The first day, p.20
The First Day, page 20
part #1 of Vanguard Series
“No worries, Colonel.” He paused. “We’ll give ‘em hell.”
“Good luck, out.”
“Sir, Captain Jones reports enemy armour is moving along the southern flank.”
“Move our armour to counter, keep the PADs supporting the line for now. What reserve forces do we have?”
“Four squads of drones, sir. Everything else is committed to holding our lines.” The sergeant paused. “We still have Vanguard’s drone gunships, sir. They are holding the enemy back at present, but they’ll be sitting ducks once those fighters enter range.”
“Alright, keep the gunships rolling for now,” Jennings paused. “We're gonna have to arm the non-essential base personnel. Use them to plug any gaps that open up, and get me the governor.”
Captain Radmar climbed up the side of his tank and into the turret, closing the hatch behind him. He slid into the gunner’s seat and began preparing. Inside the tank was fairly cramped and housed a crew of four. Radmar and his troops wore the Cerebral variant of the Warfighter armour. This version allowed them to interface their suits directly with the vehicles they operate.
“Colonel, copy. Over,” Radmar said into his radio.
“Go ahead,” Jennings replied.
“Sir, that’s the last of the armour deployed. I’m moving up to take battlefield control.”
“Understood, but Radmar you must hold that costal road at all costs. If they break past you, then we’re all screwed.”
“Only way they’re getting through is over my dead body,” Radmar confidently replied.
“Good luck, Captain. Out.”
“Okay Nori, let’s get going,” Radmar ordered.
“Copy that,” the driver replied. The repulsor pads burst to life and lifted the tank off the ground, hovering around three feet and slowly moving forward. The downwash from the repulsor pads caused the loose soil and small stones to be whipped up, leaving two small dust trails in their wake. Coming around the southern spur of the mountain, Radmar looked out through the tank’s target scope at the battle ahead. The whole plain seemed to be wreathed in fire and smoke, and some two hundred metres away he saw a PAD under a heavy bombardment. The huge drone stumbled as shot after shot hit it, chucks of debris raining down all around. With the drone reeling, several of the enemies. Armoured vehicles moved to finish it, unknowingly heading straight into Radmar’s sights.
“Target at zero five nine!” the spotter called out, feeding the target onto Radmar’s screen at the same time.
“Locked.” Radmar paused. “Firing!” he cried, pulling the trigger. He watched the two pulses speed through the air and strike the first target, which exploded violently. Even as the turret swung to target the second vehicle it was too late for the drone as a final hit ignited its exposed power cell, destroying it utterly.
As the battle progressed on and around Vanjellise, Captain Spence stood in the War room where the Consuls and the military commanders were assembled. He waited until they were all seated before he began.
“As you are already aware, approximately two hours ago, we received a number of reports of an attack launched against the deep space border along the outer arm.” He paused briefly. “I can now confirm that this is not by any of the powers or factions we know.” He paused again. “With the communications network still sporadic we have little intel, but from the information we have been able to gather it appears that it is a sizeable force and the attack has been well planned.” He paused, bringing up a picture on the screen of several of the enemy’s ships. “This is a sensor image we’ve managed to retrieve from one of our deep space sentries before it was destroyed. There seems to be at least three classes of ship that are clear. One is a large capital ship, the second a cruiser, whilst the last appears to be an escort type.”
“Have they made any attempt to communicate?” the Supreme High Consul asked.
“Nothing. We’ve tried every possible way to communicate with them, so far we have received no reply.”
“Thank you, Captain,” Supreme Admiral Moore said. “Madam High Consul, esteemed delegates, we may not have a full picture of what is transpiring along the deep space border, but we must proceed upon the assumption that every ship, planet, et cetera which we cannot contact is currently under attack or has already fallen as a casualty.” He paused. “Having said this, we must protect our territory from aggression; therefore, I have ordered our closest fleets to converge upon the invasion area.” He paused. “I’ve also ordered Third Fleet to move from the Gynthara battle station to intercept the enemy fleet in the Devodian System. They will also dispatch units to make contact with the lost colonies in the area.”
