Trial by Fire - eARC (67 page)

Pennington’s voice was higher than before. “Laser hit on portside hull, sir. Conventional laser. We’ve lost that section of water tankage, but nothing more severe. Almost certainly a drone strike, sir.”

“Thank you, Lieutenant Pennington,” Halifax said. “However, in this engagement, I do not require reports on the ship’s status. If the damage is severe enough to endanger the further function of this CIC, then the bridge crew will inform me. And if the damage is more severe than that, once again, I do not need to be informed about it.”

Pennington was green enough to ask,“Why, sir?”

Halifax sighed. “Because, Lieutenant Pennington, the overwhelming likelihood is that we will already be dead or scrambling for the life pods.”

Commander Somers cleared his throat. “We’re coming into range of their heavies now, sir. Fleet evolution is optimal for engagement profile alpha.”

Halifax studied the holotank. “Send one profile modification, David. Since the Arat Kur are already worried, we’re going to worry them a little more. For all cruisers with UV laser main armament, new weapon settings. All systems are to be set for shortest duration pulse, highest gigajoule setting.”

“Sir, apologies. Regulations require I mention that, at the new rate and magnitude of fire, the lasers will burn out after twenty minutes. Thirty, at most.”

Halifax smiled. “Commander Somers, your knowledge of regulations is peerless. And from the tone of your voice, I suspect you understand
why
I’m pushing the lasers beyond their design limit, as well.”

“I believe so, sir.” Somers glanced quickly at the plot. “At our current combined rate of closure, the enemy will be passing abeam of us in twelve minutes, sir. At most.”

“Just so. One way or the other, our fight will be over long before we burn out our lasers, even at the overspec settings.” Halifax smiled as the
Trafalgar
quaked with what was clearly a far more substantial hit. “As I was saying, Commander Somers, pass the order: shortest pulses, maximum joules. And when you send that order, append my compliments, and my reminder that all attacks are to follow the assigned targets list, unless joint fire control links are lost. If that occurs, then captains are to fire at will and for as long as they may.”

Somewhere farther back in the ship, there was a sustained vibration. Possibly thrusters undertaking evasive action, possibly a PDF system swatting aside Arat Kur drones, or possibly the impact of railgun projectiles. Halifax’s staff started and looked around nervously. The admiral simply leaned back in his acceleration couch and exhaled. “And now comes the interesting part.”

Chapter Forty-Five

Mobile Command Center “Trojan Ghost One,” over the Indian Ocean, Earth

“Let’s see if the enemy leadership is ready to reassess their situation.” Downing nodded to the radio operator, who was already reaching out to the enemy via the frequency that had been reserved for coordinating the maritime traffic involved in the emergency grain shipments.

Alnduul was still at Richard’s elbow, despite the light bucking as the VTOL encountered a thermal. “Do you conjecture they are ready to negotiate, Downing?”

Richard frowned. “I doubt it, but the time has come to let them know that negotiation is an option.”

“So that they might soon talk with you again?”

Downing smiled. “So that they might soon start arguing with each other. Are the delivery assets for Case Timber Pony in optimal striking distance?”

“Only Riordan is within optimal range of a susceptible target at this time. Our EMP strikes have disabled many of the Arat Kur computer systems that the other assets might have exploited.”

Downing sighed. So. It all came down to Riordan, after all. Odysseus had not only inspired Case Timber Pony, but would likely be the means by which it was executed. “Well, there’s nothing for it. Mr. Rinehart, use the relief coordination frequency to contact the Arat Kur leadership. It’s time we had a chat.”

Presidential Palace, Jakarta, Earth

Darzhee Kut was frankly relieved when the senior communications technican announced, “Esteemed Hu’urs Khraam, I have a representative of the Earth Confederation on our human interface channel. He requests to speak with you.”

“Is it Ching, or another Confederation consul?”

“No, Hu’urs Khraam.”

“Then Urzueth Ragh shall speak with him.”

Urzueth Ragh started, moved over to the communication console. “This is Administrator Urzueth Ragh of the Arat Kur Wholenest. What is the intent of your communication?”

“We wish to determine if you are now willing to renegotiate the terms for your withdrawal.”

Urzueth Ragh looked to Hu’urs Khraam who snapped his claws downward. Urzueth relayed the response. “We have no interest in renegotiation. We will consider a truce and cessation of hostilities, however, if you wish to reconsider accepting our terms.”

