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  CIC, EMS Shadowfax, New Warsaw System

  Elizabeth concentrated on breathing and watching the Tri-V update the order of battle. A new swarm of green indicators raced in from the asteroid belt. They weren’t as fast as drones but were a lot faster than normal manned ships. SalSha, she thought. Tough little fuckers. They were arrowing toward the original battleship squadron.

  The two remaining Bakulu battleships were acting in an extremely coordinated manner. In Elizabeth’s experience, battleships didn’t play well together. If you used them right, they could be utterly devastating, what with their overlapping fields of fire and massive shields. However, it seemed, more often than not, that battleship commanders were individualistic and protective of their own little space-fortresses. It was one of the many reasons Alexis had never brought them into the Hussars. That and they were slugs, which didn’t fit the Hussars nimble strike-and-run tactics.

  “Someone is pulling the strings,” Evie wheezed, also suffering under 5Gs of thrust. She could barely hold up her arm to point at the Tri-V.

  “You saw that, too,” Elizabeth said. Yes, the SalSha were definitely going for the remaining Maki battleship. She nodded. A tough nut to crack and the best choice. “Time to maneuver completion?”

  “Two minutes,” helm replied.

  “Spread attack,” Lech called over comms to the fleet.

  Elizabeth pursed her lips. It would make their ships more challenging targets, but it would also reduce the effectiveness of their fire. She examined the Tri-V again. They had one big tactical advantage: the enemy didn’t have carriers. The Hussars had wrecked every carrier in the system during the battle at Sol. The status indicators for the Hussars’ four carriers showed only 25% for available drones, but the carriers were tucked away in the asteroid field making new ones. Most of the initial wave of automated killers were dead, though, and it appeared it would be an hour before more would be ready. This is liable to all be over in an hour, she thought.

  “Enemy fleet is repositioning,” Evie said.

  Elizabeth’s eyes darted over the display, then looked at it with her pinplants for the “bigger picture.” What the fuck? she wondered. The enemy ships were repositioning, transitioning from the defensive sphere around the damaged Maki battleship to a vanguard aimed at the approaching Hussars attack.

  The formation was right out of the Winged Hussars tactical training—layered offensive nose-on formation of escort frigates, cruisers, battlecruisers. Even the battleships were integrated!

  “Commander Kowalczy!” Elizabeth snapped. “It’s our own tactics. Paka is in command of that squadron!”

  “I know,” he replied, his tone fatal.

  * * *

  CIC, BMS Trushista, New Warsaw System

  The Bakulu captain of Trushista, Glashpooka, focused all three eyes on the Tri-V in surprise. “Just like you said,” he spoke.

  “Just like I said,” Paka replied. She sent a file to the Trushista TacCom. “There is the location of the Egleesius- and Steed-class CICs; target those shield grids with the battleships’ main weapons. Have your cruisers concentrate on the Steed-class escort frigates, their anti-missile laser screens are the most effective. Beyond that, pick your targets at will.”

  Glashpooka regarded her for a moment, then nodded his eyestalks before passing on the orders. Paka figured he didn’t like having orders given to him. Battleship commanders liked their autonomy. The Maki commander didn’t much care for her ordering him to become a static defense, either. Too bad; the little idiot shouldn’t have gotten shot to shit in the first place.

  Finding herself on the other side of a Winged Hussars assault wasn’t something she’d ever looked forward to. But without Alexis Cromwell in command, Paka wasn’t afraid. She knew their tactics, and they didn’t know she was commanding their adversaries.

  As the engagement began to develop, she wondered how they’d known when the fleet was arriving. Sure, the ships which escaped Sol might well have realized the Mercenary Guild forces were coming for them and that they would know where New Warsaw was. But when the invasion forces began arriving, the Hussars were ready with their planned defenses, timed almost to the minute. How had they known?

  “Enemy entering our threat box,” the Trushista TacCom announced.

  “You may begin firing,” Paka said.

  In the seconds before her ships began firing, the Hussars started maneuvering again. Too little and too late, but at least they started to evade. Someone figured out I’m here, Paka thought. Probably Captain Stacy or Jormungd, though Kowalczy could have put the pieces together. Paka decided to let the engagement play out the way she’d planned. Altering the order of battle wouldn’t alter the outcome much.

