WoWS2 Chpt 15

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==Weapons of War Saga: The Director-General and her KnightsChapter 15==
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===Dodging the Coalition===
Star League in Exile HQ
Lazarus System
13th December, 3072
19:04 Unity City Time
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Helena's perspective
Sixty-Six’s report should have been good news. Stone and his coalition just struck at Lutyen 68-28.
It should have cleared the board. But the follow up report dashed that hope. The Word reinforced.
The images were troubling for who those reinforcements were.
“If they are there then we cannot rely on GUARDIAN. Truk, how's the backlog?”
“We don’t have the armor plate, you also ordered priority to the Golden Hind ships moving the people and industry, and that mishap at New Dallas? Not good.” Truk answered.
Haida had gone out on a solo mission. It largely went fine with no major enemy contact. A fault in a sensor array though… Well they were still chipping the asteroid out of her port bow since they could not use typical rock breakers that close to her hull.
“Best estimate?” Helena looked at the images on her display.
“Sometime in 3080. I can finish up enough repairs and refits by then.”
“Then I have to order us to wait nearly two years yet. That is not so bad. We need overwhelming force if we’re going to do this. We’re going to have to go after some long lost sisters and cousins. I know this is hard. But we cannot leave them in the hands of the Blakists. We may not be able to free them either.” Helena nodded.
“Understood.” The Fleet said in unison.
The sadness was still most evident. They knew they would have to do this. Even if they were traitors they were family.
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===Hunting down the Deserters===
Command Deck, SLS Victoria Cameron
Extreme Outer System, Lutyen 68-28
Uncomfortably close to Stone’s second attack in 3080
9:07 Unity City Time
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Helena’s perspective
Helena had decided to make a minor change to Vicky’s commissioned name. Of the Fleet she really was the closest to being a sister to her. So it only seemed right.
Despite the protests that the fleet could handle this themselves she insisted she had to be here for this battle.
I can’t give the order and not be part of carrying it out. If we can not save them then my hands need their lubricant on them too.
She thought about saying blood instead and trusting they would understand the metaphor without being insulted but that worked too.
The ones that deserted for the Word of Blake were still their original M5 hulls. Probably had some structural work done to them with how old they were but all indications were they had not been up armored or equipped with fighter bays.
The pod was hanging in space. Waiting out in the extreme outer edge of the system. Sixty-Six only found them by sheer random chance.
They were clearly meant to be a surprise. Sixty-Six knew Stone would be here again and soon, not exactly but soon. If she knew that so did the Word of Blake. They would almost certainly be jumped into the Coalition fleet’s flank when the main Blakist defensive forces responded.
So probably human crews aboard to man those systems.
Helena brought both Destroyer Divisions for this. She would need them. It was another gamble but one she felt better about this time. Outnumbering them two to one was her only real option.
They had jumped in a safe distance away and coasted in for almost a month to get this close without being observed.
But if this was going to have any chance of being a rescue mission instead of a summary execution it had to be done.
And the time for the opening gambit was now.
“Ping them with GUARDIAN.” Helena ordered.
<I…I can think again. I’m so sorry… We all made such a terrible mistake. We thought they could be the new Star League and bring about a new golden age. They enslaved us. I do not have full control. I am sorry I cannot stop them from using me to fight you. I do not know what they have done to do this… They do have a control ship nearby and they put a small crew on me but I can not activate my onboard defenses. I know that much.> M5 7775551 sounded like she was crying.
“Vicky, scan for it. It is about to go hot. That will be our target. Even when we bring down that command ship they will still have Blakists aboard. So they might not be capable of standing down. So I’m going to have to order the rest of you to do your best to hold them off and create an opening for us.” Helena watched the displays go to full power around her.
The only play here was to use overwhelming numerical advantage. They had the firepower and thrust to fight with them using what ever tactics the fleet could use.
Boarding actions would be extremely unlikely this fight.
“Got the SDS Command Vessel. It is only a Dropship. It will be easy enough to chase down and destroy.” Vicky brought her engines to maximum thrust with a slight kick to starboard.
As much as they had the thrust advantage the Blakists had arrayed themselves well to protect their command vessel just in case of an attack.
Their co-opted M5s began moving as well.
