Chapter Twenty Four
(L + 51 days)
Principale Maecius fought to keep a sensor lock on the various segments of the enemy classis. The wreckage from the first enemy squadron cluttered up his sensor screen but at the slow speed the Aratus was traveling, engineering was sending him enough extra power to burn through any jamming that the enemy could create. “Legatus,” he said. “Enemy I Principe Squadron destroyed. No other enemy ships in range for 30+ minutes. Enemy appears to be trying to regroup around Nova Cartago II Sir. Next set of units contacted will be their I Triari and II Carrier Squadrons around the moon Stygia.”
He paused as he saw a new set of signals on his board. “Legatus, I’m detecting Pila and fighter launches from the enemy’s classis. First wave of fighters will reach us in 32 minutes with the second smaller wave in 57 minutes. Pila waves will arrive in 22 minutes and 46 minutes.”
Labienus grinned at Trierarchus Iustin and his aide. “Better than we had hoped for gentlemen, their attacks are coming in staggered waves. We should be able to keep casualties to a minimum as long as the point defense weapons work as they’re supposed to.”
The officers watched the incoming pilas and fighters approach. Trierarchus Iustin looked at Labienus. “Now sir?”
Labienus shook his head. “I want their next wave of pilas to launch before they realize what we’re doing.”
They were interrupted by Principale Maecius’ call. “Launch! Enemy has launched second wave of pilas.”
Labienus grinned. “Trierarchus, inform all units, begin executing Maneuver Plan Testudo. All carriers launch fighters at those fleets around Stygia. Get a pila firing solution on those enemy Triari and Principe squadrons, they are going to be the most dangerous this time.”
***
The units of Legatus Labienus’s command began to implement the maneuver they had been practicing for weeks. Huge carriers began to turn ponderously towards their designated points. The Escort Quadremes and Triremes deftly closed in around the other ships. Many ships approached so closely, that anti collision alarms were constantly sounding. One Quadreme helmsman was heard to remark that if he had wanted to do close formation flying like this, he would have joined the Black Knights aerobatic flying team. Within 12 minutes, over 150 ships had formed into a vast globelike formation with only 2 minor collisions occurring.
***
Labienus keyed his comm, “Praefectus Horatius, all ships are in formation, transferring coordination of all point defense weapons in the fleet to the Retiarius. You and your ships are our shield, keep those incomings off our backs so we can crush the rest of these bastards.”
Horatius’s deep growl rumbled over the comm, Retiarius acknowledges control of PD weapons, first pila wave in range in 5 minutes. They won’t touch the rest of the classis unless they kill every ship under my command Legatus; you have my word on that. Horatius out.”
Labienus turned and spoke to the gaunt figure in gray to his left. “This is where it pays off Tribunus. Training, discipline, duty and dedication like this are what set the Roman Classis apart from other space faring species.” He pointed at the comm panel. “Praefectus Horatius hates my guts. Has since the Academy and that’s almost 40 years now. He wants nothing more than to see me dead and laid out on a slab, but right now, he will die before he will allow me to be harmed. Of course, once we are finished here, he may just call me out.”
Tribunus Curio interrupted him. “If we live.”
The Admiral paused a moment and smiled in agreement. “Yes, if we live.”
***
Admiral Horatius watched the first wave of enemy pilas close on the classis. His Point Defense ships were the most under appreciated vessels in the entire Roman Classis. Very few classis commanders were willing to allow the PD ships to do the job they were designed for, and even fewer Legati still were willing to slave all the classis PD weapons to the ships that had been damn well designed for that exact purpose. So many Legati used them only for ECM and ECCM and to guard ships they didn’t want to be bothered to defend.
He ran his hand gently over the Diana Mk. 22 Fire Control Coordinator. Horatius inserted his command key into the slot and turned it to the little used, <Classis Defense> setting.
The panel lit up and the Fire Control Officer grinned. “Praefectus, positive connection to all one hundred and sixty two ships. All PD weapons are under our control. First pilas entering maximum firing range.” The Centurio straightened his back and asked formally. “Permission to commence firing Praefectus.”
Horatius smiled at the young officer. “Permission granted Centurio, fire at will.” He paused a moment and added. “Make it good Centurio, let’s show them what we can really do.” The F.C.O. nodded to the men and women of his section. “Fire!”