  Missiles launched from both sides in waves as dense as the stars. The Hussars were broken into groups, like petals on a flower, surrounding Paka’s ships. The ships were facing outward. and oriented to not provide a side to any of the attackers, something they could only have done in time if they’d known what was coming. A dispersed attack made the most sense, by Hussars doctrine, so Paka was ready for it. Of course, if Alexis had been there, things might have played out quite differently.

  The guild Maki cruisers concentrated fire on the former Maki Seed-class escort frigates fighting for the Hussars. Designed as anti-missile screening ships, the escort frigates lacked the shields to resist concentrated laser fire. The cruisers overwhelmed them, and all four escort frigates fell. All five of the Maki-standard Bloom-class frigates also fell, along with two of the Hussars’ Sword-class, Osman and Honjo Masamune. In seconds, the Hussars lost more ships than in any engagement ever before.

  Missiles tore into the Hussars’ cruisers and battlecruisers. Bereft of screening ships, they were forced to use all their lasers, both offensive and defensive, for anti-missile fire. It wasn’t as effective, and their offensive fire was seriously reduced. The cruiser Omaha was peppered with missiles. Her shields went down, and she was cut in half by a two-terawatt particle beam from a battleship.

  The five Egleesius-class battlecruisers lashed out with their 40-terawatt particle beam spinal mounts. The guild ships used overlapping screens to protect the larger, more vulnerable battleships. When screens failed, they used their hulls. Seven enemy frigates, three cruisers, and a battlecruiser were disabled or destroyed.

  Missile and laser fire also reached the Egleesius ships. Unable to maneuver as effectively, they suffered multiple hits but maintained their shields and kept the battleship’s particle beams away from their hulls.

  The more lightly shielded Steed-class battlecruisers didn’t do as well. Sleipnir took a beam through her engine room and lost all power. It spun out of control, unable to fight. Alicorn, the flagship of the Winged Hussars, was shot through with a pair of two-terawatt particle beams. The last went through her CIC—based on the data provided by Paka—killing everyone inside.

  Paka scowled as the Hussars swung away, regrouping and using their own overlapping shields. A pair of Bakulu battlecruisers managed to take out the two remaining Sword-class frigates, Mercy and Bishop, screening for the fleet. She’d wanted the Eglessius taken out and was worried where the newly acquired Hussars battleships might be. Still, the Hussars lost fourteen ships, and she’d only lost eleven. With forty-one ships still functional to her adversary’s twenty-eight currently in the field, it looked bad for her former allies, and good for her.

  “Initiate pursuit,” she ordered.

  “What about the damaged Maki battleship?” Glashpooka asked.

  “It can fend for itself.”

  * * *

  CIC, EMS Shadowfax, New Warsaw System

  “Captain Jormungd on comms.”

  “Go ahead,” Captain Stacy said, looking up from her small Tri-V status display built into the command chair.

  “Captain, Alicorn took one through the CIC. They’re under control and withdrawing to the asteroid field. But all command staff are dead, including Commander Kowalczy.”

  “Oh no,” Ev
ie said from across the bridge.

  “You’re the next most senior, Captain Stacy,” Jormungd said. “You are in command of the Winged Hussars.”

  Elizabeth watched the fleet’s movements for a moment; the enemy was forming up to pursue. Their attack on Paka’s fleet had used a lot of fuel and didn’t leave them with much surplus velocity. It had also consumed a lot of ships and lives, and none of the enemy battleships were gone.

  “I’d like to offer my congratulations,” Captain Teenge said from Arion. “But that doesn’t seem right. What are you orders, Commander?”

  She rubbed her face and examined the tactical map again. Sansar was sending what ships she had after the dreadnought, but it was precious little. Besides the dreadnought, there were dozens of cruisers and battlecruisers as screening vessels. The friendly forces only had a couple of cruisers. They didn’t have a chance.

