Loyalty to the Cause (TCOTU, Book 4) (This Corner of the Universe) (38 page)

Such
short but intense moments of battle explained the unique configurations of corporate
rated ships.  Vernay had been aghast when she first saw the schematic of
Seshafi’s third-rate,
Diomedes
, the largest ship that would defend the
system.  Constructed under contract by AmyraCorp in the Federation system of Helwan,
the ship had been proposed and built for its singular purpose as a corporate
ship of the line.  Given the confines of line battles,
Diomedes’
armament was located entirely along a single side of the ship.  In contrast,
Seshafi’s only other rated ship, the fourth-rate,
Ajax
, had a
conventional weapons outlay. 
Ajax
, having been built nearly eighty
years ago, was a relic of early corporate war when the current, restrictive
boundaries of combat had yet to be established.  Initially, Heskan had shared
Vernay’s dismay over
Diomedes’
design until he saw how the line
formations worked in battle and how easy it was to avoid combat.  If
Diomedes
ever faced a pass where, due to inept tactics or improper handling, her
broadside was facing the wrong direction, she could merely alter course well in
advance of entering heavy laser range and correct her facing for the next run. 
It seemed no fleet admiral faced a battle pass without his willing
participation.  Further, damaged ships could easily withdraw and retire from
the conflict between such runs to avoid destruction.  When one side of the
battle had an insufficient number of willing participants, the fleet admiral
would yield and submit to the terms negotiated before, and during, the battle.

While
he noted Covington did not share his views, Cooke told Heskan that although
IaCom’s
casus bellum
indicated an outright hostile takeover, he and
Wallace would begin reducing the stakes of the battle before hostilities even
commenced.  It was common practice to declare “all or nothing” in the
casus
bellum
and then bargain down to the terms that were actually coveted by the
aggressor system.  Cooke told Heskan he believed IaCom was seeking rights of
sale to prospective clients around the Federation district system of Sistrum.

Each
day of exercise saw improvement in Heskan’s rearguard.  The fleet’s vanguard,
comprised solely of native Seshafian vessels with
Ajax
as the flagship,
had demonstrated nearly flawless helmsmanship and gunnery from the onset.  The main
section, led by
Diomedes
, had done nearly as well despite two snows in
that particular section belonging to DAC privateers.  On the final day, as
Heskan watched the fleet form up expertly under Admiral Cooke’s direction, he began
to believe that his Brevic crew might be spared a repeat of their brutal and
blood-filled past.

“Tunnel
disturbance, Captain.”

“Our
friends, Jack?” Heskan asked.

Truesworth
nodded as
Elathra’s
tactical plot updated with multiple ship beacons. 
Amazing,
Heskan marveled. 
They’re invading our system with their navigation
beacons on.  Of course, we’re defending while broadcasting our presence too.
 
He shook his head.  A small part of him had been unwilling to believe that
Admiral Cooke would freely abdicate such a crucial advantage as the defensive
fleet’s position. 

“Disconnect
the newscast,” Heskan ordered with relief.

“Gladly,”
Truesworth acknowledged and terminated the live feed from the starship covering
the battle from 2
lm
away.  When the ship had taken station two hours
ago, Heskan learned it was customary for the hosting star system to broadcast
the events as they played out.  His bitterness turned into astonishment when he
realized his own Seshafian crew wanted to listen to the prognosticators interview
officers and breathlessly predict the strategies and outcome of the looming
battle.  His refusal to permit the feed onto
Elathra
was met with
another, brief counseling session from Cooke.  The admiral said such things
were habitual and not allowing it would not only harm morale in his ship but
provide fodder to be used against Heskan when, after the battle, he answered
questions from the media.  Heskan was adamant about not participating in any
interviews but relented to permit the newscast on board
Elathra
, although
only until the enemy appeared.

If
Heskan found the news ship disturbing, the six spectator ships accompanying it
threatened to drive him to total distraction. 
They’re treating this as if
it’s a Slamball game,
Heskan thought sourly. 
How can this be?  Spectators
permitted, even welcomed… right on the sidelines of the battlefield
.  He
shook his head in attempt to regain focus.