“I must point out that your position is grave.”

“We do not agree. At the rate you are losing missiles and now planes, we think it is your position that is quite grave.”

“You obviously had reasonable prewar intelligence on the military stockpiles of this planet. You must know that our current losses are negligible.”

“You may see it so. But we stand by our terms and conditions for withdrawal.”

There was a pause. “Very well, then I have no choice but to issue the following directives. Please look at your sensors.”

Darzhee Kut looked over. The airspace on the islands around Indonesia, in a broad, arch from Sumatra to Perth and then up to Bali, was filling with new contacts, so many in number that he could no longer distinguish individual returns. It was like a white wave, already discernibly contracting inward toward Java, albeit more slowly than the rockets had.

“You will note the previously hidden air assault forces that are now converging on your position. We have measured your orbital interdiction capability and know that you cannot stop them all. However, if you attempt orbital interdiction against any of these units, we will launch a nuclear attack directly against your two major compounds in Jakarta and Surabaja.”

“Your earlier nuclear strikes were made while your decoys were disrupting our sensors. You will not succeed in such an attack now.”

“You are incorrect. Our sensors show that, in addition to lacking sufficient orbital interdiction assets, more than fifty percent of your PDF systems are no longer functioning. So I reiterate: do not attack our approaching air units, or we will launch a nuclear attack.”

Urzueth bluffed well. “You will excuse us if we dispute your statistics and find your threats of a nuclear attack less than convincing.”

“Then perhaps this will convince you. Look at your sensors once again—”

SSBN
Ohio
, Java Sea, Earth

“Captain Tigner?”

“Yes, Alvarez?”

“The boys banging sticks in the Australian surf have sent the word. All subs go to phase two.”

“Any new wrinkles in the plan?”

“None at all, ma’am. Just like we drilled it.”

“Very well then. Mr. Vinh, blow all tanks and give me full fans to the surface. Mr. Alvarez, signal that
Ohio
has received, understood, and is on the way up. Ms. Kayor?”

“Aye, Cap’n?”

“Deploy remote ADA packages with neutral buoyancy set for twenty meters. And dump all our countermeasures now. Set them for remote activation, arrayed to cover a straight dive pattern.”

“We dump
all
the countermeasures, without presumption of evasive action, Skipper?”

“You heard a-right, Lieutenant. If we have to dive to the dark, the only two things that are going to matter are speed and having the countermeasures already in the water and waiting to go. And if phase two doesn’t work, we’re out of the game anyway. No reason to keep the toys in the hull.”

“Aye, aye, ma’am.”

Vinh half turned his head. “Captain Tigner, we’re coming up through one hundred meters.”

She hauled down the old hardwired shipwide handset. “Stand to general quarters.” She heard her rather girlish voice echoing back through the long hull. “We cannot afford any failure, any hesitation. History, and all humanity, will judge us by this moment.”

Vinh told her what she already knew from the way the deck seemed to bounce beneath her feet. “Decks awash, tubes open.”

Commander Tigner leaned toward the periscope.

The weapons officer looked over. “Orders, ma’am?”

“Nothing yet, Ms. Kayor. We’re going to give them a good look down the barrel of our loaded shotgun before we pull the trigger. Maybe they’ll blink first, save us the trouble of shooting.”

“If not, ma’am?”

“Keep present target selection and dispersion setting. Set warheads for one-hundred-meter airburst. And if I give the word, Donna—”

“Yes, ma’am?”

“Don’t wait for details. Salvo ’em all.”

Presidential Palace, Jakarta, Earth

Darzhee Kut stared at the map in disbelief. Twenty seconds ago, there had been a wave of white slowly converging on Java, but now the island itself was outlined by a snow flurry of new, coast-hugging contacts. Contacts that faded in as they emerged from the benthic depths of the surrounding seas, shelfs, reefs.

Hu’urs Khraam had collapsed back into his couch. “How many did you say?”

“Fifty-four submarine contacts. Optical sensors show all missile tubes open. High power radar arrays are now active in Australia, Sumatra, Singapore, Philippines, scanning the airspace above us all the way up to low earth orbit.”

“So if we attempt to interdict the submarines with orbital munitions—”

“The human sensors will detect their descent and signal the submarines to salvo.”

