Retribution (33 page)

The rogan combined fleet warped in en masse almost directly overhead of Nova Vista at an altitude of between 60,000 and 70,000 kms. Their three fleets and two transports groups stretched over a vast area of space, stretching thousands of kilometres. They were arraigned in an arrowhead formation with Admiral Jamu Trintsta’s 8
^th
Fleet forward at the tip of the arrowhead facing into the planet’s surface. Admiral Sanwa Failon’s 9
^th
Fleet was on the starboard side and Admiral Dugar Mugailen’s 7
^th
Fleet on the port side. In the centre behind the 8
^th
Fleet was the carrier IRS Mailon and its sister ship, the carrier IRS Toongan along with their close escort of six frigates. Behind them were the two transport groups of General Pinto Orgon’s 3
^rd
Imperial Army Corps, escorted by another eight frigates.

From the command centre of her flagship the IRS Qooster, Admiral Jamu Trintsta could see the north pole with its green aurora but only for a fraction of a second before the shutters came down as her ship locked down for battle.

Her ten capital ships and 12 frigates were spread out also in a 3D arrowhead. The Qooster was in the dead centre with a cap directly in front at the tip, one to starboard and one to port, one above and one below; one behind and one above it, one below it, one starboard of it and one port of it. The 12 frigates were positioned within the core of the arrowhead around the Qooster.

To protect against nuclear attack, average spacing had been increased to two thousand kilometres. Hence the 8
^th
Fleet stretched out over a cube measuring four thousand by four thousand by four thousand kilometres.

The 7
^th
and 9
^th
Fleets were similarly arranged. The combined formation stretched was roughly 10,000 kms across, ten thousand kms long and two thousand kms deep. It boasted 2 carriers, 30 caps, 48 frigates. Each cap carried 8 fighters. Each carrier carried 80 fighters. All up there were 400 fighters.

The 8
^th
Fleet was heading directly into the top of the Aukland group. The Aukland group’s 8 caps and 10 frigates were stationed at 50,000 kms altitude and arranged in a stacked diamond formation. The Aukland was in the central hub position of the top plane with one cap forward, one starboard, one port and one to rear. Below on the bottom plane was another diamond comprising of three caps – one forward below the cap in front of the Aukland, one to starboard and below and one to port and below. Its rear position was filled by a frigate. The bottom plane was not directly below but offset slightly to enable all ships to fire up or down if the need arose (and arise it had). The remaining frigates were positioned between the two planes.

The Enterprise group was around 10,000 kms away to the north east and the Ark Royal Group a similar distance to the south west. It would take each of them 3 minutes to buster to the aid of the Aukland group.  The Harlow group was on the opposite side of the planet and were a good 115,000 kms away, given that they would have to manoeuvre around the planet. It would take it 32 minutes to join.

The proximity of so many ships, all within missile range, invoked the automatic engagement protocols on the ships within the Aukland group. Missile salvoes were already launching at the target rich environment.

Captain Jan Mathieson immediately ordered his Harlow group to round the planet at max speed as they were on the wrong side relative to the enemy. The Enterprise and Ark Royal groups were bustering to the Aukland group and also launching their own volleys of missiles. Both commanders opted to retain their fighter strength on board till they got closer rather than expose them to interception, even though the fighters could fly faster than their carriers.

Chapter 2. Nova Vista 0033, 26 June

Harry Heller had activated the recall of all ops personnel as soon as he finished alerting the Army liaison officer of the attack. The fighters were already taking off around the planet. “Thank god for the rehearsals” said Harry out loud to no one in particular.

He double checked the range to the rogan ships and ordered “Hold on all missile batteries. Wait for them to get closer.” The defensive specialist knew that the Plectra’s would have to wait till the enemy got to within 50,000 kms range. They were closing fast though.

“Resolute, this is Polaris HQ hold until ordered. Remain cloaked” hailed Harry.