“Why the Devodian System?” the Supreme High Consul asked.
“Isn’t the Devodian System along the edge of our space. Is it not likely to have already fallen?” asked one of the Consuls.
“It is a possibility,” Moore conceded. “However it does lie at the end of a major warp nexus. Now if the enemy is the least bit intelligent, which we have to assume they are, they would use those same warp lanes as an axis to advance.”
“Meaning we would encounter them along the way,” the Consul stated.
“Precisely,” Moore replied. “Devodia is also close to the Vanjhar System, which is the largest and most fortified of the colonies in question, therefore the most likely to still be held.”
“And what if they have already taken Vanjhar and moved on without using the warp lanes? The Third Fleet will be no use to us in the Devodian System when the enemy is bearing down elsewhere?” another Consul member asked.
“While there is that risk, sir, I am confident that the defences on Vanjellise will not be breached before we arrive, especially with the Vanguard and her escorts aiding the defence. We must make an offensive rather than defensive reaction to this attack, and we have other assets already in and moving to the forward areas. They shall not be defenceless.” He paused. “We've also got elements from the eighth, eleventh and thirty-first fleets moving to secure other DSB colonies from similar attacks.”
“Very well, Admiral. Is that everything?”
“There is one last thing, Madam High Consul.”
“Yes.”
“If it becomes necessary, do I have your authority to allow the deployment of our Dark Matter ordinance?” This question caused the room to fall silent for a brief moment before the High Consul replied.
“For the moment, I shall not allow the deployment of our strategic weapons, understood?”
“Yes, Ma’am.”
“Then if that’s everything, inform me when the fleet has reached the Devodian System. Thank you all for now.”
As the council and military members exited the war room, Captain Spence was among them returning to his department when his comm-unit activated.
“Go ahead.”
“Sir, we’ve just received a data-burst forwarded to us by relay station Bravo Thirteen. It’s from one of Vanguard’s runners, we’re decrypting it now.”
“Very good, I’m on my way back now.”
Back in the Vanjhar System, the enemy fleet had almost completely surrounded the Vanguard, blocking all attempts she made to regroup with the Brezan and Bandit who were under heavy attack themselves. Even though the two ships were being supported by the planetary and lunar defence batteries, the enemy were closing in on them and concentrating most of their firepower against the Brezan. Cerberus still hidden under her cloak was able to skirt around the enemy fleet, launching her torpedoes to devastating effect. Tori’s squads were wreaking havoc amongst the enemies’ right flank. The speed, agility and sheer firepower of the Venoms was far superior to the enemy fighters, who also had to be more cautious when firing lest they hit their own ships. The rest of the fighter groups were engaging the enemy swarms, intercepting and breaking up many attack runs that packs of them attempted against the increasingly isolated Brezan whilst the battle drones had separated into packs of about twenty and were launching hit and run attacks against the exposed ships on the flanks. All the while the debris field from the wreckage grew closest to the planet gravity. which had begun to pull this debris down, burning most up in the atmosphere. However, many pieces made it through, blazing across the sky before slamming into the planet below.
The Narulh, having been separated from the others, was enduring a blistering barrage.
“Sir, shield strength is at ten percent,” Bambr reported.
“Understood.” He paused a brief second. “Deactivate the QPM cannons and reroute power to the shield grid.”
“Sir?” Bambr questioned.
“They’re draining too much power for what use they are at these close ranges.”
“Aye, sir. Deactivating QPMC’s and rerouting power.” He paused “Shields at thirty eight percent.”
“Dzeck, I think I’ve found a way to augment our main cannons,” the ship’s executive officer Koegris stated.
“How?” Kharog asked.
“We need to reverse the particle polarity and oscillate the frequency between five and five point five nanomecs.”
“You sure?”