***
The fist wave of Siliconate missiles sliced through space. The missiles were so large; they were almost small ships unto themselves. Their solid bodies were covered in heavy armor and each generated it’s own shielding to protect the massive warhead that each carried. The guidance systems were not designed for special maneuvers, nor to do anything but detect, close with and destroy their targets. The simple computers could not have known when they crossed an invisible line in space. They didn’t care when hundreds of point defense weapons began firing at them. They drove on with their suicidal mission of death. If they had been able to comprehend it, they would have been impressed at the Mk.22’s ability to deliver precisely the correct amount of firepower to destroy each missile.
The Fire Control computer cycled the ships weapons to allow ships in the rear of the formation to deliver their firepower, while computing all ‘blind spots’ caused by ships hulls blocking direct fire. Of the 210 Siliconate missiles in the first wave, less than 40 made it through the immense web of fire. The missiles detonated among the point defense ships, collapsing shields and melting hulls. Five Point Defense Quadremes were destroyed by the salvo and all of the others showed some signs of damage. The fleet exited the roiling gout of energy and closed in on the nearest enemy formations.
***
Legatus Labienus’s jaw clenched as he saw the damage from the salvo. He slapped his comm “Horatius, you still alive out there?”
There was a pause, then an angry voice growled. “What do you want Legatus, we’re sort of busy over here at the moment.”
Labienus grimaced. “I’m transferring control of all short ranged weapons to you as well, we underestimated the firepower needed to stop those damn things and I can’t afford to lose any more of your ships like that.” Labienus entered a set of codes on his comm pad. “I’m sending you the override codes.
If you need to, take control of everything but the HET’s and the pilas. If you end up needing those as well, then we are well and truly screwed.”
Praefectus Horatius’s voice came back quickly. ”Aye aye Legatus, that should be enough, we’ll do our best, Horatius out.”
***
On the damaged and burning bridge of his ship, Horatius turned to his Fire Control Officer. "Centurio, the Legatus just gave us control over half the firepower of the classis. If you and your people can’t stop those fighters and that next wave of pilas, I’m going to be very disappointed in you.”
The Centurio looked at the new intercept range line and the enemy fighters closing in. “Permission to turn those incomings to slag Sir.”
Horatius looked at swarm of fighters displayed on the board, “Fry ‘em”
***
The cloud of Siliconate fighters ran into a wall of fire that got more intense as they bored in closer to the Human fleet. All had been involved in the destruction of the first enemy fleet and they were expecting a divided and uncoordinated defense net to peck away at a few of them until they got close enough to tear open the Human ships. The massed defensive firepower of over 150 ships gutted the fighter squadrons. A few Siliconate pilots had time to see the heavy beam and missile weapons of the humans reaching out towards their Carriers and the weapons of it’s protecting Long Range flotilla answering back before they were blotted out of space.
***
The Siliconate 1st Long Ranged flotilla tried desperately to hold off the advancing enemy ships to give the Carrier flotilla time enough to scramble new fighters. It found itself in a long-range duel against very long odds. Its weapons were more powerful and had better range, but the enemy was crushing their shields with sheer volume of firepower. The Long Range Armada could outrun the Human ships, but it stayed between the enemy and the ponderous Carriers that it was trying to protect. In the end, it didn’t matter; all 18 ships of the 1st LR were shattered in a few minutes. The questing beams of the Human fleet then began reaching out among the Siliconate Carriers. The wreckage of the ships began drifting towards Stygia. The last few Siliconate ships fired at the cloud of Human missiles and fighters that passed them on their way to the rest of the fleet before they too were destroyed.
***
The Retiarius was locked on the next wave if enemy missiles. This time beams began detonating missiles at nearly three times the range of the last wave. The volume of fire only grew as the short ranged weapons joined the medium ranged ones. The death knell for the armored kamikazes came when they entered the point defense belt and all the PD batteries were finally unmasked. The last of the enemy missiles was detonated just short of the Retiarius’s hull.
The Centurio looked at his people and gave a pale grin. “Close.”
Praefectus Horatius looked down at the weary men and women of the section. “When we are done with this people, the drinks will be on the Legatus.” A sea of smiles lit up their faces.
Horatius pointed again to the board. “Now kill me that next wave of fighters and I just might treat you all to dinner first.” With renewed vigor, the men and women of the Fire Coordination Team went about their tasks. The next wave of Siliconate fighters never knew what hit them.
***
Fleet leader Strives-Advancing-Onward missed the tail of his last host. Lashing a tail in anger was much more satisfying than grinding teeth. It watched the holo-tank in frustration as another wave of its fighters was blotted out of space. The Humans had destroyed three of its flotillas and were advancing steadily on the planet they defended.
