From Furies Forged (Free Fleet Book 5) (37 page)

              “Indeed,” Ashota said, looking to Min Hae.

              “Very well, they have the capacitors to do three jumps, we might as well put them to the test,” Min Hae said. “Send a message to war-leader Kalvin, we are ready to engage when he is.”

              “Sending,” Ashota said, speaking into the consoles microphone for a few moments.

              It took a few moments before the War-leader’s face was on the main screen.

              “As our allies seem to be finally prepared to go to battle we will continue as planned. We will accelerate and deploy outside the jump-sphere, right on top of the massing Kalu supply fleet. We will destroy them and their ability to return to liberated space,” Kalvin’s growl was a bloodthirsty thing, his eyes holding deadly promise as the channel cut.

              Orders came to the Free Fleet contingent, the newly arriving Destroyers moving into position with their fellow Destroyers. Min Hae’s Verslva had been taken to be used as a freighter with a little more firepower, keeping the Free Fleet’s materials moving.

              Wormholes appeared in front of the Kalu, they might be independents wishing to get away from war, but they still fought along the same lines as the traditionalists. They weren’t afraid to get into battle, at least the military faction.

              “Once we are all formed up, then we will continue on,” Min Hae said to ship Commander Drux.

              “Sir.” The ship Commander was incharge of all things tactical, Min Hae was well versed in information not battles. Drux took the overarching commands of Min Hae, but when they were in battle, Drux was going to do what he was trained to do, fight and win.

              It took a good thirty minutes for the fleet to come together, Min Hae sent a message to Drux, he didn’t want it to seem like he was joggling his elbow. The Ship Commander read it.

              “Navigation, why don’t we see about coming out at these coordinates, it’s going to be a bit hotter, but we’ve been given these nice shiny ships, might as well see what they’re capable of,” Drux said.

              “Yes sir,” Navigation said.

              Min Hae had been watching as Kalvin’s forces emerged, powering right towards the supply ships and firing their lasers to try and get a bead on them.

              The supply ships had powered up and were now rushing to meet Kalvin’s forces. Min Hae’s coordinates would put the Free Fleet off to the side of the Supply fleet’s path, allowing them to bring their broadsides to bear.

              “Jump point is good to go, ready for transition,” Navigation said a number of minutes later, it was nearly an hour after Kalvin had left. His forces were still two-hours from crossing the other Kalu fleet’s lines.

              “Very well, let’s go kill some supply ships,” Drux said.

              The corner of Min Hae’s mouth twitched upwards in approval.

              “Gogs, what is the status of second squadron?” Min Hae asked.

              “All ships are ready to go and awaiting our order,” Gogs replied. Ashota looked to Gogs and Min Hae.

              “Something I should know about?” Ashota asked.

              “Had to play a few things close to our chests, this is not meant to just destroy the Kalu supply ships,” Min Hae looked to Ashota. He had been the one to tell Min Hae about how certain elements of the Kalu independent leadership thought that the Free Fleet was weak. They had only seen them in battle once, and then it hadn’t been much of a fight against anything like the kinds of fleets that had waded into the Union.

              The Free Fleet needed to show their strength and prove that they were a force to be reckoned with and respected.

              Min Hae’s earlier amusement cooled as he thought of how Earth hadn’t understood the power of the Free Fleet and disregarded it. Hurting them in the rear while they were readying for their fight with the Kalu. It could have ended a lot worse. Yet it instilled into Min Hae that trust was nice, but a healthy amount of respect for your allies’ abilities to whip your ass if you turned on them, also had its useful qualities.

                                                                      ***

              “Looks like our
battle brothers
have decided to show up,” Lox, one of Kalvin’s aide’s vented. Kalvin let it slide. Lox was probably half taken away by the combat hormones of his youth.

             
They are late, what kind of honorable group looks to coming into battle later than possible. They talk of tactics, but what use are they when they do nothing but make them look pretty.

              Kalvin clamped down on his anger, the Free Fleet had helped out the independents more than they could have hoped for. The leaders were thinking about trying to apply to be part of this Union the Free Fleet were building. He had seen the cowardly tactics that killed, maimed, and destroyed more than four fifths of the Kalu’s massed military power. It had been a big display, but the Free Fleet ships had stayed at arm’s reach, hit the Kalu and slinked away.

              This would be the first time since the Destroyer yard was stolen away from the Kalu Traditionalists, that the Independents would see the Free Fleet in combat. So Far Kalvin was far from impressed.

              “They’re formation is turning to bring their sides to face the enemy. The Supply ships are largely ignoring them,” Lox said.
Why shouldn’t they?
His tone and actions asked as he shook his mane in annoyance.

              “Lox, I understand the hormones of the younger, and while I am not happy with the actions of our allies, it does look to me that they are closer to our enemy. Let us see what happens,” Kalvin said, not making a commitment to either liking or disliking the Free Fleet.

              “As you say war-leader. I am sorry for my outburst,” Lox said, bowing his head to him. Kalvin waved the gesture off, noticing how Lox wasn’t giving the Free Fleet the same kind of respect.

             
Maybe they earn it, maybe they show that Lox has a right to be angry.
He thought, watching as the Pyramid of Free Fleet ships moved as a single entity, all of them swinging their broadsides as the lead ship was pointed to the Kalu supply ships.

              “Incoming Wormholes, twelve of them all along the Kalu formation’s line of acceleration,” Haru grunted in shock.

              “Message from Ashota,” Lox said.

