All That Glitters Ch. 39

"We've had the best success when we can get inside of their fleets. They are not suited or practiced at close-in fighting," Dostier told Capt. Endar. "We have practiced working in teams, they have not. Get inside of their formation and hit as many of their ships as you can, especially the heavies which are lobbing missiles and torpedoes at us.

"You are opposite the pirate fleet. Take them out if possible. Give no quarter, as they will not give quarter to you," Dostier ordered.

"Roger, we'll lob some torpedoes at them and then hit them before they realize we are another fleet," Endar told Dostier.

"Just do something fast, we need to get down to the planet and we have already spent more than five hours trying to get orbital supremacy," Dostier ordered.

Endar's fleet was opposite the pirate fleet. He went back to the Battle Bridge where he looked up the situation from the Tactical Link sent by the Dewfall. He noted several ships that had already been severely damaged but were not out of the fight. Of the thirty-six original vessels in this fleet, there were fifteen that had been damaged, only eight of which were now out of the fight. As long as they did not engage, those eight ships would not be attacked.

Endar set his attack and launched his first and only salvo of sixty torpedoes, and a combination of forty electronic disrupter missiles and missiles with explosive warheads at the enemy fleet. The missiles moved swiftly in amongst the enemy who fired off counter-measures to disrupt their attack. The counter-measures were only partially successful.

The eleven electronic disrupter missiles hit nine different ships with spectacular results. Their electrical systems shut down briefly, taking more than fifty seconds to reset. The brief interlude was more than enough time for the explosive head missiles to track in. The warheads hit seven of the nine ships with devastating results, four of the seven being destroyed outright, the other three were effectively disabled, they would have to withdraw from the fight.

Then the torpedoes arrived. Once more countermeasures were launched, only, with fighting ongoing for almost six hours, there were very few countermeasures left. The torpedoes tracked in on those ships that could not deploy counter measures. The sixty torpedoes tracked on fourteen ships, with multiple hits on eight of them. Five of those had already suffered hits from Dostier's fleet, those five were destroyed. The nine others were damaged but could still manoeuvre. The other seven had taken single strikes that caused some damage, they were still very much in the fight.

Endar's first salvo had taken its toll, that's when his Valour and Whippet Class jumped into the middle of the enemy fleet. Combined into small assault groups, they chose to attack the heavy ships with telling results. Forty minutes after the start of Endar's assault, the pirate fleet broke off the engagement, leaving twenty-one destroyed or severely damaged ships behind, most of them Fairling, Ballaron, and Handren Class. The pirate heavies had been taken out and many of the Ballang Class escort ships had been damaged to some degree or another. It would be some time before this pirate fleet would be a threat again, if ever.

Dostier laughed when she saw the results of Endar's attack. "Look what happens when we soften them up for you," she crowed over the Tactical Link to the Polyanty.

"Yeah, yeah. We'll take the assist," Endar returned, good naturedly.

The two fleets now set their sites on the larger Planetary Defence Force Fleet with their twenty-eight heavies. Because the pirate fleet had been the more aggressive, they had suffered more damage than the Defence Force Fleet, which had opted to lob missiles and torpedoes at Dostier's fleet from a distance. Now, they found themselves between two fleets.

Before action could begin, more ships jumped into the Adenomere System...

"Dewfall, this is Saraswati. We have activated Plan Romeo and are looking to see where we can help, over," came the voice of Capt. Balakrishna over the link.

"By the Gods, Damyanti, it is good to hear from you," Dostier declared. "I need you to hit the ships listed as Planetary Defence Forces and make them lose interest in Task Force Adenomere. They are not suited for close-in combat while we have practiced it. It gives us our best advantage."

"Roger that, we will jump in amongst them with our Whippet and Valour Class and see what damage we can cause," Damyanti replied. She looked at the Tactical Link sent by the Dewfall and determined where best to send her ships, noting her intent on the link so as not to interfere with the other two Union fleets.

