The Ascent

Chapter 31

Later, at a joint meeting of all the ship's commanders and fleet commanders, Smith uttered the one phrase sure to put a chill down the spine of any career military person. "We need some volunteers."

An updated map of the transit system hung before us in v-space. Much of the information had come from the cooperative alien and, where possible, confirmed by advance scouts. Dr. Hindmost, Shines Like the Sun's personal oracle had been consulted, but all he could advise was going forward as only death waited behind.

"The neighboring system appears to have once been a mining and manufacturing hub," Smith continued. "It has a half-dozen gates that all lead into it at different points. We've learned from our captive of an alternate route, a sort of transit spur that circles through these other gates." A section of the map lit up.

"We believe the majority of The Swords are dug into this system, hoping to hold us here and assuming we don't know anything about the spur. We don't think the spur is heavily protected, but there are a few key choke points, that will have to be cleared before we can attempt to bypass the defenders. We need an advance team of FACs and light cruisers to take out these choke points and clear the way for a heavier force. The heavier force will leave small task forces behind to take up positions at each of these gates, preventing surprise attacks from the rear until our main assault begins."

"I'll lead it," Chris Knight volunteered.

"The Red Wing is ready and willing to go," another commander said.

"The Robert White has never ducked a fight," a third commander volunteered.

In moments, before we had even finished the planning, we had our advance assault team assigned.

"I will lead the main force," Smith said. "We'll transit slowly into the system to keep them focused on our gate while the other group makes its way around the spur. Ken, I'd like you to take the second group and secure the other gates."

I nodded my assent.

"I want to leave one gate free to give them a way out. But, once you've secured the last gate but one, the attack will begin." Smith paused and surveyed the commanders' avatars. "If there are no questions, make your preparations and be ready to boost in two hours.

* * *

Smith began transiting the fleet into the system, only using the far side of the gate from The Swords. Some of his ships moved inwards, trying to secure advanced positions from which to launch their attack, but The Swords launched relativist missiles in such massive numbers, they had to retreat back to the gate before The Swords stopped firing.

Meanwhile, I took the rearguard and began maneuvering through the spur. We left a small task force at the first gate and proceeded onwards, coming to our first choke point. The gravimetrics picked up the presence of several ships. I took what few FACs I had and, leading from the Phoenix, which was faster than the battle cruisers, we charged into the depths of the nebula. The enemy, using their gravimetrics for targeting, fired blindly at us. They scored only minor and indirect damage, then turned and ran away as we neared their position. We sent a scout ship back to tell the fleet, via com laser, to proceed along the main route of the spur while I led the FACs into the depths of the nebula toward the next choke point.

We continued in this fashion, I and the FACs, plunging into the cloudy depths of the nebula to drive away the lurking Swords while the battle cruisers followed along in the main transport channels. We left a small task force behind at each gate then, at about the fourth gate, one of the cruisers we had left behind, came flying back towards us heavily damaged.

It was the leader of the Beta task force. He sent an urgent message by com laser. "We've been discovered. The Swords are attacking. Alpha and Beta task forces have been overrun! " We turned our long range scanners on the central system and saw The Swords streaming from their hiding places among the asteroids. They obviously had discovered we were trying to outflank them. Knowing the light from the nearest ships was hours old, I turned to the gravimetrics and saw hundreds of The Swords' ships racing to the gate where we had left Alpha and Beta task forces. Smith had apparently seen his opportunity and rushed into the system with the rest of the fleet.