Tethered Worlds: Star in Bankruptcy Page 36

  Aristahl was stuck on a Jetty not under allied control, its nearby space filled with a hopelessly outmatched Aventicia escort fleet. And making things worse, the Perigeum and the First Cruiser were heading for it on an inexorable approach. His father was tactically brilliant, but there was no way his squadron could stop them.

  And Mason... Poor man. Getting chewed up and captured by the Svals was a fate no-one deserved. A cold, rarely used part of Jordahk's brain began calculating who would get creamed first.

  ▪ ▫ ▪

  Alarms had to be blaring on every warship in-system. Old recognition files, still on the books for the sake of completion rather than encounter likelihood, were screaming their data. Kord surmised that wail louder nowhere than on the Perigeum ships, especially the First Cruiser.

  “It's confirmed,” the Verdant's data rider said, “a Hesperus class ship! Likely the same that appeared at the Incursion at Windermere.”

  Oh, it's the same, alright. Jordahk, what have you done? Where is Zoraida?

  “It's engaging a starfighter gruppe broken off from the Trade Union,” the tac officer said.

  So you were pressed into it.

  Kord looked at Vittora. She closed her eyes briefly, certainly for a prayer, then gave him a solemn nod. Jordahk was in the thick of it now. Kord hoped his wife's prayer was for the whole family, because divine intervention was necessary to get them all through this one.

  Good luck, son.

  “Two minutes until intercept,” the ship AI declared when he glanced back to the tac VAD.

  “You still want to reform at the last second?” Arceneaux asked. “This squadron's untested as a unit.”

  “Surprise is an effective weapon. We'll need every one today.”

  Kord could think of no way to stop an Artemis with the forces he had on hand. Not one guarded by Aegis ships and a full squadron. His Alpha Squadron was rather standard in composition. No carriers or deploy cruisers to field fighters, nor a squadron of corvettes to harass the enemy. He lacked the heavy punch of ray cruisers and trebuchets.

  At least Mason's squadron was eclectic. It offered possibilities outside the conventional. One came to him, and he transmitted it with haste to his fellow from Adams Rush. Hopefully the captain of Beta Squadron would find it of some use against his own insurmountable challenge.

  “Alpha Squadron, X formation,” Arceneaux commanded.

  Alpha Squadrom moved, if not with precision, at least with alacrity. The four big hitters, the three Thunar cruisers and the one command cruiser, moved to the outside points of the X. With each was a single destroyer and frigate. That was it. Twelve ships.

  It's pretty thin.

  The X had no middle, but at least their firepower was spread out. It might offer them good angles and keep them from being decimated by a single enemy beat.

  “Perigeum forces not responding to our advisory,” the ship AI said.

  “We'll give them a good showing,” Arceneaux said.

  He left unsaid what they both knew. They wouldn't be able to stop them.

  “This battle is bigger than us,” Kord said. “If we can get the First Cruiser to turn, we'll have at least bought some time.”

  “Time for what?”

  On the tac VAD the silent Jetty continued to let the Trade Union encroach. And while the Aurora looked to be winning a twisting space duel with some starfighters, it was but one corvette in a sea of ships.

  “I'm... not sure. But it'll happen.”

  Arceneaux raised both brows. “I'll hold you to that.”

  “Have you heard the old adage, 'If something must be done, one has to believe it can be done,'?”

  Arceneaux took a deep breath, and fixed his eyes anew on the forward display. “All ships, stay mobile, watch your ranges. Begin beat of battle. Targeting priorities?”

  “They've got two cruisers and four destroyers. Concentrate there. We've got to knock down some of their punch and close the range.”

  “Let them be responsible for the first shot,” Vittora said.

  As AIs crunched the geometry, the P-stars adjusted their formation. They sent a last perfunctory warning, and followed it with their first salvo. Rocks and pinkish beams streaked up at Alpha squadron's X. Intercept guns lashed out at incoming rocks as the Verdant's trio and the command cruiser's took hits. Shields warped brightly under the impacts.

  “All ships, fire on the beat!”