A few minutes later, the Damyanti's fleet jumped into the attack, with nine teams of four ships jumping into the mass of the Defence Fleet, the Handren Class their priority. Each team took on one ship, hitting them hard to knock out their weapons, sub-light engines, and vanes, before jumping out again, leaving ships with no means to continue fighting.

Between the three Union fleets, the Defence Forces were in a bind and quickly losing orbital supremacy.

Then, another fleet arrived...

"Liana, it's Raymond. We are here with three Failing Class, forty Whippet Class and sixty-seven Valour Class. What do you want us to do?"

"Raymond, you are a godsend! We need to begin the assault on the planet. I am pulling my fleet from the assault and sending down the Combat Shuttles in the first wave, we can use some of your Valour Class to escort them down.

"Whatever shuttles you have on your ships, send them down as well," Dostier ordered. "I'm sending planetary coordinates to you that I want you to take on. The local Airforce and Militia has had plenty of time to prepare. This will not be an easy assault."

"Roger that, we'll act as soon as we get the coordinates, our people are ready to go now," Raymond returned.

Moments later, the information was streaming across the Battle Bridges Tactical Plots, showing where Dostier wanted him to raid. Raymond sent the information to the fleet and set his Valour and Whippet Class ships to taking out the local Airforce and Militia units that they could see. Things were starting to change significantly for Task Force Adenomere but they had been in battle for almost eight hours now.

Adenomere Estate, First House of Adenomere, Planet Adenomere

The first indication to the Adenomeres that things were going wrong was when a new fleet came into the system some almost six hours after the advent of the assault and attacked the Armed Support Fleet.

Their initial attack of missiles and torpedoes caused significant damage within the Armed Support Fleet. The follow-on attack of small ships resulted in several ships being destroyed or knocked out of commission. The tide of the battle was turning in favour of the Union Navy. Aurelia was certain they would achieve orbital superiority within an hour or so.

"They will have to leave orbit now, they have sustained too much damage to their fleet," Marius reported happily.

"They will not," Aurelia stated candidly.

"What makes you say that?" Jaar demanded, while Marius looked at her as if she had grown another head. She, a woman, had opposed his thoughts!

"The new fleet cannot jump out without recharging, that will take four to six hours," Aurelia stated, unaware of the improved M/A generators that the Union now enjoyed. "In addition, they have not even attempted their assault on the planet. They must at least try before they abandon the remainder of their mission," Aurelia informed the two Adenomeres.

Jaar opened the link to the Airforce and Militia. "This is Jaar Adenomere, the Union Fleet in orbit is about to attain orbital superiority. They will attempt to stage an assault on the planet. A determined effort on our part will hopefully make them give up on the assault.

"We must show our determination, both in the air and on the ground, to repel this assault," Jaar finished. Acknowledgements of being ready were quickly reported by the respective commands. The planet was ready to repel the assault, or so they thought...

NS Dewfall, In Orbit of Planet Adenomere, Adenomere System

Dostier had decided that, due to the advantage in time that the Airforce and Militia had, they would need to send down Combat Drop Shuttles, which had more firepower available to them than Combat Shuttles but no room to carry out rescued citizens. She was watching as her heavies sent down the first wave of Marines in the Drop Shuttles.

The Wanderer took over command of the Valour and Whippet class sent to protect the shuttles. Raymond quickly coordinated their assault on the local Airforce and Militia. Coming down from orbit on them, gave the Valour Class a serious advantage over the Airforce, which Raymond exploited. The assault wave swiftly broke through the Airforce resistance, allowing the Drop Shuttles to reach their objectives. As the Drop Shuttles came in, they unleashed their firepower on the Militia, with devastating results to the locals.

Adenomere Estate, Third House of Adenomere, Planet Adenomere

General Mike Holmes, Continental Commander for the Militia, was watching as the Drop Shuttles approached the ground. He ordered his Air Defence forces in and around the Adenomere Three Estate, to engage them when they were within one kilometer of the ground. They never got the chance, as the Drop Shuttles launched a series of micro-missiles at those very same units, taking out most of the local Air Defence capability in their first volley from a height of two kilometers. Holmes was furious.

