Jack Campbell: Dauntless

Captain Desjani made a small pointing gesture, her expression still controlled. “I believe that conversation was somehow accidentally carried out on a fleetwide communications circuit instead of a private command circuit. How unfortunate.”

Geary glanced down to check, then shook his head. “Numos actually called me on a fleetwide circuit? Did he think I’d just let him claim his honor had been besmirched and not point out that he’s the one responsible for where Fox Five Two is right now?”

“Yes, sir, I believe he did think that.”

“Well, damn.” Desjani gave Geary a surprised look. “I know Numos deserved to get chewed out, Tanya, but I was always taught to chew out in private and praise in public.”

“I see.” But Desjani shook her head. “Normally, I’d agree, but in this case, the charges would’ve otherwise been whispered in quarters where you’d have been unaware of them even as they served to undermine your authority. It’s best that Numos’s charges were rebutted so clearly and so publicly.”

“You may be right,” Geary conceded. “But I’m still not happy it happened that way.”

Another message arrived on the heels of his words, but this time the tone was professional. “Captain Geary, this is Captain Tulev on Leviathan . The Syndic force is continuing down a course to intercept the auxiliary ships I am charged with protecting. I believe I can best keep the Syndics from closing within weapons range by pushing my heaviest units out five light-seconds from the auxiliaries. Request permission to do so.”

Interesting idea. Geary checked the display, imagining how the situation would change if he granted Tulev permission for the maneuver. He’ll still be close enough to the auxiliaries, but in a position to engage the Syndics before the enemy can get within range of the auxiliaries. But why is this necessary? Fox Five Five should’ve been able to keep the range open longer than this.

Titan. I should’ve guessed. All that mass she took on has reduced her performance as much as taking out half her propulsion systems would’ve done. Not that Witch and the others are dancing around like space fairies, either. “Captain Tulev, permission granted to extend your escort range to five light-seconds from the auxiliaries. Captain Duellos, be advised that Formation Fox Five Five’s escorts will be closing on the enemy to engage them at a distance of five light-seconds from the main body of Fox Five Five. Request you adjust your intercept of the Syndic formation accordingly.”

Duellos’s reply, sounding very cheerful indeed now, came over a half minute later. “We are adjusting course and will coordinate our next strike with Captain Tulev, sir.”

With Leviathan a good light-minute away, Tulev’s reply took a little while longer. “Thank you, sir.”

It took another few minutes before Geary could see Tulev’s ships arcing up toward the Syndics, as well as Duellos’s formation altering their course and accelerating a little more so that both Alliance forces would be in position to engage the enemy at about the same time.

Geary shook his head, imagining himself on the bridge of the Syndic flagship and trying to think through options, none of which were particularly good at this point. With Tulev’s escorts heading to intercept the Syndics from in front and below, while Duellos’s formation swung ever closer from behind and below, the Syndics faced two options. They could continue their original plan and get caught by both Alliance forces hitting them almost simultaneously from two different angles, or they could turn away from the Alliance auxiliaries and try to make it back to the jump point from which they’d entered Kaliban. “What would you be thinking if you were them?” Geary asked Desjani.

She considered the question for a moment. “Their objective is clear enough.”

“They won’t reach the auxiliaries. We’ve got too much heading to intercept them.”

Desjani shrugged. “If their orders are to get to the auxiliaries, they’ll do it or die trying.”

Senseless. Totally senseless. But I don’t see any sign the Syndics are having second thoughts. Perhaps I can add a little pressure and see if that’ll change their minds. “Formation Fox Five Three, adjust course and speed as needed to strike the upper edge of the Syndic formation. All units in Formation Fox Five Four, break formation and head for the cluster of Syndic wrecks. I want you to ensure they’re all really dead.”

It took time for the formations to converge, but he finally saw the images of Tulev’s escorts engaging the Syndics which had occurred less than a minute before. Using the same tactics as Geary had employed with the main body, Tulev’s heavies had fired grapeshot, then followed up with a barrage of specters. The Syndics were still reeling from the impact of those volleys when Captain Duellos’s formation sailed past, angling upward to slide through the rear of the Syndic formation and pound the ships there. Taken together, Tulev’s and Duellos’s formations outgunned the surviving Syndics almost two to one without even taking into account the damage to many of the Syndic ships.

As Tulev’s escorts slid by beneath the Syndics and Duellos’s warships rolled up through the enemy formation, the lighter Alliance ships in Formation Fox Five Three glided in from above. Against fresh heavy combatants, the Alliance destroyers and cruisers would’ve been outmatched, but by this point the Syndic force had been hurt so badly that it could offer little effective defense. The remnants of the Syndic destroyers and cruisers tried to block Fox Five Three’s firing run but were quickly overwhelmed, their shields swamped and their hulls broken.

As the third Alliance formation in quick succession engaged the Syndics, the enemy formation suddenly fell apart. Geary saw the surviving Syndic warships scattering, most of them turning frantically back toward the Alliance main body that blocked their way to the jump point and safety. Hardly daring to believe the enemy force had been so decisively broken, Geary evaluated the way the Syndic ships were dispersing. Trying to catch them all using big formations would be difficult at best and very likely impossible. “All units, this is Captain Geary. Break formation. General pursuit. I say again, general pursuit. Make sure we get all of them.”

There were triumphant cheers on the bridge of Dauntless, but Geary barely registered them as he watched his fleet on the display. Even though he’d known how badly those ships wanted to be cut loose, he was still surprised to see just how rapidly his neat formations dissolved, as the individual ships sped away to engage targets of opportunity.

Dauntless surged forward herself under Desjani’s orders. Geary leaned over to see which target had been highlighted by the battle cruiser’s combat system. A Syndic D-Class battle cruiser, looping upward in an attempt to pass over the main body. Why isn’t he going faster? According to what I’ve read, a D-Class should be able to do a lot better than that. Geary highlighted the target on his own display, getting the estimated damage readout. Ah. He’s been hit hard. Looks like he’s lost a lot of propulsion capability.

Zooming in the view of the Syndic battle cruiser from Dauntless ’s optical sensors, Geary could see the damage that had blasted holes in the enemy ship. At one time, the enemy ship had been a good-looking ship, displaying clean lines and smooth menace, but now its hull was torn and bent. A D-Class versus Dauntless would be a roughly even match, except that Syndic warship has already been beat to hell.

Then he thought of something else, pulling back the range scale on his display again and checking the movement vectors of nearby Alliance ships. As far as he could tell without asking, the battleship Vanguard and the battle cruiser Fearless were both also aiming for the same Syndic warship. Geary called up remote data from the other ships, confirming that they were also targeting the D-Class battle cruiser and getting their estimated times to intercept as well. “They’re going to get to it first,” he remarked out loud.