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Authors: Dietmar Wehr
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around
with these bastards? she asked herself. We should be veering off to one
side to keep the range open as much as possible and smother them with missiles.
SSU
Task Force:
Montoya
looked up at the tactical display as it pinged for attention. The FEDs were
firing again this time with three volleys of four missiles each. He wasn’t
surprised that they fired again, but he was surprised that they waited this
long to do it. They had given him time to re-establish contact with the other three
ships and discover their status. Two could maneuver to some extent, one had no
ability to maneuver at all. If he was going to go with his plan, they would
have to maintain their present course in order to stay together. He was very
tempted to order all four ships to fire at the FED ships. It would be very
satisfying to smash those FED cruisers into scrap metal, but doing so would
preclude inflicting the most damage possible on the planet’s industrial
centers, and that was his only priority. His ships could fire at the planet or
at the defending ships, but not both at the same time. He looked at his Weapons
Officer who looked back and nodded. All four ships knew what they had to do.
They were just waiting for Montoya to give the word.
“Execute,”
said Montoya.
“First
volley is away. All ships have fired, Skipper,” said the Weapons Officer.
Eighty missiles veered away to head for a particular spot on the planet’s
surface. He hoped he’d gotten the timing right. In order to intercept the
incoming FED missiles with AMMs, his ships had to load and fire AMMs no later
than 30 seconds before enemy missile impact. That left his ships with just
enough time to fire five more volleys of HE missiles at planetary targets. He
wasn’t worried about the 12 missiles that were heading his way now. His
anti-missile fire would take care of them. It was the follow-on volleys that
worried him. If the FED waited to see how their second volley fared, they would
see his AMMs and adjust their choice of missile warheads accordingly. But if
they did what he wanted them to do, namely fire their fission warhead missiles
quickly, then his ships might have enough AMMs to intercept them, with a slight
chance of successfully running the FED gauntlet and escaping out the other
side.
Makassar
Defense Force:
“Son-of-a-bitch,”
said Remington’s CO as the tactical display showed a new red icon with the
number 80 inside it veering off toward Makassar. After a one second pause he
started to speak. “Commodore, I recommend…” He stopped. Remington knew that
Commodore Stevens had interrupted her CO, but only he was able to hear what
Stevens had to say. “If we switch to Alpha6 I’ll have just enough Mark 1s for
two volleys…” There was another interruption. “Your orders are clear, Sir.
Alpha6 it is.” Turning to look at the Weapons Officer, the CO said, “Weps,
we’re switching to Alpha6. As soon as you have targets programmed and tubes
loaded, you may fire and continue firing until we’re out of Mark 1s. Any
questions?”
“No
questions, Skipper.” Remington realized that she was holding her breath and
consciously let it out. Alpha6 under these circumstances meant that the ship
would fire eight Mark 1 fission warhead missiles per volley. Two volleys would
use up all of their remaining 16 Mark 1s. She wondered if the other ships in
the squadron would also fire under Alpha6. Seconds later she had her answer.
The squadron flagship fired eight missiles even before her own ship was ready.
The other four ships of the squadron weren’t far behind. Forty-eight missiles,
composed of six groups of eight, were heading for the Union ships. We should
have co-ordinated our fire so that they all arrive on target at the same time . Stevens panicked. General Trojan isn’t going to like that, thought
Remington.
Montoya
smiled as the display showed first six and then a total of twelve clusters of
eight missiles each heading for his
with these bastards? she asked herself. We should be veering off to one
side to keep the range open as much as possible and smother them with missiles.
SSU
Task Force:
Montoya
looked up at the tactical display as it pinged for attention. The FEDs were
firing again this time with three volleys of four missiles each. He wasn’t
surprised that they fired again, but he was surprised that they waited this
long to do it. They had given him time to re-establish contact with the other three
ships and discover their status. Two could maneuver to some extent, one had no
ability to maneuver at all. If he was going to go with his plan, they would
have to maintain their present course in order to stay together. He was very
tempted to order all four ships to fire at the FED ships. It would be very
satisfying to smash those FED cruisers into scrap metal, but doing so would
preclude inflicting the most damage possible on the planet’s industrial
centers, and that was his only priority. His ships could fire at the planet or
at the defending ships, but not both at the same time. He looked at his Weapons
Officer who looked back and nodded. All four ships knew what they had to do.
They were just waiting for Montoya to give the word.
“Execute,”
said Montoya.
“First
volley is away. All ships have fired, Skipper,” said the Weapons Officer.
Eighty missiles veered away to head for a particular spot on the planet’s
surface. He hoped he’d gotten the timing right. In order to intercept the
incoming FED missiles with AMMs, his ships had to load and fire AMMs no later
than 30 seconds before enemy missile impact. That left his ships with just
enough time to fire five more volleys of HE missiles at planetary targets. He
wasn’t worried about the 12 missiles that were heading his way now. His
anti-missile fire would take care of them. It was the follow-on volleys that
worried him. If the FED waited to see how their second volley fared, they would
see his AMMs and adjust their choice of missile warheads accordingly. But if
they did what he wanted them to do, namely fire their fission warhead missiles
quickly, then his ships might have enough AMMs to intercept them, with a slight
chance of successfully running the FED gauntlet and escaping out the other
side.
Makassar
Defense Force:
“Son-of-a-bitch,”
said Remington’s CO as the tactical display showed a new red icon with the
number 80 inside it veering off toward Makassar. After a one second pause he
started to speak. “Commodore, I recommend…” He stopped. Remington knew that
Commodore Stevens had interrupted her CO, but only he was able to hear what
Stevens had to say. “If we switch to Alpha6 I’ll have just enough Mark 1s for
two volleys…” There was another interruption. “Your orders are clear, Sir.
Alpha6 it is.” Turning to look at the Weapons Officer, the CO said, “Weps,
we’re switching to Alpha6. As soon as you have targets programmed and tubes
loaded, you may fire and continue firing until we’re out of Mark 1s. Any
questions?”
“No
questions, Skipper.” Remington realized that she was holding her breath and
consciously let it out. Alpha6 under these circumstances meant that the ship
would fire eight Mark 1 fission warhead missiles per volley. Two volleys would
use up all of their remaining 16 Mark 1s. She wondered if the other ships in
the squadron would also fire under Alpha6. Seconds later she had her answer.
The squadron flagship fired eight missiles even before her own ship was ready.
The other four ships of the squadron weren’t far behind. Forty-eight missiles,
composed of six groups of eight, were heading for the Union ships. We should
have co-ordinated our fire so that they all arrive on target at the same time . Stevens panicked. General Trojan isn’t going to like that, thought
Remington.
Montoya
smiled as the display showed first six and then a total of twelve clusters of
eight missiles each heading for his
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