For reference:
Elements of Battlefleet Sigmar, Karlof Sector, Admiral Karol Zoltoy
* Orlanth Rex Emperor battleship
* Hammer of Faith Mars battlecruiser, Wrecked off Marxos I, under repair, Acting-Captain Carlos
*,** Cypra Probatii Improved Overlord battlecruiser, Captain Thrack
* Moon of Aaron Dictator carrier, Former Traitor, wrecked off Marxos II, under repair
Moon of Esau Dictator carrier, Former Traitor
Baron Kryptmann Dictator carrier.
Augustus Dictator carrier.
* Scourge of Heresy Dominator cruiser, Captain Vindire
* Scourge of Deviancy Dominator cruiser.
* Danae Dauntless light cruiser (Lance armed), Destroyed off Marxos II
* Dragon Dauntless light cruiser (Torpedo armed)
* Delhi Dauntless light cruiser (Lance armed), replacement for Danae.
Dunedin Dauntless light cruiser (Lance armed)
Absalom Grau Dauntless light cruiser (Lance armed).
Targa Florio Dauntless light cruiser (Lance armed).
Cyprus Dauntless light cruiser (Torpedo armed).
* Squadron Orbis Swords, Former traitor
* Blue wing Swords
* Red wing Swords
Green wing Swords
Dagger Flotilla Cobra
Sabre Flotilla Cobra
* Ships normally forming part of Commodore M’Dhu’s Division
** On temporary attachment from Battlefleet Gothic to Battlefleet Sigmar, Karloff Sector.
Any who saw Commodore Vladimir M’Dhu as he marched past, might think that he was deep in thought. He was not. He was angry, VERY ANGRY. M’Dhu’s anger was not the hot and sharp anger of fire and steel, it was the cold hard anger of ice and adamantium. His almost bloodless lips were set hard, his face a mask and even the scars of his implants were pale. His staff and bodyguards knew his moods well, and kept a healthy distance. Anyone who displeased the Commodore when he was in such a mood would be very sorry indeed. Commodore M’Dhu was not the sort of man to order those who displeased him to be spaced. No, he didn’t want them getting off that easy. However, several of those crew members who felt his displeasure committed the Extreme Sin and spaced themselves. Very fortunately, Commodore M’Dhu was not angry often.
He had just come from what could only be described as a verbal admonition from Sector Admiral Zoltoy. It appears that complaints had been made against his handling of his ships. Anonymous complaints, back-stabbing complaints, POLITICAL complaints. When these were distilled down there were two main points. Commodore M’Dhu was too reckless with his ships. In his recent actions of Marxos against the Chaos raiders, the Danae had been destroyed, blown apart in a catastrophic plasma reactor failure, the Hammer of Faith and the Moon of Aaron had both been wrecked, requiring months of repair at the Forge World of Ruslan, and all of his other ships had been more or less damaged. Commodore M’Dhu was reminded that the Emperor might provide, but he had infinite time. Admiral Zoltoy did not. He was ultimately responsible to Sector Command. He would not have his career ruined by Commodore M’Dhu’s profligacy. Captain Haygood had suffered much less damage at Marxos, and he had been responsible for the destruction of two Chaos capital vessels. Admiral Zoltoy had never had a single capital ship under his command wrecked, much less lost, in his entire career, and here in a few months Commodore M’Dhu had lost one ship and had two wrecked. Also it appeared that Commodore M’Dhu’s tactics were too timid. Instead of getting stuck in and relying on the strength of his crews, the righteousness of his cause and Faith in the Emperor, Commodore M’Dhu preferred to cripple the enemy, then come back and deal with the remains. Such tactics allowed the enemy to escape. He had been ordered to clear the Chaos raiders from the Marxos system, and yet one of their damaged Styx cruisers had been allowed to escape. The enemy must be destroyed!!
Whilst the bald facts were undeniably true, they were not the whole truth. A ship had been lost and other ships had been damaged. In exchange for this damage, three Traitor capital vessels had been put out of action, subsequently to be recovered and even now the Moon of Aaron served with Commodore M’Dhu. One heavy cruiser and two cruisers had been completely destroyed, two more wrecked and the hulks destroyed and another completely wrecked and last seen burning up in the atmosphere of Marxos IV. Only one heavily damaged Styx had managed to escape. Captain Haygood had performed so well, because the vessels in question had already been heavily damaged by Commodore M'Dhu's wing.
