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The Terpla’ns - Chapter 3
For the typical observer it was an occurrence that happened every three months. Terpla’s three moons were in alignment, serving as a handy reminder that one quarter of the year had gone by. When viewed from above the moons’ orbital planes it was like a row of stones leading to a disk of blue and white paint. Mr. Skuu, Minister of the Naval Department of the Democracy of Hamthen, observed this spectacle of beauty from the portside crews mess on the dreadnought Captain Avma. With him sharing the panoramic view port was Flag Captain Tulcus Jki, commander of the 5th Carrier Division and mother of the strikefighter in the Commonwealth Space Force. “An impressive view, Captain,” said Skuu like an exuberant actor. “I imagine you have seen plenty pretty vistas over the years.” “That I have, Mr. Skuu.” With her peripheral vision Jki saw her guest was quite pleased. Physically a Hamthen could be regarded as an abbreviated Terpla’n. Standing at 150cm Skuu was the average adult height for his race, which in turn was a child’s height compared to the Terpla’n average of 190cm. There were four legs instead of six, and each of the two hands had three digits instead of four. When discovered during the course of a survey four years ago the Hamthen nation and the Republic-turned-Commonwealth developed an immediate rapport. Treaties for trade and mutual military support were signed three months later. Given the location of Hamthen warp lines in relation to the only known contact with the Hokum Imperium the upgrading of the Space Naval Service (SNS) was given top priority. With a Terpla’n science outpost established on the Hamthen homeworld the technical base of the race was given a needed boost. After three years of applied R&D and ongoing refits the SNS was becoming a more capable force. Since first contact the Hamthen nation expanded from seven to twenty-one systems. In the event that a Hokum survey squadron (if they were surveying at all, which they couldn’t and the CPS had no way of knowing) found the Hamthen and weren’t friendly the SNS was in a better position to defend themselves in the first few encounters. Mr. Skuu walked away from the view port and towards the exit. Jki had to pace her steps to match that of her short guest. Skuu was being given a tour of the ship as well as other installations in the system. As the most senior member of the Democracy government to visit Terpla it was the imperative to put on the best show possible for Skuu. While the technical side was going well, it was the politics of the Unicameral that needed the most papering over the cracks. While not strangers to political shenanigans the current scene in the Unicameral would make even the most partisan Hamthen blush. It was a sour point for Jki in particular for her father Sal was in the center of a trade reform debate that kept getting uglier with each new revision. For this reason and others most of the races allied with the Terpla’ns chose not to become CPS members. The considered opinion was that a proverbial clearing fire was needed to clean house in the next cycle of elections. After the mess hall came a point defense station. With pride Skuu pointed out that the datalink feature had been recently developed by scientists on the homeworld and was being applied in refits. Next was an engineering substation that controlled the shape of a ship’s drivefield, enhancing its maneuverability. Here Skuu expressed his gratitude for the support given to develop this technology for use by the SNS, even though implementing it was twice as expensive at the current level of technical development. A capital force beam mounted was inspected next. Jki spoke of the particulars while Skuu looked on, suitably impressed. The duo’s tour also took them to the bridge. Skuu was as happy as a child in a candy store, being at the center of the CSF’s most famous ship. For Jki it brought back memories from when she was the Avma’s first captain. Overall the layout was the same, but the refit conducted before the Hokum War had wrought subtle changes. The holoimager was more compact and individual work stations received new view panels. Jki inspected the command station, the lieutenant serving as the Officer of the Deck making way respectfully. Her hand lightly brushed the console surfaces, noting the new layer of clear material applied to them. She was tempted to sit, wondering if the command chair still had her contour pattern in memory. The lieutenant and the duty shift ratings were giving her their silent approval to do so. She was ship’s captain even while it was under construction and subsequently was among the ‘keel owners’, having a one-meter section of the keel inscribed with her name. Personally she felt no need to sit, being completely satisfied with the way the subsequent crews had performed their duties. Seeing the expectation from the bridge crew made her change her mind. It would make their day for they could rightfully say that they saw the Avma’s first captain take her well-deserved seat on the bridge. Skuu came up and took a look as well. His blue eyes focused on the primary flat panel display. Unlike the rest of the refitted bridge this display was still original equipment. A set of all-so-faint circular scratches were visible from his perspective. “Odd to see that with all the care and attention given that this one panel has not been replaced.” “It’s a bit of naval tradition, Sir,” offered the lieutenant. “Some would call it superstition. When Captain Jki made her marks on the panel back in the UWL War it was seen as a good-luck symbol. Until the panel is irrevocably broken it’ll stay.” “Oh, tradition. That I understand,” Skuu replied. “I’ve seen the tea service in the wardroom that came from your ancient wet-navy Avma. The SNS has similar traditions.” He turned his attention to Jki. “Madam Jki, does your navy have the tradition of a ship’s mascot? If you have one on-board I’d like to see it.” “Certainly.” Now with an excuse Jki got out of the chair. She felt that had she stayed on it any longer she would’ve been issuing orders out of habit. “We’ll go to the Captain’s day cabin.” “Ma’am,” said the lieutenant respectfully, “the current captain has an acute allergy to lungfish. The mascot is now located in Marine Country.” “Is he now?” Jki smiled. “Then I guess he didn’t participate in lungfish wrangling back in the academy. Lieutenant, inform whoever’s down in Marine Country that I’ll be arriving with a VIP.” “Aye, Aye, Ma’am,” said the junior officer. “I think you’ll be pleasantly surprised.” Like the rest of the ship that portion devoted to Marine quarters, a.k.a. Marine Country, was refitted but for an entirely different reason. Relations between the Terpla’ns and E’sani had matured to the point where their navies were practically one entity. Wholesale crew integration proved to be impractical due to the difference in body forms that required special equipment and materials. For specific jobs, such as forming a ship’s Marine complement and engineering posts, limited crew integration was possible. In the Captain Avma’s case it was the former. 220 E’sani Marines, a whole company, were assigned to the ship. Skuu felt a bit intimated by the sheer size of the few E’sani in the common area of the Marine quarters. Averaging 2.2 meters in height they were even taller than a Terpla’n. Even with the regulation shipsuits Skuu could see that they were well-muscled and thick as bricks. Coming from a borderline super-terrestrial world, the bipedal E’sani originated from their world’s oceans as their hands and feet still had webbing between their fingers and toes. They had no hair on their glossy leather skin save a few whiskers protruding from their snouts. With no discernable pupils Skuu couldn’t tell if they were looking at him. The Marines snapped to attention smartly when Jki entered. “At ease,” she told them. “I’ve come to give our distinguished quest a tour of Marine Country, starting with Flip.” “I’d be delighted to show you, Captain Jki,” said one E’sani corporal. His voice was deep, the air rumbling almost visually before Skuu’s eyes. In the center of the common area was a 55-gallon aquarium, twice the size of the one that used to be in the captain’s day cabin. Its walls were made from three centimeter thick clearsteel, eliminating the need for bracing on the edges. Jki was suitably impressed that the aquarium could be sealed in case of decompression and even operate for several hours from its internal batteries. She, however, didn’t see the occupant. “Where’s Flip?” Jki asked. “He’s out and about, Ma’am,” offered the corporal. “As mascot he has the run of the ship.” She decided to lightly tease the stoic-looking Marine. “Just saying, corporal. The tank is rather clean for one holding a lungfish. They tend to arrange their environment as they see fit.” “We clean the tank every other day, Ma’am. Flip’s ornery.” “Every other day? Sounds like a punishment detail.” She walked up to the corporal, looking him in the eye. “I hear that E’sani metabolism could handle anything. Won’t be at all surprising that some drunken Marine took it in his head to eat Flip rather than go to the mess.” “Oh no, Ma’am,” the light purple colored corporal replied earnestly. “We’d rather serve our tour in the brig than harm Flip.” “Shame
if it happened,” Jki continued, making her teasing
tone more noticeable. “Naval tradition has it that the
youngest rating of the crew is responsible for
selecting the ship’s mascot. It would break the heart
of Spacer Apprentice Lors, an Avma
keel owner, to hear that good old Flip was a “No need to worry, Ma’am,” said the still-stoic corporal, “here he comes now.” Indeed the two-kilo lungfish came through the hatch, pulling itself along on its two muscular front fins. As implied by its name, a lungfish could breathe above water for a significant period of time. Flip made his way to the aquarium and, living up to its name, flipped up high and landed without spilling water over the side. Skuu and Jki went over to the aquarium, watching Flip as he cavorted about. “Well, he has matured nicely,” Jki said approvingly. “Lungfish can live as long as fifty years.” “A delightful creature,” Skuu commented. “How intelligent are these lungfish? Do you think Flip will still recognize you, Ma’am? After all, he was in your former day cabin when you commanded this ship.” Jki tapped on the glass, attracting Flip’s attention. “Yes, I believe he should. I’ve hand-fed him often enough.” The light-grey and silver Flip broke the surface of the water, his front flippers and head resting on the aquarium’s rim. With black and green eyes he took aim right at Jki’s rank insignia and squirted a stream of water from his mouth. Then, like a petulant child Flip dove back into the water and set about moving gravel and water plants to his liking. Now embarrassed the corporal offered Jki a towel. “Sorry, Ma’am. I should’ve warned you. On a bet from the Bosun we Marines trained Flip to squirt at officer rank insignias.” “With such good shooting Flip should be made into a Marine,” Jki said in jest as she dried off her rank badge and shipsuit front. “He already has my letter of recommendation.” Skuu was amused with the episode. “How delightful,” he announced as he peered into the aquarium, watching Flip in his aquatic renovation effort. “Only children and pets can get away with such blasphemy.” Captain Dojan, the commanding officer of the Avma, met up with Jki and Skuu in the wardroom. He greeted his guests earlier when they boarded the ship and conducted the first part of the tour. It was at that point Dojan had to excuse himself and his executive officer in order to keep an appointment with Admiral Ayrth. It was a conference of captains of Task Force 211. A task force level exercise was to be held for Skuu’s benefit later in the week. This was the first such exercise conducted in the presence of a senior Hamthen official and Ayrth wanted no major problems to disrupt it. The Avma was Dojan’s fourth command. His previous ship was the Gymen, named and lead unit of the Gymen class battlecruisers. For being assigned to a dreadnought without first commanding a battleship was a sure sign that he was on the fast track to becoming a flag captain and eventually an admiral. Dojan also noted that the ship’s two previous captains had done rather well for themselves after their tours. They, however, had seen combat while in command. He wondered if this would be the case for his tour. It was maximum capacity in the wardroom that night for dinner. Skuu had three of his entourage with him, leaving the most junior of Avma’s officers sharing what was derisively called the ‘kiddy table’, located next to the kitchen entrance. The E’sani marine officers, including the commander, Major Yun’su, and the company doctor, were there as well. Yun’su heard about the Flip incident and decided not to bring it up unless the Captain or Mr. Skuu mentioned it first. It wasn’t until after desert that Skuu broached the subject. “So, Major,” Skuu said after finishing a Terpla’n confection called ‘ice cream’, “how did your men train Flip to become such a proficient target shooter?” The wrinkling of Dojan’s upper eyelids told Yun’su that his captain hadn’t heard the story yet. Now was the time to put the best spin on it. “It was fairly easy, Minister. A lungfish can squirt water to bring down a nearby bug off a leaf or branch. By means of association we placed bugs atop the target we wanted Flip to shoot at. After enough practice he squirted at the target regardless if they had bugs on them or not.” Before Dojan could ask a potentially embarrassing question of his own Jki spoke up. “Major, I take it that this activity was done to show off the prowess of Flip to the crews of other ships in the fleet? Was this training done to so that he could challenge the lungfish mascots of other ships to water squirting competitions for distance and accuracy?” She blinked the nictating membrane of her right eye, a subtle hint that she was helping him out. Yun’su was well-studied on Terpla’n body language and understood the gesture. “Yes, ma’am. We were hoping to challenge the Thunderbolt’s mascot at the end of the month. All wagers placed will go to the recreation and welfare fund of the winning ship.” “That’s a fine way to foster a friendly level of competition in the fleet, Major,” Dojan said. “If you win against the Thunderbolt I’ll pay for three complete servings of ice cream for you and your men the next time they’re on leave. My word.” “A grand offer, Captain.” Yun’su made sure to remember to have Flip trained to shoot at a new set of targets as well as teach him not to squirt at officer rank insignia anymore. A rating from the bridge entered the wardroom and handed Skuu a hardcopy message. Since it was delivered in such a manner it had to have been an important message indeed. Skuu spared the officers from further suspense. “This is word from SNS headquarters. One week ago a set of alien drive signatures was detected in the Democracy system of Dotz. The system commander has indicated that he initiated first contact protocols and summoned reinforcements as a precaution. As of the time this message was sent the alien contact was composed of 24 ships.” “Alien drive signatures?” Jki asked. “Is there further elaboration?” “Yes,” Skuu confirmed. “They’re not Hokum nor any race allied with your nation. With this event my stay aboard this ship has been cut short. I’ll be joining my government’s ambassador on Terpla so as to seek and lend advice as needed. But that is for tomorrow.” Skuu looked over to Dojan. “Captain, I’m to understand that Terpla’n scotch is an acquired taste. Perhaps you can help in that regard by pouring my first glass.” The Captain smiled. “Then we’re both the same in that department, Mr. Skuu. We’ll toast to a peaceful first contact between your nation and these newcomers.” “Yes, a toast is called for this occasion. I accept, Captain,” said a joyous Skuu. Prime Commander Anjur, leader of the 2nd Exploration Flotilla of the Axis Fleet Command, came to hate the Hamthen more with each direct communication made with them. He saw the walking tubes as the abominations they really were and only orders from headquarters kept him from attacking them on sight. Only after the chief scientist of the flotilla, Bersun, was satisfied that enough information was gained by deceit was Anjur allowed to get more by direct methods. In the philosophy of the Comensal, the race that comprised the Asteroid Axis, only its people had the right to live in this universe. Each race the Axis came across in its drive towards destiny was either enslaved or exterminated. Of the two enslaved races the first one, the Lauset, had the dubious honor of being the first ones encountered by the Axis. Now reduced to just over one million in number the Lauset slave population was slated to be fully extinct in twenty years time. As for the Elotoshani, a race that was even more of an abomination than the Hamthen, only after their secrets of ingenuity and creativity were unlocked would they be disposed of. So it was that one month after contact Bersun informed Anjur that nothing more could be gained from the Hamthen from talking. For a whole day Anjur listened to patriotic speeches made the Axis’ First Leaders, gaining encouragement and strength for when he confronted the Hamthen with his demands. With their silly obsession with polls and opinions these Hamthen will learn that only a strong will is needed to rule, and that will only belongs to the Axis. “So, Azaa, what will this Anjur person speak to us about?” asked System Commander Bezz. Located in the CIC of the BC Jetstream, Bezz looked at the tactical plot while at the same time reading the latest task group-wide opinion poll regarding the Axis. Professor Azaa, in charge of the first contact team, was also studiously reading the opinion poll from a datapad nearby. “He said he wanted to formalize relations with our nation. I find that claim questionable.” “Oh? What influenced your opinion?” Bezz asked honestly. Azaa pocketed his datapad. “In a first contact situation both sides, if rational, would present their best face. I couldn’t help but notice subtle cues from my opposite number when we described our race and government. The way their eyes glazed over or that they didn’t make eye contact. Plus there was the restrained way they replied to our questions, like they didn’t want to answer our questions at all. I didn’t see it at the time but after reviewing the tapes for the past four days I honestly think they’re hiding something from us.” Bezz shut off his datapad and pocketed it as well. “I believe you’re onto something, Professor. There’s no mention of elections or political parties in the racial history they presented. It seems that ultimate authority rests on a single person, this First Leader of theirs. I find it troubling that the functions of the judiciary, executive, and representative bodies reside in the office of one man.” “As well you should, Bezz. 37% of the