Part 9 (1/2)

Task Force 79 was now only a few hours from orbit, yet Ravenette's guardian fleet was in the same defensive formation it had held when the Kiowa Kiowa's sensors first detected them-they weren't responding to the task force's presence.

Rear Admiral Hoi felt there was something very, very wrong. At a simple glance, it appeared that Task Force 79 had the advantage of surprise. Even though the Confederation task force's seven stars.h.i.+ps were outnumbered by the defenders, they were stronger in both weaponry and defensive measures; on the face of it, TF79 should have relatively little trouble knocking a large enough hole in the defensive cordon to allow the follow-on amphibious task force carrying the army's 27th Division to make planetfall relatively unmolested.

On the face of it.

Or did the Coalition have a surprise of their own hidden somewhere?

”What's the latest data on the moon's farside?” the admiral abruptly asked.

Solwara touched controls on the arm of his command chair and a screen to the left of the main display showed the side of Ravenette's major satellite opposite the task force. Lights showed on the moon's surface, but they were in the locations of known mining and research operations. The drones sent adrift to check out that particular blind spot in the task force's approach detected no sign of stars.h.i.+ps, s.p.a.ce s.h.i.+ps, or defensive weapons systems. None of the task force's surveillance drones had detected anything that even remotely resembled a hidden surprise on the moon's far side.

At the last jump point before arriving in Ravenette's s.p.a.ce, Hoi had a.s.sembled his captains for a final briefing. They knew the operational plan he drew up was based on the most recent intelligence. Each captain also had a copy of the contingency plans in the event the naval situation had changed in the interim-Hoi's operations staff had drawn several contingency plans, each a.s.suming a different change or changes in the tactics. Depending on what they found on reentry to s.p.a.ce-3, the Kiowa Kiowa would tight-beam a four-word code to each of the s.h.i.+ps in the TF, instructing the captains which of the contingency plans to follow. would tight-beam a four-word code to each of the s.h.i.+ps in the TF, instructing the captains which of the contingency plans to follow.

There were no tight-beam transmissions; Hoi hadn't had to switch to a contingency plan.

That was very, very wrong-all plans were subject to last-minute changes. Surely the Coalition had spies scattered through the Confederation of Human Worlds, and at least one of them would have learned, if not of the actual plans for Task Force 79, at least of unusual activity indicating the preparation of a task force to strike the cordoning forces. Even if they didn't, the Coalition had to know the Confederation would send a task force to break the cordon. plans were subject to last-minute changes. Surely the Coalition had spies scattered through the Confederation of Human Worlds, and at least one of them would have learned, if not of the actual plans for Task Force 79, at least of unusual activity indicating the preparation of a task force to strike the cordoning forces. Even if they didn't, the Coalition had to know the Confederation would send a task force to break the cordon.

Or was the Coalition leaders.h.i.+p so naive it believed the Confederation wouldn't react with force to the attack on its garrison at Fort Seymour? That didn't seem likely.

Hoi abruptly stood. ”I'm going to my CIC now,” he told Solwara. ”Watch for company coming from the direction of L1.”

”The admiral has left the bridge,” the officer of the deck announced as soon as Hoi ducked through the hatch.

The direction of L1? Solwara wondered. What did Admiral Hoi mean by-Of course! The admiral must have been thinking the same thing he had; it was too strange that the Coalition task force around Ravenette wasn't reacting to their presence. Lagrange point 1-the balance point between Ravenette and its sun, a place where an object could park in a stable orbit. Except that L1 was an unstable position, and anything parked there would have to periodically adjust its position. Solwara wondered. What did Admiral Hoi mean by-Of course! The admiral must have been thinking the same thing he had; it was too strange that the Coalition task force around Ravenette wasn't reacting to their presence. Lagrange point 1-the balance point between Ravenette and its sun, a place where an object could park in a stable orbit. Except that L1 was an unstable position, and anything parked there would have to periodically adjust its position.

