Valiente (46 page)
Praise for
THE LOST FLEET: FEARLESS
“Straightforward, solidly written military space opera . . . It’s all good fun and Campbell has actually given some thought to the problems of combat in space.”
— Don D’Ammassa,
Critical Mass
“Another satisfying [Campbell] cocktail to slake the thirst of fans who like their space operas with a refreshing moral and an intellectual chaser . . .
The Lost Fleet
deserves to find a home on your bookshelf.”
— SF Reviews.net
“A great and gripping read. It’s a fast-paced roller coaster of action and intrigue, with realistic characters and situations.”
—TCM Reviews
Praise for
THE LOST FLEET: DAUNTLESS
“A rousing adventure.”
—
William C. Dietz, author of
When All Seems Lost
“Jack Campbell’s dazzling new series is military science fiction at its best. Not only does he tell a yarn of great adventure and action, but he also develops the characters with satisfying depth. I thoroughly enjoyed this rip-roaring read, and I can hardly wait for the next book.”
—
Catherine Asaro, Nebula Award-winning author of
The Ruby Dice
“Black Jack Geary is very real, very human, and so compelling he’ll leave you wanting more.
Jack Campbell knows fleet actions, and it shows . . . [
The Lost Fleet: Dauntless
is] the best novel of its type that I’ve read.”
—
David Sherman, coauthor of the Starfist series
“A slam-bang good read that kept me up at night . . . a solid, thoughtful, and exciting novel loaded with edge-of-your-seat combat.”
—
Elizabeth Moon, Nebula Award-winning author of
Victory Conditions
“[
Dauntless
] should please many fans of old-fashioned hard SF.”
— Sci Fi Weekly
“Readers will admire and like [Geary], who believes in honor, teamwork, and civilized behavior
. . . This is a hard military science novel with space battles out of
Star Wars
. The battle scenes are so intricately described that readers will be able to visualize them . . . A fast-paced but intricate story line and fully developed characters turn this novel into a fun reading experience.
Fans of David Weber, Elizabeth Moon, and Peter F. Hamilton will find
The Lost Fleet:
Dauntless
thoroughly enjoyable.”
— SFRevu
“This is an amazing piece of military science fiction writing, with a protagonist who is remarkable and memorable . . . Campbell writes well. Period. The book flows well, with an excellent mix of action and philosophical debate . . . Overall, this is just a plain good read with memorable characters and scenes, and a writing style that is aimed at people who like to think and ponder while enjoying the action. Bravo.”
— Rambles. net
“
The Lost Fleet: Dauntless
is well written, with a hero who’s all too human and battle weary.
There’s much here that will remind readers of
Battlestar Galactica
. . . The battles are well done, but it’s the characters who drive the story.”
—Fresh Fiction
“[Campbell’s] space operas [seek] to add new layers to the conventions of military SF.”
— SF Reviews.net
“Lots of fun and I devoured it in a day. I can’t wait for the sequel.”
—The Weekly Press
(Philadelphia)
“Campbell’s book takes a sharp look at military discipline (and the lack thereof) in wartime . . .
engaging and interesting.”
—Romantic Times Book Reviews
I remain indebted to my agent, Joshua Bilmes, for his ever-inspired suggestions and assistance; to my editor, Anne Sowards, for her support and editing; and to Cameron Dufty at Ace, for her help and assistance. Thanks also to Catherine Asaro, Robert Chase, J. G. (Huck) Huckenpohler, Simcha Kuritzky, Michael LaViolette, Aly Parsons, Bud Sparhawk, and Constance A. Warner, for their suggestions, comments, and recommendations. Thanks also to Charles Petit, for his suggestions about space engagements.
And in memory of USS
SPRUANCE
(DD-963): launched 10 November 1973; commissioned 20
September 1975; decommissioned 23 March 2005; sunk as a target off the Virginia Capes 8
December 2006. The first and finest, she taught me about ships the hard way.