respondents of the current task group poll don’t trust the Axis for being less than forthcoming. Only 10% are giving them the benefit of a doubt while the rest want more information before making up their minds.” “I think we’re about to find out,” Bezz said after a CIC rating informed him that Anjur was signaling. “If its one thing we know for sure about this Axis is that they’re punctual.” Signaling back, Bezz indicated that the main flatpanel should be used. The panel flickered then stabilized to show the image of Anjur. Unlike the secret revulsion felt by the Comensal there was just familiarity on the Hamthens’ part. Like the Terpla’ns, the Hamthen only needed clothes for utilitarian purposes, such as shipsuits and cold weather gear. On their part the Comensal wore clothes that concealed most of their bodies, leaving only their heads exposed. The image of Anjur was typical of the Comensal depiction. Bony interlocking plates covered the head, as well as the rest of body, leaving only fine green hair growing from the merger points. The overall head shape was very similar to that of a Valhallan, complete with nose and mouth, but the eyes lacked discernable pupils. There was no mistake that Anjur, in his silver-trimmed black uniform, was looking directly at Azaa and Bezz. “Greetings, Professor, System Commander. Please have your recorders on. For today is momentous.” Over the speakers his translated speech sounded force, like it was being spoken while fighting back pain. A much larger sampling of Comensal voices is needed to give greater shading to the stressing of syllables and pitch, Azaa thought to himself. Due to the distance it took six seconds for his reply to be heard. “They’re on, Prime Commander,” he said, wondering what his translated speech sounded like. Had he known Azaa would’ve protested, for Anjur heard Azaa’s words in a pitch that induced annoyance, which was fine with Anjur for he wanted to be annoyed by the Hamthen and gain further motivation for his delivery. “I, Prime Commander Anjur, speak in the name of the Asteroid Axis. As a citizen of the superior nation of all creation, I hereby order you to turn over your astrogation database as well as all information pertaining to your military strength and capabilities.” “Why should we do that,” Bezz said disarmingly. Behind his back he made a hand gesture to his operations officer, informing him to bring the task group to second alert status. Anjur’s green eyes sparkled, totally the opposite they were during the few face to face meetings. “Because if you don’t surrender the data willingly then I shall take it by force, shifting through your wreckage if necessary. The destiny of the Axis is to dominate all of space, to control it for the benefit of the Comensal race! All other races, being inherently inferior, will be swept aside to make room for the most perfect Axis. An axis of unity, strength, and purpose, made pure with blood and fire! I will not brook delay. What is your answer?” “I’ve heard better lines coming from worse actors,” Azaa replied. At his side Bezz made another hand gesture behind his back for the operations officer to see. Short of activating their fire control sensors the task force was ready for combat. “As the designated representative of the Democracy in this system you and your nation are no longer welcomed. Leave immediately or you will be ejected with force.” Looking imperious, Anjur pointed his finger. Had it been a holographic image, said finger would’ve poked Azaa in the eye. “Then die in a fire! The Asteroid Axis will fulfill its destiny and become the supreme power in the universe!” “Multiple fire control ladars are illuminating ships of the task group, Commander Bezz,” said the Jetsream’s tactical officer. “Most of the Axis ships have activated shearing planes.” “So much for using our tractor lock sensors on them,” Bezz commented as he took his command seat in the CIC. “Complete first alert status! Alter course 120° to starboard and engage engines at maximum task group speed. Assume a zig-zag course.” “Aye, Aye, Sir,” spouted the tactical officer. “The enemy is moving at a speed of 0.116c; their cruisers have detuned their engines to keep up with their frigates and destroyers. They’re approaching on an intercept course….” He hesitated for a moment. “They’ve launched fighters from three of their ships. 54 in all. Sir, the carriers have no active shear planes… and they’re staying with the rest of their ships.” Bezz crunched that bit of data and immediately had a plan. “Launch our interceptors and have them assume a defensive stance over the task group from the moment. The Sundogs are to fire their external ordnance at an enemy frigate at the 5 LS mark and then retreat. Designate the enemy carriers as the primary targets for the Sleets, Hails and Rains when they reach the 3.5 LS mark. Until then they will fire on one of the frigates at 5 LS range.” “Transmitting orders, Commander,” the officer said. Azaa, in his chair next to Bezz, looked puzzled. “Why would the enemy send carriers into direct combat? From what our Terpla’n friends told us any shipboard space used to mount weapons is that much fewer fighters that could’ve been carried.” “Well, Azaa, you did mention earlier that in first contact situations a race, if rational, would put their best face forward,” Bezz said righteously. “This Axis showed us that they’re not rational, going by that histrionic display by Anjur. Perhaps they did arm their carriers. Otherwise why risk them to likely loss when they could escape and be re-equipped with fresh strikegroups? If they continue to oblige us and bring them to weapons range we’ll destroy them, depriving them a chance to re-arm and threaten our ships anew.” “Assuming we survive their first strike,” Azaa countered. “Yes, there’s that problem. Our interceptors will take their fair portion of those fighters.” Bezz looked longingly at the holoimager display of the battlespace. “If they could’ve waited two more years we would’ve had fighters of our own in a meaningful way.” Indeed the Hamthen had the opportunity to develop fighters and the required support infrastructure. But even with Commonwealth support it would’ve been a costly thing. The difference in technology was still significant enough that launching and servicing Hamthen fighters would’ve required twice as much space as that found on CSF carriers. It was just a matter of time before the Hamthen’s general tech-base was upgraded to the point where fighter bays would’ve been as efficient as those of their allies. Instead the Space Navy Service (SNS) settled on an alternative. Using a highly modified assault shuttle the SNS came up with small craft that mounted a limited squadron datalink and early type of mass-driver gun as found on CSF fighters as external ordnance. Only 27 interceptors were carried by the three Sundog frigates. From the briefings he received from a CSF technical team Bezz knew that, in all likelihood, the Axis fighters were armed exclusively with short-ranged fighter sprint missiles – anti-ship weapons. For the entire month the two groups of ships were in sight of each other the Sundogs never once launched their interceptors, leaving the Axis completely ignorant of their existence. Had they known, then some of those squadrons would’ve been armed with guns. At this rate it would take the Axis fighters six minutes to reach the task group. It only took two minutes for the Axis flotilla to enter the missile envelope of the Sleets, Hails and Rains. An Axis frigate was pounded by standard and capital missiles. Shields and armor were stripped, the afflicted ship streaming air behind it. Not all of the SNS ships had capital missiles on their external racks, and the missile ships didn’t fire there external loads. Only the Axis DDs and FGs fired their external CMs, turning one SNS corvette into a motionless wreck with another losing its passive defenses and datalink. Firing their missiles, the Sundogs took their leave, now moving at their maximum speed that took them away from their fellows. In the three minutes it took for Anjur ships to close the range by 1.5 light seconds his flotilla lost five Punch FGs with the sixth at half speed. One Sprinter DD had fallen behind with engine damage as well with another with its armor almost breached. Bezz lost just three corvettes. With the fighters in prime range for capital point defense Bezz cut loose the interceptors to engage them. Nine were shot down by the interceptors’ guns with seven more bagged by the task group’s point defense. For the ship-to-ship exchange Anjur, still with his cruisers and carriers de-tuning their engines, did paltry damage to one corvette. He got angry when he saw the Sleets single out a carrier with tractor lock sensors and fired their externally mounted capital missiles in addition to their force beams and standard missiles. The 10% increase in accuracy had a telling effect. The Axis carrier was a wreck, reduced to half-speed with another destroyer made into a barely crawling debris expelling hull. The range fell to 3.25 light-seconds. Twelve more fighters were bagged by the interceptors and point defense with another carrier and destroyer reduced to half-speed. One Rainbow corvette was shattered, only possessing its still-functioning energy beam. With the passage of another thirty seconds the range dropped by another quarter of a light second. Now the fighters were upon the SNS ships, destroying or crippling four frigates. Anjur’s third carrier and two more destroyers were pounded for damage, this time experiencing energy beams for the first time. Only fifteen fighters peeled away, running towards their damaged carriers with the interceptors in pursuit. Axis cruisers finally stopped detuning their engines, keeping the range at 3 LS. First to fire were the six light cruisers, ripping into two of the Hails. One Thunder FG was reduced by the Axis survey BCs force beams into a motionless one-weapon wonder. Six interceptors were shot down but a further four fighters were bagged. Previously damaged SNS ships were wiped out. With their quarry faster than they were the remaining interceptors turned away in an arc, keeping away from further point defense fire. One Axis CL had electric discharges danced all over its hull from concentrated energy beam fire, losing weapons and engines from overloads. Right then Bezz ordered all his beam and missiles frigates (including six that were under orders until now not to fire) and the corvettes to turn about and engage at close range. Anjur, so sure of a continuing running battle, was so startled by the maneuver that the SNS got off the first shot. Three of the Electrical Storm frigates took on a CL that had lost just its shields in the previous exchange. It crackled with enough energy to resemble a firework display, her weapons gone and engines all but vaporized in massive overloads. Another CL and a DD were similarly devastated. The six Rains, using missiles launchers in sprint mode, reduced the shields of two more CLs, preparing them for the next salvo of energy beams. Only two Rainbows were left and none of the Thunder FGs survived, but the odds now favored Bezz. With some maneuvers of his own Anjur didn’t have the FGs and CTs in his blind spot, but they were at point blank range none-the-less. For blasting three FGs and a CT Anjur lost two more CLs. Then, in that portion of his mind that still acted logically and rationally, Anjur took stock of the situation. It would be four minutes before the eleven remaining fighters would be rearmed and launched, but the time and distance involved, not to mention the 21 interceptors, would render them useless. The three survey battlecruisers had lost shields or were about to lose them. Just one CL and the three survey DDs remained combat-capable. Even with the anticipated losses it was very unlikely that any of his would survive – if he stood and fought. So he elected to run for it while there was a chance to do so. Now it was Bezz’s turn to get surprises. Having turned his Sleets to intercept the enemy he watched instead as they continued on their course with the frigates latched onto their flanks. He lost three Electrical Storms but gained one CL and one DD dead and crippling one BC and DD. With the apparent outcome inevitable a pair of shuttles launched from one BC, heading on a course that would take them toward three destroyers that had sat out the battle after firing their external missiles. Bezz only briefly considered sending the interceptors after them, but decided against it after finding that the shuttles, which were pushing their engines, would reach the destroyers first. He had no intention of losing pilots against a target that was immune to their weapons. The last active and defiant BC crippled two FGs become succumbing to a mix of beams and missiles. One of the big ships, already reduced to a crawl just half a minute earlier, was pecked away by a frigate that, although immobile, still had an energy beam. Bezz looked at his task force composition plot and regarded the carnage with harsh eyes. 13 out of 24 frigates have been destroyed with one heavily damaged and two more hanging on by a thread. All 12 corvettes were gone. Two CLs were at half-speed and six interceptors had been shot down. For the Axis they lost three BCs (one of which was e-hulked), one CL (and one e-hulked), two DDs (and one immobilized), and five FGs. Four CLs, six DDs, one FG, and three carriers were in various states of damage from heavy to severe but all were able to move. Azaa looked at the retreating icons representing the trio of destroyers and the twin shuttles in the holoimager. “If asked in a poll I’ll say that’s Anjur in one of those shuttles.” He then gestured to the circus of Axis wrecks. “What are we going to do about those fools? Looks like they’re gathering to limp home together.” “We’ll take came of them, but we must rearm first,” Bezz said while scrolling through a repeater screen. “We fired off 75% of our magazine load in this battle. We’ll restock by getting missiles from the Rains and Hails. With the Sundogs we’ll chase down that gaggle of would-be conquerors and serve them to rights. The rest of our ships will stay here and conduct SAR operations as well as conduct boarding actions on the three immobilized hulks.” “A good plan, System Commander. Axis computers will provide us with answers that they were unwilling to provide in person.” So it was that two hours after battle a fresh one was about to start. Ignoring repeated hails to surrender the Axis ships kept moving towards their still-unknown entry point. As for the three untouched destroyers they were being tracked by a Meteorologist class survey ship. Two days earlier it and a freighter loaded with sensor and comm buoys entered Dotz to lay down a sensor net in case the Axis refused to reveal the location of the closed warp point by which they entered the system. Bezz began his barrage by attacking those ships known to be worst off based on observed hits in the previous battle. It seemed to have provoked a pre-arranged action, for after two CLs lost their shields in the first exchange those Axis ships still with weapons began to turn, bringing their weapons to bear. The remaining 11 fighters were launched, which prompted Bezz to have the Sundogs fire their external ordnance and release the interceptors. Halfway through the turn one Sprinter DD shuttered from Bezz’s second and third volleys, losing its weapons and therefore its usefulness in the upcoming exchange. Before they could respond a fourth volley removed two more armed Sprinters from the equation. Jetstream received two laser hits for some minor armor damage. Axis fighters then moved independently of the lame circus, making a beeline for Jetstream and right into the interceptors. It was a quicker death for the Axis pilots than for their fellows still aboard ship. Two more fractured Axis ships lost their weapons but scored hits as well, for the Jetstream was down half of its armor. To gain better accuracy, Bezz has his ships move in closer. From this he learned that Axis carriers were indeed armed, in this case with run-of-the-mill lasers. Even as the last armed CL was destroyed further hits reduced Bezz’s ship armor by 90%. Moving at full speed, he had his ships just outside the range of those old lasers just as the weapons recycled. After battering the first two carriers Bezz switched gears and moved towards the last one on an intercept course. At a range of 1.75 LS, coupled with tractor lock sensors giving the needed boost in accuracy, sprint-mode missiles were fired before the Axis ship could respond. The carrier exploded, and shortly thereafter was followed by the rest of the cripples. It would be a pattern repeated many times in the following war, for Axis crews never surrendered their ships. “It seems a waste to us,” Azaa observed as the shuttles picked up the few Axis lifepods seen ejected during the battle, “but in their eyes it was worthwhile. They made use up more missiles, leaving us to wonder if additional forces would arrive before we get resupplied.” Bezz guffawed. “If they wanted to keep us in suspense, then Anjur should’ve destroyed all of his ships. If we don’t extract what we need from those hulks we captured then we’ll find the warp point by following those three destroyers.” Azaa followed the SAR operation on a repeater screen at his station. Based on what he studied of bipedal emotional expressions he didn’t like what he saw on the faces of the rescued Axis spacers. He came to a conclusion. “Commander, I can state for the report that we won’t get anything from our prisoners. See how they hold up their chins like a Valhallan. They’re defiant and act like they’re only inconvenienced, not defeated.” Bezz had to agree. Axis’ eyes shone like lamps of fire. “You may be right, Professor. Despite Anjur’s foolishness and tactical inelegance I must say the next commander will be more professional. It will be an intense and anxious period until enough of the fleet is activated and refitted. After Dotz there’s Evershem and then Hamthen. While we’ll benefit from being so close to home in getting supplies and ships the Axis will have to only launch three warp assaults to conquer our capital.” “At least you’ll be able to bring in mines and buoys real quick to cover the warp point once it’s found, Bezz.” “True, Azaa. For decades, despite having only one warp point, Dotz was considered the frontier. Thanks to our Terpla’n friends we were able to expand our territory. I wish Dotz was three times as far from Hamthen than it's now.” Twelve days later a force of supply ships, stuffed with buoys and mines, arrived in Dotz and proceeded to the second (and closed) warp point obligingly revealed by the retreating Anjur. Regarding the three captured ships no intact records were found. Technical investigations on the survey destroyer hulk only revealed systems and instruments that the Hamthens and her allies had already developed. It was going to take a much larger body of captured databases to shed more light on the Axis’ real background.
