Scout Force (55 page)

      
Kelly sat up, “I like it, sir.
 
It’s simple and explains where the asteroids came from.
 
I hadn’t thought about that part of it.”

      
“That’s why the admiral gets paid the big credits.”

      
“We will be positioned here close to Scutum and Vehement’s flotilla will be over here, closer to Sagittarius.
 
All we have to do is chunk some rocks through the frontier in several places before we push the big bunch through and follow them in.
 
We should be in and through before the K’Rang realize what is happening.”
 

      
“TF 121 will consist of us, the Valiant, Voracious, Victorious, and Virulent.
 
Ron will have the Vicious, Vindicator, Vanguard, and Vengeful with his Vehement.
 
The flotillas disband once we breach the frontier and move to our assigned sectors.”

      
“Chief M, I want you to check out the tractor gear.
 
I want it to be in top shape when we leave.
 
Kelly, coordinate with the other four TF 121 COs to set up practice for the helmsmen in formation flying.
 
It’s not something we teach in piloting school.
 
You have more experience than any of us in this.
 
We’ll be leaving in three days.
 
So get moving.”

      
“How tight do you want the formation, Cap..errr...Commodore?”

      
“I want less than a ship's width between ships.”

      
“That’s doable.
 
It will be easier if you let me adjust the ships’ navigation computers.
 
I can program them to maintain a set distance from each other.
 
The captains may need some convincing, though.”

      
“You’re my expert at this.
 
If the COs give you any trouble, tell them to see me.”

      
“Aye aye, Commodore.”

      
Two days later the helmsmen were practiced and competent in close formation flying in the simulator.
 
Kelly had programmed the ships’ computers to maintain the set distance, but the helmsmen were good enough that it probably wouldn’t be needed.
 

      
On midnight of the second day, the two flotillas lifted off, well in advance of their scheduled 0600 liftoff.
 
Admiral Craddock felt it gave them a security advantage to leave earlier than officially scheduled.
 
Once in dark space, Commodore Timmons gave the order for the five ships to close up for close formation flying.
 
Practice in the simulator was good.
 
Practice in real flight was better.
 
They flew an hour with the computers helping and an hour with just the helmsman in control.
 
Then they switched helmsmen and did it again and again, until all three helmsmen on each ship had a turn.

      
The commodore chose an “X” formation with the Vigilant in the center.
 
It would be the tightest formation.
 
They would be crossing through the frontier without their navigation shields on, so the K’Rang wouldn’t be alerted to their presence.
 
They would need to stay in a tight formation to be able to squeeze through the hole they were going to punch in the frontier.

      
On the third day, the two flotillas split up and moved to their assembly areas to await the Agamemnon's demise.
 
Each ship had picked several large asteroids and moved them into position in preparation.
 
As a safeguard, the commodore had each ship move into position on the back side of their asteroids from the direction of the impending explosion.

      
Two of the five ships were positioned at a distance from the other three, with their sensors at full sensitivity.
 
They scanned deep into K’Rang space for the presence of any K’Rang patrol ships.
 
Nothing was found.
 
As intel had suspected, the K’Rang were leaving their attack route into the Scutum sector empty so as not to telegraph their invasion plans.
 
This would make infiltration that much easier.

      
The time for the Agamemnon's reactor overload had arrived.
 
There was no blinding flash, only a brief electromagnetic pulse that passed over the flotilla to signal the end of a proud old ship.
 
The flagship of Admiral Okasan at the Battle of Taurus in the first K’Rang War was now a diversionary tactic and the first action in the latest K’Rang War.

      
The flotilla sprang into action immediately, sending the first small asteroids into the frontier.
 
They accomplished the intended effect.
 
Several small holes were punched through the sensor and mine fields.
 
Kelly watched the sensor readout on his monitor and watched several self-propelled mines activate and impact on the asteroids.
 
The resulting shattered pieces took out even more mines.

      
After the second group of small asteroids was sent through the frontier, shredding it even more, the final large group was put in motion and the flotilla moved into formation behind them.

      
The large asteroids plowed into the weakened frontier, forcing a large hole.
 
The flotilla passed through effortlessly into K’Rang space.
 
As they passed through, Chief B unleashed her electronic attack, seeding the sensors and mines with malicious code that would make its behavior hazardous for the approaching K’Rang fleet.
 
It would not react as they expected.
 
Their IFF devices would not deactivate the frontier mines.
 
The K’Rang would have to fight their way through their own mines.

At 200,000,000 km inside the frontier, the flotilla disbanded and each ship moved to its sector.
 
LCDR Timmons watched the task force ships disperse and said, “Damn, busted back to Captain.
 
I was beginning to like the sound of Commodore.”

The Vigilant moved to the previously selected planetary nebula and settled in.
 
They now all waited for the K’Rang invasion fleet to pass.

* * * * *

Admiral Chang called a commanders’ conference onboard his flagship, the command ship Montpelier.
 
He stood before the holographic tank and surveyed his subordinates:
 
Admiral Haddock-Halloway from the 15th Battle Fleet; Admiral DuPont from the 19th Battle Fleet; each of their seven Carrier Battle Group Commanders; Admirals Dickinson, O’Malley and Minh, the Battle Cruiser Group commanders; and Admirals Dubrovsky, Chen, and Mayer, the Assault Landing Group Commanders.