Solwara toggled his horn to the Surveillance section. ”I want a thorough data search for any emanations from sunward of Ravenette,” he told the division commander. ”I want to know if any s.h.i.+ps are hiding at L1.” He signed off. It wasn't likely there would be any sign; anything parked at the L1 would only have to adjust position once every three, three-and-a-half weeks standard, and TF79 had only been in s.p.a.ce-3 for four days. Still, if Surveillance was looking, and there was someone there, they could get some warning if that someone began to maneuver.

Task Force 79 continued its drift toward Ravenette. The seven Confederation stars.h.i.+ps weren't in good formation, they hadn't risked showing themselves by making any course or att.i.tude adjustments on their return to s.p.a.ce-3. They were only an hour from battle orbit and the Coalition task force still didn't show any indication they had been discovered. That was entirely too strange-TF79 was close enough to be detected visually with minimal magnification.

Rear Admiral Hoi sent tight-beam orders to his stars.h.i.+ps: ”Visually aim missile batteries at a.s.signed targets. Do NOT use electronic locks until so ordered. Stand by to lock and launch on my order.”

The Kiowa, Kiowa, the largest stars.h.i.+p in the task force, pointed one of her missile batteries at a heavy cruiser and another at a medium; he held his third battery in reserve. Five of the task force's other stars.h.i.+ps each pointed their missile batteries at a different enemy vessel, as a.s.signed by the primary attack plan. The other four defending stars.h.i.+ps were out of sight, eclipsed by the planet. the largest stars.h.i.+p in the task force, pointed one of her missile batteries at a heavy cruiser and another at a medium; he held his third battery in reserve. Five of the task force's other stars.h.i.+ps each pointed their missile batteries at a different enemy vessel, as a.s.signed by the primary attack plan. The other four defending stars.h.i.+ps were out of sight, eclipsed by the planet.

Something sparked on one of Kiowa Kiowa's targets. Solwara swore to himself just as Surveillance reported, ”Target Alpha has thrown alfa-chaff.” A second later, ”Target Beta has thrown alfa-chaff.” Alfa-chaff, large sheets of reflective materials designed to decoy missile guidance systems away from their target, similar to the way atmospheric craft used thin strips of reflective material to decoy fire-and-forget munitions.

”Acquisition radar is locking on us,” Radar reported.

”All stars.h.i.+ps, lock and launch,” Admiral Hoi tight-beamed the order. ”Use inertial guidance where possible. Power up and maneuver independently until further orders.”

Inertial guidance was possible, but only by delaying missile launch. Solwara ordered each of his aimed missile batteries to lock and launch half of their missiles and use inertial guidance on the other half, using a generous spread. The generous spread was necessary, as the target stars.h.i.+ps were already firing their thrusters to change orbit.

”Engines, fire main thrusters as soon as first salvo is launched,” Solwara ordered. He followed up with, ”Sound general quarters.”

A carefully modulated female voice sounded throughout the stars.h.i.+p, ”General quarters. Prepare for sudden maneuvering. I say again, general quarters. Prepare for sudden maneuvering.”

Before the message was complete, a shudder went through the Kiowa Kiowa as two batteries launched half of their missiles. as two batteries launched half of their missiles.

”Multiple emanations coming from the limb of the planet,” Surveillance reported.

”Details,” Solwara said.

”One is medium cruiser Charlie, one is destroyer Alpha,” Surveillance identified two of the known s.h.i.+ps currently eclipsed by Ravenette. ”The other five are unknown, possible cruisers.”

Task Force 79 had seven stars.h.i.+ps engaging twelve enemy stars.h.i.+ps, and now another five possible enemy vessels were joining the battle? Solwara didn't like the odds. The army's 27th Division, crammed into a lightly armed, ten-stars.h.i.+p gator task force, was only half a day behind; TF79 had had to clear the way for the gators before they arrived. to clear the way for the gators before they arrived.

Solwara forwarded the information to the admiral's CIC as another, greater, shudder wracked the stars.h.i.+p-the main thrusters firing. It was quickly followed by another shudder rippling through the stars.h.i.+p as one of the batteries launched the other half of its missiles under inertial guidance.

Solwara watched the main monitor with its schematics now showing the icons for more than a hundred missiles from both sides converging on the icons for the stars.h.i.+ps of both task forces. ”Helm, two points up and starboard,” he ordered. Att.i.tude jets fired and the Kiowa Kiowa began a slow, ponderous turn. began a slow, ponderous turn.

