The immensity of space brought fear to many. They could not cope with their own insignificance. Others, almost born in space, exulted in it and its vastness. They saw it as a great black canvas upon which the Destiny of Mankind would be written in words of fire and blood.
Commodore Vladimir M’Dhu looked back to the bridge of the Scourge of Heresy and did not like what he saw. His problems were many, his solutions few. Firstly, as a Commodore, he was an acting, temporary, unpaid Fleet Admiral, with all the responsibilities that entailed, but very little of the authority. Any successes would further enhance the reputation of his immediate superior, Admiral Karol Zoltoy. Any failure would be his own to bear, should he survive. This he could handle. Duty was rarely easy. The M’Dhus had been fleet officers almost as long as there had been a fleet, a mostly glorious record stretching back over eight thousand years.
The Scourge was a more difficult problem. It was less than one year out of the Ruslan space docks, a new construction Dominator class cruiser and a reinforcement to his cruiser wing. Its Captain was Margan Vindire, a very distant relative, in both blood and time, of the Dread Apostate, Goge Vindire. This branch of the Vindires had survived the Age of Apostasy and was determined that there would never be any question of their zeal and loyalty to the Cult of the Emperor. A laudable philosophy for a Commissar or Imperial Commander, but more dangerous for a Captain. Thanks to Confessor Malarchius and his very numerous Acolytes and Priests, the crew was thoroughly drilled in Litany of Loyalty and could recite all three hundred and sixty-nine verses backwards in their sleep. Of their faith there was no doubt. Faith was a powerful aid in boarding actions and in times of emergency. However, faith could not load a macro-cannon quickly, direct a turbo-lance through a breach and into the heart of an enemy vessel at twenty thousand kilometers, or even close an air lap and save a section. Every hour spent studying the Book of the Word was one less hour spent in devotion to the ship herself. The Emperor might provide, but it was the experience of generations of M’Dhus that the Emperor seemed to provide rather more for those to whom weapons and damage control drill was a reflexive action. ‘The Emperor helps those who help themselves’ was emblazoned over the entrance to every Refectory on every ship he had ever commanded. Still the Emperor had provided the Scourge to Commodore M’Dhu and he would make the best use of it he could.
To that end, he had transferred his pennant to the Scourge from the Hammer of Faith a Mars class battlecruiser, his own command and the wing command for the last twelve years. To remedy the deficiencies he saw in the Scourge as best he could, he had brought Master Gunner Korolon and Rune Tech-Priest Majoris Argentum and about five percent of the crew over to provide a cadre of experienced hands. A somewhat larger number of replacements had been sent back to the Hammer . The Priests he had sent would soon meet Master of Arms Merlon. They would make fine Shock squads, or die in the learning.
Finally, in response to a report of pirates raiding a convoy out of Caldur, both squadrons of escorts had been detached, leaving his meager command with the Hammer , the Scourge and two Dauntless class cruisers, Danae and Dragon , the latter armed with torpedoes rather than prow lances. The force was powerful on paper, but without escorts almost deaf and blind. Time too was short. He would have only a few days to improve training before the rendezvous. He was due to meet a wing of the Sub-Sector fleet off Marxos, then together sweep the system clear of the Chaos raiders which had attacked the research station orbiting the second planet. He had his pride and reputation to maintain, the M’Dhus had a reputation as fine ship handlers and superb gunners, something he did not intend to allow the Scourge to tarnish. Korolon would do his best, as always.
**********
The wing had arrived for the rendezvous somewhat earlier and more than one hundred thousand kilometers away from the appointed location. This result was no accident, but rather direct orders to the Principal Navigator. The Commodore’s orders must be obeyed, but he could sense the Principal Navigator’s reluctance to obey them, he could only see this as imprecise navigation, a failure of Duty and craft. Even Captain Vindire was reluctant. He could see only failure to obey orders to the letter, something no Vindire could afford to do. His protest was noted in the Log. Commodore M’Dhu knew well the advantages of not being exactly where you were expected.
‘Marxos wing at one hundred thousand on forward opticons’, reported the Fifth Lieutenant.