“Good morning, ladies and gentlemen, Let’s get started.”

The room lights dimmed and the holographic projector displayed the Scutum sector, 6664 system, and the K’Rang frontier.

“This is our battlespace.
 
To orient you, this is the Scutum Sector here in the center.
 
This is Aquila here and this is Sagittarius.
 
The frontier is here in blue and orange.
 
This highlighted system is the 6664 system.
 
As I zoom in, you can see these red lights that equate to the defensive satellites currently being emplaced around the system.
 
We don’t expect them to do any real damage.
 
We won’t turn it down if it happens, but we are mainly using them to canalize the K’Rang into these kill zones, here in yellow, where New Alexandrian Planetary Defense Forces will try to knock out some of the K’Rang escort ships.
 
Their main effort will be to slow down the K’Rang invasion fleet so we have time to spring our trap.”

“My intent is to stand the 1st Combined Fleet outside of max sensor range until the K’Rang are just about to attack New Alexandria.
 
Once the K’Rang are through the defensive satellite field and past the New Alexandrian ships, new defensive satellites will be sown along the way they came to block off any direct route to the frontier.
 
That is when we will strike.”

“Admiral DuPont, you will be reinforced with the three Battle Cruiser Groups and the three Assault Landing Groups.
 
You will set up here on the edge of the Scutum Sector farthest from the frontier and well out of K’Rang sensor range.
 
You will be the main counterattack force.”

“Admiral Haddock-Halloway, you will position your battle group near Aquila, also outside of K’Rang sensor range.
 
Your mission will be to seal the frontier against any K’Rang reinforcements that may try to support the K’Rang invasion fleet.
 
You will be prepared to reinforce the 19th Battle Feet, as required.
 
You will also block any of the invasion fleet from retreating across the frontier.”

“On my order, ladies and gentlemen, we will all close in on the 6664 System at maximum speed.
 
Admiral DuPont, the three battle cruiser groups and your carrier battle groups’ escorts will fire all of your long-range missiles in one massive salvo at max range.
 
That should saturate the K’Rang fleet’s defenses and, depending on how big an invasion fleet they bring, will destroy or damage the majority of their major combatants.
 
Your fighters and attack craft, outfitted with medium-seekers and mini-seekers should take care of any survivors.
 
The three Assault Landing Groups will be prepared to land on New Alexandria and come under the command of the New Alexandria Defense Forces and assist them in dealing with any K’Rang forces that may make it to the surface.
 
Your landing force will come under the command of General Holcomb.”

“Admiral Haddock-Halloway, you will close in on this area between the 6664 System and the Frontier.
 
Don’t let anyone get by you.
 
Have two of your Carrier Fighter Wings outfitted with Mini-Seekers and two outfitted with Medium-Seekers in case Admiral DuPont needs help against the K’Rang Fleet.
 
Admiral DuPont, you will request reinforcements through me.”

“Once the K’Rang Fleet is destroyed, as I am confident it will be, the battle cruisers will completely reload missiles and chop to the 15th Fleet to support their frontier defense mission.
 
19th Fleet will then be prepared to reinforce the 15th.

“Are there any questions?
 
No?
 
Ladies and gentlemen, I want your implementing plans to my staff by 0600 tomorrow morning.
 
Good hunting.”

* * * * *

      
It was two days before the first indications showed up on the Vigilant’s long range sensors.
 
A cloud of K’Rang mosquito scout ships moved through the sector and proceeded to the frontier.
 
Kelly could almost feel their sensors scans passing through the Vigilant.
 
The Vigilant withdrew into the nebula to await their passage.
 
When the scouts passed, the Vigilant moved out to the nebula’s edge to pick up the approach of the K’Rang invasion fleet.
 
In six hours, the K’Rang fleet appeared on the edge of the long-range sensors.

      
They were coming at in at power 4, but dropped to sub-light to approach and negotiate the frontier.
 
Kelly counted out the K’Rang fleet order of battle.
 
There were five battlecruisers in the lead, escorted by eight missile cruisers, five bombardment cruisers, a dozen destroyers, six of the new torpedo ships, and four frigates.
 
Two fleet carriers followed the cruiser screen, and they were followed by the landing group.
 
There were twenty large lighter carriers, four frigates, and two landing support carriers in the landing group.
 
Bringing up the rear were the logistics support ships, four of them, escorted by two more frigates.
 
None of the expected drone motherships were in the formation.

      
Kelly knew that in six hours, at their current speed, the K’Rang fleet would run into the frontier mines and the reinforced defenses of the New Alexandria Defense Forces.
 
There were hundreds of defensive satellites interspersed throughout the Scutum Sector and 6664 system.
 
There were also ten additional squadrons of planetary missile ships on New Alexandria.
 
Even without the approaching GR Combined Battle Fleet, the K’Rang would not take the 6664 system easily.

      
Kelly was somewhat baffled by the size of the K’Rang invasion fleet.
 
He expected a much larger force.
 
He questioned whether the K’Rang would have enough of a landing force to conquer New Alexandria.
 
As he thought on this a feeling of dread came over him.
 
The K’Rang were not going to conquer the 6664 system, they were going to annihilate it.