Apophiss advance force had divided more or less accidentally into two groups, one of his own seven ships and one of the six ships that still professed loyalty to Heru-ur even if they were actually following the orders of his rival. It was the latter group that was out in the lead and they concentrated their fire at long range on the nearest ship of Ayodhyas battle-group, the cruiser Astinos.
Astinos is taking heavy fire, reported the fleet operations officer from the flag deck at the back of the bridge. As he did so, the cruiser rolled slightly to bring its starboard turrets into play and the double turrets hammered at one of the Hatak.
Take us in, Nekhrun ordered immediately. Astinos is to pull back in on us. If we get pulled apart well get swarmed one at a time. Direct the fighters at the second wave, well take Astinos dance partners out ship to ship.
Maybourne brought the Leonidas around and raised the nose before bringing the engines up to full power. The range began to fall quickly as the ships charged towards each other, the two carriers falling in slightly behind the big destroyer while the cruisers ranged ahead to succor their sistership. The Death Gliders around Heru-urs ships pulled away to chase after the formations of X-Wings and Skiprays that were arcing around their formation towards Apophis fleet while their Alkesh harried the Astinos, whose shields were under increasing pressure.
There was an explosion aboard the Astinos target as the heavy fire it was taking punched through its shields and started to tear through the hull. Another, taking fire from the port turrets seemed to stagger as its shields collapsed for a moment but they flickered back to life almost immediately. One of the Astinos turrets disintegrated under the fire of another of the Hatak before the ships had to break off to deal with the approaching Dilios and Stelios as the other two cruisers opened fire, each ship now only faced by two Hatak.
Almost a dozen Alkesh dived towards the Dilios, intending to make the apparently unguarded cruiser pay for its exposure. They hadnt reckoned upon the smaller turrets that dotted the cruisers hull and flew into a wall of fire that gutted the attack. Only two managed to get close enough to fire and their shots failed to penetrate the Dilios shields. A moment later, a flight of Vipers that had been lurking below the Dilios slashed out and came down behind the pair of survivors, blotting them out of the sky.
The Cruiser Group is hold their own, the fleet operations officer advised. Astelios has only moderate damage. But their shields are still being broken down.
Show them what a Destroyer can do, Nekhrun ordered Fumizuki quietly.
The captain nodded and leant forwards on the rail that seperated the command dais from the rest of the bridge. Target the one of the two that are beating up on Astelios. Full alpha strike, all batteries.
I wish I was out there, Jack muttered as the gunners in the tactical sections that ran along the sides of the command deck confirmed their readiness.
Feel free, Nekhrun offered. You know where the ring transporters are and Im sure that Sparta or Thermoplyae has a spare X-Wing or two.
Really? asked Jack in surprise.
They dont do me any good sitting in the hanger, Colonel. He turned to his own staff. Someone find Colonel ONeill and Captain?
Count on it, Sam agreed with an annoyed look in Jacks direction.
Two fighters, Nekhrun confirmed.
Tealc shook his head when Jack gave him a quesitoning look. I will remain with DanielJackson, he said.
Target locked, the tactical officer reported and all eyes went to the display screens that showed the battle unfolding.
Fumizuki nodded. Fire, he ordered.
Jack had seen that the Leonidas mounted its primary weapons in turrets to either side of the command tower. There were four turrets on each side and each mounted energy cannon that, like those of a Hatak, were essentially scaled up from a staff weapon. However, the turrets of the Leonidas mounted eight such cannon each, firing sequentially such that by the time the last of the eight had fired the first would be fully charged for the next shot. There were secondary weapons as well but they didnt do much more than light up the shields of the two targeted ships, fractionally reducing the power necessary for the main guns to pierce them.
Eight glowing lines of continuous fire linked each flank of the Leonidas to its target for one second, two seconds, three
Then the unlucky Hatak exploded in a fireball that smashed at least half a squadron of Death Gliders that were flying too close.
Fuck me! Maybourne exclaimed in shock.
That can be arranged, Colonel, Harjit told him from where she had been standing quietly behind him. But this isnt the time. Under other circumstances, Jack would have been laughing at the expression on Maybournes face.
How many Hatak would it take to do that to you? Carter asked Nekhrun.