“Wouldn’t have said if I wasn’t,” Koegris replied. “It should increase our weapons’ effectiveness by about eleven percent.”
“Bams, make it so,” Kharog ordered.
Despite the heavy and almost constant attack Vanguard was under, she was still having the better of the fight. Not even the largest of the enemy ships could stand against her devastating fire, nor had any one of them the firepower to seriously breach her incredibly thick and resilient KREASR armour. Only by their sheer weight of numbers were they winning.
On Vanguard’s bridge, Captain DeLancy stood over the operations table. The situation was beginning to look hopeless for the colony, as his ships would not be able to continue to hold off the enemy indefinitely. How long can the bear hold off a pack of wolves? he thought. He looked at Hixxs. She was coolly organising and managing this whole battle, keeping track of every asset and enemy, flawlessly ensuring there were no friendly fire incidents. DeLancy admired Hixxs. She was a cyborg who despite facing some prejudice, including from himself initially, he thought shamefully, had proven to him and all her detractors (most cyber-war veterans) that what you are doesn't define who you can be.
His thoughts were quickly halted as a sudden blinding green flash followed by several more, which rippled down along the aft port quarter of Brezan as one of her auxiliary plasma conduits erupted. Immediately she began to list to starboard, turning behind the smoke billowing from the plasma fires. Seriously damaged, she limped away from the battle, chased by several of the enemy who easily destroyed the few drones that tried to intervene. With most of her main armament disabled, Brezan blindly launched a salvo of missiles from her few remaining aft launchers. Although they scored several hits, it did not stop the encroaching ships who began firing at Brezan, her shields barely able to take the hits.
As they fired, intent on their kill, they failed to notice that Vanguard had micro-warped out from the enemy ships and was bearing down fast. She approached from their rear, and as soon as she was able she loosed a murderous barrage against the enemy. Three of the enemy were decimated by her firepower. The others broke this way and that desperately seeking an escape from Vanguard, who took out another before they escaped her. But as they fled from certain destruction, they crossed straight into the sights of Cerberus who didn’t miss the opportunity. Firing all her torpedoes she took out another three, while the remaining two escaped to the safety of their fleet.
“Contact Brezan,” DeLancy said.
“Aye, sir, channel open,” came Dillions’ reply.
“Sir, Lieutenant Adams, pilot officer, reporting.”
“Where’s Captain Hodr?” DeLancy asked.
“Dead, sir,” he replied.
“Who’s in command?” DeLancy asked.
“It would appear I am the most senior officer still able.”
“Ok Lieutenant, how bad is the damage?”
“Quite severe, sir. Main power has been severed, multiple hull breaches.” He paused, reading more. “Weapons systems are mostly disabled, and the shield grid is fluctuating.”
“Do you have propulsion?”
“Yes, sir. We still have sub-light engines. Hyper-warp engines are undamaged, but offline without main power.”
“Understood.” He paused in thought for a moment. “Well Lieutenant, I think you’ll agree that Brezan’s fight had come to an end.”
“Sadly, I have to agree, sir,” he replied.
“However, there is still some work she can aid us with.”
“Name it, sir,” he replied.
“You’re a pilot officer correct?” DeLancy quizzed.
“Yes, sir. Three years now.”
“Good. Then you should be able to land Brezan at the colony’s space port?” he asked.
“I don’t know,” he replied, and he quickly brought up a display of the space port and schematics. “The port’s big enough to take Brezan, just…” He brought up another display. “Approach is clear, yes. Yes, I think I can. sir.”
“Good, I want you to land the Brezan, make what repairs you can but get your hyper-drive back online.” He paused. “Then we can have the colonists loaded aboard. Once you’re ready, we’ll draw them off and you can escape the system, head for Sineska and spread the word of what’s happening here.”
“Understood, sir,” Adams replied.
“Helm, bring us about and prepare for another run. We’ll have to occupy our friends here while Brezan lands,” DeLancy ordered. “Commander Tarim, co-ordinate with Cerberus so we drive them into her kill zone.” He paused. “Dillon, update Jennings on the revised plan.”
