WoWS3 Chpt 54

<<Previous Chapter - Return to Story Index - Next Chapter>>
==Weapons of War Saga: The Final March- Chapter 54 - ==
----
===The contenders of Trial of Possession===
Orbit of Marsden, Moon of Tharkad'''
Tharkad, Lyran Commonwealth
7th April, 3145
----
Dropships rarely see real action except when it's a real war. Sure, there are the patrol models that enforce commerce along routes, and there are defense models, and of course, the inevitable combat transport types….
But it's actually very rare that two assault dropships will be fighting a battle outside of a formation of fellow droppers, the occasional warship, and wings upon wings of fighters.
Usually such displays are reserved for the sales materials put out by major manufacturers to show off all the capabilities, (real and claimed) of their brainchild design.
It's going to be a show, ladies and gentlemen.
The Isegrim class Assault Dropship Gauru versus Arsenal class Dropship Colt Arsenal would prove to be an interesting potential matchup.
“Clan Wolf has the thrust advantage but their vessel has blindspots in its fire coverage, is a comparative close in fighter, and less durable. Their only hope is to wear down the Star League’s much tougher Colt Arsenal. I think this is the Star League’s match to lose.” Herman Rauch of TBS announced for the viewing audiences.
“I don’t know, Herman, that thrust advantage is going to be pretty decisive for putting firepower where it’s most needed and as formidable as the armor plating is on the Star League design those missiles on the Wolf vessel are going to be pretty difficult to deal with and could lead to a death by a thousand cuts.” Helga Ackerman of TBS bantered back.
“Either way it should be an interesting matchup and since it is in orbit of our moon we’ll be able to bring it to you all.” Herman put on his best sports presenter smile for the audience.
----
===Naval Engagement===
Arsenal class Gunship Dropship, Colt Arsenal
Marsden Orbit
----
Rear Admiral Amanda Roberts looked at her hand picked crew for this fight. They were all combat veterans now.
It was a requirement Harry made for entry into the Royal Black Watch.
She stopped and looked at the giant of a woman Lieutenant that was leading her marine platoon.
The name tag said Grenson, S. But something seemed familiar about the woman. So she pushed off the deck just enough to get a better look at her face.
“Sally?!?” Amanda remarked.
“Yes, Admiral?”
“What are you doing here?” Amanda asked.
“You asked for some ass kickers.” Sally answered.
“Okay I get it now. I’ll keep it on the downlow. Make sure your boys and girls are ready for a rough one, we're playing this one for keeps, no givebacks." Amanda cautioned her.
“Oh good. This will be fun! I hope we get to board. It has been entirely too long since I got someone in a good headlock and punched their face!” Sally grinned.
"Make sure your subordinates are ready-if you're doing all the punching, it means you did something wrong." Amanda told her.
“Why I’m happy to be nothing more than a Lieutenant, Admiral. Face punching time becomes more of a premium the higher the rank, but yes we’ll be ready.”
"Good enough. He's got maneuver and speed on us, and good reason to play using my playbook. Timing is going to be important, have your marines mustered and strapped in on their
Shuttles…now where's my CAG for this trip…?"
“We’ll be all kitted up and our crayon and glue rations eaten before the trial begins, ma’am!” Sally said.
"Save some for the after-party, I"m told Crayons complement Grog rations really well." Amanda remarked impishly.
“Roger that, ma’am.” Sally smiled.
Amanda finished her walk-through of the dropship's interior and headed out onto the external for the rest of the pre-flight.
The Dropship’s former(temporarily) Captain flanked her the whole way.
Every step of preparation now, meant one less thing going wrong once they kicked loose from the docking collar.
"You take good care of your boat, Winchester, crew seems solid too." she complimented him. "You're in line for a Corvette, or are you going to stick with the droppers?"
“I need to finish nav school before I can go Warship, ma’am.” Winchester answered.
"Fair 'nough." Amanda acknowledged.
“For now we got some Clanners to educate in civility.” Winchester said with a slight chuckle.
"Civility? No, we have some dirtyfeet to school in spacing…yarrr." Amanda said with smirk.
“Yes ma’am, proper etiquette is a crucial part of the educational service too.” Winchester responded with a smile.
