Chapter 23

Currently the engineers and technicians, along with the various AIs, were retrofitting the 4^th and 5^th Fleets with the dispersion beams they’d brought from Vreekoos with them. A manufacturing plant at the orbital construction base above Tafta was also being converted to produce and fit them, though they were not expected to be ready any time soon. Priority had been given to the Heavy Fighters who were swiftly having their missile launchers replaced to enable them to join the 6^th and 7^th Fleets to bolster the numbers of ships they could throw at the aliens.

Our Assault Carrier had also been temporarily assigned to assist 6^th Fleet and we were practicing with our new weapons, quickly learning that unless it was in an enclosed space full of objects to shoot at, firing the full clip was wasteful as by our reckoning you only needed three pellets to effectively take one of the smaller aliens down ... or at least that was the theory.

The day finally came when Command received reports of another alien incursion and, taking a chance,, the 6^th and 7^th Fleets were separated. The 6^th were sent to Klatuth and the 7^th to Beauty, both worlds in the Declo Union and pretty much on the opposite side of where the aliens had attacked last.

“Let’s hope we can surprise them,” Admiral Clessik commented to his Flag Captain, Gollant.

“So far it has been even, with one side surprising the other at each battle,” Gollant replied. “Technically it should be their turn, but we do have a few surprises of our own to throw into the mix.”

“Well, we know they’ll work against their landing ships, but as for their core vessels ... Who knows?”

“The Scout Dark Shadow has observed the alien fleet has carriers with them, plus several of their own boarding vessels,” the Comm Officer reported.

“Assign a squadron each of the Heavy Fighters to them,” Clessik ordered the Tactical Officer.

“Yes, sir.”

“The rest of the squadrons to prioritise their landing ships.”

“Yes, sir.”

“The Florvens have sent word that they are sending a flotilla of their missile carrying Cruisers, though expect to be late to the battle,” the Comm Officer reported.

“Acknowledge with thanks,” Clessik replied.

“Ask the Hegemony ships to emerge to the back of the alien formation,” Clessik ordered after studying the alien fleet dispositions in the tri-dee tank. “They are to attempt to close with the larger vessel hanging back,” he pointed out.

“Will they be OK?” Gollant asked. “Those are older ships and were not up to our standards, even during our conflict with them.”

“But they are fully armed with dispersion beams, unlike most of our Fleet, who only have one or two of them,” Clessik countered. “Also, Oramiral Hassat knows to pull back if it goes wrong.”

‘We have detected the impudent prey who believe they can prevent the harvesting of the lesser prey.’ A controlling intelligence whose speciality was detection announced.

‘Good! The plan this time is to close with them using our new attack ships and cleanse the heavens of them.’ The senior controlling intelligence announced to the whole group mind.

‘We will unleash our full might upon them! They will fall and we will feast!’ came the roaring reply from the group.

‘Do not move the attack ships to the front until this prey emerges,’ the senior ordered.

‘As you command, so shall it be.’

“Emergence in ten rotations,” the Tactical Officer announced.

“May the gods smile on us,” Clessik nodded as the 6^th Fleet prepared for battle.

6^th Fleet emerged between the planet and the aliens and swiftly manoeuvred into a standard line of battle, unlike the previous doctrine of holding back to give protection to the missile carrying ships and lately the missile carriers. Immediately several alien ships began to move swiftly towards the 6^th, clearly hoping to bring the battle directly to them. Meanwhile the landing vessels formed their own wedge to try and force their way through the massed ships blocking their way.

“They appear keen to close with us, sir,” Gollant commented to Clessik.

“Yes, wonder what they have planned.”

“I suspect they’re trying to clear a hole for their landing ships before the Assault Carriers can close with them,” he pointed out the wedge of the landing ships moving behind the attacking vessels.

“Heavy Fighters with beam weapons are to attack the closing ships, rest of the Fleet close with the larger alien vessels and see how good our weapons are,” Clessik ordered. “Missile Carriers are to engage the landing ships.”

“Hegemony Fleet will be emerging in fifteen rotations.”

“They know their orders.”

“Yes, sir. They do appear keen to engage.”

“I believe they believe they have something to prove after our last conflict.”

“Yes, sir, I do believe you are right.”