He next ordered the ground troops in the locations nearest to the anticipated drop coordinates to engage the Drop Shuttles as they landed. Once again, a volley of micro-missiles hit his tanks and ground assault vehicles, taking out a serious portion of his capabilities before the enemy even touched down.

The enemy was now down on the ground and setting up a defensive ring around their targets. Holmes decided to breach that ring and called in units from further out. However, it would take them an hour to arrive at where they were needed, in the meantime, more and more shuttles were on their way down.

The next wave of shuttles were the much larger Combat Shuttles, less capable of combat but they could carry troops or rescued citizens, their intended purpose on this trip. They did not have the micro-missiles that the Drop Shuttles had but they did have twin 20mm cannon under their bellies, which they made good use of in their descent. The cannons took out missiles launched against them and enemy ground forces as they approached their targets. They landed fast and hard and began to do what they had been sent to do: retrieve the Union citizens.

************

Two Drop Shuttles came in on the Barracks No.30, some fifty kilometers from the main Adenomere Three Estate, the home of Peotre Adenomere, which was now being run by his youngest son, Adolphus, the only Adenomere in residence.

Twenty-four Marines in full Combat EVA rushed out of the shuttles and set up a protective perimeter as far out as they could, engaging local Militia sent to stop them. As on the other Alliance planets, the local Militia had never actually engaged an enemy before, while the Union Marines were experienced and battle hardened. The difference was telling and the Militia was swiftly forced back, just in time for the larger Combat Shuttles to land.

Several Marines came out and looked around at the slaves.

"We are Union Marines, sent here to retrieve Union Citizens illegally held as slaves. Please identify yourselves so that we can free you," a Sergeant sent over his suits loudspeaker.

The slaves were hesitant to do anything until one younger males stepped forward.

"Sir, I was born of Union parents, does that make me a Union Citizen?" he asked.

The Sergeant slipped the reflective visor of his helmet up so that the young man could see his face. The young man was practically nude, wearing what was left of a loin cloth around his waist. He looked thin, though his muscles were hard. He was dirty and had several old scars on his body.

"It does indeed, young man. What is your name?" the Sergeant asked in a gentle voice.

"I am called, Doggy by the Masters, though my mother once named me Douglas. I have forgotten our family name and have no idea where my parents might be now," the young man replied.

"Well, Douglas, step over here young man and we will get you out of that collar," the Sergeant stated.

Douglas stepped over and the Sergeant passed a wand over his collar. There was a beep, and Douglas felt a click from his collar. The Sergeant then simply broke the collar apart and threw it away. Douglas reached up and felt his neck, bare for the first time in his young life. He gave a look of pure shock to the Sergeant.

"Why don't you find a seat in the shuttle, Douglas, while we attend to the others here," the Sergeant ordered, as another Marine, this one obviously a female, came forward to guide him into the shuttle. Douglas allowed himself to be led away as more and more people stepped up and declared themselves Citizens of the Union...

************

General Holmes was getting more and more desperate as time wore on. Whatever he did, the aggressors countered it. If he sent more men with heavy equipment, that heavy equipment was bombarded from above, often with 50mm rail gun fire.

If he sent more men to engage the enemy, the enemy simply took on whatever he sent at them. Despite the disparity in numbers, the enemy always seemed to know what to do to defeat his Militia forces. These were experienced forces he was fighting against, people who had been in the thick of things more than once, while his own people had never actually fought against anyone save for wargames. Holmes was finding that there was a hell of a difference between wargames and live combat!

More and more shuttles were coming down, landing in different places, never returning to a place they had already landed once. Wherever they touched down, they took slaves with them. The numbers of lost slaves kept creeping up.

He was happy to note that the Airforce was fairing little better than his Militia. They were losing expensive planes and even more expensive sub-orbital fighters, the only aircraft in the inventory that could actually take on one of the Valour Class ships one-on-one.

While his people were being pushed back, he was starting to gain the upper hand in numbers. His planners were suggesting where to send these spare units when Holmes overturned them and ordered them to a new location, along with the local Militia. He knew that the enemy would land there not long in the future. He was right...