Their route from the aft lock to CIC finished, Amanda sat in the rear jump-seat, and brought up the tac-plot, "All hands, all hands, button up to condition one throughout the ship, Fighter and shuttle crews to stations, gunnery crews to station, we depressurize in sixty seconds, that is all." as she gave the announcement,s he hooked up her plss to the ship's tertiary life support.
The sounds of doors closing and helmets being secured in CiC followed in a well practiced drill.
"Helm, one third thrust out of the dock, move us to the starting point at half military power."
“One third until clear then half military aye, ma’am.” Petty Officer Jones answered from helm.
Simple enough, the Clanners already knew their own dropship had a thrust advantage, but the Arsenal class was relatively new. Amanda intended to rope the other side into thinking they had less thrust than they did…at least, initially. "Let them think they can get close." she said, "We can ride more hits than they can."
“Ma’am, if we can’t get them to drain their missile tubes before suffering critical damage, well the first round in hell is on me.” Winchester chuckled.
"Guns, how much Pee-Dee do we actually have? Not what's on the sheets, how many mods have the crew performed outside the dock?"
“We’ve doubled it so far.” Guns responded.
"Only show the stock for now, I want him overconfident a bit before we reveal that card."
“Yes, Ma’am, putting the secondary grid into standby.”
"Not to say I want any of our long-range shots bunked, I don't. If we can snipe him bad enough, and the range differences say we can, he's going to need to close to short range…and when he does, I want lots of lovely damage on that Wolf's hull before it does. Be artistic...or autistic. Obsessive…you get the idea."
“That Clan Wolf emblem will have a dog collar and a pretty bow from damage scarring if I have any say in the matter ma’am.”
“Good." 
o/~ "Hmm, mmhmm on a dead man's chest..yo ho ho and a bottle of rum…" o/~ Amanda hummed quietly as they moved into position.
The Gauru moved on the target plot. With no other enemies it was easy enough to track.
-----
Isegrim class Assault Dropship Gauru
Kyra Folkner started her career in fighters, and managed to cling, through determination, endurance, and raw chutzpah to a warrior's role in the Clan long enough to be promoted to a point where the 'demotion' to dropship command was as far as she would ever fall, barring some critical injury or accident.
Normal dropship operations are more akin to line-dancing, than fighter operations. The chance to duel it out against another assault ship comes rarely-at the resource cost, most dropship commanders handle their Trial and duels via either unaugmented combat, or by sitting in a bank of simulators…most unappealing, and unsatisfying.
“The intel we have from the Falcons about their engagements with these ships indicate we must be cautious with our positioning. This is a Carrier version we face. Which means there is a narrow gap in their main batteries we can exploit fore or aft. Helm, right down their throats. Give them the impression we will ram them then pull away at the last possible moment. We’ll shove our missiles down their throat.”
Majestically, the two forces moved into the merge…
“Missiles…Now!”
And that was when the damage alarms began sounding from the other ship's return fire arriving. 
The damage was not unexpected. Falcon reports had made their way with their warriors. And some had survived fights to include the capabilities of these vessels. At least somewhat. And the Watch was not idle in obtaining what information it could either.
“No serious damage from enemy fire. Registering roughly forty percent hits on enemy vessel.”
There were no vapor blooms.
"Either their armor is better than we expected, or they are running with null pressure."
“That will reduce their efficiency…Reports are these vessels are rare but increasing in their forces. So perhaps they are simply preserving it by running at null pressure.”
----
Arsenal class Gunship Dropship, Colt Arsenal
"Hits are good, but she's shrugging off the subcaps, Admiral."
"We knew they would. How long to merge?" Amanda muttered, watching the scopes, "guns, focus fire on their port forward, they're going for a fast-pass boom-and-zoom."
“Guns will be back up in time. Maybe it is time we punch up our own throttle and slip behind then pivot into their rear?” Winchester suggested.
"Bring us to seventy five percent military power, let them see us lugging, but stand by evasive maneuvering." just a little closer… "Prime nose and aft thrusters and prep for a turn-over on my order."
“Seventy Five. Aye, ma’am. ECHO ready at your command.”
The thrust generated gravity started tugging on the crew.
The gap shrank faster and faster. The ticks of the clock slower and slower.
"All crew brace for hard maneuvering in…three minutes. Lock down all loose items and strap down, people!!!"
How do you beat a faster opponent when you're in a slower ship? There are tricks.