It was good for Admiral Zoltoy to share his vast experience. He had spent the bulk of his command career fighting against human pirates, and in this, it must be admitted, he had been very successful. However, all of these pirates used converted merchant vessels and the occasional captured Imperial or Chaos escort. The only fleet action that Admiral Zoltoy had been involved in was his personal debacle in the third battle of the Ungar Passage. The Admiral’s flagship, a Retribution battleship, Relentless Hunter had suffered a navigation error, and turned up from the Warp four months late, long after the battle had been won. Captain M’Dhu had been there, and after the Relentless Hunter had turned up, there had been an Inquisitorial investigation. Admiral Zoltoy had been absolved.
Now Commodore M’Dhu had been ordered to undertake another training exercise against Sub-Sector Commander Maltesse, and under the direct observation of Fleet Commissar Borax and Fleet Grand Confessor Morion. Here his orthodoxy of tactics and thought would be examined.
**********
The strength Commodore M’Dhus’ command for the exercise was a little constrained by damage. The Orlanth Rex was available, but the assault boat crews were not available, being on a training exercise of their own. The Cypra Probatii was ready, as always. Commodore M’Dhu was impressed by the efficiency of Captain Thrack and his crew. Captain Vindire had worked wonders to get the Scourge of Heresy back in service, and he had replaced the gilding lost from the bow out of his own pocket rather than wait for the shipyard artisans. His dedication to the emperor was total, it was a shame that he had no tactical skill, and little skill at warship command. He should have been a Commissar, but given his name and the terrible stain on his family, it was a minor miracle that he was even trusted with a capital ship. Perhaps this was a reflection on the Karloff Sub-Sector as a whole. The Moon of Aaron was undergoing repairs after taking heavy damage when a nearby Chaos cruiser had exploded, but her sister ship, the Moon of Esau was ready for action. They too were both tainted, but for them it was much more recently. They had been part of the command of the mad Traitor Bandini and Commodore M’Dhu had been forced to fire on them. He also had the light cruisers Delhi and Dunedin , both new constructions. The Delhi was a replacement for the Danae ,lost off Marxos, but so was the Dunedin . Obviously some bureaucratic error, but Admiral Zoltoy would not send either ship back, and all of them might be centuries dead before the situation was sorted out. The two of them were squadroned together to minimize the chances of command error, always a possibility with new and untried ships. The Emperor did indeed provide. To compensate for his lack of capital ships, Commodore M’Dhu was accompanied by three Swords from each of Orbis Squadron and Red Wing .
Fifth Lieutenant Haarkon, of the Scourge of Heresy had proved to be not entirely useless, and had a technically illegal feed from the Sub-Sector Tacticon. Mysteriously, Commander Maltesse’s order of battle had appeared on Commodore M’Dhu’s control console. He was fighting with a very unorthodox fleet. His flag was on the Baron Kryptmann and he had the Augustus in support, two Dictators. His only other cruiser was the Scourge of Deviancy a sister Dominator to Heresy . The rest of his fleet was light forces. Three Dauntless light cruisers, Absalom Grau , Targa Florio and Cyprus , and four squadrons of escorts, Sabre Flotilla and Dagger Flotilla , each consisting of four Cobra Destroyers, and Blue Wing and Green Wing , three and four Sword Frigates respectively. Commodore M’Dhu wondered if there was any coincidence that Commander Maltesse’s force was quite similar to the pirate fleets that Admiral Zoltoy had so much experience in fighting.
While he was preparing his standing orders and tactical plans, Commodore M’Dhu was further surprised by a direct order from Admiral Zoltoy to fly his pennant on the Orlanth Rex . It was slow, it was unmaneuverable, and it was likely to be at the rear. Commodore M’Dhu’s choice would have been the Cypra Probatii , or failing that, the Scourge of Heresy . Commodore M’Dhu liked to lead from the front. This would cramp his tactical plans considerably.