The LR flotilla and CV flotilla were heading to him from the second moon, yet neither would be able to join up before the incoming Human fighters and missiles were among his orbiting fleets. The point defense weapons of his three flotillas reached out among the incoming missile wave. The thin-skinned Human missiles were easily destroyed, but the ships lacked enough batteries to stop them all. The remainder of the wave annihilated the sole remaining SR flotilla.
Strives-Advancing-Onward howled in frustration. The vocal range of this host was insufficient to express the outrage as the human fighters began tearing its two missile flotillas to shreds. The Flagship rocked from numerous hits as the shields began to fail. It picked up the communications transmitter and sent signal to the remaining two of its flotillas. ”Remaining ships, this is Fleet leader…”
***
On board the Retiarius ECM Principale Valens detected an encoded transmission from the enemy Flagship. He directed a beam of jamming towards the transmitting ship.
***
”...Humans are killing our ships. To all ships, do not continue the fight. Do not fight on. Retreat and regroup. Do not fight on.”
***
Principale Valens flicked the power boost on and slammed the jammers to maximum.
***
Flotilla leader Long-Fang-Bellowing listened to the final transmission from the Flagship over the Command channel.
“...Humans … kil… … ships. .. all ships, .. …continue the fight. Do not… …Retreat… …….. .. …fight on.”
The transmission was garbled, but it was clear enough for the Ursine bodied Siliconate. Feeling the berserker rage of its host it turned to its crew. “Signal flotilla leader Rends-From-Afar that I am taking Command of the Fleet and all its ships are to follow us into battle.”
Its massive furred fist slammed onto its command chair arm. Plastic shattered and metal bent as it watched the swarm of fighters close with its ships. We are going to be rended by INSECTS! It thought. These Humans will not even close with us so we can claw and tear them!
***
Labienus watched the last two enemy squadrons torn to pieces by his fighters and a final salvo of pilas. He looked at the holo projection then towards Principale Maecius. “Principale, talk to me…”
The Principale checked his sensor board and then double-checked. When he had checked a third time, he turned towards the Legatus in amazement. “That’s all of them Sir! No active enemy vessels remaining in system.” He shook his head, and stared at the Legatus in awe. “You did it Sir.” He checked the Classis Status screen again. “Total casualties… seven point defense Quadremes and four Triari Quinquiremes destroyed. Lots of ships reporting some minor damage, but that’s it Sir.” He whispered in awe. ”One hundred and thirty six enemy vessels destroyed or rendered crippled for eleven of ours.”
The Flag Bridge’s crew just stared at the empty holo projection in shock and amazement until a young Manipularii who had been guarding the hatch, approached the Legatus, stopped before him and came to a crisp position of attention. Solemnly, Optio Romulus saluted his Legatus.
Across the bridge, Trierarchus Iustin and Centurio Maximus snapped to attention and saluted. One by one, the members of the bridge crew stood and saluted.
Labienus felt a lump in his throat and was shocked when Tribunus Curio stiffened and joined the salute. Labienus smoothed his jacket and came to attention and returned the salute. When he finally dropped his hand, many of the crew held their salute for a few moments as if wanting to remember this moment forever.
Labienus cleared his throat. “I want all fighters to fan out and destroy all cripples that will not surrender. Carriers and Triari will scour the system for any sign of enemy presence. Principe and the Veles will enter orbit around Nova Cartago II and destroy any ships or comm pods attempting to launch. Contact Pro-Consul Cincinnatus and tell him to bring up his troop transports, we have a planet to re take.”
***
On the surface of Nova Cartago II, the commander of the Siliconate Divisions, Ever-Conquering-Planets looked at the reports, slammed them down in frustration and turned towards its second in command. “Order all units to cease advances and pull back to our current lines. All armored units will move into the major cities. If they want this planet back, they will have to tear us out, city by city. Establish supply caches and have all units dig in deep. We are going to hold here until The Assembly sends us reinforcements.”
***
The Legionarii manning the shattered human lines on the southern continent stared in shock at their last minute salvation as the enemy began pulling away from them.
_________________ Benno the Mad Wrote:
man, you gotta realise that thor and bos fell out of the patriot tree (like the ugly tree, but instills patriotism instead of ugly) and hit every branch on the way down.
"Gone now, dispersed by the brutal destruction of this one day, was the belief that the Darkman and his army of the dead were so superior as to be invincible. By attempting to destroy the morale of the Marines, the Darkman had restored it to full vigor. Dia De La Muerto had failed in its objectives."
The Gunny: Stand of the 300
Si vis pacem, para bellum
If you want peace, prepare for war
Gunny's color #FF2400
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