One of them is the ECHO, it was hell on a crew but even with the slowest vessel it allowed them to orient themselves on a dime any direction they wished.
"Guns, link secondary weapons to our radiation and thermal sensors, set them to automatic engage once he's past Beta line. Acknowledge."
“All batteries ready.” guns responded.
The gee-forces from the turnover would make gunnery difficult, setting weapons on automatic would cover for the strain on gunners and gun crews. It would also focus fire on the enemy's engine pods and thrusters-the hottest things on the enemy ship.
“Another volley of missiles inbound from the Wolf ship.” Sensor Ops reported.
"AMS, go active with point defenses, he's close enough we can show it." Amanda ordered
“Secondary batteries online.” Guns responded
The hull would have bonged like a bell from the missile hits getting through the point defenses, if there were air to transfer the shockwaves.
That's right, I'm slow and lugging…
The targeting karats moved together…
"NOW!!! MARK!!!" Amanda barked.
The overthrust turnover was hard enough to push the CIC crew, close to the center of the flip, toward blackout state.
-----
Isegrim class Assault Dropship Gauru
"What is she doing??" should probably have been the first question in the Wolf dropship commander's mind, and not "How am I going to present this victory to the Khan?"
Because right up to the moment they began the braking maneuver to turn, it looked a lot like this was going to be one-and-done.
The burst of lasers, PPCs, and missiles up their rear quarter put that idea to rest.
Engine alerts sounded immediately, as numbers 3, 4, 5, and 7 main thrust modules burst.
And fire alarms sounded throughout the dropship.
“Evacuate then isolate and vent those compartments.”
"Attitude thrust packs Eleven Charlie, Twelve Charlie, and One Delta are offline!"
Mistake, mistake!!
It should have been a simple matter to use their superior thrust and Trueborn superiority to stay in the narrow gaps of the enemy vessel, but she got sloppy. She errored on the merge math and overshot before she could bring the nose around they pulled an ECHO and fried most of her engine block and enough of the thruster banks that she’d never get the nose around to face them in time now.
“Prepare for boarding actions! Secure all crew. Prepare to vent all non-essential compartments. We have Harjel in our Battle Armor, we have the advantage.”
-----
===Prepare Repulse Boarders!===
Isegrim class Assault Dropship Gauru
-----
Sally waited for the hatch seal to go green.
As soon as it did she waited for Sergeant Folkes to open the door.
It took but a moment.
She waited her turn to step through then leveled the massive Bear Hunter Autocannon she got through ‘connections’.
It cost her quite a bit, especially to stockpile parts and ammo but situations like this were why she did so.
-----
Flight Deck…
Kyra heard a thunking…on the windscreen.
Harjel is not transparent, and Ferroglass windscreens have a limited thickness anyway.
An enemy marine was just outside the window, and there was a 205mm "top hat" breaching charge.
----
On the command deck's windscreen.
The hostile marine was miming something with one hand, then raised their gauntlet, (five…four…three…)
Shirtsleeves aren't much use, when someone blows a hole in your command deck.
Much less six of them.
Kyra knew those charges would take sixty seconds to get through. Long enough for her un-pressure suited personnel to either evacuate, or pull out the 'beach balls' and get inside, but far too long for anyone to suit up.
Damage control diagrams showed more breaches. Some on airlocks and some on…well, 'wasn't an airlock this morning'.
As she secured herself she did the math. The number of breaching points, it indicated they were outnumbered almost five to one.
..unless they were just creating breaching points for the fun of it.
"Savashri vicious nasty savages…" most of the lower-caste personnel were getting into the beach-balls. They were not, after all, warriors and this was now a warrior's fight.
She was no Elemental, and did not have their Battlearmor but she was still Clan and her flightsuit would allow her to survive long enough that she might at least take one of them with her as she readied her laser rifle.
The ferro glass spidered, then crackled around the points of eye-searing silver-white, Kyra pulled her helmet on and sealed up as the internal pressure pushed outward, bowing, then shattering the windscreen in a way that kept the fragments from coming back to threaten the survival bubbles, suited warriors, and delicate instruments.
She raised her weapon, and began firing steadily.
But what came through next did not seem to care. She kept firing anyway even though she knew it was a long shot that she might disable the warrior before her foe killed her.