”Release alfa-chaff,” he ordered, and sheets of s.h.i.+ny aluminum shot forward in a wide swath around the stars.h.i.+p's course, followed closely by brilliantly burning magnesium flares that mimicked the firing of the stars.h.i.+p's main thrusters.

The main display showed all the stars.h.i.+ps of both flotillas firing main thrusters. Curved, dotted lines delineating cones gave projected trajectories of each stars.h.i.+p. Colors in the cones blended one into another, showing the optimal places for the stars.h.i.+p to fire its att.i.tude thrusters to leave orbit, gain orbit, or plunge toward the planet below. Simple dotted lines showed the projected trajectories of each missile. Most of the missile projections stopped where they intersected a stars.h.i.+p cone, indicating likely hits. Six of the enemy missile paths intersected the Kiowa Kiowa's cone. The missile paths were numbered.

”Torpedoes, fire killer decoys down the paths of bogies one, four, and five,” Solwara ordered. ”Display, close in.” The display on the main screen altered to focus on the Kiowa Kiowa and the missiles approaching her. and the missiles approaching her.

A moment later, three new dotted lines appeared, radiating directly from the Kiowa Kiowa's icon to three of the missile icons terminating in her cone. Not visible on the display were the wires that trailed from the torpedoes to the stars.h.i.+p, along which guidance commands were sent to keep them on the proper course for intercepting. The missiles were approaching each other at a combined velocity that danced on the edge of relativistic.

Closing missile three veered off course by a few degrees, homing on one of the magnesium decoys. Confused by signals returned from the reflective chaff, missile six began zigging and zagging. Only missile two continued, unimpeded, on course to strike the stars.h.i.+p. Solwara focused on the colors in his s.h.i.+p's cone. The Kiowa Kiowa was already feeling the tug of the planet's gravity well; he needed to make another course adjustment soon to avoid being pulled into orbital alt.i.tude. But changing just then would move the heavy cruiser into earlier contact with missile two. was already feeling the tug of the planet's gravity well; he needed to make another course adjustment soon to avoid being pulled into orbital alt.i.tude. But changing just then would move the heavy cruiser into earlier contact with missile two.

”Reverse thrusters,” he ordered, to delay when he'd have to alter vector to avoid plunging into the atmosphere.

The stars.h.i.+p shuddered, pings and creaks echoed throughout as the main thrusters cut off and the bow thrusters began blasting. With the abrupt change in velocity anybody not strapped in, and everything not secured in place, would be thrown forward. Solwara knew some breakage was inevitable from the sudden maneuver, but he trusted that his crew was well enough disciplined that there wouldn't be any injuries and nothing important would be broken.

Slowly, slowly, the Kiowa Kiowa's plunge toward the planet slowed. Solwara looked at the display; missile two was still closing, but not quite as rapidly as before.

”Close-in Fire Control,” he said into his comm, ”do you have a solution for missile two yet?”

”Yessir,” close-in Fire Control replied.

”Probability?”

”Eighty-five percent.”

”How long for ninety-nine percent?”

”One hundred and thirty seconds for ninety-nine.”

”How long 'til closing?”

”Two hundred and twenty seconds.” Ninety seconds between the time there would be a ninety-nine percent chance of hitting the missile and the time it would be close enough to detonate and damage- perhaps kill-the Kiowa. Kiowa. Solwara could order the close-in batteries to fire now, but it would take them longer than ninety seconds to reload and reacquire their target if they missed. He glanced at the display; he had more than ninety seconds before he could adjust vector. ”Keep on it and kill it when you have ninety-nine,” he ordered. Solwara could order the close-in batteries to fire now, but it would take them longer than ninety seconds to reload and reacquire their target if they missed. He glanced at the display; he had more than ninety seconds before he could adjust vector. ”Keep on it and kill it when you have ninety-nine,” he ordered.

”Aye aye, sir.”

”Keep me apprised of the situation.” Solwara returned his attention to the display and ordered it enlarged again to show the entire battle.