Crystal, who had the watch, knew she couldn’t hail back, lest she de-cloak. She had already made a shipwide announcement and sent John to wake Dave and the rest of the command team in case they somehow missed it. Li Nahn rolled straight out of bed and banged on the doors of his pilots cabins as he carried his uniform in one hand. He pulled it on in the rear elevator as it took him and his pilots down to F deck.

Chapter 3. Aukland over Polaris 0035, 26 June

By the time Rudi arrived in the command centre the first missile intercepts were being recorded. By the time he strapped in to his chair, the first hits on ships were flashing up. He saw his team of battle specialists working at frantic speed just trying to assess what was happening.

A flood of icons arose like ants coming out of their nests en masse. Rudi didn’t need to check he knew that this would be the enemy’s fighters. He checked the tally and he gulped when he saw there were 300 enemy fighters. They would be here in 4 minutes. He glanced at three distinct streams of ants rising up from the planet and knew that they would not be here for another ten minutes. Another two streams were emanating from the Enterprise and Ark Royal as they arrived at the scene. Their 72 Lightnings would soon join the 40 older Thunderbolt fighters he had on CAP from Nova Vista. For now , they were outnumbered three to one numerically but in terms of effectiveness the odds were more like two to one.

“Brace for impact” came the synthesised warning message. The pulse cannons were railing as the Aukland’s last line of defence took its toll on most of the incoming enemy missiles. But Rudi felt his body thrashed to the right as five enemy missiles scored a hit on the port side. The automated system engaged the lateral thrusters to compensate. The red alert messages flashed, along with the defensive specialist announcing that the port number two missile battery had just been knocked out – five confirmed KIA. Damage teams on the way.

“The Moncrief’s gone” called out the offensive specialist. The face of Tina Li, the ship’s commander, flashed in front of Rudi’s inner eye only to be overtaken by a visual distraction.

“What’s that” cried out Rudi. He had highlighted a group of ships that were breaking away from the enemy formation.

“Two caps and four lights” called out the defensive specialist.

The ships were heading seemingly away from the battle. Rudi knew that they would change course again. Three other similar sized groups also began breaking away.

“He’s changing formation” called out the offensive BS operator.

“I see it” responded Rudi “he’s forming a Vee, hoping to bring more of his ships to bear.” Rudi thought about the need to reshape but ruled against it. Their diamond formation was in a very good position and able to bring fire to bear from all his ships in the group. The two carrier groups had adopted similar formations alongside.

The fighters were now engaged and the number of tracks was beginning to look like a maze of arcs. The tally of losses began to tick over in quick succession. It was sickening.

“Brace for impact” came the synthesised warning message again. The railing and again another hit from four enemy missiles. This time there was a significant fire on E deck. The Comms Officer sent his deputy to help down on E deck when it was reported that they had lost fifteen from engineering in the strike, including the engineering officer.

“Endeavour’s just warped away. We’ve lost the Tangiers and Shenzu” announced the offensive specialist. Rudi looked to the tally. Of the 8 caps and 10 frigates in his group, he was now down to four caps and 5 frigates. His group, being in the centre, was copping most of the attention. It was being rapidly decimated.

Chapter 4. IRS Mailon over Polaris 0037, 26 June

If he was honest Meeka had been completely surprised by the number of enemy ships waiting for them. He could not understand how they could have marshalled two of their known four carriers. This was supposed to be his coup de grace but instead it was an ambush and his forces were getting slaughtered.

After only five minutes he had lost five caps and 14 frigates. Of the 300 fighters so far committed 93 had been destroyed. But he could see the enemy centre crumbling. His decision to change formation was paying off. His screen told him that they had destroyed four enemy caps and a dozen frigates plus over 70 enemy fighters. In another minute the lead caps from Trintsta’s 8
^th
Fleet would be within beam range.

Meeka slammed his fist down onto the surface in front of him as he saw the enemy ships in front pull away from his advancing caps. He realised they would get away before his beam weapons could bear on them. But now was the moment he had waited for.