In theory, at least five. In practise, multi-ship strikes are hard to co-ordinate like that so closer to eight.
Ah, she said. The math wasnt hard to work out.
Coming, Carter? Jack asked from the door.
On my way, sir, she said, but paused by Daniel. I really suggest that you go down to Angrezi, Daniel.
Ill take care of him, Captain, Shakuntala offered before Daniel could say anything. Much as Id like to stand and fight with the Fleet, father would be mortified if I died heroically before my brothers had a chance to.
right, Sam agreed uncertainly and followed Jack towards the ring transporter.
I can take care of myself, you know, Daniel protested.
Of course you can, Shakuntala said brightly. Would you like a sandwich? Im sure Harjit could make one for you
.oOo.
The Thermoplyae was a lot like the Leonidas on the inside, Jack noticed. However, he rather doubted that the larger ship had a flight deck to match that of the carrier. It was almost half a kilometer long and as he had seen earlier, the entire ceiling could be opened for a mass launch. At the moment the deck was depressurised since it would be rather unfortunate to have such a large space venting atmosphere in a battle and he and Sam had to board their fighters in one of the many bays that lined the deck.
Colonel ONeill, Captain Carter, the Thermolyaes flight operations officer advised over the X-Wings radio channel. For identification purposes youve been flagged as Mongoose Flight. Admiral Ayodhya has given you discretion to act on your own initiative so there wont be a controller assigned to you, just keep your ears open on the general channel you really wouldnt want to be between the Leonidas and her targets when she opens fire.
Understood, Jack confirmed as his X-Wing glided forwards onto the lefthand track of the two parallel launch lines painted on the deck. Not quite five hundred metres away at the far end of the flight deck, the angled panel that made up the nose of the Thermoplyae lowered to open up a space just wide enough for two fighters to launch side-by side. Mongoose One is ready to launch.
Mongoose Two, ready to launch, Sams voice came over the communications channel and he looked to his right to see her X-Wing sitting in position next to his. Unlike those that had been delivered to the Angrezi, that had been painted with light blue undersides and green and grey upper hulls, these two were flat grey with navy blue stripes along their fuselages.
Dont hit your thrusters until youre out of the ship, the flight-ops man reminded them. Mongoose One, you launch on One, Mongoose Two on Zero. Countdown to launch is five, four, three, two, one - A hammer hit Jack in the back and the X-Wing bolted forwards under the influence of the repellor (does the reverse of a tractor beam was the only explanation that hed been given) mounted at the back of the flight deck. Zero!
Yahoo! Jack shouted as he launched out of the nose of the Thermoplyae, Sam only a second behind him.
In the time that it had taken for the two of them to don flightsuits and board their X-Wings, Apophis had entered the fight, pitting his own seven ships and the only two survivors of Heru-urs against the Confederate ships. That wasnt enough firepower to seriously threaten the Leonidas and its own heavy point defense combined with that of the two Carriers flanking it was enough to keep them relatively safe but the cruisers were taking a real beating as the Hataks tried to keep the smaller ships between them and the Leonidas firepower.
As Jack led Sam towards the fight, he saw a squadron of X-Wings plunge through a formation of Death Gliders down upon one of Apophis Hatak. One of fighter-bombers broke off, one wing missing and an engine blazing briefly after the fire from several Death Gliders punched through the shields. Another, by sheer mischance, hit a Death Glider head on, destroying both fighters. The others fired off their torpedos into the unlucky ships shields, which failed under the force of the missiles detonations.
The X-Wings broke and scattered, chased by the Death Gliders and Jack smirked as he saw Vipers closing in to rescue their larger cousins from vengeance. The Hatak, for its part, was caught in an immediate crossfire by two of the cruisers, Jack wasnt sure which ones, that smashed its left flank to splinters.
I think weve got ourselves a target, Carter, he said, See if we can put the Hatak out of our misery.
Ive got your wing, she replied and followed him in a razor-straight attack run that would intercept the Hatak where it was trying to evade the fire from the cruisers.
Ahead of them, a squadron of Torpedo Boats had had the same idea and as they darted closer to the damaged ship, the Jaffa gunners fired desperately at them with the main cannon, smashing one of them apart. A volley of torpedos hammered into the engines of the ship, leaving it drifting out of control.