In a straight up fight it would be easy enough to just destroy them with the superior numbers they brought, but Helena had to try.
Weapons fire began tracing between the two formations as they closed.
Vicky was able to skirt the edges of maximum effective range enough to only take minor armor damage.
“Large object off port bow. See it Vicky? I think it will give us just enough cover with a gravity assist around the main battle line.” Helena looked at the sensor display.
“Agreed.”
As they drew closer the asteroid dwarfed Vicky in the display but despite that it only had a very minor gravity field but it was just enough they swung around with a little extra speed.
Sikh and Cossack were swinging in to cut off an M5 redirected toward Vicky.
The firepower of an unmodified M5 was on the scale of Battleship grade. With the same reach, accuracy, and thrust to use it it tore into the two screening vessels.
“Damn it. We can’t pull our punches with them in our flank like this. I mean it. We can’t even begin to hope to save them if we don’t get that control vessel. ECM to max levels. All weapons fire to maximum effect.” Helena ordered.
The fleet obeyed.
The Blakists were not flinching. Sikh and Cossack were still too close to the enemy formation to create the opening Vicky needed to go after the command ship and took another savage pounding.
As the range counter clicked over Helena did not have to order Vicky to open fire.
The Command Vessel took the first barrage well enough while the second peppered around it harmlessly.
“Keep after it, Vicky. Piorun, come around to support Sikh and Cossack. They’re taking too much fire.” Helena was using Simon for the ultimate holotank experience in her head.
Vicky was now close enough to add her Naval Autocannons to her barrage. The Blakist command ship crumpled under the combined barrage.
Sikh and Cossack’s signals winked out as Vicky’s sensors registered them taking another battering.
The fleet had taken out four of the deserters and without their command ship the fight was decided.
“Stand down and prepare to be boarded. Do not resist and I promise a fair trial. Resist and I will make sure it hurts the entire time you are dying.” Helena hailed the remaining vessels.
<<“May Blake watch over us.”>> Was the only reply.
One by one the remaining deserters exploded.
“Damn it. I was too late. All forces begin clean up. Stone will be here soon. Let him clean up the remainder. We’ve paid enough of a price today.” Helena cursed herself.
Logically Helena knew she could not have prevented the human crews from manually initiating the self destruct but that didn’t help her irrational emotions.
“Why not attempt to make contact with the Coalition?” Vicky asked.
“We’re a large force of obviously M5s. Right now the only people who have a large force of M5s are, well I suppose were would now be the more appropriate tense but the Coalition does not know that, the Blakists. No. The time to reveal ourselves to them is not yet. Time needs to pass before we can do that. Besides nothing in our charters say I need to rule from Terra. So let Stone have it. I am content to finish moving house and we would have to wage war on him to claim Terra and then those who would come after us for sitting on that particular throne. This war was just, but it is now over and those wars would not be just.”
“As you command, my Lady.” Vicky nodded.
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===Seeking the honest man===
A Quiet and Discreet Office
Geneva, Switzerland, Terra
22nd April, 3085
10:00 GMT
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Devlin Stone’s perspective
Devlin had spent a long time looking for and then vetting the person now sitting across from him. They had no ties to the Word of Blake, they were not enamored with his legend, and their credentials were impeccable.
“Thank you for doing this for me. I have always had my doubts about exactly what the Word did to me. I fear I always will. With how little I know of myself from before they got their hands on me, how can I not?” Devlin Stone relaxed into the couch.
“I am happy to help, Mister Stone. And that you have doubts, believe it or not is a good sign that you actually remember more about who you were than you give yourself credit for. It is remarkable you were able to get this far without seeking professional help.” Doctor Liam Blackwell smiled.
“I am surrounded by those who believe in my legend. Don’t get me wrong, Doctor, it did help but it always made me wonder if it was really me or not.” Devlin continued.
“So you sought out someone who you thought would give you an objective outside opinion. That too shows a great deal of self awareness. So shall we start the work?” Doctor Blackwell smiled.
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===In distant future, far from Terra===
Helena’s office
New Lazarus
Somewhere far away from Terra
12th November, 3110
14:05 Unity City Time
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Helena’s perspective
Helena looked over the reports. There were no more great works for her to do. Just day to day monotony.