‘Show me’ demanded Commodore M’Dhu. The tactical lectern flared with an orange light, showing the forward view from the opticons. The stately outlines of an Imperial wing appeared, scrolling numbers and letters giving their identification, and estimated course and speed. The vessels were identified as the Salvation of Praxis a Dominator class cruiser, sister to the Scourge , but over two hundred years older. Commodore M’Dhu sighed inwardly. The Salvation carried the flag of Fleet Admiral Bandini, senior by many years. It would be he who commanded the combined force. The Commodore was new to this sector, but could not recall an family of Bandinis in the service, so he would have to tread very carefully. Supporting the Salvation were the Moon of Aaron and the Moon of Esau , a pair of identical Dictator class support carriers. Accompanying them were a pair of Sword class frigates from Squadron Orbis Combined with his own wing, this would indeed be a formidable force, although woefully short of escorts.
Commodore M’Dhu examined the lectern more carefully.
‘Are you still scanning all quadrants Lieutenant Haarkon, or have you locked this view solely for my benefit?’ The job of the Lookout Officer was to scan all quadrants, not merely that one occupied by identified vessels.
‘Scanning all quadrants Commodore!’ His voice betrayed his nervousness.
If he had more time, the Commodore could have run a vigorous training regime. Any officer who made such a serious mistake would be punished severely. The safety of the ship must always come first. However, he had no such time. All he could do was lead. If he had everyone who made mistakes punished or executed, he would soon find himself without a crew. Besides, the true fault lay with Captain Vindire. It was fortunate that his frequent Services of Praise kept him off the bridge. This was his ship to command, not the Commodore’s. He was the Flag-Captain. M’Dhu was glad not to have to pass the orders through the Captain.
The four quadrant views flashed past at high speed, as if the Fifth Lieutenant felt he could make up for his earlier lapse by the quantity of scans, not their quality.
‘What’s that on the Port opticon Lieutenant?’
‘Uhh .. Asteroid field 1543-32 Sir!!’
‘Hold that on the Command Lectern and continue the scan on the secondary systems.’ Such orders should not be necessary but survival came before all else.
‘Aye aye Sir!’
‘Lieutenant Haarkon. What do you see on Port opticons?’
There was a rather lengthy pause. Was this a trick question?
‘Asteroid field 1543-32 Sir? Range 94,000, bearing Port 46, Minus 12’ The Commodore could read too. The Lookout Officer used words to cover his confusion.
‘Do you notice anything strange about them Lieutenant?’ Another lengthy pause.
‘No Sir.’ The tone betrayed both doubt and concentration. At least he was trying.
‘If you look at the vector analysis, you will see that their orbits are disturbed. There is something hiding there.’ This was the sort of thing that he had learned at his grandfather’s knee, his other leg had been lost in battle. Captain Vindire had nearly a year to train his crew. In this he had failed miserably.
‘Bring the magnifiers and logic engines on-line. I want a detailed opticon scan of the asteroid field.’
‘Aye aye, Sir!’
The lectern image changed to green to indicate the presence of interpolation from the logic engines. Through what appeared to be a mist, but was merely uncertain probabilities, there appeared the unmistakable signatures of six or seven Chaos vessels. They were identified as an Acheron heavy cruiser, two Murder class cruisers, and three or four Infidel class raider escorts.
Admiral Bandini was sailing into a trap.
Before Commodore M’Dhu could even give the orders to clear for action, alarms started ringing on the bridge. They were being fired on.
**********
Once the alarms sounded, the instinctive drills cut in. The First Lieutenant activated the Action Alarm and all throughout the ship the crew cleared for action. M’Dhu had drilled the crew several times during their transit of the warp, and although they were painfully slow, at least everyone knew their action station. Blast doors were closed, inflammables stored away or jettisoned, boarding pikes issued, gun ports were thrown open and the macro-cannons prepared for firing. There was the characteristic falling feeling as the power was diverted from the artificial gravity to the shields. On his own initiative, and based on considerable familiarity with Commodore M’Dhu, his Flag-Lieutenant issued orders to take up station and prepare for action to the other ships of the wing. Confessor Malarchius made it to the battle bridge in a cloud of incense, accompanied by a retinue of Priests. Well at least all their souls could be saved. If only the Litanies of Battle could penetrate heavy armor. They were the last to arrive before the doors were sealed. Open doors made it easy to escape, but made boarder’s jobs that much easier too. It was significant that Captain Vindire had not arrived.
