Chapter 99

""Sundowner" this is HMS "Ajax", you are standing into a naval live fire training area. Reverse course stat. Over."

"Tight beam, Ma, am." Morg advised. "I don't think they want to advertise their position."

"Yah" Clare responded "but us "merchies" only have broadcast. Tell 'em there has been no NOTAM for this area and we're avoiding the declared Frontier Fleet area."

"You'll compromise them" Morg responded.

"Probably, although I'd be surprised if Battle Fleet doesn't already know she's snooping. And besides its not as if that pair can't get out of Battle Fleet's way if they want to."

Phip observed

""Ajax" and "Achilles" are the fastest CLs of any Navy, they can outrun any DD. Been a tradition in the RN for centuries."

"Mr Hobson..."

"Aye Ma'am (resignedly). Make like a "merchie"."

...

Clare had repaired aboard "Sundowner" and informed the crew of the change of status; the rumours ran riot with the additional information of general recall with the intention of standing in harm's way.

""Sundowner" will be spacing to the backside of Venus departing eight morning tomorrow."

Since the purge of Battle Fleet officer Corps, Clare had set the Trainees searching the 'faxes for every mention of the Battle Fleet Order of Battle plus whatever they could glean about Frontier Fleet reinforcements. Because of the intimate relationships between the Gennies and the Trainees, the Gennies assisted; even when on leave dirtside, the search progressed. Dusty, Widow Smeaton and Madame O pored over Jane's to match entries with the Trainee's results.

In a routine debrief, Morg had conversed with Strathlawn and Gantry and picked their brains clean for details of Battle Fleet; the retired officers' disgust at the absence of any combat policies was evident. Both Flag Officers had attempted to introduce such training into their detachment and had been resisted every step of the way. The only tactic was "put the head down and charge with all guns firing" and rely on overwhelming odds to carry the day. To be fair, the numerical superiority of the USN made this a viable tactic but with the USN spread in penny packets over the known galaxy, it was not a viable tactic where numerical superiority was not achievable. But with the USN the eight hundred pound gorilla in the forest, the threat was usually enough to neutralise any challenge and thus no perceived need for tactics.

A picture of the USN in local space was formed with most of the in-exactitudes being the elements of Frontier Fleet.

The information gathered by the Trainees and friends was correlated with the takes from the scouts which was being attended to by TJ.

Derrin was primed and she had applied TJ's and Cedric's insights to the programming.

Clare had from time to time sought an informal briefing at officers' calls – an assortment of odd bodies didn't actually attend the conferences but the intelligence was passed around.

Not being Chosen, Shirley had to rely on the Middies who didn't let her down; she regularly up-dated from Derrin and sometimes discussed strategies and tactics with Clare over a shared drop of the good stuff when they were at Bury.

The nano-spies had picked up the information that Norlant was dispatching HMSs "Achilles" and "Ajax" to shadow the USN's exercising at Venus.

The Sundowners held to the maxim of keeping their enemies close but keeping their friends closer.

Morg and TJ watched the USN's antics and the chaos resulting. After some weeks, the commander of that fleet appeared to have settled upon one formation and that was a flat sheet.

The sheet was formed by keeping Battle Fleet ships and Frontier Fleet ships in their own formation with the heaviest ships at the edge joined with the other.

The commander had apparently given up on keeping his lighter elements in screen formations about the main sheet / fleet. Frontier Fleet BCs, at the edge of their formation were from time to time detached and recalled – probably to counter opposition – and when they were detached the lighter ships joined on them while the BCs were "free"

The sheet practised manoeuvring as a whole, mostly changing attitude to the plane. The sheet was developing some skills while manoeuvring only with impellor shields and changes of attitude in formation were becoming neater. Rolling ships individually in place was proficient as was a battle about turn where each ship, on command, individually changed direction. The heaving to did improve from a demented traffic jam to something approaching cohesion.

Morg and TJ observed in fast forward mode the efforts at practicing with low level defensive shields. The result was disastrous enough at low power with several major casualties in the hands of the repair train for a week or so probably because of blown generators. The sheet went back to spacing in formation with defensive shields deployed changing to impellor shields while manoeuvring and then raising defensive shields again.

The firing trials were ragged and central control of massed fire was a mess. This quickly changed to ripple fire which was probably controlled locally under central supervision and was much more coherent.