Vanguard moved back towards the enemy while Brezan began to descend towards the planet’s atmosphere. Adams, with a skeleton bridge crew, skilfully piloted the damaged Brezan on a course that took them close to the moon, where the PDB’s on the Lunar Outpost kept the enemy ships at bay with their powerful cannons. Brezan then entered the planet’s atmosphere and descended towards the colony, leaving a violet trail smoking behind her as the plasma fires still billowing from her side reacted with the argon in Vanjellise’s atmosphere. Brezan slowed approaching the city, and the few secondary batteries that were still operational sent several barrages into the enemy’s ground force. At this range the guns designed for ship to ship engagement decimated the enemy, vaporising hundreds of them with each shot. Several of the enemies’ machines returned fire at Brezan, a couple shots straddling her aft section before she passed through the shield and made her final approach towards the space port. She hovered above the port for a few seconds, slowly turning to avoid some debris on the landing strip and then coming down and landing on the short stubby legs that had extended from her underbelly. Almost the second she landed, dozens of small drones raced out from a hanger and began extinguishing the fires still blazing from her hull.
Vanguard had succeeded in driving the enemy fleet apart, separating around a dozen ships out and flushing them into the path of Cerberus. Other enemy ships were racing to intercept her as she banked back towards the planet.
“Sir, we have a capital ship comparable to us in size closing on an intercept course.”
“Helm, put us nose to nose with her, match her movements and prepare for a combat roll.”
“Aye, sir,” Baxter replied, the tension in his voice was evident.
“Tarim, make ready for attack pattern CR three, on my command.”
“Aye, sir. Pattern programmed, standing by.”
“Steady,” DeLancy said as he watched the ship close the distance. “Steady, a few more seconds, now!” he cried. At that Vanguard rose slightly before diving into a corkscrew turn around the enemy ship. As she did every weapon fired as it was brought to bear. She moved off leaving the stricken ship dead in space and burning from bow to stern, and several ships converged towards Vanguard as she turned. Even as she made this manoeuvre and was upside down, nothing and nobody fell, as the sophisticated inertial dampening network and AG (Anti-Gravity) field worked in tandem to compensate for this. As Vanguard moved against the approaching ships. They began firing, several shots slammed into Vanguard, blasting small fragments of the armour away. Vanguard returned fire, destroying another ship. There was a sudden deafening explosion that reverberated throughout the bridge as several energy bursts slammed into its port side.
“Sir, we’ve lost fire control.”
“Have the guns assume independent targeting,” Commander Hunter ordered.
“Keep the artillery focussed on their battle line,” DeLancy ordered.
“Aye, sir,” Tarim replied.
“Sir, new group of signals entering the edge of the system!” Hixx loudly stated as a nearby console erupted with a shower of sparks.
In Turret P, Jhales was looking down his scope, spotting a sudden opportunity. A damaged ship came into range. The scope the ship was highlighted in blue to inform the gunner that the ship was unshielded. As Jhales went to fire, the scope suddenly went black.
“I’ve lost visuals,” Jhales said.
“TAIP array is down,” Tuekel stated.
“We’ll have to do it the old-fashioned way then. Switch to manual.”
“Confirmed,” Jade replied.
“Come on, come on,” Jhales impatiently muttered in the seemingly long seconds it took for the independent targeting system to come on-line
“Got her,” Tuekel announced, locking the target onto Jhales’s scope.
“Tracking,” he stated as he swung the huge turret towards the target. “We still in range?”
“Range is good,” Jade replied.
“Standby, firing!” Jhales cried, pulling the trigger. He watched the three huge plasma pulses race towards the target. As all three shots struck home, the ship exploded. “Scratch another!” Jhales cheered.
“Sir, temperature in the turrets approaching critical,” one of the crew stated.
“We have been cooking a lot,” Jade joked.
“Ain’t that the truth,” Tuekel stated.