Target the cannon, Sam advised.
Got it, Jack agreed. Here we go.
Just making a straight run at the Hatak should have left them as easy prety, but the two of them fired their turbos as they entered range, the sudden increase in speed throwing off the defenders, who also had to suddenly worry about the shots from the X-Wings cannon that punched holes into the outer hull of the Hatak. Jack fired his missiles first at the nearer of the two remaining weapons and then Sam hit the last one with two torpedoes before they blew past the crippled and helpless ship.
No one else bothered to do anything about the wreck. As and when the battle ended, it would be a problem for the winner to deal with. Right now they all had more immediately matters at hand.
.oOo.
Dilios shields are failing, Fumizuki observed on the command deck of the Leonidas. The cruiser had already lost its shields once but managed to restore them, although not before one side had lost all but one turret. Seeing the weakness, two Hatak were concentrating their fire on that side and only taking return fire from the two cannon on the last turret. Captain Venator is evacuating everyone he can spare to the Sparta by ring transporter, but there are still at least three hundred personnel aboard.
I know, Nekhrun said bleakly. Take us through the line, Colonel Maybourne, he ordered. Well try rushing the bastard vultures while theyre trying to claw at the carcass.
Look! Daniel exclaimed and pointed at the image of the Dilios on one of the monitors. An explosion had ripped through the lower command tower, taking out half the turrets on her remaining broadside. In its wake fires were raging through the superstructure.
Nekhrun paled. Thats not good.
Venators evactuating the engine rooms, sir. Fumizukis words fell across the bridge like a brutal hammer. He says Admiral, Captain Venator reports that he will see the honorguard is in order in the next life.
What does he mean, honorguard? asked Daniel.
Just watch, was all Nekhrun said as the engines of the Dilios came to life, firing with all the power that the stricken ship could gather.
The guns of the Dilios were still firing when the proud ships pointed prow smashed through the shields of the hindmost of the Hatak and drove into the central pyramid of the ship despite its best efforts to evade.
For a moment the two ships clung together.
And then, briefly, Angrezi was lit by the funeral pyre of a thousand Jaffa, two hundred forty-seven Confederacy naval personel and the System Lord Apophis.D for Drakensis
You're only young once, but immaturity is forever.
D for Drakensis
You're only young once, but immaturity is forever.
Astinos is taking heavy fire, reported the fleet operations officer from the flag deck at the back of the bridge. As he did so, the cruiser rolled slightly to bring its starboard turrets into play and the double turrets hammered at one of the Hatak.
Take us in, Nekhrun ordered immediately. Astinos is to pull back in on us. If we get pulled apart well get swarmed one at a time. Direct the fighters at the second wave, well take Astinos dance partners out ship to ship.
Maybourne brought the Leonidas around and raised the nose before bringing the engines up to full power. The range began to fall quickly as the ships charged towards each other, the two carriers falling in slightly behind the big destroyer while the cruisers ranged ahead to succor their sistership. The Death Gliders around Heru-urs ships pulled away to chase after the formations of X-Wings and Skiprays that were arcing around their formation towards Apophis fleet while their Alkesh harried the Astinos, whose shields were under increasing pressure.
There was an explosion aboard the Astinos target as the heavy fire it was taking punched through its shields and started to tear through the hull. Another, taking fire from the port turrets seemed to stagger as its shields collapsed for a moment but they flickered back to life almost immediately. One of the Astinos turrets disintegrated under the fire of another of the Hatak before the ships had to break off to deal with the approaching Dilios and Stelios as the other two cruisers opened fire, each ship now only faced by two Hatak.
Almost a dozen Alkesh dived towards the Dilios, intending to make the apparently unguarded cruiser pay for its exposure. They hadnt reckoned upon the smaller turrets that dotted the cruisers hull and flew into a wall of fire that gutted the attack. Only two managed to get close enough to fire and their shots failed to penetrate the Dilios shields. A moment later, a flight of Vipers that had been lurking below the Dilios slashed out and came down behind the pair of survivors, blotting them out of the sky.
The Cruiser Group is hold their own, the fleet operations officer advised. Astelios has only moderate damage. But their shields are still being broken down.
Show them what a Destroyer can do, Nekhrun ordered Fumizuki quietly.