  Alpha Squadron had the capital ship advantage, if you didn't count the First Cruiser, of course. They returned fire at a fortuitous second where a P-star cruiser and destroyer overlapped. They scored solid hits, especially on the destroyer, despite the P-stars more effective intercept gun fire.

  “Their Reuleaux triangle is good protection for Janus,” Kord said, “but doesn't afford the most maneuverability.”

  “The First Cruiser is powering up the Artemis,” Vittora said.

  It showed up on their displays a few seconds later.

  “He won't fire until we're close,” Kord said. “He'll want surefire range.”

  The Artemis was effective against stationary targets at incredible ranges, but moving targets could dodge its frigate sized beam. Still, as the kilometers between opposing squadrons ticked down, larger ships had increasing difficulty avoiding fire.

  “They don't seem intent on engaging us,” Arceneaux said. “They're not stopping, just adjusting.”

  “Then take us over the top.” They exchanged salvos again. The wounded P-star destroyer was hit again and moved behind other ships. The Confidence Fleet command cruiser and its escorts took another pummeling. Its frigate began suffering unstable shielding. “Exchange our frigate for the command cruiser's. Get it behind us.”

  “Watch your spacing, Kyogre,” Arceneaux said to the command cruiser.

  Kord brought up information about it. He knew the ship was a mothball refit from Castellum, but from it the captain also hailed. He'd taken a contract along with a command crew to man the ship for its new owners. The captain reached his rank never having seen combat. Such a thing was no longer uncommon as the war was history. The Incursion at Windermere may have been the first real warfare for many Palisades officers despite their military budgets.

  “Keep a close eye on it,” Kord said.

  “I don't like being on the wrong end of that Artemis.”

  “Let's stay out of surefire range plus ten percent.”

  “Here comes another beat,” the tac officer said.

  The frigates had not completed their exchange as the incoming salvo came in. The main display flashed as the Verdant received numerous hits. The vibration was felt through the grav weaves.

  “Why aren't our Thunar's as tough as the Svals?” Arceneaux grumbled.

  “Many would like that answer,” Kord said. “It's one they closely guard. They've never let one of their toughened ships be captured.”

  As Alpha Squadron arced over the P-stars, the First Cruiser snugged into the center of their Reuleaux triangle. They pitched their ships up to engage, but continued to move forward toward the Jetty. Kord had to break their progress somehow.

  The new hybrid Aegis destroyers, their hulls lined with glowing blue, were impressive. They fanned their hexagonal shield segments into protective umbrellas over the First Cruiser. But the enormous ship was too large to completely cover, especially as the P-stars refused to give up their course and Alpha Squadron moved past them. They might get some shots in on its stern.

  Kord plugged the target into an upcoming beat. Arceneaux looked up at him.

  “Don't let on, Captain. Hide it as a formation adjustment.”

  “The Kyogre is moving too close,” the tac officer said.

  “We can get a clear shot!” its captain said.

  Arceneaux reigned him in without delay. “They're baiting you, captain. Stick with the plan.”

  But the beat was upon them and Alpha Squadron let it fly. A column containing everything they could muster plunged down at the First Cruiser. A number of honeyc
ombed, ceramic plates of Aegis shielding were pulverized. Their remains were jettisoned and other hexes moved in to take their place. But even Aegis cruisers could only carry a limited amount of replacements. How much less these Aegis destroyers?

  Some fire made it past them and the shields of the Prime Orator's ship flared bright for the first time. A resounding “yay” went across the bridge and over the comm chatter.

  The return salvo hit Alpha Squadron hard, especially the command cruiser trio. Damage indicators lit it up. The old command cruiser had been refitted for modern automation, but it wasn't really designed for it. Kord shook his head. It should have been donated to a starmada academy rather than put in the field.

  “Back us off another ten percent, Kyogre gruppe to the rear.”

  Vittora suddenly looked up from her displays. Then alarms sounded.

  “The First Cruiser's pitching up!” the tac officer said.

  Blue lines along the center hull of the tri-hulled ship glowed bright and particles began to accumulate at its opening maw.