**********
The exercise area was close to the Caldur sun. Radiation bursts and solar flares were a constant risk, and ion storms could endanger even capital ships. The space was devoid of celestial phenomena so there was nothing for Commodore M’Dhu to use there. As he considered the possibilities, he received two pieces of bad news. Firstly, there had been a failure in the primary plasma reservoir on the Cypra Probatii. It could barely maintain half speed, and in the event of a major Ion Storm or solar flare, might not have enough power both for its shields to keep the radiation out and its engines to prevent the ship being sucked down into the sun. Reluctantly, Commodore M’Dhu ordered Captain Thrack back to port. Secondly, Admiral Zoltoy had suggested, which really meant ordered, Commodore M’Dhu to take the forward position. This would mean that his force had the sun behind them. This would protect them from long range battery fire as the glare from the sun interfered with the augers and opticons. At close range, his force would be silhouetted against the sun. Commander Maltesse’s ships had no really long range weaponry, so he would only gain the advantage, provided he got close enough.
Commodore M’Dhu deployed his forces in a compact mass at the far right of the exercise area. The two squadrons of Swords on the right, the Orlanth Rex on the right center and the Scourge of Heresy in the center and slightly refused. The Delhi and Dunedin formed the van, and the Moon of Esau the left. Commander Maltesse deployed in a much more open formation. The Baron Kryptmann and the Augustus were forward and facing Commodore M’Dhu, on their starboard the Cyprus , Absalom Grau and Targa Florio . To the rear, some considerable distance, was the Scourge of Deviancy . Sabre Flotilla supported the carriers, but the other light forces were to the farthest starboard of the exercise area. It appeared clear that Commander Maltesse planned a Cannae maneuver. Well Commodore M’Dhu knew the counter to that, the Iron Fist.
The opposing formation opened up as expected, the light forces moving to the flanks and small mixed squadrons of fighters and bombers being launched by the carriers. Two salvos of torpedoes were launched directly into the heart of Commodore M’Dhu’s formation. They might not hit, but they would constrain his maneuvers. He watched the command console with some surprise as the Deviancy scored a near miss on the Esau with its Nova Cannon at very long range. His admiration was tempered by the metriculator information which suggested that the Delhi was the actual target, a lucky miss.
The whole bridge crew was ready in anticipation of his orders, and Commodore M’Dhu was secretly pleased at the silent power struggle between Fleet Commissar Borax, his own Division Commissar Krenk, and the Vessel Commissar Toscanoni. Technically, Krenk was in charge, because Borax was merely an observer, and this situation would not change until Commissar Borax chose to insist on his authority. It was Toscanoni’s ship, but he was forced to stand in a spare corner of the bridge, normally reserved for important guests.
‘Battle plan IRON FIST.’ was all he needed to say. Captain Raban waited a moment before carrying out these orders, to give Commissar Borax a chance to intervene.
‘Duty is to Obey’ declaimed Commissar Krenk, Captain Raban the clear target. Commodore M’Dhu smiled inwardly. If he was disgraced, Commissar Krenk would find himself very lucky indeed to find service on a penal transport.
‘Aye, aye Commodore. Battle plan IRON FIST.’
The Commodore’s Flag-Lieutenant Hogar, had made no such delay and the rest of the force was moving before the acceleration of the Orlanth Rex could be felt. Commodore M’Dhu remained silent in his command chair as he studied the tactical lecterns. The two Sword squadrons moved to starboard to intercept the four Cobras. The Orlanth Rex launched two waves of bombers supported by fighters, and the Esau launched fighters. The Heresy scored a direct hit on the Deviancy and the Tacticon metriculators reported shields down, a direct hit on the engines completely wrecking two engine rooms. The ship was crippled too. Commodore M’Dhu spoke a quiet prayer of thanks for Master Gunner Korolon.
The defensive fire from the prow lances of the two Dauntlesses destroyed a torpedo salvo and a bomber wave, the Orlanth Rex’s dorsal and prow batteries destroyed another wave, and the starboard broadside gunners destroyed a Cobra. The ‘dead’ ship now drifting without power until the exercise was over. In a ship that small, it would get very uncomfortable very soon.
**********
IRON FIST was all based on careful timing and hard fighting. If the attack wedge could not break through the enemy center, relatively intact, it would be harried to death from the flanks and rear by the enemy’s light forces, but with the ships under his command, it was the only effective plan available, and had the additional benefit of being the first plan taught at the Fleet Scholarium. You could hardly get more orthodox than that.