The captain nodded and leant forwards on the rail that seperated the command dais from the rest of the bridge. Target the one of the two that are beating up on Astelios. Full alpha strike, all batteries.
I wish I was out there, Jack muttered as the gunners in the tactical sections that ran along the sides of the command deck confirmed their readiness.
Feel free, Nekhrun offered. You know where the ring transporters are and Im sure that Sparta or Thermoplyae has a spare X-Wing or two.
Really? asked Jack in surprise.
They dont do me any good sitting in the hanger, Colonel. He turned to his own staff. Someone find Colonel ONeill and Captain?
Count on it, Sam agreed with an annoyed look in Jacks direction.
Two fighters, Nekhrun confirmed.
Tealc shook his head when Jack gave him a quesitoning look. I will remain with DanielJackson, he said.
Target locked, the tactical officer reported and all eyes went to the display screens that showed the battle unfolding.
Fumizuki nodded. Fire, he ordered.
Jack had seen that the Leonidas mounted its primary weapons in turrets to either side of the command tower. There were four turrets on each side and each mounted energy cannon that, like those of a Hatak, were essentially scaled up from a staff weapon. However, the turrets of the Leonidas mounted eight such cannon each, firing sequentially such that by the time the last of the eight had fired the first would be fully charged for the next shot. There were secondary weapons as well but they didnt do much more than light up the shields of the two targeted ships, fractionally reducing the power necessary for the main guns to pierce them.
Eight glowing lines of continuous fire linked each flank of the Leonidas to its target for one second, two seconds, three
Then the unlucky Hatak exploded in a fireball that smashed at least half a squadron of Death Gliders that were flying too close.
Fuck me! Maybourne exclaimed in shock.
That can be arranged, Colonel, Harjit told him from where she had been standing quietly behind him. But this isnt the time. Under other circumstances, Jack would have been laughing at the expression on Maybournes face.
How many Hatak would it take to do that to you? Carter asked Nekhrun.
In theory, at least five. In practise, multi-ship strikes are hard to co-ordinate like that so closer to eight.
Ah, she said. The math wasnt hard to work out.
Coming, Carter? Jack asked from the door.
On my way, sir, she said, but paused by Daniel. I really suggest that you go down to Angrezi, Daniel.
Ill take care of him, Captain, Shakuntala offered before Daniel could say anything. Much as Id like to stand and fight with the Fleet, father would be mortified if I died heroically before my brothers had a chance to.
right, Sam agreed uncertainly and followed Jack towards the ring transporter.
I can take care of myself, you know, Daniel protested.
Of course you can, Shakuntala said brightly. Would you like a sandwich? Im sure Harjit could make one for you
.oOo.
The Thermoplyae was a lot like the Leonidas on the inside, Jack noticed. However, he rather doubted that the larger ship had a flight deck to match that of the carrier. It was almost half a kilometer long and as he had seen earlier, the entire ceiling could be opened for a mass launch. At the moment the deck was depressurised since it would be rather unfortunate to have such a large space venting atmosphere in a battle and he and Sam had to board their fighters in one of the many bays that lined the deck.
Colonel ONeill, Captain Carter, the Thermolyaes flight operations officer advised over the X-Wings radio channel. For identification purposes youve been flagged as Mongoose Flight. Admiral Ayodhya has given you discretion to act on your own initiative so there wont be a controller assigned to you, just keep your ears open on the general channel you really wouldnt want to be between the Leonidas and her targets when she opens fire.
Understood, Jack confirmed as his X-Wing glided forwards onto the lefthand track of the two parallel launch lines painted on the deck. Not quite five hundred metres away at the far end of the flight deck, the angled panel that made up the nose of the Thermoplyae lowered to open up a space just wide enough for two fighters to launch side-by side. Mongoose One is ready to launch.
Mongoose Two, ready to launch, Sams voice came over the communications channel and he looked to his right to see her X-Wing sitting in position next to his. Unlike those that had been delivered to the Angrezi, that had been painted with light blue undersides and green and grey upper hulls, these two were flat grey with navy blue stripes along their fuselages.