  “What? Prioritize auto-evasive!” Arceneaux ordered. “Who's it targeting?”

  “It's the Kyogre!”

  Kord stabbed the comm control. “Kyogre, you're sluggish!”

  The hits on the old ship had taken more toll than they should have. A fact the P-stars hadn't overlooked. The First Cruiser's many thrust rings jetted maneuvering plasma as P-star ships cleared the firing line. A burning line launched from the Artemis cannon with a space illuminating flash. Geysers of exhaust plasma gushed from ports along its barrel.

  The line of teleforce energy disintegrated a swath of command cruiser. It hung silently for a second as the beam continued on into space, then exploded in a spectacular expanding cloud.

  Arceneaux rubbed his forehead. “What a waste.”

  “Don't let it be in vain. Dive in while it's recharging.”

  “All ships, sphere formation. Pile it on that wounded destroyer and the First Cruiser as she bears.”

  They dove into Artemis range, striking both their targets again as they finished sweeping over the top. But they took a vicious pounding themselves.

  “The P-stars are changing course,” the tac officer said.

  “At last,” Arceneaux said.

  Kord exhaled. “We're finally more than a nuisance.”

  Maintenance bots raced past them and removed a bulkhead too fast to put anyone at ease. Smoke poured from the opening as they jumped into repairs.

  “Another beat's coming!” the tac officer said.

  “Start taking us back up, and keep on that destroyer,” Arceneaux commanded.

  The Verdant shook rather than vibrated with another hit. Across space, the P-star destroyer flipped backwards before exploding, sending a substantial hunk tumbling away.

  “One of their frigates is also dropping out of formation,” the data rider said.

  “So is one of ours,” Vittora added.

  “Head away from the Artemis,” Arceneaux ordered the broken frigate.

  “And steer clear of the starfighters,” Kord added.

  They'd be alright as long as they were too far away to be a target of opportunity.

  “We're down a command cruiser and frigate,” Arceneaux said. “And taken damage on just about every ship.”

  “They're down a destroyer and frigate...” The smell of smoke permeated the bridge. “And look a little fresher than us.”

  Attrition rates would only swing worse for Alpha Squadron as its firepower continued to diminish. He looked to Vittora for a ray of hope, but she could only offer pressed lips

  Chapter Thirty

  Archiver Commodore Rewe Frixion preferred hand-to-hand combat over fleet maneuvers. He'd learned much from his encounter with Kord Wilkrest at the Egress Incident. Far more than jockeying around in space with that stuffy field commander.

  In the arena of personal combat, strength, sweat, and daring turned the tide. Not lucky shots on buckling shields. He made a quiet grunt of satisfaction while staring into busy space.

  Auscultare's viewport was alive with information branching off two squadrons positioned for battle. Apparently his days of low information displays were behind him. Now he could act upon information with new insight, new ability.

  But if his information appetite had grown, it was dwarfed by the inhuman capacity of a very dangerous creation. A combat bot sat at the data rider's station. But that wasn't the real danger. On its wrist was a compy of osmium and rhodium. Microlights chased though its ultra-fine capillaries. Information VADs flashed as fast as eye blinks. Thousands of screens.

  “Why even bother with VADs?” Rewe asked. “You're assimilating far more than that.”

  “Of course,” said an AI with few constraints. Waxad was as malevolent as an unfeeling machine could get. “But it's more intimidating this way.” The bot turned, somehow transmitting smugness. “It's what I do. Like you and sweating.”

  Rewe shook his head. The Bitlord was a crazy genius.

  “Anything out there I might find of interest?

  “That depends on your appetite for blackmail. Financial deals naturally abound, and they penetrate far beyond the Perigeum borders. The Sino Worlds are striving to stay relevant, the Strident Cluster continues attempts to pull itself above its worthless dirt, and something called the Krieg Dukedom is trying to become a player. Hmph, that's a new one.”

  “Sometimes you put up with an upstart if they're troublesome to another neighbor you don't like.”