After a poll of the voting population, and with the consent of the Democratic Congress, the Hamthen president officially declared war on the Axis invaders and invoked the defense pact with the CPS. Six weeks after the first battle task groups of the 2nd Field Fleet were ready for deployment. Elements of the 1st Field Fleet that were already in the Hamthen and neighboring Calrat sectors were ordered to form up with the SNS task group in Dotz. Before Task Force 21 (comprised of Task Groups 211 and 212) left for Hamthen space Flag Captain Tulcus Jki visited Admiral Ayrth aboard his command dreadnought, the Captain Dessis. Jki was there to receive her orders, which was odd since there was no real need to get them face-to-face. They talked in Ayrth’s day cabin. Like the Avma, the Dessis also had a lungfish mascot. Its aquarium occupied one whole wall of the cabin. Named Puffy, the lungfish was content to watch underwater as the officers talked. “So it appears we have a foe that’s every bit as sophisticated as we are,” Ayrth commented, going through the technical report on the Axis. “Depending how fast they attack again, it’ll be up to us to shore up the SNS until their mothballed units are reactivated and modernized.” “A good thing we strongly advocated that they develop those interceptors,” replied Jki. “If that Anjur person had a bit more smarts, he could’ve waited until Bezz’s ships ran out of missiles while bombarding them with long-range capital force beam fire, saving his fighters if Bezz decided on a direct charge.” Ayrth closed the old-fashion report folder he was reading from. “Even as an imperfect guide, if Anjur had was what the Axis considered a standard survey flotilla, then we’re looking at a sizeable foe. The war may very well be a long one. To that end we need our top people in charge, to lead at the front and set an example for others to follow.” Ayrth retrieved a small case from his desk and handed it to Jki. “It won’t be official until the board meets tomorrow, but you’ll have it on hand later that day at the officer’s mess.” Jki opened the case, finding a pentagonal rank badge of rear admiral. “Sir, I’ve been a flag captain for only a year. I’d be going over a full third of flag captains that are senior to me on the promotion list.” “You should’ve been made a flag captain right after the Hokum War, Tulcus. It took some time to clear the deadwood from the promotion board, the ones that held you back because they didn’t believe in the strikefighter. Since you’re going to lead all the carrier elements in the task force you need the appropriate rank.” “Thank you, Sir. My pilots will be celebrating my good fortune tomorrow night.” “No doubt, Tulcus. Perhaps now they’ll be better behaved on shore leave,” Ayrth said with conspiratorial wink of an eye. “Oh they will, Sir. They’ll be policing themselves better to spare me embarrassment.”
Four days later the task force left the Terpla system. Moving at the cruising speed of its dreadnoughts it would take three months for the task force to reach Hamthen space. Ayrth decided early on to send his carriers, cruisers and smaller ships ahead since they had a 50% greater cruising speed than his battleships and dreadnoughts. Along the way TF 21 passed through two territories belonging to their allies, the Quagaar and the Uan. Upon hearing about the war the Quagaar, a race ruled by a body of military arm corporations from behind the scenes, expressed their willingness to contribute. The majority of their fleet, however, was in mothballs and totally lacked carriers. It would be months before they could be considered truly ready. The
Uan, an insectoid race ruled by a socialist mindset,
had a very small navy. Possessing nothing larger than
a light cruiser, the Uan elected to provide logistical
support for the task force instead of sending a task
group of warships. Other races allied with the CPS,
such as the Valhallan, Hazen, and Crajen, were slow to
respond since the threat of the Axis was so far
removed from their territories. Only a handful of
their ships were sent to aid the CPS when their aid
was called upon. Two years later they would come to
regret for being so tardy and miserly with their help.
Chapter 3.25 Star Admiral Terson, Commander of Star Force 3 of the First Advanced Fleet, summoned Prime Commander Anjur to the flag bridge of the dreadnought Righteous Fury. Located on the other side of the warp point leading to the Hamthen Dotz system, SF 3 was almost ready to launch an assault. A veteran that saw action against the Lauset, Elotoshani and the Nu’chut AIs Terson had been given his current command to guard a portion of recently-acquired Nu’chut territory. With word of yet another alien race discovered the honor fell to Terson to start the campaign to remove it from the universe. As well as waiting for additional ships for the past month Terson was waiting for High Command’s decision on what to do with Anjur. For losing the first battle against the Hamthen the offending officer was expected to be court-martialed and expelled from the service. It, however, wasn’t in the cards and that left Terson in an unenviable position. He waited as Anjur entered and reported. “Prime Commander,” said the Admiral. Due to an injury sustained to his vocal cords while fighting the Elotoshani the Admiral always sounded like he had gravel in his neck. “You’ll be pleased to hear that High Command has decided not to court-martial you. Despite the loss of your flotilla, you have done well in that you’ve killed members of an inferior race. Also your service in the Nu’chut War has served you in good stead.” Plus it helps to have an influential aunt in the High Command, Terson left unsaid but implied in his tone of voice. Anjur’s family had been among the founders of the Axis, and thus had a fair amount of pull in the corridors of power. Anjur, however, couldn’t really make out Terson’s tone of voice. He was distracted by the long black scars on the Admiral’s neck and right cheek, old wounds that the man sustained in the service of the Axis. He replied automatically. “Thank you, Sir.” “Perhaps it’s too early to thank me yet, Prime Commander. On the authority of the High Command, and countersigned by the First Leader himself, you will be my second-of-command. Contingent upon your performance, the court-marital charges will be dropped once satisfactory gains are made against the Hamthens.” Terson stepped up to Anjur, his green eyes rimmed red with advanced age. “Your primary responsibility is to plan and execute warp point assaults. This means, of course, that you will have to lead from one of the assault waves. Our most recent pinnace probe came back. With the information it collected you will have an assault planned by no later than tomorrow. Our attack will commence in three days.” “Thank you, Star Admiral,” Anjur said smartly. “I will endeavor to validate the confidence placed in me by the High Command and the First Leader.” He knew then that his aunt must’ve pulled some strings to spare him from an outright court-martial. It was better to die in battle if necessary than to endure the disgrace from being ejected from the First Leader’s service. “Then proceed with your work, Prime Commander. I will not allow the Hamthen to have any more time to fortify their position.” System Commander Bezz of the Hamthen Space Naval Service felt more hopeful in the weeks after the first battle of Dotz. Those ships in his task group that were damaged had been put right and reinforcements, including refitted units, had arrived to guard Dotz’s newly acquired warp point. With a few more capital units and some true carriers from the CSF the task group could be called a proper task force. Nine battlecruisers, including three missile-armed interceptor carriers, twelve light cruisers (including six CSF Losyns) and three FG(E)s formed the core of Task Group 11.1, stationed 3.75 light-seconds from the warp point. Six CSF heavy cruisers, at 1.5 light-seconds, lead the close-in defenders: six Thunders, six Electrical Storms, nine Rains and twelve Rainbows. Located in-between at 2.5 LS were three Sundog FG(V)s and three Ice CL(E)s. Fifteen interceptors formed a combat area patrol around the warp point at 1 LS distance. Being a closed warp point the SNS was able to saturate the area immediately around it with 100 patterns of mines. 300 additional mine patterns encircled the point at range of 0.25 LS. Keeping them company where 792 buoys – 360 standard one-shot laser, 144 cut-down energy and 288 cut-down force beam buoys. Controlling those automated weapons were three equally-spaced control ships, each sitting 6 LS distant. Bezz had wished that more ships were available, but the reality of the situation couldn’t be ignored. It was considered unlikely that Dotz defenders could hold before a significant number of battleships and frigates could be demothballed, let alone updated, in time. Indeed an evacuation of Dotz III, a harsh environment world of 40 million, had started four days earlier. Prefabricated base components were being assembled in Evershem by all available mobile yards and machine shop vessels. Being closer to the homeworld system, a much more comprehensive evacuation was being conducted for Evershem II’s 4 million inhabitants. A bleating alarm aboard the Jetstream brought Bezz running to the CIC. He saw the final ship of the Axis’ first wave, a battlecruiser, complete its transit. Before it were five dreadnought-sized vessels. The mines, set to normal expenditure, were clumsy responding to these newcomers, only a miniscule fraction of each pattern actually succeeding in their attack runs. Even so the first dreadnought was bleeding air and debris. Three more dreadnoughts lost shielding and portions of their armor. As for the last dreadnought and the battlecruiser their shielding was partially down. Only 18 patterns of mines were left in Mine Park Prime. An Axis DN open fired on one of the CSF Kiosho CAs with beams while from its racks and internal launchers sped twelve capital-missile-sized objects. Bezz winced when he saw those projectiles explode in the inner minefield, taking out five patterns. From his briefings with the CSF technical team Bezz knew they were minefield clearance charges. As he watched the Axis BC fired five more charges, taking out two more patterns, his ships began to stir. The first DN to enter was utterly destroyed while the one with the partial shielding lost it along with some armor. A final mine pattern was obliterated as one of the tenders send targeting orders to 60 laser buoys and the remaining close-in mine patterns. Only one DN wasn’t expelling air and debris. Depending on how many more of his ships reached actions stations Bezz wanted to save his buoy weapons for the following waves. One Kiosho was wrecked by capital force beams and hetlasers. As the first of the second-wave DNs appeared the mines attacked again. The DN that had fired force beams as well as HET lasers exploded in a spectacular fashion while another barely had motive power. From two first-wave DNs eight fighter squadrons emerged, making a direct line towards the frigates. Only nine interceptors on the CAP responded in time, slicing into the formations as they launched their point-blank salvos. Seven fighters disintegrated from interceptor hits and long-range point defense fire from the Ice CL(E)s. Combined with the addled fire of the second wave nine frigates were dispatched. One FG and a CA were damaged. The second wave carried mine-clearance charges on their external racks as well. A total of twelve patterns were wiped out of Mine Park #1. With a second tender reaching action stations no less than 196 laser buoys were tasked to engage the seven Axis ships still on the warp point. The last first-wave DN and the second-wave BC splintered, leaving five air-spewing wrecks. Axis fighters were running away at full speed with the nine interceptors in pursuit. A final volley shot down three more before they were out of range. With the start of the third wave’s arrival (three DN, two BB, one BC) four of the five second-wave DNs entered Mine Park #1. Set to double-rate expenditure, the agile weapons destroyed the quartet but depleted 13 additional patterns. MP #1 happened to be that section of the minefield facing Bezz’s beam-armed ships. With a heavy heart he ordered those active beam-armed units and the Rains to close the range, enter the minefield and engage the Axis ships at point-blank range. The only survivor of the second wave fired on a previously damaged Kiosho, leaving only two operable engine rooms. Instead of outright destroying ships Bezz had the shields on the six newcomers brought down. With all three tenders active Bezz ordered them to use the 144 energy buoys on the seven Axis ships, inflicting massive damage. Three were made into motionless hulks, but that didn’t prevent the other four from moving out into MP #1 to pick up where their previous comrades had left off. Still at double-rate fire, the mines tore apart two ships while at the same time reducing their own numbers to a paltry two patterns. In the fourth wave five DNs and a BC dealt more hurt to the defenders, bashing two frigates and a CA. With great satisfaction Bezz watched as the previously hulked ships were obliterated before the 288 force-beam and 12 laser buoys were tasked to open fire on the remaining six ships. Three were destroyed outright with the rest losing their passive defenses. With the fifth wave’s arrival Bezz had his missile units to start orbiting the warp point, ordering the Sundogs, Ice CL(E)s and interceptors to join his formation. Apparently the fanaticism of the Axis was quite high to continue the assault. All the fourth wave ships were swept aside with enough damage done to the three fifth-wave DNs to bring down their shields and some armor. While the force and energy beam buoys ever so slowly recharging their capacitors the last of laser buoys, 92 in all, were used. No ships were destroyed, but all had hull breaches and various degrees of internal damage. With MP #1 finally cleared out by the fifth wave’s external ordnance the automated weapon tenders were out of a job. As they moved away the sixth wave, comprised solely of battlecruisers, emerged. Considering his increasing depleted ranks Bezz focus on reducing as many Axis datalink groups as possible. When the remnants of the task group finally had to retreat the enemy wouldn’t be able to bring their full armaments to bear. With their improved datalink Axis ships had to be practically destroyed so that their armaments couldn’t contribute to the carnage. A seventh wave of battlecruisers entered as four Hailfires moved out, challenging Bezz’s BCs. But unlike the previous waves the newcomers began to turn, away from the breech in the minefield and not following the Hailfires. Also the newcomers had curiously light armament, but succeeded in reducing the close-in defenders to just four combat-capable frigates. The Axis Hailfires found their targets, the CSF Losyns, to be very difficult targets due to their ECM. It took the Hailfires as well as the two armed missile DNs to wreck the small cruiser. Bezz learned why the seventh wave acted the way it did for they were fighter carriers. 