“How
many ships did Wallace bring, Jack?” Vernay asked beside Heskan.

“Fifteen,”
Truesworth answered.  “Just like the order of battle specified.”  He peered
closer at his console’s screen as he inspected the enemy fleet’s composition. 
“It looks like they weren’t lying.  I see a second-rate, a fourth-rate, four
brigs and the rest are snows.”

“Concur,”
Vernay confirmed while turning to Heskan.  “Captain, fleet composition is what
we expected.  Not exactly an even match even if the numbers say otherwise.”

Both
fleets were carrying fifteen vessels, broken into three, five-ship sections. 
However, the seeming parity was skewed when ship classes were examined. 
IaCom’s fleet massed much greater overall tonnage, with her larger flagship and
double the number of brigs compared to AmyraCorp’s defense fleet.  The tonnage
gap had been known with the release of the order of battle; the unknown was how
Admiral Wallace would divide his fleet into sections.  Likewise, Admiral Cooke
had the entirety of his defense fleet in a single, large formation, seemingly
reluctant to tip his hand before the aggressors made their opening move.

“Message
going out to the enemy fleet, Captain,” Truesworth announced.  “It’s over the
general frequency.”

The
bridge’s speakers crackled to life and Cooke’s rich, baritone filled the
bridge.  “Greetings, Admiral Wallace, my heartfelt compliments on your
punctuality.  As the aggressing officer, would you care to open the
negotiations or shall you defer?”

The
message raced the 10
lm
between the fleets.  During that time, both
armadas came to relative rest.  Twenty minutes after the message was sent, its
reply was received.  “Greetings, Admiral Cooke.  Please accept my highest
regards.  I believe, at this time, I shall defer.  I would like to assess your
fleet during our opening maneuvers before I initiate into parlay.  We still
have nearly an hour before my
casus bellum
takes effect and hostilities
may, officially, commence.”

“So
we’re going to make practice runs at each other for the next hour?” Vernay
asked dubiously.

“From
my understanding, yes,” Heskan replied.  “I think each admiral wants to
evaluate the quality of the opposing ship captains.  Admiral Cooke explained
that during these trial passes, the admiral that places his fleet into superior
positions most often gains considerable edge during the final negotiation that will
take place before we’re allowed to fire.”

“We’re
receiving sailing instructions,” Selvaggio declared.

Heskan
read over the instructions on his chair arm console.  The order was to form
into their sections.  On the tactical plot, Wallace’s flotilla was breaking
into their own, respective sections.  “Let’s get formed up, Diane.”  Soon, the
fifteen ships defending Seshafi would divide into three groups of five.  These
sections, the vanguard, main and rearguard, would sail between 10
ls
to 15
ls
from each other.  Their fleet speeds would vary between .15
c
and .25
c
,
resulting in roughly forty-second intervals between each section.

Heskan
activated the rearguard’s command channel and announced, “Attention, captains,
we’re forming up now.  From this moment forward, the enemy will scrutinize our
every move.  Your actions, along with those of your crew, will go a long way in
determining which fleet admiral has the upper hand in negotiations.  In essence,
the battle begins right now.  I’m confident that each of you will perform to
the highest standards of the Seshafian Navy.  Heskan out.”  Earlier in the
morning, Heskan had mentally prepared his speech, taking great care to avoid
saying “Brevic Navy” out of habit.  It felt strange to invoke a corporate navy
but he realized that even though four of the five ships in the rearguard were
Hollaran snows, all of the vessels were crewed by Seshafi’s sons and
daughters.  Even the majority of
Elathra
was operated by sailors from
Seshafi.  Sitting on her bridge over the last week felt formal and distant. 
Defending a star system barely known to him, utilizing unfamiliar tactics,
fighting in a strange ship; all these factors combined to make the pending
battle surreal. 
Is this what it is to be a mercenary?  Fighting cold, empty
battles that have no personal meaning?
  Heskan sighed at the thought. 
War
should never be a business.

