Chapter One Hundred and Seventy-Six: Strike Three
March 15th, 3036
"Shake off the dust people!" Bruce commanded the bridge crew of the Texas Class Battleship the TMV Vanguard. "Let's get our escorts detached, we need those fighters and gunships out in the void."
"Sir, the rest of the fleet just jumped in, they're launching fighters and assault dropships now," the sensors officer reported. "The LCS Invincible is coming alongside us now."
"Get me a comms link to the Invincible," Bruce ordered. "We're going in to take out that Monsoon before it tears up the rest of the fleet."
"Aye sir, establishing encrypted comms now," the comms officer replied. "Link is solid, we're ready to coordinate with the battlecruiser."
The two massive Warships sped through the void, already set on an intercept course with the other Battleship.
"Estimated time of intercept is two hours," the navigation officer stated. "Get settled in and ready for combat after that though."
—
—
"Get ready to spin us around," Bruce ordered. "We didn't put the chemical maneuvering thrusters in for nothing after all."
"Getting ready to chase, aye sir," the navigation officer replied as her fingers danced across the controls. "I'll give a broad warning before we activate them."
"Firing PPCs now," the weapons officer stated. "Autocannon to follow we pass by each other."
"Spin is around to nearing 250 on my mark and then course correct to 000 after that, if my math checks out we should be able to remain in their aft," Bruce ordered from the captains' chair as he typed in calculations on his slate.
"Bearing 250 aye sir!" The navigations officer responded before a warning claxon sound carried through the ship's hallways. "Firing maneuvering thrusters now!"
The Texas class battleship that Mark Hull had recovered all those years ago spun around like a top in space. The emergency chemical thrusters spun them around with some extreme G forces before the ship straightened out and advanced at flank speed to continue its momentum and catch up to the enemy battleship.
"We've taken minor damage, no hull breaches, just armor damage for now!" The damage control officer reported. "It looks like three of our PPCs hit and some of the Invincible's Gauss hit as well."
"Good, keep us on their six, and let's rip them to shreds," Bruce ordered as the forward guns continued to fire into the enemy battleship.
"Sir, the Invincible couldn't keep up with our maneuvers, they're breaking off to engage targets of opportunity."
"Tell the Kaptain of the Invincible that we'll join him after we've dealt with this pest," Bruce replied. "And have our escorts on standby, they should be losing thrust soon."
"Aye sir," the comms officer replied while making sure that they had a solid connection. "Relaying your instructions."
"Sir, the Monsoon's thrusters are giving out, she's drifting."
"Have our Marines begin boarding actions, and spin us around, we've got more targets to deal with," Bruce said as he made some more rough calculations.
"Sir, we've dealt with the majority of the enemy fleet, but we're playing a game of cat and mouse with those corvettes, they just have more speed than we do," Commodore Bruce told the admiral in charge of the fleet.
"I have an idea about that," the Kaptain of the Invincible said over the encrypted comms channel. "Didn't our Aegis take some moderate damage?"
"Yes, but our field repairs should hold fairly well," the admiral replied. "What do you have in mind?"
"We all saw the cruiser take some minor thruster damage, what If we made it look like it was accelerating out of control and flying away from us, but have a full complement of Stings ready to face them."
"It could work, but we'll have to make sure that they're all volunteers, the naval scale weapons will rip the assault dropships to shreds if they're not careful."
"You have two hours to develop something workable," the admiral instructed. "We need to move on to liberating Alpheratz asap."
"Aye sir, we'll get it done," Bruce replied before hammering out a plan with the Lyran Commonwealth's Kaptain.
March 16th, 3036
"There should only be two corvettes in place to hold us off, and we've got a lot of Warships playing escort," Carter said to herself as the Jumpship she was on winked out of existence and then appeared in the Alpheratz system.
Warning klaxons sounded as the Dropships all detached as one and began rocketing down towards the planet "below."
"Four days, and then we hit the wobbies with guts and cold steel," Carter muttered as she left her assigned quarters to head down to the ship's gym.
–
–
"What the hell is going on?!" Carter asked her Overlord's captain. "I thought we were being escorted!"
"It's just some minor damage, colonel, the Warships were finally able to take out the last of the Pinto corvettes due to us being a distraction," The captain reported.
"Well, just keep us in one piece," Carter replied as her anger began to slowly fade away. "And let me know if the damage will keep us from landing. We can cram aboard our Stings and be delivered piecemeal if necessary to get onto the ground."
"We don't have any breaches, but it was a close thing, and we'll be doing what repairs we can before we hit the atmosphere," The captain replied. "We all want those bastards dead, so I'll do whatever I can to get you down there."
"Good," Carter gave a savage smile. "I'm a ground pounder anyway, I'd rather die with my boots on the ground and a rifle in my hand than in the void of space."
"I'll take my chances in the void, colonel," the captain replied with a grin. "But I'll still get you on the ground."
"Thanks, captain, I'll be prepping for a combat drop if you need me," Carter replied. "I've never gotten to ride a tank down from orbit before," she mused. "I wonder if it's as fun as dropping in the infantry pods."