180 fighters erupted from their motherships, totally dominating the tactical plot on the Jetstream even as the eighth wave, six heavy cruisers, entered the scene. All remaining interceptors were launched and held over the cruisers for the time being. With the last Thunder frigate destroyed and another Hailfire damaged the advantage now stood with the Axis. Bezz ordered his remaining ships to full speed, sacrificing ECM for time and distance. At a distance of 2 light-seconds and ECM not much of a problem both sides fired their standard missile launchers in sprint mode. Two Hailfires, a Losyn and a Hail fell in the exchange. The interceptors engaged the fighters, but out-numbered almost three-to-one and using some of their attack missiles in proximity mode the Axis brought down all 63 for a loss of 15 of their own. Following behind the Hailfires were six Stalwarts, punching the Hamthen with primaries and capital force beams. A Losyn that had an engine room shut down due to a primary hit from a Stalwart fell behind the formation. This spared it temporarily from the tsunami of attack missiles from the fighters, now at point blank range of the remaining missile and escort ships. With a last-minute maneuver by Bezz the fighters were denied blind spot protection, but it was a slaughter none-the-less. 53 fighters were, as Anjur registered the battle on his missile DN flagship, a fair price for heavily damaging three BCs, moderately damaging two more, and slapping down five cruisers and a frigate with righteous damage. Still sitting atop the warp point with the other missile DN Anjur had the primary-lanced Losyn targeted. It, too, was crippled, leaving only 16 cruisers capable of maximum speed. Bezz’s ship was one of those crippled by the fighters. He ordered that all Axis ships in range to be targeted until destruction. Jetstream was destroyed, taking Bezz along with it, by a pair of capital force beams from a Stalwart in passing. The running battle continued until all the SNS units, including those cripples that had limped away earlier and the recharging buoy weapons, were destroyed or commanded to surrender. Looking at his readouts Anjur felt a bit vindicated. Eleven ships surrendered, including one completely intact anti-fighter frigate. Of that number the boarding parties reporting from four Hamthen ships indicated that they had captured databases. Interestingly, five of the ships, from which no databases were secured, were manned by aliens that much like Hamthens, being bigger and having two extra legs. This deserved intensive interrogations. Per standing orders, only those enemy personnel aboard the surrendered ships were kept as prisoners. All enemy lifepods were destroyed, as befitting inferior races. Nineteen DNs, two BBs, ten BCs, three CAs and 96 fighters was the price of admiralty to wrench control of the warp point away from the Hamthen abominations. When compared to the destruction or capture of nine abomination BCs, six CAs, fifteen CLs, twenty-seven FG, twelve CTs and sixty-three interceptors it wasn’t an exorbitant price. There were assault battles in the Nu’chut War that were much more expensive. For coming out supreme in each conflict the Axis had shown its predestined right to survive and thrive. With the rest of the First Advanced Fleet in Dotz it was time to comprehensively scout the environs. Star Admiral Terson sent out task elements to each planetary component in the system. Any Hamthen populations were to be destroyed when discovered. Only the alien homeworld, once it was found, was worth the major expenditure of an army assault. Repair ships were brought forward and tended to those six ships that had been damaged. The orphaned fighters from the deceased Soars were given to replenish the depleted ranks of the fleet carriers’ strike groups. Munitions and supplies were delivered and distributed with clock-like efficiency. Their wait for action wasn’t long in the making. The three automated weapon control ships rendezvoused with the first and only evacuation convoy ever to leave Dotz. Twelve transports carrying over 60,000 civilians were being escorted in addition to the tenders by four Summer Showers, two Heat Lightnings, one Ice, six CSF Rundenros and six Falogrens. An Axis survey destroyer, running at maximum military speed, got as far as determining the number and engine types in the convoy before it blew out one of its engines. One of Terson’s task elements was able to reach the convoy before it could transit out of the system. Six Punch FGs, accompanied by six squadrons of fighters, were deemed adequate for the task. Learning the lesson of Anjur’s earlier failure the two CVLs and the DDE stayed well behind. Save for the tenders, the convoy escorts and the 12 interceptors turned to charge the incoming Axis force. The goal was not so much to destroy the Axis ships as to slow them down with engine damage and shoot down the fighters. To that end the Falogrens each carried two anti-drive missiles on their external racks. For the Axis commander his similar goal was to destroy or slow down the escorts so that his fighters could attack the freighters unmolested. The opening volley occurred at 4.5 LS range. On two of the Punches an engine room was lost from overloads caused by the ADMs, in addition to shield damage from capital missile and force beam hits. Going into maximum ECM while still being able to move, both sides, aside from the fighters, closed the gap by one LS. Not one hit was scored in this exchange. Another 30 seconds later had the fighters on top of the escorts. Five Falogrens were hit with one falling to the lasers of a trio of Punches. One only force beam registered on a Punch but fifteen fighters were shot down, almost half the force. Arcing away, the interceptors, like in the previous battle, only had one more shot before the lightened fighters were beyond their range. Only two more were nailed. Now at 1.5 LS the ships traded punches yet again. A pair of Falogrens was reduced to one operable engine room each while two Punches died in return. As soon as a ship lost ECM strength due to damage it was singled out for attention. With the passing of another 30 seconds and weapons recycling the Axis struck first. Another DD was almost vanquished while another lost its armor, cargo hold, and first set of crew quarters. Return fire took one Punch and broken another. The slow motion battle was almost over. Passing each other, the combatants faced off again at half-a-light second range. Axis lasers bit into two frigates, taking out armor and engines while another Punch was left toothless. Lucked favored the invader in his last salvo, hurting a previously hit Falogren before falling to a rain of sprint-mode missiles. Force beam fire from the still-armed Falogrens took care of the two cripples that tried to make a feeble run home. With the four undamaged Rundenros and anti-fighter escorts sent back to cover the transports the still-armed crippled warships proceeded towards the enemy carriers. This was done to tempt the Axis commander to send his strikegroups to engage them and earn easy kills while losing more fighters in the process. It was wishful mind reading that came true as the Axis commander did just that, sending his 19 fighters out to knock out ‘inferior alien ships.’ The interceptors met them first, shooting down two in exchange for being wiped out like clay pigeons from proximity-fused close attack missiles. Point defense and sprint mode missiles got five more, but both damaged Rundenros were rendered weaponless. Then, as if he read Anjur’s playbook like it was his own and ignoring the orders of Terson, the Axis commander decided to take his carriers into direct combat. His two carriers had capital missiles on their racks and he used them on the relatively intact Falogren once it entered prime range. That only served to get the CSF captain mad, and he happily obliged by closing in at top speed, followed by a squadronmate that still had one force beam to its name. Five-sevenths of the first carrier’s shielding was knocked out for just one laser hit in return. At 0.5 LS range the Axis fired first, cutting the offensive ship’s speed in half for the price of losing the first carrier’s shields and half the armor. With sensor data provided by the DDE the twin carriers knew their foe was almost out of it, easy evading the ramming attempt and ended at point-blank range for their weapons. The snail-speed DD in the distance did succeed in almost removing the armor of the first carrier, but it and its fellow were finished off, as well as their life pods. Of the opinion that while in possession of fighters there was still a fight to be had the Axis commander stopped long enough to reload his external ordnance before heading back out to the convoy. The crews of the three lame Falogrens from the earlier bout had been evacuated by shuttles and their ships scuttled. Once again armed the trio of Axis ships with their 11 fighters sought out the enemy. Once the range dropped to 5 LS the carriers launched their brood. The four Summer Shower CTs turned and sped towards the enemy at half speed while the rest of the convoy altered course so that their blind spot was no longer exposed to the enemy. Knowing that the CTs had capital point defense the Axis commander, wanting to preserve his fighters as much as possible, elected to take out the quartet first. Meanwhile the four Rundenros opened fire on one of the CVLs, scoring two hits. The CTs slowed even further, performing an arcing 180° turn that brought their point defense at maximum optimal range. Now at 2.25 LS range the carriers and their DDE opened fired with their lasers and six capital missiles, half their load. One Shower, having tasked its point defense to engage fighters, lost its passive defenses and half its engines. What was taken were two Axis fighters and two further shields from the Rundenros’ fire. All the CTs sped up again, keeping the range open between them and the fighters. The cripple couldn’t keep up, but was given a pass for a moment. Another Shower was damaged, losing an engine for its defense was still primed against fighters. None were shot down in this round. No missiles were able to penetrate the defenses of the carrier this time. Again the CTs turned, but this time it was a ramming attack. Prudently the Axis commander turned his ships about, but the two intact CTs with their speed had the range dropped to 0.75 LS. The nine fighters attacked the small ships, three to one. With lasers added in all four CTs were no longer able to keep up with the enemy, but two fighters were shot down. The fighters returned to the carriers to reload, leaving it to the shipboard lasers to finish the job. It was a time-consuming task, so much that the commander decided to load the last of his capital missiles on his external racks. For the third time the Axis task element closed on the convoy. For this occasion the Hamthen convoy commander had all of his remaining escorts turn about and offer battle to the foolhardy Axis wag. Poor damage was done to one Rundenro. The tenders, despite their external salvo of standard missiles, only secured three hits on one carrier. With fighters launched the enemy continued to close in, perhaps sensing that the transports were in all likelihood filled with civilians. With a set of maneuvers the trio of Axis ships still closed on the convoy while keeping one light-second distance between themselves and the escorts. The convoy commander had the anti-fighter ships face different directions so that the seven remaining Axis fighters were not in their blind spots. One frigate was crippled by three fighters, but three more were shot down before they fired. Better yet, the Ice and two Heat Lightnings had seven CAMs on their racks and used them on a carrier. With previous armor damage the petulant ship passed atmosphere from an ugly hole on its flank, and debris from a shattered engine room came out of that hole. Lasers burned into the flank of another FG, take out its external CAMs, but that left the other pair, and they added to the hurt of the wounded CVL. With the fire from the two hit FGs the Axis carrier ceased to be a threat. Without the speed and time to run away the enemy commander couldn’t stop the same fate from happening to his second carrier. He ordered the DDE to run to a position one light-minute from the convoy and to follow it. In that way the location of another warp point in the Dotz system could be found as the convoy made transit. With another example of fanaticism for the SNS and CSF’s benefit the commander had his last four fighters conduct a suicide attack on the fourth Rundenro. Two kept on target as the ship jinxed one way to another, shooting one down in the process. With one ramming fighter the ship lost its point defense battery. As for the other two they moved off, turned and attacked from dead ahead. Just one made it, causing enough damage so as the leave just one engine room operable. The Heat Lightnings picked off the last fighter before it could close the deal. With a trio of FGs and the Ice pounding its flanks with nuclear fireballs the last CVL kept to its task. A previously hit FG lost more engines, falling behind but still fighting. Reduced to half-speed, the venomous Axis vessel had the temerity to produce one more shot. For that it was destroyed while the convoy commander called upon the other CVL captain to surrender. He didn’t, evacuating his ship and scuttling it so that it wouldn’t be made a prize. What few Axis lifepods that remained were picked up. The fourth Rundenro was scuttled after repairs failed to restore life support and engines. Another FG failed to repair enough engines to maintain a safe cruising speed of 0.05c. It followed as best it could, eventually making it out under the hateful glare of the Axis DDE, which had closed the range to 6 LS so as to remind the crew that, although it couldn’t attack them, the Axis had the system to itself. Five days after the convoy battle the last flurry of courier drones from Dotz III transited into the Evershem system. The only reason they made it out was that the Axis permitted it, refraining from shooting them down as they left Dotz III and as they approached the Dotz/Evershem warp point. Those drones confirmed that the 60,141 civilians that made it out on the convoy would be the only ones to come out of Dotz, for the Axis conducted a bombardment, obliterating every settlement with long-term denial warheads. Coupled with Axis ground teams the population of 40 million was wiped out in three months. Sadly it would take more than this atrocity to stir greater support from the CPS’s allies. Mr. Skuu, the Democracy of Hamthen’s Minister of the Naval Department, was on the way home. He was recalled from Terpla one month into the war now that his military representative was brought up to speed and could assist the ambassador as needed. It would be two months before the freighter, thanks to its high cruising speed, would reach the Hamthen system. In the meantime Skuu was updated with fresh news as it became available along the communication route between the two nations. Lt. Commander Yarr, Skuu’s chief military assistant in the staff that accompanied him to Terpla, had compiled the latest report from the homeworld and presented it to his boss. Getting the bad news before everyone else in the Commonwealth was a mixed blessing. “Adding the convoy battle to the totals so far,” Yarr said in a supporting tone, “the Axis lost 5 million tons of warships to our 2.8 million, 56% of the Axis tonnage.” “If you remove the CSF tonnage from that figure,” Skuu said pointedly, “then the tonnage loss would’ve been about 2 to 1 in our favor. That still doesn’t make up the loss of Dotz III, not in this or in any other reality. Perhaps we can stop the Axis thrust at Evershem. We just had light elements protecting Dotz. There’ll be battleships and CSF carriers on hand to bolster the Evershem warp point fortifications.” Yarr was still coming to grasps on the fact that Dotz III was gone. That planet was the second-largest extra-solar possession of the Democracy. Recently colonized habitable worlds didn’t even come close. Evershem had 4 million citizens on its hostile surface, only there to mine the treasure trove of minerals in its crust. In light of the Axis action Evershem, the third most populated extra-solar world the Hamthen had, was going to be evacuated with even more haste. “With the assembly of base components from storage we hope to extract even more of a price from the Axis. After all, Sir, they lost 19 dreadnoughts in the first assault alone. Considering what we’re building up they’ll lose twice that number easy. Perhaps then they’ll cool down and reconsider their ill-spoken will.” Skuu looked and Yarr and wanted to believe. His gut told him otherwise. “It’s a price they’re going to pay, Yarr. They said that the galaxy is theirs alone to live in. That message they broadcasted to Dotz III’s inhabitants was perfectly in line what they said earlier to Bezz and Azaa. That’s why we need all the help we can get. Those prisoners we got from the convoy attack will be sent to a colony in the CPS where they’ll be accessible to all the CPS allies. Once they hear for themselves the verbal poison those Comensal are spewing to back up their actions… well, the sooner the better.” “I think it will work, Sir. Once everyone