  “Send a lasercom to Captain Fookoolu and Captain Chigasoolu,” Elizabeth said. “Order them to do what they can to assist the assault on the dreadnought and its squadron. Maybe they can pull off a miracle.” She turned to Evie. “Order the fleet to come around. Prepare for attack.” I’m coming for you, Paka.

  * * * * *

  Chapter Twelve

  Prime Base, New Warsaw System

  Commander Aleksandra Kowalczy reached Prime Base’s CIC. It wasn’t where she’d expected it to be.

  “Shouldn’t this be in the center of the hub?” she asked Sergeant Hedrick.

  “Of the station?” he asked, his voice coming over the CASPer’s external speaker. She nodded. “You mean right where the enemy would expect to find it? Ma’am, this isn’t some bad sci-fi thriller where the command center is on top of the ship with windows out to space.”

  Aleksandra felt her cheeks getting hot and she looked away. The CIC was not large; it was smaller than any she’d seen in the Winged Hussars warships. As she’d found out, it was off center from the stationary core of Prime Base, but it was still in zero gravity. Although it was nothing more than a ring of six seats with a central command and control position, it was still like a starship, despite its small size.

  “This was set up in the old days.” Aleksandra turned and saw Kleena of the Hussars’ Geek Squad working on an open system panel. “It hasn’t been used in decades.”

  “Why put it here, then?” Aleksandra asked.

  “Back in the day they considered defending the system from here. When the Golden Horde was contracted to build defenses, they created a defensive command center in a large asteroid.” He shrugged as he took out a chip and inserted it into his slate. “Makes sense, not having it here.” He removed the chip, then inserted it back from where he’d taken it. With a flicker, all the CIC’s Tri-Vs came alive.

  “Why are you here?” she asked him.

  “Where am I supposed to go? Besides, Nemo wouldn’t leave; I couldn’t abandon him. I figured I could at least help here.”

  Aleksandra nodded, not understanding why Nemo wouldn’t leave, but knew Kleena had nowhere else to go. Over the next few minutes, a tactical staff assembled in the tiny CIC. Aleksandra Kowalczy, who’d never commanded a ship, was suddenly in command of a massive space station with more than a thousand of her fellow Hussars and dependents.

  “Full battlespace coming online,” her TacCom announced.

  “Prime Base sensors are tied into the system’s sensor net,” Kleena said, who’d elected to be her chief sensor operator.

  “We stand ready to defend Prime Base,” Major Kratlik said. Her multifaceted eyes reflected the lights from the various Tri-Vs. The MinSha marine commander had 96 troopers at her disposal, most either young or old. The majority of the most able marines were on the ships. Of the ones remaining, only 42 were in CASPers.

  Aleksandra’s other controllers verified their functions. Her assistant, Ensign Pavlovich, manned a computer station, ready to fill in however he could. As promised, he was now wearing light combat armor and a sidearm, the same as everyone else in the space. Only one thing was left. “I have command,” she said, and Prime Base was placed on the battlespace as a combat unit.

  “We have an update on the inbound forces,” Kleena said.

  The central Tri-V of the CIC wasn’t as impressive as what a regular combat information center normally had. The original had been removed years ago, so Kleena had appropriated a trio of mid-level Tri-Vs and pressed them into service. An armada was centered on the display, composed of dozens of warships, everything from frigates to battlecruisers, with the simply titanic dreadnought at its center. It wasn’t moving fast, because dreadnoughts couldn’t move fast, but it was obviously heading toward Prime Base.

  As Kleena mentioned, the armada had changed formation. A wedge of eleven ships had broken formation and were accelerating quickly toward Prime Base.

  “Those three are troop transports,” Kratlik said, pointing a jagged-edged arm at the Tri-V.

  “The other eight are assault cruisers,” her TacCom said. “It’s a boarding party.”

  “How long to engagement range?” Aleksandra asked.

  “One minute,” TacCom replied.

  “Fire on closing,” she ordered. “Target the troop transports.”

  The seconds ticked by until the enemy was in range, then the TacCom launched his long-range weapons. Hundreds of missiles streaked toward the advancing enemy units. As soon as the missiles left the launchers, the enemy assault cruisers maneuvered in front of the troop transports to perform anti-missile laser screening.