The Star League Marine came through fast, and Kyra's weapon clicked silently on an empty battery, but her assailant did not stop, flicking a weighted line, wrapping her arms against her sides and pulling taut.
Three more came through. Light battlesuits and an improved M&G 960 series-no, 1200? She wasn't sure, but they used melee weapons first on the bridge crew, and went for non-lethals just to add bitter humiliation to the experience.
Her own ten Battle Armored Elemental Warriors were her only hope to salvage this situation but somehow she knew, they would not be able to. That her initial assessment was correct, that they were just simply far too outnumbered.
She tongued the switch to inform them, only to hear…
Screams.
Screams and a staccato roar in the pressurized areas near the boat deck.
The marine that bound her picked her up and put her over his shoulder like she was little more than a sack of produce.
The others were quickly rounded up and shown to the boat deck.
===Angry Management===
Arsenal class Carrier Dropship, Colt Arsenal
Kolossus Station, Deep Periphery
4th April, 3145
----
"I told you, Gun Goes Buuuuuurrrrr." Sally said with a laugh.
Amanda Roberts sighed patiently, as the flight crew, and the more…survival oriented…Elementals from the dropship were brought down. "More like Bangity-bangity-bang." Amanda replied, "only you're punching fist sized holes in Battle Armor with it….and decking, and walls.."
“Closest I was going to get to punching someone in the face.” Sally chuckled.
"You have titanic anger issues, Sally G." Roberts said, "I'm really glad you're on our side."
“What can I say? I like being big and strong and breaking things.” Sally said with grin.
"I see that." Amanda clipped her helmet to her hip, and leaned on a de-powered vibro-cutlass as she pulled out, and seated her cool hat. 
"Yarr." Amanda added.
"That hat is ridiculous, you know that right?" Sally commented.
"Yeah, but I like it…and here's the lady of the hour, Kyra…Folkner, right?"
The bound woman stopped struggling. "Aff…" Kyra Folkner said reluctantly.
"Well, the after-action reports are going to be a pain in the ass. You lost, will you surrender?"
"Aff." Kyra Folkner responded.
Amanda shot Sally a glance, and Sally produced a single Star League Dollar, which Amanda took, before turning to their prisoner. "The bet was we could do it in less than half an hour from merge. Sally thought it would take longer."
“Honestly, I thought you guys wouldn’t be so slow to get depressed for the boarding. It was almost too easy.” Sally shook her head. “Depressed your marines would have had enough of an edge we would have been slugging it out for a while.”
"Well, that, and the Cannon you're hauling around." Amanda pointed out, "Now, here's how it is going to work. You're going to be sent home, unless you ask to stay."
“You said for keeps so of course I broke out Sasha.” Sally smiled.
"I meant the ship." Amanda said, "Though now we've wrecked it so bad, I'm not sure we'll get scrap rates for it, nevermind Prize Money. This went way overkill. We should've pulled some punches."
“Boooriiing.” Sally rolled her eyes.
"That's me, boring, it comes with the gray hair and living long enough to earn it. Kyra, are you paying attention?"
“Aff. I will return to my Clan.” Kyra Folkner responded.
"Note the jocularity? The banter? When you tell your Khan about this, make sure you include it. You're Warriors, you are warriors, who sometimes go into space. You're picking a fight with spacers who sometimes have to go to war. There is a difference, we kept the body count low this time, because this was a contest, not a war. IN a war, you would not have lived to see a boarding action, am I understood?"
“Aff.” Kyra responded.
"Burn it into your mind, Kyra. This is how we play fight, you don't want to experience the real deal…and drinks in the aftermath are on me, you're invited."
“Yeah. I only actually used half my marines. Could you imagine if I did use all of them?” Sally smiled.
"We'd need to be storming that Mac to have enough room for your guys to not get bored." Amanda said as an aside to Sally.
“I do not think I will be attending your social function. Unless I am mistaken now that our business is done Khan Ward will wish to depart as soon as possible.”
"The business isn't done, until Mai Roberts is safely in Helena's hands…so we're going to do the exchange at the bar, like civilized people."
“She will be there. There will be no need for us to be there. Honor has been observed.” Kyra gritted her teeth at the last part.
"Good to go, now, see the shuttle behind me? That's your ride." Amanda said, nodding to her marine, "Get thee to your boss."
“Aff.. If we meet again, do not expect similar results.” Kyra nodded as a marine unbound her.