  “Humans; finding significance in transient dynasties.” The bot shook its head. “Like this Banking Confederation. Aventicia's corruption and misallocated funds have gone a long way to sinking them. They're ripe for your Prime Orator's machinations. Do you know how much secret trade is going on between Perigeum and Asterfreao though the Overtrade Autonomy? Your empire is in desperate need of hard currency.”

  Rewe snickered. “It's not my empire. I'm an Archiver.”

  “If that consoles you, Frixion.” The bot turned back to his faux observation. “The borders and entities may change in two-hundred years, but you humans remain the same.”

  “The Aventicia nexus has to be loaded down with snoopers. Better watch yourself if you want to continue undetected.”

  “No AI can fathom my ways.” For the first time in the conversation, Waxad was animated. “Nor detect the webs I weave.”

  “Don't get overconfident. Even I know you weren't the only of your kind.”

  “I am the fulfillment of my master's designs. It would be like comparing a Sojourner to one of these Artisans referenced in your files.”

  Rewe puckered. “One thing I'll say about those egomaniacs, it'll take a lot more than a single conscripted slag to keep them from stripping you of every memory before dissection.”

  “Fools. My master's techniques are in the very structure of my matter. They cannot be discerned through gross dissection.”

  Rewe chuckled. He'd finally got under the AI's rhodium skin.

  “They believe they can do anything.”

  “How does that make them different from you Archivers?” the AI asked.

  “We're the tortoise, they're the hare.”

  An unusual alarm sounded, and Auscultare zoomed in on a legend.

  “A Hesperus?” Waxad sounded incredulous.

  The VADs of information around the bot evaporated.

  Rewe chuckled. “Now it's getting interesting. I missed the show at Windermere.”

  Supposedly created in the forges of the Khromas, Rewe would be surprised if Waxad wasn't concerned.

  “Thankfully it's in the hands of an unskilled user.”

  “Okay, Waxad, I'll bite. Why?”

  “The destruction that can be wrought by any of the Hesperus class is far beyond what I'm seeing. The intentions of the Khromas were often inscrutable, but their power challenged even my master's.”

  “That's something, coming from you. Are you regretting traipsing through the nexus now?”

 
“Only a fool fights the tide. My master's ambitions will not be pushed aside by anyone, nor put in jeopardy by me.”

  Rewe expanded the views of the Hesperus, choosing different angles. A conventional alarm called his attention back.

  “Our two Aegis destroyers are taking damage, Commodore,” Auscultare said.

  “The Asterfraeo proxies are making a good go of it.”

  “Even your primitive hybrid tech outclasses them,” Waxad said. “Your side will surely win.”

  “There are no sureties in battle when mystic is involved. And my side is the Archivers.”

  “Your side is your own,” the AI retorted.

  On that Waxad was right. “Perhaps the allegiance of the First Cruiser is also to itself.”

  Energy spiked on the readouts, and glowing blue lines radiated down the First Cruiser's central hull.

  “The Artemis cannon is being readied to fire,” Auscultare said.

  “It falls short of similar Sojourner weapons,” Waxad said, “but considering your crude limitations, the energy level is... significant.”

  Rewe smiled. “Here we go.”

  The Artemis cannon let loose its stored energy. The thick beam blazed across the battle field and passed through the enemy formation, illuminating it with brilliant light. A flash burst where a command cruiser once was, and then only debris and an expanding plasma shockwave remained.

  “Splendid,” Waxad said.”

  “You almost sound as though you appreciated that.”

  “Power is power, Archiver. Be it from a star, a teslanium reactor, or a gyro-gravitic tap.”

  Rewe's ears perked up. “A what?”

  “It's a Sojourner thing. Beyond your understanding.”

  “Your condescension is getting old.”

  “Would you prefer ridicule?”

  “Considering the Asterfraeo commander's strategy,” Auscultare said, “the new Aegis ships are performing well. If the Prime Orator is successful it will benefit the Archivers. Shall we pull closer and add defensive fire support?”

  “Not with a Hesperus on the field.”

  Rewe wanted to steer clear of the ship capable of dishing out the greatest destruction, and the one likely to be the most popular target. Although right now, he couldn't be sure which was which.