************

"Sir, we've got 18,212 in the last two shuttle returns," MCPO Bridget O'Neil, the ship's Boatswain reported.

Raymond was watching the numbers of returning shuttles, happy that none of them had been shot down as had happened in other raids. He was pulling citizens off the planet, but not in the numbers he wanted. He needed to up the speed of their assault before the Militia gained the numbers they needed to force a stop to their operations.

"Send down the civilian shuttles this time," he ordered the Boatswain,. "This will likely be the last safe pass and I want as many people as possible coming back up."

There were three times as many civilian shuttles as Combat Shuttles. Since they didn't carry a large group of Marines in EVA suits, the 60m shuttles could also carry back many more rescued compared to the 40m Combat Shuttles.

The Boatswain was responsible for getting shuttles planet side and back up again. She sent out the orders and watched as the shuttles headed for the surface. They were hoping to get two passes with the civilian shuttles, they would be disappointed.

************

General Holmes smiled as he saw the shuttles headed for his little trap. This time, things would go his way.

As the shuttles landed, Holmes sent his orders. Militia hidden under camouflage attacked.

************

The Combat shuttles landed ahead of the civilian shuttles at Barracks No.18 ten kilometers from the Adenomere Three Estate. Adolphus sent the estate guards to the slave barracks on that side of the estates with orders to kill anyone they saw running away. The guards could not understand their orders, as any slave that attempted to run would die once they left the Adenomere grounds, their explosive collars killing them the moment they did so.

Uncertain as to what was happening, the guards drove into the area completely unaware of the ongoing assault. They arrived to see several large shuttles on the ground, with lines of slaves waiting to go to them.

"Stop whatever you are doing!" the head guard challenged. He jumped down out of his truck and moved to intercept one of the people in some kind of hard suit. The suit gave the outline of a female, which very much surprised the head guard.

When the people he had challenged simply ignored him, he raised his stun gun and fired twice at the head of the woman he was confronting, only to see a nimbus surround her body. In turn, the woman raised her arm and fired a bean bag at him, which hit him in the chest, shocking his heart and rendering the head guard unconscious. In seconds, the guard vehicles were surrounded.

"Union Marines, get your hands up! If you reach for your weapons or attempt to stop us in any manner, we will use force against you," the Marine shouted at the guards.

Just then, all hell broke loose as the local Militia made themselves known and started firing on the shuttles and the people there. The indiscriminate attack killed slaves and guards alike but did little against the armoured Marines.

The Marines immediately returned fire, throwing everything they had at the approaching Militia, attempting to get them to seek shelter but the Militia were using supported fire and movement techniques, one group of Militia firing on the enemy, while another group would move forward before taking shelter and then firing at the enemy, allowing the other group to move up.

This worked for a few minutes until a couple of Valour Class strafed the attackers. The Militia commander was ready and engaged the two Valour Class with surface-to-air missiles. Six SAMs launched at the two Valour Class, forcing them to manoeuvre and send out countermeasures to avoid being hit, giving a respite to the Militia and allowing them to continue the attack.

When the Militia again attempted to move forward, they found the Marines better prepared to repel the attack. The fighting was bitter and hard-pressed with the Militia having the superior numbers and weaponry while the Marines had experience behind them. Eventually, they pushed into the area of the barracks, forcing the shuttles to stop their raid and return to orbit with whatever numbers they had onboard. The Militia attack left scores of people dead on the ground, most of whom were not Union citizens.

Raymond sent in several Valour Class to hit the Militia in the area of the Adenomere Three Estates, with limited results. The shuttles were getting to the ground and picking up citizens, however, they were hard-pressed wherever they landed in this area.

He contacted Dostier.

"Liana, this is going to have to be our last kick at the can," Raymond stated. "No more shuttles going down. Once everyone is back we leave."

"I'm surprised we did as well as we have considering the amount of time the planet has had to prepare," Dostier returned.

Raymond cursed under his breath. "I need to be closer to the action, where I can see what is going on!" he told her.

Turning, he looked to the Boatswain. "O'Neil, do we still have a Valour Class onboard?"