Commander Maltesse continued with his plan and the escort wings moved to encircle Commodore M’Dhu. In what could only be considered extremely bad luck, or bias in the Tacticon running the exercise, the torpedo salvo launched by the three surviving Cobras succeeded in destroying four of the six Sword frigates, leaving only two of Orbis Squadron . It was significant too that only four squadrons of bombers were launched and only one salvo of heavy torpedoes launched. Something had gone wrong on the Augustus . Commander Maltesse would have to do a lot better than that. In a furious simulated battle Commodore M’Dhu’s defending fighters shot down or broke up the advancing bombers, and the return fire from the Orlanth Rex reduced the Cyprus to an inert wreck. Thousands more ‘dead’. The Baron Kryptmann took a direct hit from the Nova Cannon, but no damage was done, and bombers swarmed over the Cobras of Sabre Flotilla and the Absalom Grau to no effect whatsoever. Commodore M’Dhu offered a prayer of Forbearance to the Ikon of the Emperor. It was not his way to wish for things that were not, but he also wondered what agency was responsible for the loss of his assault boat crews. They would have slaughtered the opposition escorts.
Warning sirens blared as the blast doors slammed over the vision ports. A majestic, but deadly, solar flare burst into space, its radiation bathing the entire exercise area. A salvo of torpedoes exploded in sympathetic detonation, and three squadrons of bombers where overwhelmed, real casualties in a simulated war. The timing could not have been worse. Commodore M’Dhu studied the tactical lectern as the image reformed. His ordnance had been dispersed, but Commander Maltesse had been reloading and re-arming so he was able to launch eight full squadrons as the blast of the flare passed by, racing off into the void of space.
Not anticipating the destruction of the Cyprus , Commander Maltesse’s torpedoes plowed into the hulk. The Tacticon declared a plasma drive explosion, so the ‘dead’ were even ‘deader’ now. The force of the blast leveled every capital ship shield and caused a hit on the Scourge of Heresy too. Fortunately only the after sensors were damaged, but all of this, combined with the solar flare and the firing of the Targa Florio and the Absalom Grau , resulted in the Esau taking three hits, and the Dunedin being crippled. To cap this all off, two squadrons of bombers destroyed the remaining two Swords. Things were not going well.
Still, an Admiral is not defeated until he thinks he is defeated. Casualties were inevitable and the opposition would be made to pay. The range was almost point-blank and the Targa Florio was bathed in targeting beams, simulating fire, from every vessel in range. The Scourge of Heresy got in a particularly accurate broadside, and the Targa Florio was adjudged totally annihilated. Unfortunately, the Esau was crippled by collateral damage and the Heresy and Dunedin also took damage. However, damage was not all one-sided, the Absalom Grau took two hits too. The balance was swinging back.
*********
In an effort to break the opposing force, Commander Maltesse launched a massive assault against the Orlanth Rex , it was attacked by three salvos of torpedoes, totaling twenty, and a wave of four squadrons of bombers too. The gunners at the close defense batteries were overwhelmed with targets, and although they shot down all the bombers, a torpedo hit home, disabling the port stabilator defensive turrets. More bombers attacked the damaged Dunedin , and it too was judged to have been totally destroyed as it’s plasma containment failed. If someone wanted to prove Commodore M’Dhu profligate with his ships, they were getting plenty of evidence. However, that was not all the damage inflicted, because the Scourge of Deviancy ran into the torpedoes that the missed the now destroyed Dunedin and took three hits. This along with the earlier damage and the blast effects reduced the Deviancy to a lifeless hulk. At least Commodore M’Dhu did not torpedo his own ships. In the blazing flare of plasma, Delhi took a hit to the prow opticons, temporarily blinding the forward sensors.
Now was the time of crisis, only three capital ships remained to hold the enemy center. If these could be swept aside, Commodore M’Dhu would be victorious.
‘Hymn of Victory, Confessor’
‘Three verses of “May the Emperor Guide our Guns” too please.’
‘Maximum effort all batteries!!’
Ten squadrons of bombers and fighters were launched and the Heresy punched its timed broadside into the Baron Kryptmann crippling the ship and temporarily knocking out the port launch bays. At the same time, the Delhi got it’s blows in with lance shots into the unprotected stern, knocking out most of the aft sensor array. To port and starboard , the fire was directed at the Cobras and only three of them survived the concentrated fire from the Heresy and the Orlanth Rex . Finally, the close range bomber assault overwhelmed the Absalom Grau which suffered an artificial gravity implosion, its hulk theoretically compressed to the size of a fist.
Down to only one effective capital ship, it was time for Commander Maltesse’s last gasp. Every bomber was launched, every torpedo was fired, and they were all aimed at the Orlanth Rex . Again the gunners performed prodigious feats, but another torpedo got through. The massed firing of the surviving escorts whittled away at the Orlanth Rex’s shields, but inflicted no damage.
