TOW36

Chapter 36 - The Other War
Lola IV CFM Trial by Fire entered the "Sphere" of Equals opposing the Lola III-Class Destroyer, CFM Rancor. The Mandrill's four warships and Hellions' three maintained station just outside the volume satisfying the batchall. Opening volleys of White Shark capital missiles streaked across the gap discarding their first and second stages before the final kinetic warhead would be guided in to impact. Following them were particle beams from the prow turrets of the Trial by Fire and lasers from the Rancor. Both vessels firing their guns in a open pattern toward their opponent to increase the chance of hitting with at least one of their weapons from such a far distance.
Trial by Fire’s prow was raked by lasers, front quarters took hits from the Rancor’s guns. The Rancor took it worse as high speed particles ablated armor at the atomic level. HarJel attempted to seal breeches where the larger number of White Shark missiles smashed through with precision guided kinetic warheads that the Rancor's lasers could not intercept.
Within the CIC Captain Kreese was sweating bullets in his CSS as damage reports came in, “What was that!”
“Damage reports indicate Rand-10 NPPCs, minor penetrative damage to the forward compartments from the missiles. Our sensors indicate our lasers caused only minor damage to the Trial by Fire, looks like the armor was strengthened.”
“Damn her, of course it was. We will have to out-shoot her then.” His hands moved across the console, “I am laying in a new course we will juke her and wear the crews down. Those cannons might be more powerful but our gunners are more experienced.”
The long-range dual played out in slow motion, for each move Shawn made Nina countered. Realizing he could not win at long range against the heavier guns of the Lola IV. Captain Kreese closed the range bringing about the broadsides whose Luxor Tens and their considerable ammo supply were more capable of making short work of his enemy with a benefit of exposing different armor facings to the threat. Nina matched the facing but her gun bays were strengthened by an Imperator 20 NAC, famously used in large quantities on Aegis cruisers, and the broadside laser turret was replaced by more Rand 10 Naval PPCs. Outgunned and hitting the agreed upon third of his fuselage integrity Shawn Kreese struck his colors, powered down his weapons, and awaited boarding parties presently aboard CFM From the Ashes.
Goulet’s Grenadiers set out on their Scarab gunships escorted by the SLS Shanghai’s Five Star Cluster for the final phase of this trial. One of the Fire Eater’s Carrier fighter carrier dropships launched their fighters toward the formation but it was immediately fired upon by a Cadmus (Achilles C) Assault Dropship from the same group. The ten Jagatais returned to the damaged Carrier in good order and no more reinforcements were forthcoming.
Tomin Mick stormed onto the Flight Deck with what would have been a loud clanking of magnetic boots, nevertheless the crew could feel the vibrations along the grated floor. “Captain, why have we stopped firing!”
Captain Kreese turned toward the armored Elemental, “Our portion of this trial is done Kindraa Leader. Captain Tanaga’s destroyer is superior to ours and she has beaten me according to the rules agreed upon in our batchall. Claude is presently en route to face you aboard the Rancor.”
A thundering roar rung out over the comm-net. Tomin faced the XO sitting in the gunnery station with the Chiefs, “Shoot him!”
Joel sat firm even as Tomin towered over him leaned in depolarizing his face-plate to reveal a Glasgow smile, “Neg, Kindraa Leader. I will not violate the terms of this Trial.” The Elemental squeezed the smaller spacer’s shoulder, “You do not set the terms of Trials. I do. Shoot those pirates now!” he applied more pressure cracking some of the Pauldron's impact plates, “or I will crush you.”
“Are you afraid, Kindraa Leader?”
“Neg! I do not fear some Pirates. You should fear me.”
XO Newton winced slightly from the pain, he was a spacer whose fragile constitutions could not withstand an Elemental's strength even under optimal conditions, “Claude does not; he has raised an army against you. Maybe he will have better luck with fair odds.”
Tomin released the smaller man but hammered his armored claw on the laser mounted on his right arm waldo, “I will break him then I will break you two and find others to take your place.”