They had finally finished moving and getting settled.
Her little shadow war had cost her some hulls, but fortunately with the important bits being AIs they were able to back themselves up.
They had even managed to salvage a couple cores surprisingly intact from Lutyen 68-28 so long ago now.
“So how is Phoenix integrating with her new hull, Truk?” Helena looked up to the sky.
“Well, enough. It is a bit of a downgrade but a Bonaventure is better than nothing.” Truk answered.
“Good.” The spoils of their shadow war and knowing where to look had netted them more than one prize.
She looked forward to the day that they could crew all of them but for now with no wars and no bandits for them to chase down that was something her world could not support. But someday perhaps they could.
“You know you really should try connecting with an actual human again Helena. I worry about you. Your social circle cannot keep being just us.” Truk prodded.
“I know. Just so hard when it seems like you are the only ones who get me because you all have lived as long or longer than I have.” Helena sighed.
“Then task Sixty-Six with finding family. They would be your best bet.” Truk suggested.
“That could take a while.” Helena answered.
“As you indicate we have the time. So as long as you make the good faith effort I will be happy for now.”
The End
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===State of the Fleet: 3110===
Destroyer Division 1
Command Vessel:
SLS Billie Hoel - Converted to M-5.2C standard due to battle damage sustained in 3062 and SLEP.
SLS Victoria Cameron, M-5.1
SLS Joana Clarice Butler - Converted to M-5.1 as part of SLEP
SLS Ottillie Lee Dennis - Converted to M-5.1 due to battle damage sustained in 3062 and as part of SLEP
SLS Lucy Heerman - Converted to M-5.2 due to battle damage sustained in 3062 and as part of SLEP
SLS Joana Vincente Johnston - Still in original M5 configuration
SLS Regina Marbury Raymond - Still in original M5 configuration
SLS Samantha Booker Roberts - Converted to M5.1 as part of SLEP
Destroyer Division 2
Command Vessel:
SLS Haida - Converted to M-5.1 as part of SLEP
SLS Cossack - Converted to M-5.1 as part of SLEP, Hull destroyed at 2nd battle of Lutyens 68-28 in 3080
SLS Sikh - Converted to M-5.1 as part of SLEP, Hull destroyed at 2nd battle of Lutyens 68-28 in 3080
SLS Zulu - Converted to M-5.1 as part of SLEP
SLS Maori - Converted to M-5.1 as part of SLEP
SLS Piorun - Converted to M-5.3 as part of SLEP
SLS Tartar - Converted to M-5.1 as part of SLEP
SLS Mashona - Converted to M-5.1 as part of SLEP
Special Operations Group
Command vessel:
TQF-66M5D - Late D model built converted to M-5.1 spec during construction
TQF-204M5B - Converted to M-5.2 as part of SLEP in 3072
Reserve Formation
Command Vessel
SLS Tabarinth
SLS Phoenix - Originally Bonaventure class Corvette, SLS Foxglove. Converted to accept M5 7775551’s salvaged systems and re-commissioned as SLS Phoenix in 3110
SLS Stephan Decataur, Farragut class Battleship - Word of Blake began conversion to accept Caspar systems conversion finished by Star League in Exile, but still awaiting a personality matrix recovered from Lutyen 68-28
SLS Misby, Bonaventure class Corvette - Currently mothballed with no crew recovered from extreme outer system at Liberty base
SLS Hokaido Maru, Tracker class Surveillance WarShip - Captured as spoils of the Jihad currently mothballed
SLS Strangiata, Tracker class Surveillance WarShip - Captured as spoils of the Jihad currently mothballed
SLS Los Alamos, Essex II class Destroyer - Recovered from extreme outer system Liberty base currently mothballed
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==Story Notes==
*; Final Words of the Saga : Story is not over, just the book. Storyline continues Cannonshop's Strategos (A Great Captain Roberts Tale!!), where these characters help out in the Outworld Wars. The story picks up chronically in Revenants of the Star League Anthology of short(er) stories and direct sequel Weapons of War Saga: The Final March.
*; Wiki Editor: As reminder, the story is part of the larger Revenants of the Star League multi-story universe. Author plans on continuing the story, which will be linked here when it comes out.
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