Dont hit your thrusters until youre out of the ship, the flight-ops man reminded them. Mongoose One, you launch on One, Mongoose Two on Zero. Countdown to launch is five, four, three, two, one - A hammer hit Jack in the back and the X-Wing bolted forwards under the influence of the repellor (does the reverse of a tractor beam was the only explanation that hed been given) mounted at the back of the flight deck. Zero!
Yahoo! Jack shouted as he launched out of the nose of the Thermoplyae, Sam only a second behind him.
In the time that it had taken for the two of them to don flightsuits and board their X-Wings, Apophis had entered the fight, pitting his own seven ships and the only two survivors of Heru-urs against the Confederate ships. That wasnt enough firepower to seriously threaten the Leonidas and its own heavy point defense combined with that of the two Carriers flanking it was enough to keep them relatively safe but the cruisers were taking a real beating as the Hataks tried to keep the smaller ships between them and the Leonidas firepower.
As Jack led Sam towards the fight, he saw a squadron of X-Wings plunge through a formation of Death Gliders down upon one of Apophis Hatak. One of fighter-bombers broke off, one wing missing and an engine blazing briefly after the fire from several Death Gliders punched through the shields. Another, by sheer mischance, hit a Death Glider head on, destroying both fighters. The others fired off their torpedos into the unlucky ships shields, which failed under the force of the missiles detonations.
The X-Wings broke and scattered, chased by the Death Gliders and Jack smirked as he saw Vipers closing in to rescue their larger cousins from vengeance. The Hatak, for its part, was caught in an immediate crossfire by two of the cruisers, Jack wasnt sure which ones, that smashed its left flank to splinters.
I think weve got ourselves a target, Carter, he said, See if we can put the Hatak out of our misery.
Ive got your wing, she replied and followed him in a razor-straight attack run that would intercept the Hatak where it was trying to evade the fire from the cruisers.
Ahead of them, a squadron of Torpedo Boats had had the same idea and as they darted closer to the damaged ship, the Jaffa gunners fired desperately at them with the main cannon, smashing one of them apart. A volley of torpedos hammered into the engines of the ship, leaving it drifting out of control.
Target the cannon, Sam advised.
Got it, Jack agreed. Here we go.
Just making a straight run at the Hatak should have left them as easy prety, but the two of them fired their turbos as they entered range, the sudden increase in speed throwing off the defenders, who also had to suddenly worry about the shots from the X-Wings cannon that punched holes into the outer hull of the Hatak. Jack fired his missiles first at the nearer of the two remaining weapons and then Sam hit the last one with two torpedoes before they blew past the crippled and helpless ship.
No one else bothered to do anything about the wreck. As and when the battle ended, it would be a problem for the winner to deal with. Right now they all had more immediately matters at hand.
.oOo.
Dilios shields are failing, Fumizuki observed on the command deck of the Leonidas. The cruiser had already lost its shields once but managed to restore them, although not before one side had lost all but one turret. Seeing the weakness, two Hatak were concentrating their fire on that side and only taking return fire from the two cannon on the last turret. Captain Venator is evacuating everyone he can spare to the Sparta by ring transporter, but there are still at least three hundred personnel aboard.
I know, Nekhrun said bleakly. Take us through the line, Colonel Maybourne, he ordered. Well try rushing the bastard vultures while theyre trying to claw at the carcass.
Look! Daniel exclaimed and pointed at the image of the Dilios on one of the monitors. An explosion had ripped through the lower command tower, taking out half the turrets on her remaining broadside. In its wake fires were raging through the superstructure.
Nekhrun paled. Thats not good.
Venators evactuating the engine rooms, sir. Fumizukis words fell across the bridge like a brutal hammer. He says Admiral, Captain Venator reports that he will see the honorguard is in order in the next life.
What does he mean, honorguard? asked Daniel.
Just watch, was all Nekhrun said as the engines of the Dilios came to life, firing with all the power that the stricken ship could gather.
The guns of the Dilios were still firing when the proud ships pointed prow smashed through the shields of the hindmost of the Hatak and drove into the central pyramid of the ship despite its best efforts to evade.
For a moment the two ships clung together.
And then, briefly, Angrezi was lit by the funeral pyre of a thousand Jaffa, two hundred forty-seven Confederacy naval personel and the System Lord Apophis.D for Drakensis
You're only young once, but immaturity is forever.
D for Drakensis
You're only young once, but immaturity is forever.