension in
the Comensal civilian com-traffic. Gymnasium wasn’t all that
distant from Eloto in terms of warp lines. It was feared
that when the fighting reached Eloto that the planet would
be bombarded into radioactive ruin by the Axis, despite
having a small Axis colony present. Tebes could only
conjecture that the resistance leaders had taken that into
account and had an appropriate plan ready. Later that night
he composed the information gleaned from his monitoring and
made it into what was commonly referred to as a bar joke. On
the next meeting with his contact he will tell the joke, and
in turn forward it to those that knew what words in the joke
were referring to specific items of interest. Sometimes
Tebes wondered if he missed his true profession of becoming
a comedian instead of a future wine merchant.
System Admiral Wanfel, head of the Science Development
Bureau branch on Eloto Prime, was in the research center
located within the Comensal enclave. He read a report on the
first deployment of long-range scanner packs, developed on
Eloto, in the Gymnasium system. Carried by fighters and some
armed pinnaces, the packs performed as advertised, and in
the process something else was learned.
The outer portion of the Gymnasium
system had two gas giants with colonies and outposts on
their respective moons. Coming to within 6 light-minutes of
the gas giant A-5 was a small craft signature. It closed to
within 2 light-minutes and stopped. From that position it
apparently watched the launch and progression of A-5-2’s
lunar ground base fighters towards Gymnasium Prime, heading
for the first in a series of small platforms to recharge
their life support. The small craft stayed past after four
days, so it clearly wasn’t an armed pinnace at least. The
base commander launched a trio of escort shuttles to
investigate. In reply the contact came closer and then, at
the distance of one light-minute, came about and retired at
full tactical speed. This prompted the shuttles to do the
same. Pushing their engines as they long dared, they gained
only an insubstantial amount of closure.
Meanwhile an abom flotilla appeared
at extreme range and closed the distance. With just six
escort shuttles for defense, the base, which was nothing
more than a set of fighter hangar bays, was brushed aside.
Before that, however, a fight of a previously unknown type
of pinnace approached the base at a range of two
light-seconds. After a minute of apparent observation, the
base was destroyed by missile and long-range spinal laser
fire, but not before the base sent out its last message.
More importantly, scans of this new pinnace were included
and only by the grace of Providence that the information was
loaded on the last courier drone that escaped the system.
Wanfel pressed a summons button on his desk and waited for a
moment.
Prime Commander Konset, Wanfel’s
adjutant, entered the office and saluted. He was waved by
his superior to take a seat. “You’ve read the same report. I
take it you’ve reached the same conclusion?”
“Yes, Sir. It appears the aboms
have made a variation of pinnace that carries a long-range
sensor package. Judging from the distance the pinnace
observing A-5-2 I’d say it has the same resolution of our
fighter packs. Even so, a flight of such pinnaces would
extend their search radius by an order of magnitude and are
far less detectable than a moving ship.”
“Excellent, Konset. I will
immediately send a strong recommendation to the SDB
Authorization Board to have this made into a project, with
our section doing the work, of course.”
Konset smiled. “Of course, Sir. I
can have the technicians involved in the scanner pack
project and some engineers skilled in pinnace construction
hash out the preliminary requirements. Since endurance is a
necessity, I’ll have them use a regular pinnace as the basis
of the work.”
“Have them do the work on the
orbital, Konset. Not one abom Eloto has ever worked or been
inside it. Use the dedicated, and isolated, computers in
their shuttle maintenance bay.”
“Very good, Admiral. I’m sure we’ll
get approval from higher up, Providence providing.”
10/21/20
updated 01/10/24
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