‘First Officer, where is the Captain!!’ He peered into his lectern, scrolling through the status reports quickly.
‘He in the starboard Chapel on the main gallery Sir!’ Well there he would stay for the moment. Until the Commodore knew what was going on the doors would stay shut.
‘Lookout Officer!! How were we attacked? The range is at least 90,000.’ No normal weapons carried by Chaos vessels had a range of more then 60,000. There was a brief pause. M’Dhu expected a quicker response than this, but while he waited, he switched his lectern to the tactical display. Yes, his arrival had completely turned the tables on the Chaos force. He and Admiral Bandini had them in a classic vice. Their casualties would be very heavy.
‘We were fired on by the Nova Cannon of the Salvation Sir! Long by 10,000 Sir!’
‘Aaron and Esau launching bombers!’
‘Infidels launching torpedoes!’
This information and much other flooded over the Commodore. So it was neither Bandini nor the Chaos force that had been ambushed, but he himself. With a preternaturally calm voice he said,
‘Well at least we know who our enemies are.’ A few moments later he stared rapping out a series of orders.
‘ Hammer to launch fighters for defense.’
‘Communications Officer, send a message to Admiral Zoltoy.
‘Signal Battle formation Battleaxe.’
‘All ahead half speed.’
‘Engage the Salvation ’ With its Nova Cannon, the Salvation was the only immediate threat. Their fire had been too hasty. If they had allowed him closer, a concentrated salvo of batteries and lances might have crippled one of his ships. Amongst the personnel transferred to the Scourge was the complete second Nova Cannon crew. One Nova Cannon shot could cripple a cruiser. Two could blast it to atoms. Even through the great thickness of metal, the Commodore could feel the jerk in the vessels’ motion as the Nova Cannon fired. The hyper-velocity shell rushed toward the Salvation along with a similar shell from the Hammer . This time the Fifth Lieutenant needed no prompting.
‘Two direct hits Sir!! Shields down! Damage to the ventral bulges’ To many the Nova Cannon was a complicated and dangerous weapon, with little practical use in fleet actions. None of the Scourge’s original crew had ever seen so lucky shooting. The Commodore was very disappointed. He had expected no less than two direct hits, even at a range of 92,000. He had expected considerably more damage. From the tactical display he could tell that the Salvation had Braced, and so its Nova Cannon would not be firing soon. He would get at least one more shell off before they could re-open the emergency doors.
**********
More reports flooded in. It was one of the gifts of a good commander that Commodore M’Dhu could sift the important from the trivial. He was not merely a ship’s Captain, but the Commodore of the wing. Tens of thousands of lives were in his hand.
‘Torpedoes altering course.’ That could mean only that the Chaos raiders had fired boarding torpedoes. The Commodore noted as the First Officer sent warnings to the Second and Third Lieutenants commanding the Starboard and Port batteries to prepare for possible boarders.
‘Lead Murder firing on the Hammer ’
‘Infidels launching torpedoes’
‘ Hammer’s shields down’
‘Fighters intercepting boarding torpedoes’
‘ Aaron and Esau launching fighters and bombers’
‘ Aaron and Esau launching torpedoes’
‘Swords moving to the starboard flank’
‘Fighters intercepting incoming bombers’
Now the pattern was clear. The Traitors planned to attack on the starboard while the Chaos attacked on the port and the Swords would cut off his rear. To divide his force was to weaken his attack, but if he could surround the Traitors he could catch them between two fires as he passed. He could then drive past Marxos and perhaps disengage. The wing would take a pounding from the Chaos force, but on that vector, even the hulks would have a chance of escaping. Quickly, relying more on a tactical display in his own mind than the lectern in front of him, Commodore M’Dhu issued his battle orders. He had a plan now.
‘ Danae and Dragon , tack to starboard, drive off the Swords and cover the Flag’s starboard flank.
Hammer to launch fighters and keep station to port of flag.’
‘Cruisers ahead half speed’
He did not countermand the orders to fire at the Salvation .
‘By the Emperor!! Two more direct hits on the Salvation ’ The Fifth Lieutenant could hardly contain his amazement.