sees how despicable they are we won’t be in wont of help. Moreover those new, larger bases under construction to bolster the homeworld defenses can stave off a major assault, possibly giving us the time to build a truly effective counterforce that will take the fight to the enemy.” “I’m disinclined to such a view, Mr. Yarr. Nineteen dreadnoughts for forty million lives seems to be a fair price for the Axis. With 3.5 billion on Hamthen the expenditure of one hundred dreadnaughts is well worth the price.” Chapter 3.5 Admiral Bekami, commanding Task Group 112, First Field Fleet, felt the same level of disgust his personnel did about the Axis atrocity on Dotz III. The deliberate slaughter of civilians was something more fit for a rampaging mob of barbarians than a technically-advanced civilization. If the Axis message was true then their act of genocide, being an official execution of standard orders, was beyond the pale of comprehension. What sort of society pressures and imperatives would convince a race that its survival depended on the elimination of all others? There was no analog in Terpla’n or Hamthen history, indeed in most of the allies’ pre-space histories, coming even close to what the Axis had done. One race that could shed some light on this subject was the Tzel. Among the ships guarding the Evershem/Dotz warp point were six Tzel frigates. Used for the escort of the Tzelan ambassador to Hamthen, these ships were released for use by TG 112 by the ambassador herself in accordance to the military alliance treaty between the CSF and the Caucus. Though minor compared to the combat power already deployed their presence was a boost to moral and confidence. Bekami invited the commander of the Tzel frigate squadron, Senior Lieutenant Wynn, to his command battleship Coral Breaker. They met in the library portion of the ship’s recreation hall. Bekami felt that meeting in the CIC or wardroom would’ve been too formal and public. He wanted to have his guest at ease and answer questions more openly. What he found was that Tzelans were perpetually at ease. The way Wynn greeted Bekami in the shuttle bay was like a person meeting a family friend after several years’ absence. Dressed in a smart-looking green uniform tunic and pants Bekami had to admit that Wynn looked good as far as bipeds went. In comparison, a Valhallan dress uniform, being bright red and covered in gold trim, was painful to look at with Terpla’n eyes while an UWL uniform was an unappetizing shade of brown-green. One of only three chairs made for biped use aboard ship was brought to the library. Knowing beforehand that Tzelans were tea drinkers Bekami had some ginger tea prepared, offering a warm cup to Wynn. “A thoughtful accommodation, Admiral,” said Wynn after sampling the tea. He spoke Terpla’n, thus relieving the need for a computer to clumsily translate his words. “A pleasing drink for a pleasant conversation, I presume?” “What I have to ask may not be pleasant, Commander.” Bekami took a sip of his tea. Not being a tea drinker himself Bekami expected the taste to be like a melted crayon. That’s what the tea served at the academy tasted like, and since then he avoided the drink as much as possible. This time the taste was sweet and fulfilling, but then again it was a Tzelan brand. “As the senior military Tzelan in this sector you would’ve seen the reports about the Axis that were made available to your Hamthen ambassador. Without having to employ niceties for my sake can you give your opinion about the Axis?” Wynn’s ears flicked acknowledgement. “At the risk of sounding stereotypical, I’ve been meditating on the subject. I’ve come to know a great deal about the history of other races, for I was the teacher of foreign history in our navy’s officer college. Of course, you would know that fact,” Wynn said like a mentor acknowledging a thoughtful student. “A good admiral would know the background of all his commanding officers under him.” “Point well taken,” Bekami acknowledged gracefully. “Without a complete grasp on their background, Admiral,” Wynn continued, “it will be an exercise of guesswork. This apparent genocidal bent they admitted to in their message to the people of Dotz III does not have an analog in the modern histories of all other known races except mine.” He took another sip of tea. “When the early Caucus was formed the basis of government being tried was that of collective socialism. As it was there were still groups of ethnic peoples that felt disenfranchised after their governments were subsumed into the global whole. They protested the way their resources were being allocated. One ethnic group, located on a large island, was on the verge of rebellion, so an army was dispatched to maintain order. “It was the ugliest period of our history. This was before the time of radio technology and even messages by ship took weeks to cross the oceans. A civil war broke out when it was found that the generals in charge deliberately starved tens of thousands of people to death to break the will of the island’s populace. What made it more poignant was that the food the people needed was in hand, but only given to the guarding army and those people not of the same ethnic group being starved in submission. It was genocide, given life by the last few embers of ethnic hatred that our people still had towards one another. “As for the Axis, with their words and acts, they must have had a particularly violent background. A race so callous as to condemn an innocent alien population to death must have practiced genocide on its own people in the past. Their government may very well regard the use of genocide as a valid policy with all races it encounters. It may also be a form of projection, placing the problems of the whole race onto another, to compensate for an inferiority complex. The speeches of those Axis officers, Anjur, Terson, and the few we have captive, to a phrase, are histrionic rants. To have all of them say practically the same thing is unnerving.” “Backing up their rhetoric with force is equally disquieting,” Bekami said. “Our pinnace probes have so far been shot down before they could return. We’ve been fortunate to have gotten theirs as well. With their willingness to sacrifice so much tonnage this early in the war then we can expect an even greater drive being made for Evershem.” Wynn’s ears flicked in a gesture of agreement. “Undoubtedly, Admiral. It is a good thing that 90% of Evershem’s population has been transported safely.” “Make it 100% and I’ll be able to sleep with a clear conscious.” Bekami blinked with his nictating membranes instead of his eyelids. “That Axis Terson made a direct reference to Evershem in his rant. He’s going to attack when he feels he’s strong enough. The longer it takes the Axis to conduct consecutive warp assaults the better. They’ll eventually choke on their own blood.” Prime Commander Anjur went over the schematic of the Evershem system again as he recalled the previous operation. Star Admiral Terson was pleased with the results obtained in Dotz. The extermination of 40 million aliens more than made up for the loss of ships and thousands of naval personnel dead. Terson may have his misgivings, but was smart enough to keep such thoughts to himself. He naturally claimed the victory in the name of the First Leader, a victory earned ‘by the blood spilt of our righteous comrades.’ Coming up with an assault plan that would entail fewer casualties this time around proved difficult for no pinnace probe came back. Accordingly Anjur had to assume the enemy was far more entrenched, so he decided to risk using half of the Soar assault carriers in the first wave. Twenty squadrons of fighters would see to the destruction of twenty enemy frigates, especially those armed with energy beams. As systems went, Evershem was as dull as they come. It was a red giant primary, orbited by two rock balls, two gas giants, and two cold gas giants. The furthest planet was only 37 light-minutes from the primary. Thanks to captured data, Anjur knew there were two warp points. For the Axis fleet the entry would come via WP 2, located some 77 light-minutes and on an arbitrary bearing of 60° from the primary. WP 1, which led to the Hamthen home system, was on a bearing of 240° and 267 LMs from the primary. Evershem II had a Hamthen population of some four million. The only reason that any race, including abominations, would settle on that hostile world was for the treasure box of mineral and radiological deposits. That planet was on the other side of the primary relative to WP 2, but that still placed it 260 LMs from WP 1. Assuming that ships, most likely auxiliaries, were above Evershem II when WP 2 fell (and there as no doubt in Anjur’s mind that it would fall) it would take over seven days at a cruising speed of 0.05c to reach WP 1. Sending a task element at a speed of 0.1c from WP 2 to WP1 would take under 4.8 days. At such a speed no freighters could possibly escape, thus ensuring that the abominations wouldn’t evade extinction. Like what was done on Dotz III the inhabitants on Evershem II would face a quick death at the hands of nuetron warheads. However, not all would be killed in the bombardment this time. Among the ships in the fleet train were transports carrying 10,000 troops of the Axis Army. To learn something on how the Hamthen fought on the ground would be an immense help when it came time to conquer the home world. Anjur looked at the biochemical watch he had tattooed on his left wrist. The assault was scheduled to start in four hours. Terson was expecting him to be at his station, on the sixth-wave DN Cleansing Fire, in one hour. He decided to forego a meal until after the battle was won. Besides, a meal tasted all the better after a righteous victory. The amount of ships that faced the first Axis wave, five Soar class carriers and a Hero class battlecruiser, was indeed an order of magnitude greater than that at Dotz. Starting at one light-minute, on a subjective bearing of 300°, were three undersized Type-3 bases. Half a light-second beyond them waited 3 CA, 9 DD, 24 FG and 12 CT. At 3 LMs were six more undersized BS3s. At a range of 3.75 LS the rest of SNS TG 113 and CSF TG 112 stood ready – 12 BB, 15 BC, 9 CL, 9 FG, 4 CVL, 4 CVE, 3 BC(V), 3 FG(V), 5 CL(E), 2 DD(E), and 3 FG(E). Spread in equal distant positions of 7 LS from the warp point were four automated weapon control ships. Of the 120 fighters and 63 AFSC some 30 and 15 respectively were on a CAP, orbiting the WP at distance of one light-minute. Emerging on a subjective bearing of 60°, the Axis ships would also soon contend with automated weapons. Surrounding the warp point were 480 patterns of mines, 540 laser, 120 force and 120 energy beam buoys. But first came the ships, the Soars and Hero tearing up the three close-in bases despite their transit-addled weapons. One Soar was singled out, shields smashed flat, armor ripped up and internal systems broken by force beams, lasers and primary beams alike. It only took a hit from a Rainbow to finish off the big ship. Only six AFSC (interceptors in Hamthen parlance) and three fighter squadrons in the CAP became active while the carriers crash-launched 42 and 30 respectively. Meticulous hits had brought down the shields of another Soar, allowing those few active Electrical Storms to knock out three of its engines. Knowing what the Axis assault carriers looked like the allies tried their best to finish off a second one, leaving fewer targets for the buoys. But no buoys were used for all the tenders and the sole control base failed to reach action stations. Due to that lapse the four remaining Soars launched their 16 squadrons as the second wave of five battleships and a battlecruiser emerged. The last battle should’ve told the allies to have their carriers slightly closer to the warp point. As it was the 42 crash-launched interceptors were out of prime range for their guns, shooting down only 11 Axis fighters. For that oversight 10 FGs and 4 CTs, all Hamthen, were destroyed with another CT severely damaged. With the fire from the Axis ships two more FGs were destroyed and another two plus one CT crippled. Active escort frigates and light cruisers moved far enough to engage the enemy fighters with their capital point defenses, shooting down a further five. With three squadrons to contribute a DN(V) and a BB were destroyed with two BCs damaged. Only one tender was able to send orders to 100 laser buoys, lacerating nine Axis ships. The big DN(V)s only lost half their armor while the BBs either lost most of theirs or had very light internal damage. Both BCs were reduced to one engine room each. Mine clearance charges from the second wave had removed 13 patterns from Mine Park #6, leaving only 67. Five more fighter squadrons were launched, and the five previously ones had reached the warp point in time for the third assault wave, joining the remaining two CAP squadrons. SNS Rear Admiral Ohoo ordered all active datagroups at the 1.5 LS position, including the surviving FGs and CTs, to close on the enemy and engage at point-blank range. He also had the one active datagroup of Nikazus to close in at point-blank range. The three surviving Soars completed their turns and transited out, passing the incoming five battleships and battlecruiser. Like before, the surviving Axis fighters moved at top speed, easily gaining just enough distance to prevent the interceptors from shooting them down. Initiative fell the CSF, and its three Tamaya CAs, braving the minefields, locked onto two second-wave BBs and almost completely atomizing them. The reply volleys took out two of the cruisers and damaged the third. In conjunction with further point-blank fire and the seven squadrons of fighters currently on the warp point only four third-wave BBs remained. A second tender did reach action stations, but only 80 laser buoys were activated. Just two heavily damaged BBs greeted the fourth wave as it transited. The third wave did manage to take out 13 additional mine patterns. Ohoo ordered the datagroup of Gymens to close on the warp point and orbit it at the 1.25 LS mark, which the first set of Nikazus had reached already. The two crippled Axis BBs reacted quicker and finished off the last Tamaya. Three DDs were wrecked and a FG written off by the new wave. With the help of fresh squadrons and judicious use of laser buoys all the Axis ships were eliminated. Admiral Bekami on the Coral Breaker was beginning to wonder if the Axis assault waves would still continue to use BBs and BCs. After all, they lost a fairly good number of DNs back in Dotz. As if responding to his question the fifth wave arrived, five DNs strong and with the prerequisite BC. Also different was their entrance vector, for they now faced the wrecks of the three close-in SNS bases. The flight of the Soars gave the Axis the low-down of the environs and adjusted accordingly. The six Tzel frigates, quiet until now, moved on the warp point and joined the first three Nikazus. Capital force beams and sprint-mode missiles turned one Axis DN into a cloud of debris. Leaving the missile group under Ohoo’s orders, joining the Gymens, was the Jajer datagroup, their missile volleys taking advantage of the addled enemy point defense. Combined with five more fighter squadrons, and the last two missile bases finally coming active, just two wrecked DNs were left to die at the hands of a mere twelve laser buoys. A CT, three DDs, and a BB were either destroyed or damaged in this exchange, and Mine Park #6 only had 28 of its original 80 patterns left. Wave six was also made up of five DNs and a BC. All nine Rain FGs began their trek to the warp point to keep up the pressure. Two more FGs fell plus the first CSF BB, previously damaged and taken out by the full armament of an Axis DN. The last two fighter squadrons selected one DN, bracketing it with nuclear fireballs. With its hull shattered it only took the salvos of the missile bases to finish it off. With one DN left 30 buoys were tasked to take it out. It wasn’t enough, for the ship remained to launch several courier drones even as the seventh wave, 5 DN and a CA, arrived. Interceptors, having given up the chase of the fleeing fighters, had in the interim returned to patrolling the warp point. Upon spotting the drones they engaged and shot them all down. The other three Nikazus were tasked to engage point-blank at the warp point. Mine Park #6 was down 17 patterns, each assault wave having clearance charges on their racks. A Nikazu became a weaponless hulk and a Rainbow was crushed. With no squadrons to assist, and to insure no ships survived to launch drones, more laser buoys had to be expended. The CSF had its own tender in hand, having placed 180 buoys of its own around the warp point. 