“Orbital lasers?”

Urzueth Ragh’s mandibles made a grating noise. “The hull of these submersibles is akin to very thick armor. Our standard interdiction lasers are not powerful enough to reliably destroy or disable them before they can launch. A non-UV spinal laser would work, but we have retained very few of those older systems in our inventory.”

“So we have no way to destroy them before they can salvo.”

“Not all of them, and any one of those submarines carries enough warheads to destroy us. And with the short flight times from those offshore positions—”

Hu’urs Khraam turned to Darzhee Kut. “I seek your advice, rock-sibling:…”

—Darzhee Kut blinked at the unprecedented, almost familial, intimacy of the address—

“…when I forbade renewing negotiation with the humans, was I too hasty?”

Darzhee Kut was wondering how he could tactfully reply to such a question when Urzueth Ragh announced, “I have initial images of the engagement with the first echelon of the human fleet.”

Hu’urs Khraam motioned Darzhee Kut toward the plot. “I am told your experiences at Barnard’s Star greatly enhanced your knowledge of fleet actions, Speaker Kut. Please provide details of what we are seeing.”

Darzhee Kut would normally have demurred having his name associated with expertise in military matters. However, in a species which had not known war in many generations, and which reviled the disharmonious existence that was its necessary precursor, it might well be that he understood war—at least this war with the humans—as well as any other rock-sibling present. He turned to Caine. “In describing the actions and implements of your fleet, you will correct me if I misspeak, Caine Riordan?”

* * *

Caine thought about that request and what it might imply. “I will, if my duty to my own race is not violated by what I share.”

“Then join me at the holotank, if you would.”

Caine approached the Arat Kur holotank. The once tidy masses of red and green motes were thoroughly interpenetrated, the formations of both having diffused into badly smudged approximations of their former geometric shapes.

Hu’urs Khraam shifted restlessly. “I am surprised that our engagement with the first echelon of the human fleet has already compromised our formation. Why did this occur?”

“Necessity, Hu’urs Khraam,” answered Darzhee Kut. “Being so heavily outnumbered, and further threatened from the rear by the drones from Earth, our commanders had to choose between maneuvering to optimally realign their overlapping fields of defensive fire or holding formation and reducing their ability to protect each other from the threats now present in all parts of our battlesphere.”

Hu’urs Khraam shifted again. “Continue.”

“The choice they made—to adjust position to optimize defense—has substantially reduced our losses, but has not prevented them. These images show the state of the combat currently.”

The screen over the holoplot brightened, revealing a human cruiser, launching missiles from its amidships bays, the red activation rings glowing around the small aperture that was the business end of its spinal UV laser. Then, with terrible suddenness, part of its belly vomited outward in shower of tumbling white debris. The main weapon’s red activation warning rings winked spasmodically and went dark, just before flickering flame-tongues danced within the ship’s gaping belly wound, licking hesitantly at the blackness of space. The rear of the ship was now limned by a blue glow. The fusion plant and main thrusters were being pushed to maximum burn, probably in an attempt to rush the ship out the other side of the engagement zone.

Its escape attempt was futile. Two seconds later, the unseen agency of pinpoint destruction went back to work. A cyclone of debris and ruin traced a long jagged line down the cruiser’s flank, as if the hull was an immense technological fish being gutted by a dull knife. As the beam—almost certainly a shift-cruiser’s spinal-X-ray laser—blasted its way aft, secondaries inside the human cruiser went off, bursting more of the hull outward from inside. Then the missile bay exploded, tearing an immense chunk out of the ship’s side, which was immediately followed by a blast of blinding whiteness that blanked the screen.

The view changed. That same, blinding whiteness was now a small sun, expanding in the background, the foreground dominated by two Arat Kur ships that were experiencing difficulties of their own. The larger one, a distinctively streamlined shift-cruiser, was struggling to maintain attitude with her plasma thrusters. Her main engineering decks were slashed open to space, intermittent jets of flame vying with actinic power arcs that looked akin to a collection of Van der Graaf generators gone mad. But, although she was nearly motionless, her hyperactive defense batteries briskly annihilated the nearest threats from a steadily converging hemisphere of human drones and occasional missiles, one of which bloomed into the bright white sphere of a tactical nuclear device.