              “Show,” Kalvin growled, he was not one to like surprises sprung on him.

              “War-leader Kalvin, I have been informed that the Free Fleet advise that the Kalu supply fleet will not be a problem much longer. They ask that you refrain from shooting at the ships emerging from the wormholes,” Ashota’s message ended.

              “Do as he says,” Kalvin said, the first ships came out from the wormholes, the second rank followed.

             
All of them are in those Pyramid formations, and there are so many of them! I thought that the Free Fleet had less than five-hundred ships.

             
Still, there are more than Thirty-Thousand Kalu supply ships, nearly a hundred thousand fighters swarming out from their freight-holding Star-destroyers,
he consoled himself.

              The first triangle, the one that Ashota was presumably on, and that weasel Min Hae, opened fire.

              “It looks like the first triangle is firing,” Lox said, it was hard to track lasers that were travelling through vacuum.

              Their results were easier to track.

             
By the silent clans,
Kalvin thought, seeing Star-Destroyers gutted with a single shot.

              The wormholes closed and Kalvin looked at the newly organized numbers, there weren’t thirty-seven Henry-classed Destroyers, there were over
six hundred.

              Triangles opened up in series, and that was where Kalvin learned the beauty of not only rudimentary tactics, but tactics that made him actually step back in horror.

              It was a systematic destruction.

              The laser cannons fired on angles, two pyramids were firing at all times, allowing the other gun’s time to cool down before it came back to them. Every Cannon would fire on preselected targets, even with the odd miss here and there, every four minutes, five hundred or so shots landed.

              The supply ships seemed to forget Kalvin’s much larger twelve-thousand-strong fleet and turned to the Free Fleet pyramids.

              Kalu fighter swarms struck out like lances headed right for the same pyramids.

              The Free Fleet’s shields flared with hits, ships were getting wounded. Those taking the worst hits pulled back, the ships further back pushing up to cover their position as they affected repairs.

              There was no dishonor in asking for help. Instead they looked to help one another.

              The Independent Kalu aimed to help one another, but this was almost instinctual.

              Streaks of missiles rose and headed for them, stopping the fighters in their tracks, PDS opened up. Through all of this the Free Fleet never budged from their pyramid formations, only altering their direction to get a better shot on the reduced supply fleet.

              They never chased, never retreated, they were plows, opening the Kalu fleet to the darkness of space. Like one of the farmers opening the ground to plant seeds.

              The supply fleet seemed to cross some invisible line and the destroyer’s laser cannons doubled and their railguns added to the onslaught.

              Not one Kalu ship crossed the Free Fleet’s forward pyramids. A wake of debris, broken ships and Kalu laid in an expanding path towards Kalvin’s fleet and out towards the Free Fleet’s pyramid.

              Only twenty-three of their ships had been destroyed, sixty-seven were affecting repairs, many, if not all had lost their shields. Yet they had won against their enemy.

              There wasn’t a noise on the Star-Destroyer’s command deck.

              “We have an incoming channel from Ship Commander Drux,” Lox said, sounding as shocked as everyone else on the command deck.

              “Open it,” Kalvin said, trying to shake off the confused feelings he was having.

              “War-leader Kalvin, thank you for your assistance. We will be departing from the area shortly,” Drux stopped, as if he was remembering something.

              “Oh and Commander Min Hae reminded me to ask you about the Kalu Independents joining the Union and that if you ever have any problem with any Kalu we would be happy to help remove them if they demonstrate a threat to the Union or the Free Merchant Fleet’s assets,” Drux finished.

              Kalvin looked behind Drux, seeing Min Hae’s calculating and cold stare. There was no mercy in those eyes only cold logic. Kalvin had seen warmth in them when Min Hae was talking to other members of the Free Fleet, but never for any potential threat. Kalvin hid his fear, making a silent promise to
never
become an enemy of Min Hae, or to kill him before then.

              “Thank you Ship Commander, we will make sure that no other supply ships appear. I believe the other leaders will be contacting the Free Fleet shortly about talking with the rest of the Union and applying to be a member.” Kalvin saw Min Hae’s head nod in agreement, some of the fear falling off of Kalvin’s shoulders.

              “Very well War-leader. I hope you have a good day, Ship Commander Drux out.” The channel cut to show the main screen of Free Fleet ship pyramids collapsing, moving to their wounded, those that didn’t have wounded ships were wormholing out of the system.

              “Did you notice how they said they would fight
any
Kalu that threatened them, not just the traditionalists?” Haru asked, he was an old Kalu that had seen many battles, it was always wise to listen to Haru.

              “I suggest we share the story of Wugarn and the Free Fleet’s true abilities far and wide for the education of all Kalu that think to betray our first true allies.” Haru was looking to Kalvin, but his words were for everyone on the command deck and the ships in the fleet.

              “I believe that would be a wise suggestion Haru. Would you be able to get me a channel to the council? I will take it in my den,” Kalvin turned, leaving that main screen behind.

              “Yes War-leader,” Haru said to his back.

                                                                      ***

              The crews of the Destroyer yards were in an odd mood.

              They had destroyed the Kalu resupply fleet, but not all of those that they had trained with for months had survived.

              There were no cheers and pride felt like an empty emotion.

              “Alright, that’s enough watching the tube. I am effecting a day off, a full twenty-four hours, then we’re going right back at it. This war isn’t going to be won overnight, but five hundred Henry-classed Destroyers just doubled our Fleet strength and they’re going to help our people out immensely on the front lines,” Silly said, looking around to everyone.