105 were used against the last three ships left, but still one DN survived with an engine and very few other components to its name. Wave eight was comprised solely of battlecruisers. This entire wave was defeated without resorting to buoys. Ohoo and Bekami were glad and worried. Only one question occupied their minds – when will they Axis call off their attack? Already casualties were higher than those they sustained in Dotz yet they continued like there was no tomorrow. Wave nine was made up of six heavy cruisers so there was no question that buoys won’t be needed. An odd reading caught Bekami’s attention in his CIC. The Axis fighters had turned about and were heading back to the warp point at full speed. Ohoo saw this as well and sent out his interceptors. There was only going to be one chance of an intercept before they get to the warp point, and Bekami had a shrewd notion of what those fighters were going to do. That, however, was ninety seconds in the future. Five minutes into the battle saw the tenth wave composed of DNs and the typical BC. Judging by their passive defenses, the DNs had to be minesweepers. Additionally, their racks were loaded down with CAMs, and the first Nikazu BB of the original trio was down for the count along with a FG. Even addled by transit the minesweepers laughed off the salvos coming from the distant missile ships and bases. Unwilling to let the Axis even to have a tenuous foothold Admiral Ohoo ordered the use of the remaining laser buoys. 153 buoys destructed as they fired their bomb-pumped lasers, punishing the flanks of the minesweepers sorely. The area around the warp point was becoming polluted with the debris of Axis ships. Wave eleven just had one minesweeper, two BCs and three CAs. Bekami was becoming irritated with this yo-yo approach of wave composition. Sooner or later they had to call off the attack. After all, with ten previous waves gone already the defenses, by definition, had to be too tough to crack. Meanwhile the Axis fighters came under fire of the interceptors as well as the SNS CLEs and FGEs. Seventeen were shot down, and no further intercept was possible until after they attempted their suicide runs. Missile fire against the minesweeper and surviving BC was frustrated more since each carried two EDMs. The sweeper survived the attention given to it, but Ohoo was reluctant to use any of the energy and force beam buoys just yet. It wasn’t beyond the realm of possibility that the Axis would shovel in another DN wave again. To everyone’s surprise there was no twelfth assault wave. Bekami put on hold the three squadrons that had attacked first, waiting to build up all of his squadrons for one massive attack. That left the 63 Axis fighters, nine each for the six targeted frigates and one corvette. Wanting to maximize their potential, the fighters went after the Tzel frigates instead of the Rains – those missile units stood a better chance of survival. All the ships were hit, and those fighters that missed had enough speed to turn around for one final attempt. One FG and the CT were badly damaged, and in its last gasp the minesweeper fired its three hetlasers into the remaining Thunder and a Rainbow that had nothing but an energy beam to its name for most of the battle. It was incredible. Lost tonnage amounted to over 8 million tons for the Axis while the SNS and CSF lost, combined, 920,000 tons. A further 942,000 tons was damaged from one extreme to another. With damaged tonnage added to both sides the ratio favored the allies by over 4.5 to 1. It was a righteous victory, but the bulk of the defense was spent and needed immediate reinforcement. SAR teams were sent out to retrieve life pods, with allied ones getting picked up first. Then, by chance, one Axis pod was found to be transmitting a beacon that was noticeably more powerful than the others. When opened, it had a most interesting occupant. It had been one full day since the battle. Those damaged ships and bases that could still meaningfully contribute to the defense were kept with the rest sent to the repair ships and space station over Evershem II under their own power or towed by tugs. Munitions were restocked by a transport but no additional laser buoys were on hand, a request to the Hamthen system having been sent previously. Aboard the Coral Breaker Bekami was having a video conference with Ohoo and Wynn, the latter having to relocate to another frigate as his previous one was the worst hit by the suicide Axis fighters. All other business having been addressed, the trio talked about the Axis commander that was recovered, which turned out to be none other than Anjur. “I’m surprised you still have him on board,” Ohoo said in a testy tone. “For the one that started the war for his nation he should be taken to Hamthen and put on trial. I guarantee the polls will call for that once his capture is general knowledge.” “He will go, Ohoo,” Bekami said smoothly, “but in good time. The crews of the ships heading to Evershem II are too occupied tending to their own needs, and I’m not going to waste a pinnace when all small craft are required to hunt for life pods. Once a sizeable number of Axis officers have been secured from their life pods will I have that Anjur fool sent away.” “How has your guest been acting?” asked Wynn. “Being in the midst of one’s enemies must be unnerving for him.” Bekami blinked. “Strangely, he looks confident, like he doesn’t mind being a prisoner. Just like the Axis officers that were recovered in the first battle. Anjur even told the E’sani marines assigned to guard him that he ‘expects to be leaving soon’.” “Ah, E’sani,” Ohoo said approvingly. “Anjur would be wise to keep his superiority diatribes to himself, unless he wants to eat through a straw.” “Make that not eating, period. He’s refused the meals we made for him, as well as the ration packs that were in his life pod.” “Unusual,” Wynn said. “In the reports given to me by the ambassador all the Axis prisoners had taken a meal within 8 hours of a capture. Their metabolism is demanding.” “Well then, all the prisoners we’ll collect in the next two days better develop a taste for hardtack rations. There’s only enough fresh food…” An alarm interrupted Bekami in mid-sentence. He gazed at the holoimager, now centered on the warp point as a procession of red, angrily pulsing icons emerged from it. “It seems our neighbors are eager to lose more ships, gentlemen.” “So they do,” Ohoo replied. “Proceed with the revised defense plan, Admiral.” “Aye, aye, Ohoo.” Bekami closed the channel and focused on directing his portion of ships against the latest Axis attack. Perhaps this is why Anjur was acting so assured, he thought to himself. He knew there was going to be another attack in short order. It doesn’t help matters that our small craft are still conducting SAR operations, much less the lack of new laser buoys. Five Axis DNs and a BC composed the first wave. They were facing on a subjective bearing of 180°. CSF carriers and their escorts, SNS missile ships (excluding the Rains, which were with the beam-armed ships), interceptor carriers (save for the Thermals, again with the beam ships), and missile bases were still on their original bearing, though the ships were now an even 3 LS from the warp point. On a bearing of 120° and 1 LS from the warp point were the beam-armed warships. One LS behind them were the Heat Lightnings and Ice escorts, their capital point defense at the optimal range to engage fighters. The Axis ships had mine-clearance charges on their external racks. The mine patterns had in the previous day been redistributed so that the gap made earlier was sealed, but that made each mine park 16% less dense than before. Eight patterns were blasted away. Of the CAP only three of the five fighter squadrons and three out of fifteen interceptors became active. Crash launches from two of the Thermals meant twenty-four more interceptors able to engage Axis fighters. Seven additional fighter squadrons were made available, but won’t reach the warp point for a full minute. Just like in the first battle the buoy controllers failed to come on-line in the first thirty seconds. Despite being allies the command codes for buoys and mines were not shared between the SNS and CSF. Had the Jonal tender been given those codes, and was still present (instead of being used as an impromptu tug) then it might have made a difference. Instead the Axis assault carriers were untouched, though one did lose its passives and an engine room from weapons fire. The Axis Hero BC was destroyed, but Coral Breaker had no more armor and suffered the loss of an engine. As for the sole Rainbow, with most of its damage internal systems restored, it was reduced to just its energy beam again due to hetlasers hits. A Rain FG was pounded by the Hero’s force beams, losing datalink, its cargo hold and an engine. 20 squadrons of fighters launched from the five Soars, homing in on the allied ships one light-second away. The big ships also launched all of their courier drones, just in case the defenders managed to destroy all the Axis vessels beforehand. With 120 fighters to handle the 27 active interceptors did their best, shooting down nine with the Ice and Heat Lightnings adding seven more. What the fighters wrought was terrible. Combined with the stabilized hetlasers of the Soars and the second wave newcomers 14 FGs, 3 DDs, 1 Thermal, and 3 Jajers were either destroyed or damaged. On the Axis side the losses were one BC, one DN, and one DN(V). This time the control base and one tender became active. All 120 force and 120 energy beam buoys were used. Of the eight Axis ships affected each lost one or more engines. This was critical for the Soars, for only two were able to transit back out, leaving the other two turning as best they could with the engines they had left. To keep them and the regular DNs company the third wave, composed of three DN(R)s and three CAs, arrived. Noticing that 80% of the Axis fighters used only one short-ranged attack missile each in the first attack runs the Allies expected them to stay around. While the four squadrons that had fired full missiles loads ran off, coaxing twelve interceptors to follow so as to deliver a parting shot, the rest turned around and headed back to the warp point. Bekami reasoned that these fighters each had a gun pack. Their intent was to shoot down incoming Terpla’n fighter squadrons bent on attacking Axis ships. A CSF squadron fired first, hitting a second wave DN and stripping it of half its armor. An Axis squadron retaliated by destroying three fighters from a squadron that was slower on the trigger. In the ensuing exchanges only three Axis fighters were shot down, a paltry number compared to the fifteen interceptors and thirteen fighters bagged. As for the twelve interceptors chasing the four empty squadrons’ only one fighter fell to their guns. Shipwise the Axis lost two DNs, one of the two remaining DN(V)s, and sustained heavy damage to a third DN. The SNS had no ship losses this round, but the CSF lost a Jajer with the other two rendered worthless. Coral Breaker was subjected to a pair of hetlasers hits, leaving it with just a force and primary beam. Bekami was relieved that two of his Gymens finally got into the fight, but it appeared to him that the enemy was up to his variable assault wave composition tactic again. He ordered the SNS escorts to form up with his ships so that they could cover the warp point with their capital point defense installations. The fourth wave was made up of three more DNs and a trio of CAs. Like their predecessors, the DNs relieved themselves to be capital missile platforms. Now normalized, the third wave DN(R)s targeted a Thunderstorm. Without datalink point defense the ship defended itself as best it could, though it still lost most of its shielding. A fourth wave DN(R) was the focus of a fully active Thunderstorm datagroup. Two deployed EDMs fooled enough of the missiles that got past the active defenses, resulting in only the loss of shields and very minor armor damage. Coral Breaker was hit by two more hetlasers, destroying the CIC in the process and leaving the ship dead in space. It was clear to Ohoo that the battle was lost. There simply wasn’t enough firepower to hamper the Axis assault waves as they came in. With Bekami and Wynn either dead or unable to communicate Ohoo ordered the carriers and all of the escorts to fall back to Evershem II. What was left of the third strike fired their loads at the Axis fighters, falling back to the carriers with the remaining interceptors covering them. Like their opponents had done earlier Axis pilots followed to take their parting shot at the fleeing fighters but had to deal with the converging interceptors and capital point defense from the SNS escorts. Ohoo also had his active Sleets, including the flagship, close on the warp point so that their missile launchers could be used in sprint-mode. Six light cruisers made up the fifth wave. Tempting as it was to vent the dying fires on these small fry Ohoo ordered that attacks on the capital missile-armed DNs continue. One National Reach was practically dead with another forced to use its EDMs for defense before they were destroyed; even so it lost some armor. As for the last Prestige it fell to the sprint mode missiles of the two remaining Thermals. The two Gymens and the Wave Crest, the last CSF battleship, were sent in to point-blank range. A sixth wave of more light cruisers joined the fray. Meanwhile the fighters and interceptors continued to move and fight in a formation that resembled a cloud of gun-happy gnats. Of the 96 Axis fighters armed with guns only 22 were left compared to 18 out of 63 interceptors. Point-blank exchanges and missiles volleys from the bases and ships damaged, crippled or destroyed four Axis ships with the Allies sustained five casualties. The fighter carriers continued to pull away, sending their external ordnance to a badly damaged National Reach. Only one capital missile succeeded in detonating, wrecking a previously hit engine room. For the seventh wave it was six Hailfires, but the allies got the drop on two National Reaches. Those missile ships went up in flames with a third missing its passive defenses. Knowing their missile volleys wouldn’t do much good at this point the last two DN(R)s fired mine clearance charges. Combined with the two charges carried on each Hailfire the targeted mine park was reduced to nine patterns. With the newcomers adding their help all that was left of effective Allied units at the warp point was the two Thermals. Only three Sleets could claim to have a force beam each. Ohoo’s flagship was destroyed with an overkill of sprint missiles from a Hailfire. As for the fighter battle the numbers were 17 to 11, with ninety seconds given before the last SNS interceptor was gone. The National Wills fired on four of the bases with their hetlasers, stripping them each of their sole EDM. The arriving eighth wave was made up of two datagroups of Sprinter destroyers. With Mine Park #4 practically gone the three Disam BC(R)s, nine Hails and five of the Thunderstorm BBs departed from their orbiting patterns to join the carriers. The Disams and Hails detuned their engines to catch up while the Thunderstorms, unable to keep the distance between themselves and any forthcoming DDs and FGs open in any case, went to full military speed. Following them were the three tenders, having set the remaining minefields patterns in MP #4 to maximum attack density. All the Sleets were now destroyed, and the two Thermals had just half their weapons. Still the sole Rainbow kept plugging away with its energy beam, pinging at the last National Reach with more damage. Two SNS missile bases were now without passive defenses and out of datalink due to the efforts of the Hailfires. In one minute the last standing