“Change formation back to arrowhead and increase speed to maximum impulse” he ordered. If Mugailen and Failon could affect the change quickly, they could punch straight through and launch the transports. “All fighters escort the transports.”

Chapter 5. Aukland over Polaris 0038, 26 June

With his ship’s watch officer barking orders for forming additional damage control teams, Rudi watched as the surviving elements of his group split into two and peeled aside to join up with either the Enterprise or Ark Royal groups.

He was cursing his decision not to position the Harlow group on this side of the planet. It was a longshot they could have warped in on the other side. But he chastised himself for crying over spilt milk.

This scenario he had fought twice already in the wargaming. Now that he knew the enemy was intent on pressing straight through to the planet, he hailed “Omega One Delta” on the Fleetwide channel. This invoked the Delta variant on their Omega One plan.

‘So you are willing to put your head in the noose. Well I’m more than willing to oblige and pull the rope’ he said to himself. He checked the dimensions of the enemy formation. It had closed up considerably, partly from losses and partly to squeeze through the gap between the Enterprise and Ark Royal groups. It now measured about 7,000kms long by three thousand wide. The enemy was pushing forward his transports to occupy a position just behind the lead enemy group. ‘Exactly what our enemy did in the wargame’ said Rudi.

He recalled how in the first run through of this wargame scenario he had allowed the enemy to get all his force through the gap and that did not turn out well for the Federation. He was determined not to let that happen. “Launch Now” he ordered.

Both the Enterprise and Ark Royal launched their remaining fighters and all their Marauders. They formed quickly into two air groups and headed dead centre for the gap. The ships in the Enterprise and Ark Royal groups supported the air assault with salvoes of missiles. The targets for both forms of attack were the enemy ships in the gap.

If it went as it had in the second run through of the wargame those enemy that got through would be met by the rising fighters and missiles from the planet.

Chapter 6. IRS Mailon over Polaris 0040, 26 June

Meeka was congratulating himself for having punched through the enemy line when the first reports came in of two large groups of enemy fighters and bombers. These were new craft and Meeka knew that his active fighters were all ahead of the gap now escorting the transports. He had no option but to commit his remaining fighters. He had hoped to use these to support the ground attacks but this was a serious threat.

His own ship was in the middle of the gap and the two enemy air groups seemed to be headed straight for him. He recalled the four closest caps and half a dozen frigates to assist in the defeat of this threat. But then the salvoes of missiles were detected. At first he assumed they were heading for the vanguard now approaching 40,000 kms from the planet’s surface. One of his specialists alerted to their change in course and real fear came over Meeka, something he had not experienced in over a decade. The tallies read over a thousand missiles coming in from each direction.

Like the Federation fleet the Rogan ships were on automatic engagement. Unlike the Federation fleet, priority was still being given to the vanguard group and transport group. “Change the auto priority to this group” he ordered. But he knew all too well that it was too little too late. He was already travelling at max impulse speed. He could try and change vector but at this speed it would take too long.

“Impact in less than one” cried out his staff officer. “Brace for impact.”

Chapter 7. Aukland over Polaris 0042, 26 June

Rudi watched the Lightnings fend off the incoming missiles launched by the enemy fighters. With the assistance of the defensive missiles launched by six frigates a fair portion of the Marauder drones survived. Each Marauder carried 20 Javelin missiles and the surviving 62 craft launched their salvoes at the enemy ships in the gap. Another 1240 missiles were on their way at the enemy ships.

Rudi knew from their wargaming that even if the enemy had held back most of its missiles for these ships, which he doubted, they would still be swamped. And swamped they were. There were cheers erupting in the command centre around Rudi. He smiled. He was content to read the alerts flashing up overhead as one enemy ship after another received massive hits.

Of the 12 enemy caps and 16 lights in the rear half of the enemy fleet 5 caps and 9 lights were destroyed, 6 caps and 5 lights warped away, 1 cap and 2 lights managed to make it through. By some stroke of fate that one cap was the enemy flagship.