The alien attackers were boring in on the capital ships of the 6^th but were now coming into range of the Heavy Fighters who opened up with their modified dispersion beams. It was immediately obvious that the beams worked, though the armour on the attacking vessels was both thick and tough. Still, the Heavy Fighters moved in taking several casualties in doing so until it was clear that they’d breached the hull of the attackers and then they used a hyperbeam cannon to blast a hole deep into the attackers now exposed internals, causing several to drop out of formation while the Heavy Fighters swung around to take on other ships.

The Missile Carriers Jinne and Coriola had meanwhile placed themselves within range of the landing ships and proceeded to launch massive salvos against them, totally destroying two of them as both Carriers were shielded against the alien beam weapons and continued to fire whilst still under fire.

‘The prey have new beam weapon types that are effective against our energy shields,’ the tactical intelligence announced.

‘Adjust the resonance frequency to compensate for the energy exchange,’ the controlling intelligence replied.

‘We cannot. It is not designed to breach our shield, but disintegrate the hull.’

‘Prepare to withdraw. Use the Carriers to launch a massed strike to engage the prey and keep them occupied!’

‘At once!’

‘Prey vessels emerging to our rear. our retreat is blocked!’ The controlling intelligence of the rear-guard reported.

‘Move our attack vessels to counter them. Launch the strike at those who would pursue. Order the Paranc carriers to follow in on the strike, also our boarding blisters are to attempt to cause confusion amongst the prey!’

‘So ordered.’

“Aliens are launching their missile strike,” the Tactical Officer warned. “They also appear to be sending their boarding ships in behind it.”

“All ships launch countermeasures,” Gollant ordered.

“Launch our fighters and bombers to go after the boarding ships,” Clessik ordered. “Bring up the Assault Carriers to counter any boarding actions by these aliens. Heavy Fighters to continue their actions against the enemy fleet.”

All Imperial capital ships carrying missiles set their payloads to proximity detonation and launched them at the approaching enemy salvo. Impacts were staggered but to an outside observer it looked as if a massive wave of whiteness erupted in front of the Imperial fleet and continued to grow. Despite the massive salvo, several thousand alien missiles made it through and locked on to individual ships. Rapid firing railguns, guided by the AIs, attempted to take down the missiles, again reducing their numbers to the point where only a fraction of the initial salvo remained, unfortunately a very deadly few.

“We have impacts on one hundred and forty-seven ships,” the Tactical Officer reported. “Thirty of them critical.”

“If necessary, order them abandoned. 6^th Fleet will continue our advance,” Clessik ordered.

“Yes, sir!” came from the bridge Comm Officer.

Supreme Oramiral Hassat, commanding what was only a flotilla in terms of Hegemony ship numbers, observed carefully as the alien fleet approached his formation.

“Looks like they intend to swarm us in their bid to retreat,” he finally opined to Laksamana Colovi, his friend and the senior officer of the Dreadnought Diamond Throne, an obsolete Dreadnought of the Starlit Hegemony scheduled to be scrapped, yet oddly now the most powerful ship in the Empire’s war with these aliens.

“I think we’ll surprise them,” Colovi chuckled grimly.

“I believe so too. So far they’ve only faced Imperial vessels with secondary matter disruptors. Now they’ll face the real thing.”

“Indeed, sir. I believe victory shall be ours.”

“Send our Heavy Fighter complement forward to deter close approaches. We do not want to be boarded. Move our capital ships to effective range and let us see how this goes,” Hassat ordered.

“For the Hegemon!” Colovi burst out, emphasising the Hegemonic Fleet’s loyalty to Hegemon Nild who had restored the tranquillity of the Starlit Hegemony in the eyes of its people ... or rather the Fleet.

The flotilla advanced rapidly, screened by its missile armed Heavy Fighters and opened up on the alien fleet at its most effective range. The primary matter disruption beams cutting deep into the leading edge of the approaching ships, causing many of them to stagger out of formation to be strafed by the Heavy Fighters.

In front of the aliens 6^th Fleet were keeping up the pressure by advancing on the alien formation, despite losses or boarding actions from the aliens. And the entire alien formation was becoming bunched as their options to manoeuvre away from the Imperial attack were now blocked.

“Prepare!” Flinn ordered us. “We’ll be counter-boarding the Superdreadnought Kansdoorf to clear it of an infestation. The crew and GF complement on board have the aliens blocked, but need us for the coup de main.”