  “I don’t think we can get through those screens,” TacCom said. “I have a total of 20 gigawatts of laser fire at my—” He cut off as missiles began launching from the assault cruisers. “Make that 10 gigawatts of offensive laser weapons. I’m going to need the rest to hold off those inbound missiles.”

  “They were counting on that,” Kratlik said.

  Aleksandra could see the Hussars’ naval asset board. There were almost no reserves left. The two battleships were being held back to preserve their effectiveness. Against a dreadnought and its dozens of escorts, the battleships would be nearly useless. “Commander, I have more than one hundred assault shuttles at my disposal. With your permission, I’d like to take this fight to them.”

  “Major, you only have forty-two CASPer equipped troopers, which isn’t even one per shuttle.”

  “The CASPer drivers are staying behind, I intend to take the fifty-four light armored troopers on just five of the assault shuttles. The rest of the shuttles will be empty.”

  “Still not good odds,” TacCom pointed out.

  “If we can get to that dreadnought, it might work.”

  On the Tri-V, a force left the protection of the asteroid field. The datalink indicated it was heading for the dreadnought as well. Kratlik clicked quickly, a noise translated as laughter.

  “You see, Commander, I am not the only one with this idea.”

  Aleksandra looked at the board and considered for a moment. “You have my permission,” she said. “Give ‘em hell, Major.”

  The MinSha nodded, then turned to Sergeant Hedrick. “Sergeant, protect the commander at all costs. Is that understood?”

  “Nothing will touch her. You have my word, Major.” The MinSha marine commander left, moving quickly on four chitinous legs.

  “You think she has a chance of taking the dreadnought?” she asked Sergeant Hedrick.

  “She has no intention of taking it,” Hedrick said. “She’ll ram her shuttle at maximum thrust against the troop transports. It’s why she didn’t take the CASPers. If they can’t stop the transports, our tiny force won’t be able to hold anyway.”

  Aleksandra watched the Tri-V until she saw the wave of assault shuttles race away from the docking bay, accelerating at over five Gs. The CIC was silent as the marines shot toward their fate.

  * * *

  CIC, BMS Trushista, New Warsaw System

  “Admiral Paka, the Izlians are turning away,” the SitCon reported.

  “Turning away? What do
you mean?” Paka said, hoping this wasn’t another one of their foibles. The problem with exotics was that they were…exotic, which for them usually meant, “eccentric” or “idiosyncratic.” Unfortunately, they didn’t think like normal races—she wasn’t sure if they really, actively thought much at all, sometimes—and they weren’t the best race to have as allies, as they had shown by leaving the field for months after their worthless Admiral Omega had eaten an asteroid. How stupid did you have to be to sit there and watch a group of asteroids wreck your fleet? You could ask the Izlians—except all the ones who’d done it, including Admiral Omega, were dead now.

  “They appear to be following the Humans’ smaller craft out toward the asteroid field.”

  “Are they brain dead or just exceedingly stupid?” Paka asked, shaking her head.

  “I’m not sure, Admiral,” the SitCon replied, turning two eyestalks toward Paka questioningly.

  “That was rhetorical,” Paka replied with a scowl as she watched the Tri-V. She shook her head. The Izlians were definitely headed off after the Avengers…right into the asteroid field. “Get me a channel to Admiral Epsilon, please.”

  “You have it, Admiral.”

  “Admiral Epsilon, Admiral Paka. I notice your trajectory is no longer toward our intended target. Can you explain, please?”

  “Yes, Admiral Paka. We will be back with you soon enough. Our doctrine indicates that we need to destroy all mobile forces prior to attacking stationary targets, so we are not attacked by the mobile forces while already in the midst of another engagement. We are following the Humans’ bombers back to their carrier, so we can destroy that and any other forces accompanying it. Once this is completed, we will rejoin you for the assault on Prime Base.”

  “Admiral Epsilon, I must insist that you turn away from the asteroid field. It is a known Hussars trick to use asteroids as weapons. We’ve already lost several ships to them in this engagement. Turn away from the asteroid field and rejoin us now for the assault on Prime Base. After it has been captured, you can go hunt any additional ships down.”