"Deity" Morg observed, "this lot would get eaten alive by the Peeps let alone the Mounties. Just keep nibbling away at the edges using superior velocities to stay out of range."

TJ agreed,

"The problem with the Armada was that they had slightly more lighter hulls than heavier in the wall; with the hundred or so BCs, any opponent would be pinned by the BCs and the lighter elements while the big boys got within range...

This lot have about two thirds the Armada's wall but only about half of lighter stuff even with the BCs. There is a much better chance of picking off the screen before the wall is in range. Bad ratios."

...

In second dog before spacing, the crew was briefed. Phip Battenberg had joined with her signals log.

"The situation is that the USN has deployed two fleets; one, First Fleet, towards Mountserrat well beyond the Solar system and the second, Second Fleet, on the far side of Venus. Both fleets are practising evolutions preparatory to combat...

Information is that First Fleet intends to undertake a punitive expedition to Mountserrat. We will leave First to the Mounties or 119 (Reformed) or whatever.

Second Fleet is rumoured to be intending to move on Chencon. I say rumour as there has been no announcements of any kind but usually reliable sources have suggested the power brokers in the Senate are concerned that their part in the spacing of the Chencon Armada might be made public. Their solution is a space bombardment of Chencon officially as retribution for the bombardments of Settlement, Harbouria and Sema which they now chose to believe occurred...

Our task is to prevent Second Fleet even opening fire on the ground. That means we will have to prevent their entering Terrestrial n Space...

"Sundowner" will space in company with the three MCs...

The light cruisers "Achilles" and "Ajax" are in the region of Second Fleet reporting to Norlant HQ. They presently are maintaining a position on the Old Earth side of Second Fleet...

Enemy forces consist of ships of both Battle and Frontier Fleets and they are distinguished because Frontier Fleet ships have intergalactic endurance..."

TJ threw a holo:

USN Battle Frontier Total

DNs 124 96 220

BBs 48 48

BCs 10 106 116

CLs 32 28

DDs 12 40 112

"Second Fleet appears to intend manoeuvring in a flat sheet formation consisting of ships of the wall. (The holo changed to the sheet and showed its manoeuvres.)...

The BCs, CLs and DDs are held in separate formations about the wall. To date, the lighter elements have not been incorporated as a screen for the wall and will probably be used both as scouts and a screen once the formation begins its mission...

Our intentions are to have Second Fleet act against us allowing us to defend ourselves...

To this end, we have lodged a voyage plan for Paracelsus via Almond and Amaranti. This allows us to avoid First Fleet which has issued a NOTAM declaring the direct track to Mountserrat part of an exercise area...

The Mountserrat Junction is not operational and we therefore plan to use the wormhole from Almond to Amaranti...

As we intend to remain in n space until we clear the orbit of Jupiter / Saturn, our route out of the Solar System will take us close to Venus where we plan to sling shot to the hyper over the orbits of Uranus / Neptune. The declared intention is to save reactor mass – an important factor in merchant shipping. We have been unofficially advised by Terrestrial Regional Control that Second Fleet is exercising in this area. This track will bring us well within the passive detection range of Second Fleet; not that that matters as they will have detected us shortly after clearing Old Earth because we will be transponding until action starts...

We also will not be in stealth and our EW weenie (Cedric stood to acknowledge the applause and catcalls) has roughened up the hull triple shield to mimic impellor shields and our signature with the MCs alongside will look like a super freighter...

Leaving Old Earth space, we will maintain three forty gravs consistent with a fast freighter...

We will be at action stations as we approach Venus in plenty of time to settle in and get ourselves comfortable. Active FTL will locate and confirm the composition of the sheet. The innermost two rows of Frontier Fleet DNs will be locked in and frames designated from B magazine will be ready to deploy and fire. We expect our stern will be pointing that way. The remaining DNs and BCs will be targeted and will be locked in on command as we will not know those which will be nearest. Targeting and firing suborders will be available on your screens...

Initially, the MCs will remain tractored but Lt Ember and party will be in the Freighter Control ready to manoeuvre independently; We anticipate releasing the MCs as soon as things begin to happen. The MCs can expect to separate from "Sundowner" and stand clear of her. The MCs can expect frames will be deployed at any time...

All HACs will be deployed and will be in Dune before clearing the hull's aura. You will formate as a group to the beam away from Second Fleet. We anticipate you will be released to neutralise any screening CLs...