TBntG-3 Chpt 41

=The Bull and the Genie=
==Chapter 41 - Book III - The Clan Invasion==
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==Suicide intent==
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===Forces Posed to Clash===
Oshika System, Draconis Combine
The Draconis forces were hampered by the laws of physics. 
 
The faster the suicide sleds approached, the greater their closing velocity, the less time there would be for the enemy to attack them.
 
But the greater the velocity, the harder it would be for the small sleds, with their limited fuel supply, to maneuver and compensate for any evasive action.
 
So they were approaching quickly, but not as quickly as they could.
 
The fleet was ready. Troop ships were tucked in the middle of the formation, while the warships formed a mutually supporting formation, heavy escort parasites in formation, while the smaller parasites adopted a looser formation, free to move. 
 
Mixed in with them were small craft, anti-missile systems, ready, each vessel tied into the fire control net of its parent.
 
No fighters were launched. Their limited endurance required that they be held for the decisive battle. 
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Carrier, Lexington
 
"They're in range."
 
"Open fire."
 
NPPCS and Lasers opened fire, the NPPCs targeted on the DropShips and the lasers configured for anti-fighter work.
 
At the range, only a few were hit, but any hit was a kill.
 
The DropShip were less fortunate. A DropShip might survive one or two hits, but no more, especially the stripped sled carriers the fleet was facing. Five minutes after the first volley, the last DropShip turned to fragments. 
 
And then the heavy ships of the fleet, flipped and started to accelerate for the world. It was all about velocity and vector—the sleds had to accelerate, but their rate of approach slowed, giving more time for the fleet's lasers and missiles to tear holes into their formations, focusing on the armed escort fighters. 
 
The sleds themselves were to be left to the DropShip.
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===Brutal dog fight to the end===
Parasite Craft 321 (June's Dream)
At 2,500 tons, June's Dream carried no integral capital or subcapital weapons. Rather it was armed with ranks of "conventional" weapons, ER PPCs, lasers, and missiles. On the exterior of the aerodyne DropShip were racked missiles that would be flushed before the first engagement since they were lightly armored.
The question of how to use the new technology with DropShips had led to a division—heavily armed parasite warships, carrying subcapital and in a few experimental cases, capital weapons, and designed to, in many ways, function like a small warship. 
 
June's Dream was the other end—a smaller DropShip designed to function like a very, VERY big fighter, much of its weaponry aimed forward. It was a gunship. 
 
Most importantly, unlike fighters, June's Dream had no fear of running out of fuel or life support. 
 
"Stand by for approach." Michael said. They eased off the thrust a little, then it came back, as June's dream joined the twelve other parasite fighters in their squadron, in what was known as the "thresher" maneuver. 
 
It depended on the fact that the suicide sleds had one goal and only one shot at it, and their pilots were rarely trained well—or had much practice. They had held together well enough while the fleet shattered the DropShip and much of their escort, but there was a reason for that—now the parasites could take a hand and in this sector, it was June's Dream's turn. 
 
Boosting forward, the 12 little ships flushed their external payloads, 12 Piranha missiles soared from their pylons, 144 in total. The enemy formation started to come apart, some pilots panicking and going to full afterburner—ensuring they would run out of fuel long before their final target run. Others tried to evade, while some remained still, stubbornly going for the ships that were infuriatingly out of range. 
 
Then they closed. Naval modified ER lasers, four per mount, opened fire while rapid fire PPCs opened fire at their own ranges, able to fire far more quickly than the vehicle mounts that didn't enjoy several extra tons of cooling systems. 
 
A Combine assault fighter dove for June's Dream—and moments later was slashed to ribbons. 
 
Then they were through the formation, the ship flipping end for end. 
 
Twelve dead, not bad. We've got time for four more passes and—A flash appeared on his screen.
 
"What was that?"
 
"Hardluck Chuck got hit. No survivors."
 
There wouldn't be with a strategic warhead in play.
 
"Fuck, he owed me money. Right, clear up and close up, we've got one gap now." 
 
The suicidal charge of the First Provisional Dragon's First Fleet (as later interrogations named it), ended with fewer than twenty suicide sleds penetrating to the inner defense cordon. Three DropShips were destroyed, along with five small craft. A destroyer was heavily damaged, venting gas as the commander evacuated non-essential crewmen. 
 
But with the larger force gone, the five hundred small craft, found the fleet ready for them, and this close to the world, just over a thousand fighters and five hundred "loyal wingman" AI drones joined the DropShips and capital ships fire.
 
Not a single small craft got anywhere near the fleet. 
 
The two battleships that had dropped into the pirate point were also returning. Their hulls scored, half a dozen DropShips destroyed or crippled, but ready to support the infantry division they'd dropped. 
 
The battle for orbital supremacy had ended.
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Book 3 - 41