threat to the Axis fleet would be removed. Four interceptors were now facing just fifteen gun-armed fighters. To keep fighting despite the odds against them spoke volumes of the determination of the Hamthen pilots. Three more Axis units were bagged before the quartet fell to return fire. It also showed how prideful and arrogant the Axis really was, not giving their foes any credit for putting up such a gallant defense. Their only wish was that more interceptors were around so that Axis pilots could become aces that day. With MP#4 finally cleared Axis ships moved away from the warp point at a speed of 0.033c, having engaged ECM to its fullest effect and turning 60° to starboard. The Rainbow was finally muted as well as the last Thermal. After the Hailfires all it took were a few capital force beam hits to destroy or silence the missiles bases. Twelve frigates emerged from the warp point followed by six fleet and six light carriers. Four minutes later 288 prototype fighters, half loaded with full loads of short-range attack missiles while the other half carrying a gun and missile, went after the Thunderstorms. All crippled Allied ships, having left the battle as best they could, were tracked and destroyed by CLs and CAs. After dealing with the BBs (which were on a heading that took them away from the other ships) the fighters, minus 14 of their number, returned as a group, rearmed, and then set after the missile and carrier groups. Admiral Terson wanted to destroy those ships before they could reinforce the Hamthen home world defenses. Each one he could destroy here would mean one less he had to destroy later. Complete with tugs, the convoy of crippled ships and bases from the battle just a day earlier was overrun by 24 frigates. Only two frigates were damaged before hetlasers and capital missiles finished off the armed units. Afterwards it was another afternoon of hunting down life pods and picking them off like targets at a county fair. Meanwhile the CSF carriers watched as an approaching horde of fighters slowly gained on them. Although the exact types couldn’t be determined the ships trailing the fighters were most certainly carriers and escorts. With speed degraded with even one gun pack the flag captain of the task group remnants kept his fighters with the ships, releasing them only when the Axis strike reached the one light-second mark. Like half of the Axis squadrons, each CSF fighter was armed with a gun pack and a proximity-fused attack missile. Of the 274 Axis fighters a total of 68 were shot down either by gun, missile, or point defense. 60 of the 80 CSF fighters were swept from space. With help from the maneuvering ships those 20 remaining pilots were able to keep the enemy in their sights as the range closed to half a light second. In all 33 more Axis fighters fell, but not before taking those 20 brave souls with them. Descending on the ships like enraged hornets the 173 Axis fighters vomited their loads of death. Their goal was not to destroy so much as to cripple, leaving it up to the trailing ships to finish them off. Only 136 fighters peeled away from the strike, but all the dedicated escorts, and six missile units, were slowed from damage. The Allies couldn’t stop to conduct SAR operations, not with the enemy so close, but they were able to do one shuttle recovery sortie. The CSF flag captain in command send the CVEs and undamaged FGs ahead. Given the distance between the enemy and his ships there was no way a fighter strike could hope to catch up them in time. For the rest, even when it looked like inevitable death they all still fought like there was hope. Twenty-four Sprinter DDs finished what the fighters started. First of the cripples to go was a CSF DDE. Then came the three Disams and a FGE. They succeeded in scouring the armor off one DD before the lithe ships got into their blind spots and lazed them to oblivion. Joining them were a CLE and DDE. Further along this trail of death were one CSF and three SNS CLEs and a CL. Just short of the carriers were two more CLs, but without datalink their volleys couldn’t saturate the defenses. Even so they concentrated on the DD the Disams hit, breaking two engine rooms and forcing it to turn way. Bringing down the shields of another DD was the last success of these two ships before they turned into debris fields. Expecting the destroyers to keep on charging the Allies watched as they fell back to a distance of 15 LS. The reason why became clear as the Axis fighters launched from their carriers. Engagement started at 1.25 LS with capital point defense. Six fighters, three, and then eight were pegged like clay pigeons. Just twelve more were downed before the rest fired, crippling all but two automated weapon control ships. Twenty-three Sprinters went back to full speed, passing the retiring fighter strike, and like buzzards picked off the worst off of the cripples first. It was over five minutes after the first laser was fired. There was no way that the four CVEs and the FGE could linger over Evershem II for any amount of time to pick up a pittance of the population. So informed the space station over the planet sent four shuttles loaded with civilians towards the oncoming ships. The cutters carried onboard were ditched to make room, since in no way were the ships going to slow down. A second wave of shuttles was launched, followed by a third. The first wave was sent back to Evershem II, each carrying the marine complement of a CVE. It was the decision of the Terpla’n and E’sani marines on those ships to make room for the civilians. For what it was worth they decided to augment the defenders on the planet’s surface in case the Axis decided to claim the mineral-rich world as their own. With the fourth and last wave of shuttles onboard the total number of Hamthen civilians rescued was 3,200. That still left over 396,000 on Evershem II. In two months time the Axis, with use of neutron warheads and ground troops, finished the remainder and gained some insight on how the Hamthen fought. Such notes were passed on to higher authority where the preparations for the assault on the Hamthen home system were well underway. One measure of the confidence the Axis had in their inevitable victory was the order for medals. In a scene that would be repeated many times an Axis Army squad was awarded for its contribution to the victory on Evershem II. Contrasting the shiny medals and bright ribbons given to the men was the backdrop of wrecked pressure domes and piles of Hamthen bodies, bodies that were being desecrated not only by the atmosphere but also from deliberate laser cooking. Such scenes served as nails when it came to sealing the eventual fate of the Axis. Chapter 3.75 Hagelkorn, the Democracy’s largest extra-solar possession at 140 million, was one transit out from the home system. Task Force 21, Second Field Fleet, charged with the defense of Hagelkorn, was still waiting for the arrival of its battleships and dreadnoughts. It will take one more week before Admiral Ayrth arrived to take command back from his subordinate, Rear Admiral Pei. With the fall of Evershem just the day before the SNS called in what ships it could spare for the defense of the Hamthen/Evershem warp point. Due to the arrangement of the warp lines in the Democracy there were, aside from Hagelkorn, only two other systems that required considerable fortification. One of these was Cirrus, connected to a line of three systems between Hamthen and Virga, the original system of contact between the Democracy and the CPS. Fixed defenses in the form of buoys and mines were being situated in those three systems as well as Harvest Slope, the Commonwealth system linked to Virga. Behind Cirrus and Hagelkorn was the Pileus system, point of contact with the CPS system of Wrangler. Both Harvest Slope and Wrangler were in the CPS Calrat Sector. If the Axis should succeed in taking Hamthen and then the chain leading up to and including Virga the CPS would still be able to access Democracy space via the Wrangler system. However, if the Axis manages to go past Uan territory they’ll be able to cut off all access. For this reason a task group from the First Field Fleet was stationed in Wrangler. An additional task group was placed in Cirrus, backing up the growing number of automated weapons being built by the colony in that system. Holding station with the rest of TF 21 around the Hagelkorn/Hamthen warp point was the carrier Trout. Commanding was Flag Lieutenant Reas, veteran of the short wars against the UWL and Hokum. Two years after the Hokum War he became the executive officer of the carrier Cout. Eighteen months later, following his promotion, Reas was made commander of the then newly commissioned Trout. He had hoped that Admiral Jki would’ve selected his ship to serve as her command of TF 21’s carrier groups. Then again, it was to be expected the admiral would command from the largest ship available, that being the Junshu, lead ship of the class with the same name. Reas found that commanding a ship was not all that far removed from leading a squadron. Instilling teamwork, boosting confidence, and delegating authority to those that could handle it lead to a motivated, harmonious crew. Due to this he was informed just moments after Admiral Jki made an unscheduled visit to the Trout via the daily supply cutter. He got to the wardroom just before Jki did, giving his inspection-worthy shipsuit a final lick and a promise in the full-length mirror located next to an ornate wooden bookcase. Jki entered, giving Reas a tasking finger. “Reas, you’ve known since becoming one of my first pilots back in the day that I’m no martinet. Leave such things to Admiral Pei.” “Keeping in practice,” Reas said zestfully. “It doesn’t help that Pei use to be an assistant commandant in the Naval Academy. Apart from remembering my shenanigans, I would’ve given him a pass if he showed more guts in the present.” “Aye, he was stickler for appearance. I remember that much.” Jki took the head seat at the wardroom table with Reas sitting at her right side. “Pei and I were in the same Academy class. His nickname was Brass Bright due to the work he put in shining everyone’s badges, buttons, and shoes in our cadet division. I think the polish fumes might’ve damaged the part of his brain that regulates risk-taking.” Reas blinked in comprehension. “I agree. We should be in Hamthen guarding the warp point. With our firepower added to that of the bases and ships already there we can swat down any attack, even a mass transit made by dreadnoughts.” “If I had seniority we’d already be there,” Jki said. “As it is, Pei sent a message to the SNS Command asking if our assistance is required ‘in the light of present circumstances.’” Reas’ forehead blushed in anger. “Pei must be bucking for early retirement. I want to be present when Ayrth rips off his rank badges personally. If Hamthen falls due to simple lack of ships…” Jki held up her hand. “You’re saying what every sensible captain is thinking. Personally I think Pei is a coward for not acting on Ayrth’s contingency orders. Even the few hours it would take a message from his current position to reach the task force could make the difference between victory and defeat. But I’ve said my say on the matter, and that’s not the only reason why I’m visiting you.” “You want to see our pilots perform in a mock warp assault?” It was the only thing Reas could think of at the moment. “Unlikely, since Pei won’t allow it, believing I would take my carriers and place them under the command of the senior SNS admiral in charge of the defenses. No, I’m here for a drink.” Both of Reas’ nictating membranes blinked in a sign of incomprehension. “A drink?” “You’re hearing this from me directly,” Jki said seriously, “and not from the grapevine. It’s been confirmed from the comm logs of the carrier Cak, one of the four Couts that managed to escape Evershem, that Admiral Bekami died when the Coral Breaker’s CIC was destroyed.” Being quick and perceptive Reas knew the significance. “He was a friend of yours back in the Academy?” Jki blinked acknowledgement. “He was, and a damn good one too. Everyone knew he would be the first one in our class to reach the rank of admiral, and deservedly so. Both of our families live right next to each other back on Terpla. Since I can’t express my condolences or feelings to Bekami’s family personally for the indefinite future there’s one thing I can do to honor my friend’s memory.” She looked at the bookcase. “You knew that was a gift from me, to commemorate the Trout’s commissioning?” “Yes, I do recall,” Reas replied. “Well, why don’t you check the lower right-hand drawer? Give the back panel a good thump.” Reas did just that and found the panel popped right out. Behind it was a quart bottle filled with a dark liquid that could only be liquor. Jki smiled as she offered an explanation. “What you’re holding is one of the four remaining bottles of genuine Barlatio engine room rot gut. Bekami and I were junior officers assigned to that ship. To pass the time during a long deployment we made a still hidden in an equipment locker. We’ve managed to make a few bottles before we had to destroy the still. A snitch of an ensign, who wasn’t Pei by the way, told the captain. It was an even greater feat of concealment that the remaining bottles weren’t found. A few had to be sacrificed to convince him that his search was productive.” Producing two glasses from the table service hutch Reas poured out a shot’s worth in each. “Reminds me of pilot training. We made our own still when we found the official liquor to be lacking in taste and kick.” Jki took her glass and swirled the contents. The smell was just as pungent as she remembered it to be. “I put that bottle in the bookcase so that you have something special on-hand to celebrate the day you became a father, or when your crew earned their first excellence award. Right now this is the most tangible, direct link I have with Bekami. Let’s toast to his memory.” “To absent friends,” Reas said sincerely, clinking glasses and then downing the shot of rotgut in one go. Even with the fortitude for drink that pilots are known for Reas found the Barlatio brand to be particularly unique. He credited himself for not letting his eyes water even as he coughed for air. Even Jki found the liquor to be an assault on the senses. “The passage of time hasn’t dimmed the potency of this rotgut. It tastes the same from when I was a green ensign. Once we kicked those boney bastards out of Democracy space and win this war it’ll taste like victory. Reas, you will, of course, have the good sense of keeping that bottle our little secret for the time being. I’ll take another shot of this stuff at the appropriate time.” “You have my word on it.” Reas sealed the bottle and put it back in its hiding place. He then opened up a bottle of wine from the wardroom’s liquor cabinet and poured himself and Jki a glass. He drank the wine to clear his palette of the rotgut’s aftertaste. “With a taste like that only a complete victory over the Axis will warrant even another shot of that stuff.” Star Admiral Terson was genuine in his sincerity as he greeted Prime Commander Anjur as he entered the flag bridge of the Righteous Fury. “It pleases me that you’re unharmed after your ordeal, Anjur. To escape your exploding flagship, being captured and held by the enemy and then escape death again in little over a day’s time is remarkable.” Anjur raised his left brow. “Remarkable doesn’t come close to describing it, Admiral. Had the situation been reversed, I would’ve shot my prisoners instead of seeing them to safety. The guard that shoved me into the life pod badly bruised my arm. Moreover, I expected to be shot out of space since I was in an enemy life pod.” Terson made a dismissive wave of the hand. “I was looking for enemy officers to interrogate, so I ordered that all life pods launched from battleships to be captured. Those few pods we found had only low-level officers with little practical information. What we did learn was troubling enough.” Looking at the image of the Evershem/Hamthen warp point icon in the holotank made Anjur sneer. “Yes. Now instead of two races of abominations there are four. The one that gave me my bruise was a giant that looked as if he was dunked in dark blue