THE ALLIANCE FLEET
CAPTAIN JOHN GEARY ,
Commanding (acting)
As reorganized following the losses suffered immediately prior to Captain Geary assuming command in the Syndic home system.
Ship names in bold are those lost in action, with the name of the star system of their loss given afterward.
SECOND BATTLESHIP
DIVISION
Gallant
Indomitable
Glorious
Magnificent
THIRD BATTLESHIP
DIVISION
Paladin
> (lost at Lakota)
Orion
Majestic
Conqueror
FOURTH BATTLESHIP
DIVISION
Warrior
Triumph
(lost at Vidha)
Vengeance
Revenge
FIFTH BATTLESHIP
DIVISION
Fearless
Resolution
Redoubtable
Warspite
SEVENTH BATTLESHIP
DIVISION
Indefatigable
(lost at Lakota)
Audacious
(lost at Lakota)
Defiant
(lost at Lakota)
EIGHTH BATTLESHIP
DIVISION
Relentless
Reprisal
Superb
Splendid
TENTH BATTLESHIP
DIVISION
Colossus
Amazon
Spartan
Guardian
FIRST SCOUT BATTLESHIP
DIVISION
Arrogant
(lost at Kaliban)
Exemplar
Braveheart
FIRST BATTLE CRUISER
DIVISION
Courageous
Formidable
Intrepid
Renown
(lost at Lakota)
SECOND BATTLE CRUISER
DIVISION
Leviathan
Dragon
Steadfast
Valiant
FOURTH BATTLE CRUISER
DIVISION
Dauntless
(flagship)
Daring
Terrible
(lost at Ilion)
Victorious
FIFTH BATTLE CRUISER
DIVISION
Invincible
(lost at Ilion)
Repulse
(lost in Syndic
home system)
Furious
Implacable
SIXTH BATTLE CRUISER
DIVISION
Polaris
(lost at Vidha)
Vanguard
(lost at Vidha)
Illustrious
Incredible
SEVENTH BATTLE CRUISER
DIVISION
Opportune
Brilliant
Inspire
THIRD FAST FLEET AUXILIARIES DIVISION
Titan
Witch
Jinn
Goblin
THIRTY-SEVEN SURVIVING HEAVY CRUISERS
IN SEVEN DIVISIONS
First Heavy Cruiser Division
Third Heavy Cruiser Division
Fourth Heavy Cruiser Division
Fifth Heavy Cruiser Division
Seventh Heavy Cruiser Division
Eighth Heavy Cruiser Division
Tenth Heavy Cruiser Division
minus
Invidious
(lost at Kaliban)
Cuirass
(lost at Sutrah)
Crest
,
War-Coat
,
Ram
, and
Citadel
(lost at Vidha)
Basinet
and
Sallet
(lost at Lakota)
SIXTY-TWO SURVIVING LIGHT CRUISERS
IN TEN SQUADRONS
First Light Cruiser Squadron
Second Light Cruiser Squadron
Third Light Cruiser Squadron
Fifth Light Cruiser Squadron
Sixth Light Cruiser Squadron
Eighth Light Cruiser Squadron
Ninth Light Cruiser Squadron
Tenth Light Cruiser Squadron
Eleventh Light Cruiser Squadron
Fourteenth Light Cruiser Squadron
minus
Swift
(lost at Kaliban)
Pommel
,
Sling
,
Bolo
, and
Staff
(lost at Vidha)
Spur
,
Damascene
, and
Swept-Guard
(lost at Lakota)
ONE HUNDRED EIGHTY-THREE SURVIVING DESTROYERS
IN TWENTY SQUADRONS
First Destroyer Squadron
Second Destroyer Squadron
Third Destroyer Squadron
Fourth Destroyer Squadron
Sixth Destroyer Squadron
Seventh Destroyer Squadron
Ninth Destroyer Squadron
Tenth Destroyer Squadron
Twelfth Destroyer Squadron
Fourteenth Destroyer Squadron
Sixteenth Destroyer Squadron
Seventeenth Destroyer Squadron
Twentieth Destroyer Squadron
Twenty-first Destroyer Squadron
Twenty-third Destroyer Squadron
Twenty-fifth Destroyer Squadron
Twenty-seventh Destroyer Squadron
Twenty-eighth Destroyer Squadron
Thirtieth Destroyer Squadron
Thirty-second Destroyer Squadron
minus
Dagger
and
Venom
(lost at Kaliban)
Anelace
,
Baselard
, and
Mace
(lost at Sutrah)
Celt
,
Akhu
,
Sickle
,
Leaf
,
Bolt
,
Sabot
,
Flint
,
Needle
,
Dart
,
Sting
,
Limpet
, and
Cudgel
(lost at Vidha)
Falcata
(lost at Ilion)
War-Hammer
,
Prasa
,
Talwar
, and
Xiphos
(lost at Lakota)
SECOND FLEET MARINE FORCE
Colonel Carabali commanding (acting)
1,560 Marines divided into detachments on battle cruisers and battleships.