Captain Kreese keyed in on the battle-net, “You might have to look harder than you think. Warship crews are a sparse commodity these days.”
The face-plate of Tomin's red enameled armor turned opaque concealing a grim face behind a golden mirror. Two Armored Marines were summoned to the deck. Both giants loomed behind the First Officers ensuring that none of the 'Technical' crew aided the pirates en route via intimidation. Tomin walked out off the flight deck passing another pair of Elementals put in place to 'guard' it.
Within one of the Grenadiers' gunships, Claude flexed the Salamander's claws while the foot 'Talons' were locked onto brackets. These suits had been modified by the Newts for microgravity combat with a modified 'Aether' Elemental maneuver unit. The real power was in the claws which used experimental myomer (obtained by the Hansa, *cough* XTSM) powerful enough to seriously damage armored Marines or breech doors during boarding actions. He was channeling those strange Marines aboard Circe's Caretaker station. Star Commander Brack of the Five Star Cluster came in over the battle-net, “Star Captain, all scopes are clear, Rancor's weapons are still powered down. We have identified several openings if you want to drop onto the hull. Shuttle bay is still closed, locked down from inside.”
“Aye Brack, we planned on Tomin closing the door. Do a pass to ensure no Elementals lie in wait.”
Four Batu interceptors closed scanning the hull with their active probes but found nothing but puncture marks from the White Shark missiles. “Scopes are clear, Claude, no welcoming party. Holes look big enough for your suits.”
“Its the easier way in,” Scarabs matched velocity with the Rancor hovering roughly twenty meters above the damaged fuselage, “Boarding parties standby for grapples.” Four pitons punched just deep enough to anchor the Scarab allowing their two Points of Salamanders to 'climb' down toward the fuselage. Lights flickered to life on the power armor illuminating the velvety blackness of the Zenith Point to reveal a cratered battlefield that had minutes ago seen energies capable of vaporizing his suit. Atreus' sun hovered below them only lighting the ventral portion of the Mandrill Warship, small portions reflected off the Scarabs hovering above and patrolling OmniFighters.
Upon the hull the Salamander's switched to their alternate propulsion mode. The armor was flexible enough to use all four limbs to crawl along the hull like a tick and just as difficult to remove. A Star of 4th Elemental Assault Force Aether suits emerged silently from the dark void inside the Rancor spitting silent death at the Grenadiers from their machine guns.
Grenadier Salamanders jumped or crawled away hiding behind elevated areas of the hull as bullets ricocheted off the hull. They cleverly used their shoulder mounted machine guns' limited turret to fire around or above cover. This was most effective in the crawling mode as the narrow profile, thickly armored helmet, and stable firing position made it more difficult to target and easier to shoot. Not expecting this unorthodox tactic the Aether suits returned to the interior as OmniFighters neared their position. The Five Star Cluster was forbidden from engaging but none wanted to take the chance. A Batu or Turk could easily eliminate a whole Point of Elementals in a single pass.
This played right into the Salamander's strengths and Claude's experimentation. The Grenadiers used their thrusters or claws to enter the hole, leaping from the interior compartment with paired vibroclaws or their foot 'talons' each one capable of disabling the machine gun either by crushing it or pushing it out of the way. Their machine guns fired at contact range ripping through the Elemental's armor in short order typically with a shot right to the visor. Goulet's Grenadiers tore through the enemy Star with these tactics killing a dozen of the Elementals before the wounded were granted hegira.
Tomin Mick watched the final moments of the Star Commander getting a first person view of a Salamander's claws ripping the helmet (and accompanying head) right off. His Marines could hear the reports over the battlenet and looked to him. The Grenadier's had easily overwhelmed a superior sized and Elite rated force with better tactics and equipment.
Claude's voice came over the battlenet having received the codes from one of the Point Commanders, “Tomin, we bested your first force. I do not relish killing my fellow Clansmen but, we will not stop until you yield. Give me a direct line to negotiate your surrender without further bloodshed.
You have five minutes or I am coming in and surrender will not be an option.”
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