ink. As for the fourth one, well, I wonder why they bother to wear clothes when they have all that wool covering them. Still, it will make the victory all the sweeter, crushing four races into dust instead of one.” “If only we have the tools to do the crushing, Anjur.” Terson changed the display in the holotank to that of a representation of available forces. “Even with rapid replenishment from our supply ships only two-thirds of our fleet and light carriers have complete strikegroups, and of our ten assault carriers only five are ready for combat and only then if we merge their strikegroups together.” He scrolled down the list. “We’ve an abundance of heavy cruisers and lighter units, but only a dozen each of dreadnoughts and battleships and ten minesweepers. We’re getting more heavy units as fast as they’re being reassigned and recommissioned. In a month we can conduct our assault.” Anjur’s furrowed his bony brows. “We’re talking about the abomination’s home system, Sir. They’ve already had a week to frantically reinforce what has to be their strongest defenses. Had the warp line been longer, then they would’ve fought that much further from home. Being so close their fixed defenses, especially bases, are going to be that much more substantial. If we try another conventional assault, even if it leads off with three waves of assault carriers, it will end in failure.” “What are you suggesting, Anjur?” Terson said in a demanding manner. He had a fair idea what his subordinate had in mind. Anjur’s eyes glowed with what other races would call fanaticism. “There is only one way to secure a decisive victory over the enemy, and that is with a simultaneous transit assault.” “That would be giving the enemy free kills. Additionally, Prime Commander,” Terson stressed the title deliberately; “if the assault fails then we would be inviting an immediate counter-attack. Any mass transit attack would imply to the enemy that we’ve used the vast bulk of our fleet. If devastated, then we cannot hold off even a modest counter-stroke.” “An unlikely outcome, Admiral. We are the Axis! Blood and fire is required from us to secure victory!” Anjur grinned at Terson’s perplexed expression. “Your words, Admiral. You used them in the only mass transit assaults in the wars against the Elotoshani and the Nu’chut AIs. Assaults, mind you, that were far smaller than the one I propose. Each of those assaults was done at a time when the enemy was in full retreat, where waiting would only served to help the defender. Attack now so that we can fulfill our destiny, securing our race’s supremacy!” “Since you feel so passionate about the subject, Anjur, then you will be pleased to hear this news.” Terson brought up a message on the holotank. “Despite the delay in communications, since it’s too soon for a response to our Evershem assault, the AFC had ordered us to take the Hamthen system immediately after Evershem. This is contingent upon our available strength and a reasonable expectation of success.” He smiled, making the scar on his cheek look all the more unappetizing. “I’ve decided to proceed with your plan. You will, of course, lead the assault personally… in the first wave.” “I’ll be an honor to oversee our tidal wave of might smash the enemies of the Axis.” Although he knew the risks, Anjur was looking forward to the attack. Failure was impossible, and the stains of his failed first battle and his brief capture would be erased. Terson nodded approvingly. “Very good, Anjur. Issue your assault orders to the fleet. We will commence the attack in three hours.” The Axis attack came in blind, for the two pinnaces sent in previously failed to return. What awaited them was indeed an order of magnitude over that of Evershem. Of the 21 missiles bases, both standard and capital, the majority were either updated or new construction. Keeping them company were twelve beam bases, again a mix of original, refitted or new. Three AFSC bases completed the fixed manned defenses. Like the beam bases, the bulk of the warships were one light-second from the warp point. The SNS had 42 frigates (including 12 Rains), 15 corvettes, and the only three minesweepers in the SNS inventory. Assisting them were six CSF dreadnoughts and six light cruisers. Behind them at 3.5 light-seconds range were six Thunderstorms, six Sleet and three Microburst battlecruisers, nine Hails, and three Thermal BC(V)s. Carrier groups were composed of two CSF Junshus and six Larikems. Counting the Thermals, the SNS also had three Wall Clouds, six Sundogs, and six Summer Showers. Escorts combined consisted of ten CLEs and nine FGEs. A total of 168 fighters and 322 interceptors (both base and carrier) were available with 42 and 80 on the CAP at any one time. Ringing the warp point were 900 patterns of mines, 720 laser, 240 force and 240 energy beam buoys. Five buoy and four mine controllers were located on two bases and three automated weapon control ships. In retrospect it was a very formidable assemblage of firepower. Then again the Allies couldn’t have known how far Anjur would go to secure victory. Only fifteen percent of the assault wave was destroyed in the simultaneous transit, a remarkably low number that Anjur chalked up to the righteousness of his race. Six of the thirty carriers were gone, but that still left 576 fighters, all loaded with short attack missiles. Each of the 216 surviving ships carried mine clearance charges on their racks, all of them set to fire into the mine park directly ahead of them. Even better in Anjur’s eye was that the heading of his assault wave, chosen randomly, was one that placed it head-to-head with the defense task force. For all their numbers the Allies only managed to destroy two of the dreadnought-sized carriers while causing moderate and light damage to the two others respectively. Three DN minesweepers were hit by close assault missiles, force beams, and energy beams, doing light internal damage though one MS did lose most of its armor. Only three fleet carriers lost their hanger bays, leaving the Axis with 438 fighters and 12 pinnaces. Regarding buoy controllers, the curse of Evershem was avoided, but only one of five became active. Just one hundred laser buoys flared to life, scoring laughable damage to those hit except those already wounded, especially the three CVs. Including those units on the CAP that managed to get active just 131 interceptors and 24 fighters were available for defense. Anjur, aboard one of the minesweepers, was positively beaming with delight. All twelve Allied beam bases were swept away and ten of those pesky corvettes were swatted like so many ants. Some thought his decision to have all of the ships equipped with mine clearance charges on their external racks to be excessive. Once the targeting and long range sensors stabilized it was found the anticipated mine park only had two patterns left, which meant that it had to have at least 150 patterns to begin with. With the second wave arriving, comprised of three National Reaches and three Hailfires, Anjur ordered the carriers to launch fighters and proceed to exit the system. Fleet carriers had the priority, so three of them were able to turn around in time to flee before the Allies activated more buoys. The two mine patterns attack two separate minesweepers, one of which was Anjur’s. With ECM in play and point defense no longer addled the big ships’ shields only took eight and ten hits respectively. Already on a facing that would permit them to orbit the warp point the Allied carriers, missile ships and escorts moved at 0.33c. With beam ships not moving the Allies allowed the Axis to close to point-blank range. The SNS admiral was resigned to the fact that the enemy had won entry into the system, so he decided to make a costly victory. He designated the Axis destroyers and frigates as the primary targets since they had the speed to run down the carriers and missile cruisers. While the four active CAP fighter squadrons zeroed in on the second wave the interceptors, save six from a pair of bases northwest of the warp point, charged the Axis fighters. Going after the carriers and missile ships, those fighters slowed slightly so that they met the interceptors head-to-head, engaging some ECM to throw off their aim. At three quarters a light-second from their own ships and escorts the Axis fighters could count on some support so that they wouldn’t have to use all their attack missiles in proximity mode. In the ship-to-ship battle it was a whole mountain range of landslides. Only one Allied frigate boasted one weapon with another having only basic life support. All other SNS FGs and CTs were destroyed. All six CSF DNs and six CLs were weaponless, leaving only three combat capable Thermals. For their part the Axis had fifteen DDs and a like number of FGs destroyed. Two more buoy control systems came on-line; along with the four squadrons the 25 ships on the warp point were treated to 300 laser buoys. Only three were destroyed but the rest were moderately to severely damaged. Anjur allowed the CVs and CVLs to make a mass transit out. There odds of survival were magnitudes better than trying to transit out normally. All 125 interceptors that met the Axis fighters head-to-head were shot down, either from the escorts point defense or proximity-fused fighter assault missiles. Only 11 Axis fighters were shot down. Dismissive of the Thermals Anjur let the shaken but armed Hailfires and the minesweepers deal with them. He ordered his fleet to intercept the carriers and missile ships. A third wave was entering, and considering the number of buoys remaining it was to be the last wave until the buoys were knocked out. Ten squadrons of fighters leapt from the Junshus and closed the gap on the approaching fleet. Before being shot down they claimed six DDs and FGs, leaving it to the escorts to finish the rest. With the real threat of the depleted Allied fighters turning into suicide attackers (indeed the four squadrons that attacked earlier were just shy of reaching the fleet, their intent clear) more Axis squadrons fired their close attack missiles, removing them from the equation. As for the majority of the remaining Allied ships they were crippled so that they couldn’t attempt ramming, leaving the Axis to finish them at their leisure. Save for the crash launching of 18 fighters and 26 interceptors from the distance bases there was nothing left to oppose the Axis squadrons. A combination of missile fire, twelve attacking fighters, laser and force beam buoys wiped out the whole third wave. Yet there was going to be no fourth wave. With most of the fleet now out of range the only targets left in range were the ten minesweepers. It was a use them or lose them situation, so while the Axis fleet moved in a zigzag course towards the southeast missile bases, keeping those few Allied ships with the speed to keep up in their sights, three buoy control modules sent out a new set of orders. All that accomplished, aside from further damage, was to make Anjur irritated. With all enemy ships gone or limping cripples the Axis fleet then went on base busting. Traveling in a circle, the fleet took out the bases in four minutes, expending two more DDs and two FGs to accomplish the feat. The minesweepers and pinnaces took out the weapons buoys before they had a chance to recharge their power plants. Fighter losses weren’t that great at 145 (excluding those lost in the mass transit). With the twelve empty carriers in Evershem, and the three Eagle Crests that had only armor damage, brought forward, the fleet had 376 fighters. Terson arrived immediately after the battle was over, bringing with him six Prestige DNs and six Hero BCs. For two whole days the Axis conducted SAR operations and enemy life pod elimination sweeps. Leaving behind the minesweepers and the three National Reaches to finish off the minefields Terson took his fleet to the Hamthen home planet. He tasked the DDs and FGs to escort the huge contingent of minelayers and control ships to the other two warp points in the system. Two CLs were sent to dispatch the colonies and outposts in the outer system. Long-range sensors picked up several inbound contacts, one of which would intercept his fleet three days short of the planet. If these were reinforcements Terson was determined to eliminate them. No-one on Junshu’s bridge, especially Jki, needed a poll to know that Admiral Pei was a fool. It was bad enough that he didn’t move when word came of the fall of Evershem. It was worse that when he did move that it was at cruising speed instead of maximum military speed. To top it off the enemy fleet could easily handle the force that Pei thought was ‘adequate’ to reinforce Hamthen. Two fleet carriers, six light carriers, four CLEs, 6 Disams, 3 Jajers, 6 Kioshos, 6 Losyns, and 12 Falogrens and 168 fighters could, in Jki’s opinion, conduct a distant missile bombardment to support the fighters if circumstances were different. What opposed them were six DNs, six BCs, 24 CA and 36 CLs. Based on the last transmissions from ships in the battle and a few drones the nine Axis CV and six CVLs, plus escorts, detected by the Sloop scout could easily hold 378 fighters, outnumber her flight groups by 2.25 to 1. Pei at least didn’t compound his errors by committing his fighters in a useless gesture of defiance. He had his undersized task group turn about and head back to Hagelkorn, the Axis declining to pursue with Hamthen tempting them so strongly. He sent a message to the SNS Command detailing the Axis fleet composition and sent his apology for not acting more promptly. Later on the number crunchers at Fleet Intelligence figured that had TF 21 been on hand for the battle it would’ve ended in a pyrrhic victory for the Allies in most of the scenarios tried out. Pei came to the same conclusion himself after doing his own impromptu scenarios in his cruiser flagship’s CIC. After entering Hagelkorn the Admiral reported to Ayrth (who had with the DNs and BBs of TF 21 just arrived in the days Pei made his trek) and tenured his resignation. Reas was ordered to report to Admiral Jki aboard the Junshu. The day cabin was half-again as large as the one on the Trout, and all the furniture was natural wood and padded. There was even carpeting, the product of Crajen guild workers. “You didn’t need to show me this to produce envy, Tulcus,” the junior officer said as he took the offered seat. “The closest thing to carpeting in my cabin is the occasional sheet of hardcopy that falls to the floor.” “That’ll change when you get more gold on your uniform,” Jki commented, “though such luxuries you see here will be absent from new construction until after the war. Speaking of war, it has the tendency to accelerate promotions. For instance, with Pei gone Ayrth needed a new commander for Task Group 211. He chose me, and in my place he had Captain Wena command the carrier groups.” “Wena was your commander of the strike wings,” Reas blurted out. He thought for a moment, the look of surprise in his eyes earned a smile from Jki. “Me? Commanding the strike wings?” “After me, you are the most senior pilot in the CSF.” Jki said honestly. She pointed to Reas’ pilot wings badge, on which was printed the number 2. “You’re also a combat veteran, and you have a good rapport with the squadrons, and we need that now. With the losses we sustained, including mutual friends and other veterans of the Hokum War, your leadership will inspire the pilots we have now and those that will follow.” Reas allowed himself to get a little cocky. “I’m honored, thank you. While you’re laying down the accolades, will I get a Captain’s Square to replace the ‘Tri and Twins?’” “You would but Ayrth put that on hold. Give the Axis several bloody noses and you’ll get that square. But I can assure you when that happens, you’ll be sent home to become the new commandant of the pilot academy. After working your magic here it’ll be to our benefit that you ‘get them while they’re young’ at the academy.” “Ah, nothing beats a real-live war hero commanding the slippery feet,” Reas said, using the term that referred to pilots in training. “It just remains to be seen if any of us will live to see the day the Axis being thrown onto the defensive.” “Aye, there is that, Reas. There is that.”
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