“Start getting relief divisions for the troops prepared and develop some transports that have in system jump capability. Normal transports would never be able to fight their way thru this fleet to the planet.”
“We’ll get on it immediately; good luck and good hunting, Admiral.”
Mikado watched his screen go blank and then said, “Status of the Algean fleet?”
“They were moving in system now half of them are turning back toward us and half are continuing toward Commodore Smiths ship,” Lt. Patel answered.
“Have the Plants launched any missiles at us?”
‘Lt. Colson said, “No sir, they have not.
“Let’s see if we can turn them all around toward us.” The Algean fleet had moved 200,000 miles inside the jump limit when the Megas jumped in. He picked up his fleet com and said, “All ships form a line with two mile spacing and move in toward the Algeans at 1/3 speed. I want five salvos of penetrators fired when we are 500 miles from the enemy and we will follow it up with our primaries on those ships only designated by one penetrator at 300 miles so make sure your sensor officers mark on their consoles those ships that only get hit by one. We will then back away from the Plants and fire five more salvos with primary follow up. We will continue to do this as long as they continue toward us. Captains, maintain the 300 mile separation from them.”
The SR fleet closed the gap quickly and at 500 miles from the Algeans each ship fired five salvos of 800 penetrators each then moved in to 300 miles and stopped. These penetrators carried 300 of the new hornets. Where it took 200 of the old hornets to destroy a dreadnaught, the new ones would have done it with six. These new devices had a devastating sting.
The Penetrators spread out and began designating the ships in the front ranks of the Algean fleet. Thousands of beams reached out to stop the incoming salvos but the penetrators were programmed to fly an erratic path to its target. Thousands were destroyed but the majority made it thru the Plant’s defenses. Five hundred brilliant beams stabbed out from the Megaships into the Plant formations targeting the ships that had only one penetrator locked on. Two seconds later, five hundred more beams fired and continued until the first hornets had all hit or died.
Twelve thousand Algean ships died and five thousand more had been damaged. “Fire Second volley,” Mikado ordered. “Begin backing away from the incoming ships, maintain 300 mile distance.” Five more volleys of 400,000 penetrators headed toward the massed ranks of the Algean fleet.
“Colson, damage status done by the hornets,” Captain Kelly asked almost as if he was reading Mikado’s mind.
“No single penetrator makes it thru the Heavy Ships or their Medium Battleship’s screens. If two hit within five seconds of each other, then the second does penetrate releasing the hornets. The resulting damage appears to severely damage the heavies but doesn’t knock them completely out of action. It does appear that if one of the hornets hits an anti-matter missile port then the entire ship is destroyed. On the lighter classes, if one can call a seven mile long ship a lighter class, then it only takes one penetrator to breach the screen; having two designate it is overkill. The 600 hornets totally destroy their lighter ships. Following up the penetrator with the new primaries is only partly successful. The penetrator weakens the screen on the heavies and the 500 foot wide primary goes completely thru the ship but 500 feet on a hundred thousand foot long ship won’t take it out of action unless you’re lucky enough to hit an anti-matter magazine. It will slow the heavy down but not take it out of operation.”
Mikado watched as the penetrators approached the enemy ships and said quickly over the fleet com, “Target five Megas for each heavy designated by only one penetrator; make it happen now. I want to kill a hundred with every volley.”
Lt. Colson started entering the new instructions into his console but there was no way he could down load them to the fleets computers in time before the penetrators struck. It wasn’t organized; some of the heavies had 200 Megas target them and some only had two but the results could be immediately seen. More than 100 of the Algean Heavy ships were destroyed out right or dead having lost the ability to move. Another 15, 000 Algean ships died.
Commodore Smith watched the approaching 50,000 ships and began issuing orders, “When those ships are 300 miles out, fire a full salvo of penetrators and prepare to follow them in to 200 miles.”
Suddenly, the tide of ships began turning and moving out toward the battle that the Megas were raging just inside the jump limit.
“Attention all ships, assume line formation and form up on my ship. We will attack the Algeans as they move toward the Megas. All Empire class ships will leave formation as soon as the forts jump in and assume formation under them as the drop troops begin landing operations. Plan to intercept any missiles fired at the forts from the planet’s surface.”
As Mikado continued to back away from the Algean fleet they suddenly turned and moved away from his ships. Colson said, “The ships headed toward the planet have reversed course and are moving out toward our location. The other ships are moving to join them.”
“Stop all engines and hold position,” Mikado ordered. “Captain Kelly, they haven’t fired any missiles at us. Why do you think that is?”
“Commodore Smith scared them. He used their missiles to destroy that follow up fleet. They’ve observed twice that we can outrun any missile they fire at us. I think they’re not going to give us a stick to beat them with.”
Mikado thought about it and said, “You’re probably right. I wanted to keep this at long range but they probably are not going to cooperate. Ms. O’ Sullivan, contact Commodore Smith and tell him to hold off attacking until the two fleets have joined up and to wait for further instructions.”
Captain Kelley said, “What do you have in mind?”
“We have knocked out one quarter of their fleet and have not lost a ship. I think they plan to spread out and attack us on a front too wide for us to stop them.”
“We could always run,” Kelly said.
“I think that’s what they hope we’ll do so that they can come up with better tactics against our superior speed. However, there is one more thing they can do.” Kelly raised his eyebrows and Mikado said, “We are still 150,000 miles inside the jump limit and they look like they want to draw us further in; that’s why the withdrawal. They will spread their fleet out around our 500 Megas, move forward, and then jump another fleet in to trap us between the two of them inside the jump limit and then fire their missiles when we are surrounded on all sides so we have nowhere to run.”
“Do you think they can get another fleet together that quickly?”
“Do you think they had those 100,000 ships just waiting for us to show up?”
Kelly shrugged and said, “You make a good point. What are you going to do?”
“Exactly what they want me to do; order the fleet in system pacing the Plant fleet at 300 miles. I want single volleys fired as we advance. Our software will now apportion our Megas out to the Heavies hit by one penetrator but I suspect that the heavies will be moved behind the other ships as they move in to join with the other Algean fleet.”
Colson looked up from his console and said, “That’s exactly what they’re doing and it also looks like they’re trying to coordinate the firing of their energy beams so that there is a solid wall between them and our penetrators.”
“How successful are they at that?” Mikado asked.
“They are knocking more than 60 % down than before but once they start maneuvering to dodge the incoming penetrators then their coordination fails miserably.” Colson looked up again from his display and said, “How many do you think they will jump in to trap us, Sir.”