‘Battle Plan VICTORY’. Time to pass through the enemy and regroup. Without any supporting escorts, eventually, the surviving Swords and Cobras would bring down his capital ships one by one, like dogs baiting a bull. The Orlanth Rex might hold them off but very little good would be achieved.
Again Captain Raban hesitated, and this time Commissar Krenk started to unholster his pistol.
‘Stop! I am assuming Authority.’ Commanded Fleet Commissar Borax. ‘Commodore M’Dhu, there are enemy to destroy, destroy them!’
Everyone on the bridge froze for several seconds.
‘Very well, Commissar Borax…’
‘FLEET COMMISSAR BORAX!’
‘Very well, Fleet Commissar Borax.’
‘Battle plan GRASPING CLAW.’
‘ Scourge of Heresy disengaged.’
‘ Moon of Esau disengaged.’
‘ Delhi disengaged.’
Flag-Lieutenant Hogar reported as each of the other ships shifted into silent running and fired off a salvo of decoys.
‘Order them to engage Commodore!’
‘I cannot Fleet Commissar. They have orders to ignore all communications. It might be an enemy trap. We have a seven second window in 87 minutes.’
‘Flag-Lieutenant, command them in my name to return!’
The Flag-Lieutenant paused only for an instant, but enough to catch Commodore M’Dhu’s eye.
‘What authentication code Sir?’
‘Authentication code? I am only an observer. I have been forced to take command to prevent a violation of tactical orthodoxy. I have no authentication code. Send it out in plain language. Any ship that does not obey will be judged guilty of Treason and it’s crew will be decimated.’
‘Fleet Commissar…’
‘Not now Commodore. Get those orders off at once.’
‘Aye, are Fleet Commissar.’
‘Shields one down.’
‘Three shields down.’
‘What is going on?’ The Fleet Commissar did not have all the situational and tactical information.
‘Take my Lectern, Fleet Commissar Borax.’ Krenk offered politely.
‘All shields down.’
‘Escorts firing on aft thrusters.’
‘Aft sensor array hit.’
‘Orders Fleet Commissar Borax?’
What ever kind of fool Fleet Commissar Borax might be, he knew when he was beaten. Commodore M’Dhu had neatly finessed him. There would be little chance of the Orlanth Rex getting away without heavy damage, and since he had taken command, it would be his responsibility.
‘Carry on Commodore M’Dhu.’
‘Thank you Fleet Commissar Borax.
‘Alright Captain Raban. We will need the best out of your crew to get out of this. I want the Baron Kryptmann destroyed, and beat off as many escorts as you can, then launch a full spread of decoys and go to silent running.’
‘AYE AYE SIR!’
It was done. No escorts were destroyed ,but a heavy barrage of fire was laid down, and just before disengaging, eight squadrons plowed into the Baron Kryptmann causing another plasma explosion. The only damage was two hits on the Augustus .
Commodore M’Dhu had disengaged, but he was very suspicious of whole exercise. At the end the situation was:
Orlanth Rex 3/12 hits
Moon of Esau 5/8 hits
Scourge of Heresy 2/8 hits
Delhi 1/6 hits
Dunedin 6 hits, exploded
Orbis Squadron 3/3 destroyed
Red Wing 3/3 destroyed
Baron Kryptmann 11 hits, exploded
Augustus 2/8 hits
Scourge of Deviancy 9 hits, hulked
Absalom Grau 10 hits, exploded
Targa Florio 7 hits, exploded
Cyprus 6 hits, exploded
Blue Wing 1/4 destroyed
Green Wing no damage
Sabre Flotilla 3/4 destroyed
Dagger Flotilla 2/4 destroyed
A crushing victory by any standard.
**********
The two guards outside the Fleet Tacticon gripped their las-guns more tightly, fingered the triggers nervously and looked to each other for moral support. Owing to the peculiar acoustics of the corridor, it sounded like a thousand of the fiercest warriors from the Eye were marching toward them. They prepared to sell their lives as dearly as possible.
Simultaneously from the left and the right appeared two bodes of men, marching in perfect cadence. To the left was Fleet Commissar Borax and his bodyguard. To the right was Division Commissar Krenk, Flag Lieutenant Hogar and their bodyguards. The two crewmen made themselves a inconspicuous as possible.