‘Shields down. …. No damage detected.’ A plunge from the heights of exultation to almost despair.
‘ Salvation Braced for Impact.’ Well that was something. Again their Nova Cannon would not be firing.
‘ Hammer engaging enemy escorts. Praise the Emperor!!!’ On his tactical display the Commodore could see the target identifier blink out. Tens of thousands of kilometers away the universe was cleansed of many minions of Chaos as the Hammer’s twin turbo-lances smashed through the energy shield and turned an Infidel raider into a cloud of glowing scrap drifting in space. The news was good on the starboard flank too. Both Swords where disabled by the concentrated fire of the two Dauntlesses, their shields and armor no match for the firepower directed at them. Whether they were dead hulks or a cloud of rapidly expending debris did not matter, it was enough that they were gone, a threat no longer. The Hammer’s surviving fighters tore into the enemy bombers, the sparkle of their passing like gems on a black cloth.
His First Officer, Carlos, now acting-Captain of the Hammer had made a slight turn to port, not enough to break up the formation, but enough to bring his batteries to bear on the approaching bombers. With a hail of macro-shells and plasma blasts they opened fire, pouring a torrent of fire and steel into the enemy formations. Excellent fire discipline. A complete wing of four squadrons was destroyed. That left only three single squadrons for the attack. Commodore M’Dhu held his breath as the bombers approached. He had only the tactical display on his lectern to look at, but in his mind he could see the gunners in their turrets tracking the bombers as they came in, the ammunition servitors ready to refill the ready-to-use lockers, the sweat, the prayers, even the fear. But he could also hear the voice of Master Gunner Korolon, repeated in drill after drill. ‘Steady, hold your fire. Wait until you can see the glint on their cockpits.’ Whatever the reason, all three squadrons were blasted from space. It was no more than Duty, but it filled him with pride none the less.
**********
Captains commanded ships, Admirals commanded fleets. What was best for a ship, was not always best for the fleet. It was hard decisions like this that Commodore M’Dhu must make. In his current formation, the Hammer would likely draw most of the fire from the Chaos force, and the Dauntlesses could be engaged by the Traitor’s off-side armament. Casualties might be heavy, but the Traitors must be punished.
‘Acheron turning to port’
‘Murder firing at the Hammer .’
‘Murder firing at the Hammer .’
‘ Hammer’s shields down.’
‘ Hammer hit on aft port gallery.’
‘Infidels launching torpedoes.’
‘Chaos Torpedoes altering course. They’re going for the Traitors!!’
‘Thank you Mr. Haarkon. Stick to the facts, or would you rather take over my command?’ This was delivered in such a dry tone that Commodore M’Dhu could only be joking. Either that or Lieutenant Haarkon would be executed for mutiny.
Lieutenant Haarkon seemed competent and enthusiastic, if very poorly trained. He might do well, if he survived. The Chaos torpedoes had indeed changed course toward the Traitors, but their new course also put them out of arc from the wing too. The Commodore would have to order a change of course if he wished to engage them, and that would both split his formation and move him into the path of the Traitors’ torpedoes. Boarding torpedoes that turned away, could just as well turn back.
‘Boarding torpedoes intercepted by Traitor fighters!!’ So, the first cracks started to appear. The Traitors might have Chaos aid, but they trusted them not at all. Well that was one salvo and one squadron of fighters he did not have to worry about.
‘Traitors firing on our fighters’
‘Two squadrons destroyed’
‘Fighters engaging our fighters’
‘ Esau launching bombers.’ Some really good news at last, or at least the lack of bad news. The Aaron had not launched at all. Perhaps some accident had occurred in the launch bays, perhaps they had been low on fighters and bombers, or perhaps they were just waiting. Whatever the reason, that was four fewer squadrons to worry about.