TWO of the armored bulkheads surrounding hell-lance battery three alpha on the Alliance battle cruiser
Dauntless
shone like new. They were new, the broken fragments of the originals having been cut away and new material fastened into position. The other two sides of the compartment housing the hell-lance battery were scarred by enemy fire but in good enough shape to have been left in place. The hell-lance projectors themselves betrayed recent repairs, using improvised fixes that would never pass muster with a fleet inspection team, but the nearest fleet inspection team was a great distance away back in Alliance space. For now, with the Alliance fleet trapped deep inside Syndicate Worlds’ space, all that mattered was that these hell lances were ready once again to hurl their charged-particle spears at the enemy.
Captain John Geary ran his eyes down the rank of the hell-lance battery’s crew. Half of the sailors here were new to this battery, having been cannibalized from other hell-lance crews on the ship to replace losses suffered at Lakota Star System. Like their battery, two of the original crew still bore marks of combat, one with a flex-cast covering his upper arm and another with a heal-pad sealed over the side of her leg. Walking wounded, who should have been allowed to recuperate before returning to their guns, but that was a luxury neither
Dauntless
nor any other ship in the Alliance fleet could afford right now. Not with combat once again imminent and the fleet in danger of total destruction.
“They insisted on returning to their duty station,” Captain Tanya Desjani murmured to Geary, her expression proud. Her ship and her crew. They’d fought hard and well, they’d worked around the clock to get this battery back online and ready to engage, and now they were ready to fight again.
He couldn’t forget that the damage that had been repaired, the sailors who weren’t here because their bodies awaited burial, were the result of his decisions.
And yet now those sailors watched him with eyes reflecting confidence, pride, determination, and their unnerving faith in Black Jack Geary, legendary hero of the Alliance. They were still ready to follow him. They were following his orders, right back to the place where this fleet had left a lot of destroyed ships. “Damn fine work,” Geary stated, trying to put the right amount of emotion into his voice and no more. He knew he had to sound concerned and impressed but not overwrought. “I’ve never served with a better crew or one that fought harder.” True enough.
Before being rescued from a century of survival sleep and brought aboard
Dauntless
, his combat experience had consisted of a single, hopeless battle. Now he had a fleet of ships and sailors depending on him, not to mention the fate of the Alliance itself.
And maybe the fate of humanity as well.
No pressure. No pressure at all.
Geary smiled at the crew of the hell-lance battery. “In six hours we’ll be back in Lakota Star System, and we’ll give you something to shoot at.” The sailors grinned back fiercely. “Get a little rest before then. Captain Desjani?”
She nodded to him. “At ease,” she ordered the gun crew. “You’re off duty for the next four hours, and authorized full rations.” The sailors smiled again. With food stocks running low, meals had been cut back to stretch available supplies.
“The Syndics will be sorry we came back to Lakota,” Geary promised.