"Lady, if we meet again, it's either because the war's been called off or one of us lost." Amanda told her, "I'm getting too old to really enjoy a good board-and-storm and my doctor has issues with the drugs I need to sleep after doing all the things I do when it's serious. I remember every face of everyone I've ever killed, they haunt me every time I sleep. I would prefer not to add to the total, you've got some chops, you can and will do better.. Don't make me remember your face at night."
Kyra walked to the indicated shuttle in silence.
“Shit. Mom’s going to be at that reception. Permission to bail?” Sally asked.
"Denied." Amanda stated, "You've got bar-duty, so do I."
"Bar duty?" Sally asked with eyebrow raised.
"Serve the enlisted before the officers, commanding officers drink last." Amanda stated, "So, as a Marine Commander, you've got to pour drinks for your boys and girls tonight."
She favored Helena's daughter with a side-eye, "Then I have to pour drinks for YOU…"
“Mom is going to have kittens when she learns about me being here and volunteering for this.” Sally told her.
"She'll get over it." Amanda predicted, "Just make sure when it's your turn to bullshit, you embellish it until it gleams as a proper spacer story."
“Yeah. Well I guess I might as well put Cameron on my name plate now…” Sally sighed.
"I don't see why, if you don't want it, don't wear it." Amanda said.
“It’s not that I’m not proud to be a Cameron, mom just has trouble with me being in the service as a Marine. So I’ve been using Great Grandma’s maiden name to help keep where I am posted from her so she’d have an easier time with it. But now she’ll know where to watch and that trick won’t work anymore.”
"My mother was a religious pacifist. I imagine yours will have fewer problems with your career choices, than My mom had with mine."
“Yeah. That’s true.”
Amanda turned to the larger woman, grabbed her shoulders, "Talk to her." she said, "Before it's too late and you can't speak the words to her where she can hear you!"
“Yeah. Re-reouting letters so she can be objective about unit assignments was a pain. But maybe now that I’m in the Royal Black Watch she’ll finally be able to get over her anxiety.” Sally responded.
"You don't know, until you find out. Get your marines back aboard the Colt, we're done here."
“Yes ma’am. And is it true, Helena really punched Alaric in his stupid ‘punch me’ face?”
"I wouldn't call his face punchable, he's a right pretty man." Amanda said, "However, your mother DID punch him…so I've been told, I wasn't there, but she was sloppy drunk when she told me."
“I guess it is his ‘I am better and nobler than everyone else’ attitude that makes him feel so punchable." Sally responded.
Amanda held up a hand, then the other, "He attitudes like this…" she held them apart, "Now, most guys, are this-" she brought her hands closer, then she lowered her hand, "but I suspect…he's Really?..I mean, he's gotta be compensating for something."
“Hehe.” Sally giggled.
"G'wan, dismissed, get your boys sorted, we've got a rum-bash to attend."
“See you back on the boat ma’am.” Sally saluted.
Amanda turned, "CORPSMAN!! Make sure the injured make it back!! Even enemies, we're not going to full scale war today!!"
“Yes, ma’am.” The corpsman shouted back.
I hate that I love it so…, Amanda thought
----
===Return, the Victors===
Bridge
McKenna Class Battleship, SLS McKenna's Pride
Mardsen Orbit, Tharkad System
Lyran Commonwealth
----
The image of the Arsenal class gunship towing the wreck of Gauru made all the headlines.
The wreckage was left in a parking orbit within a few kilometers of the McKenna's Pride.
DBS paid an astronomy club for images of the damaged Wolf Ship, including the decorative addition of a laser-carved bow, and dog tag sporting the name ‘Fluffy’. Temporary paint to help highlight and make these touches more visible had been applied. It would not last long but it provided the desired effect. The eyes had been expanded to comically large size as well.
"The wounded have been accounted for, My Khan."
Alaric nodded silently, looking out at the once-proud assault ship, now a battered ruin marked with mocking nose-art.
"Is there anything else, My Khan?"
He turned, "Assemble ten warriors, we have an invitation to an after-party. Dress uniform." he said. Well played, Trillian. Well played. "Make sure they have their pre-treatments for alcohol." Alaric ordered.
"Seyla."
----
<<Previous Chapter - Return to Story Index - Next Chapter>>
54