Elathra
took station behind the main. 
In her wake, the snows,
Rindr
,
Anakim
and
Ravana,
and finally
the corvette,
Honor
, formed up.  His ships were now sailing in an orderly
line with just 3
ls
between adjacent ships within the section.  Even that
relatively short distance seemed like an endless expanse to Heskan, as
Elathra
and
Honor
were too far apart to support each other.

Heskan
watched anxiously on the tactical plot as Wallace’s sections became
discernible.  The Red Admiral divided his ships into three sections as Cooke
had.  Each fleet’s fourth-rate was leading its van while Seshafi’s third-rate,
Diomedes
,
and Sade’s second-rate,
Formidable
, led their fleet’s main.  The vans
appeared to be closely matched to Heskan’s eyes.  Wallace’s fourth-rate was
unconventionally armed in the same manner the second- and third-rates were,
while Seshafi’s
Ajax
had her batteries split between her sides; however,
all but the last two ships in the Seshafian van were matched against ships of
the same class.  Those final two corvettes,
Dash
and
Fly
, would
be pitted against Saden snows.

“Nearly
the same tonnage between the two vans,” Vernay remarked, echoing Heskan’s sentiments. 
“Even the ‘vettes aren’t severely outmatched.”  She looked down at her console
quickly and added, “Just four hundred tonne difference between them and those
snows.”

Saden
superiority became evident upon inspection of the main sections.  Not only was
Diomedes
out-classed by
Formidable
, the Saden main contained two brigs to
Seshafi’s one.  The defense fleet’s largest snow,
Malabar
, would be
cruelly matched against the brig,
Renown
.

Heskan
finally turned his eyes to his counterpart, the enemy’s rearguard. 
One brig
and four snows,
he counted. 
It could have been worse but then again, I
have to face down that brig.
  Images of
Anelace
being pummeled by
Blackheart
flashed through his mind.  The pirate schooner had grossed over eight thousand
tonnes while his current adversary, a McMillon Group-owned privateer named
Scepter
,
was merely four thousand five hundred.  However, Heskan knew that
Scepter
was purpose-built as a military ship whereas
Blackheart
had been a
converted civilian schooner.

To
his left, Vernay listed
Scepter’s
armament.  “Two dorsal tri-GP laser
mounts, and a dual mount on each side of her hull.”  She looked at Lieutenant
Hall and said, “She’ll bear up to eight of her lasers to us during each pass. 
Does that sound right, Mark?”

The
weapons officer nodded.  “Scepter is captained by a privateer name Gael Harrist. 
She’s very good and very experienced.  She won’t make any mistakes and you can
expect her to present the maximum possible laser batteries on each run.”

Heskan
frowned at the news. 
Elathra
was not only out-massed by one thousand
tonnes but also outgunned.  She could barely return two-thirds of
Scepter’s
fire in the form of her two dual-GP mounts and her twin, fixed particle
cannons. 
It’s a good thing we’ll only have to tolerate a pass or two but at
least she’ll respect those particle beams.
 
They may be antiquated but
they can be daunting.

Heskan’s
rearguard fell into line with the other sections and Cooke’s second order came
through.  The entire line of battle rotated ninety degrees to form line abreast
and began to close the 10
lm
distance to the enemy.  Each ship settled
into the fleet speed of .2
c
.  Cooke had informed his section commanders
that due to the disparity in tonnage between the fleets, he would position each
combat pass so that the combined closing speed was at least .25
c
.  At
such high speeds, accuracy would be impaired but no ship would be forced to
withstand more than twenty seconds of direct fire.  While the rated ships were
large enough to carry missiles, even the largest first-rate vessels of
corporate war were generally constrained to five or fewer missile ports given
their ten thousand tonne restriction.  The limitation was partially offset by
placing all missile ports on the same broadside to maximize throw-weight, but
Heskan had scoffed when Cooke called
Formidable’s
throw-weight of four
missiles per volley fearsome.