‘Two bomber wings attacking the Hammer ’
Single squadrons of bombers were a minor annoyance to a cruiser. They could do damage, but usually, the close defense turrets would rip their attacks to shreds. Wings of three bombers, like those attacking the Hammer were a lot more dangerous. Commodore M’Dhu switched to the port opticons so he could watch his ship fight off the attack. The reports were so antiseptic and emotionless, and that was the way it should be, but his heart soared as he watched the Hammer fight. The shields had been taken down by the Chaos attack and, from the glow, the port side and the bow of the ship must be enveloped in plasma and debris. The bombers came on an entered into the cloud. They had been launched at extreme range, if they did not attack now, they would be savaged by the next launch of fighters. The first wing of bombers burst through and again the close defense turrets opened with a fugue of fire. Two squadrons were destroyed or disrupted but one pressed home its attack. For a moment the prow and the forward galleries were engulfed in fire as the bomber’s warheads exploded, but slowly the Hammer emerged, damaged but undaunted.
‘Two hits on the Hammer , damage control dealing with the casualties.’ How many of his crew had just died?
Commodore M’Dhu scanned the opticon again, the second wing of bombers had vanished, its formation disrupted by the blasts of other attacks and the survivors shot down by the close defenses. The Commodore wished that he could do more, but the needs of the wing came before those of any single ship.
‘Torpedoes approaching port and starboard!!’
‘Alter course by 7 to port and up 13, comb the salvos!’
‘ Hammer launch fighters for close support.’
‘ Hammer to engage to port’
The Hammer turned slightly further to port and as Commodore M’Dhu watched fired its Nova Cannon at the leading Murder. It was an illusion, but for a moment it seemed as if the Hammer’s immense tonnage stopped dead as the cannon fired.
‘Direct hit on Murder 1’ The Nova Cannon crew had been trained well, now was their chance to show their devotion to the Emperor. Dead Heretics were always an acceptable form of prayer.
‘Shields down, enemy braced, no damage.’ There was something wrong with his damned Nova shells today. The Scourge lurched as her cannon fired.
‘Direct hit on Salvation ’
‘Shields down, Traitors braced, no damage.’ Well now the Nova Cannons were out of the equation, the range was dangerously close as it was, and to protect the firing ship and its escorts, the shells could not be targeted closer than 30,000. But that was also the range of the Scourge’s batteries.
‘Prepare for gunnery action on starboard gun-decks. Open the transfer tubes, reinforcements to starboard!’ To make the best use of the trained men brought over from the Hammer a plan had been devised to transfer them to the gundeck most likely for action. It would give him a little edge. Commodore M’Dhu had chosen his course well. The Salvation was almost dead ahead. If they turned to port, they would be caught between the Scourge and the Dauntlesses, if to starboard, between the Scourge and the Hammer . A turn to port would be safer and keep them away from the Chaos wing too. The Commodore hoped that Admiral Bandini saw things the same way.
‘Lance hit on Murder 1, no damage.’
‘Bomber wing destroyed by Danae ’
So far it had all been long range sniping, now the main batteries would soon be in range and Destruction would be unleashed.
‘Confessor Malarchius, a Hymn of Victory please, broadcast on all channels’
**********
Now was the crisis, if his wing would weather the storm of fire, they would be on a disengagement vector and could escape, or re-engage at his choice. The initiative would be his. All he had to do was survive.
‘Infidels launching torpedoes’
‘Murder firing on Hammer , absorbed by shields’
‘ Hammer Bracing for Impact’
‘Murder firing on Hammer , shields down, hit on port stabilator.’
‘Acheron firing on Hammer , hit in engine room 6. Hammer crippled.’
‘Torpedoes intercepted by escorting fighters.’
‘ Salvation firing on Hammer , no effect.’
‘ Esau firing on Danae , shields down.’
‘ Esau launching torpedoes’ Again good news. Torpedoes were bad, but it looked as though the Esau had no more bombers to launch and few or none would be returning form the earlier strikes.
‘Torpedoes attacking Hammer , two hits. Fire on the port gundeck!!’
‘Bombers attacking Hammer , six hits, bridge destroyed.’
‘Commodore!!, Hammer has gone off line!!’
On his tactical display Commodore M’Dhu watched the tactical symbol change from yellow to red. Such a small thing, but in that time the Hammer of Faith changed from a capital ship in the service of the Ever-living Emperor to a blazing hulk, filled with thousands of dead, dying, and those about to die. His home and command for the last twelve years gone. In circumstances such as these there would be no need for escape pods, there was nowhere to escape to. If there were to be any survivors, it would be best for them to remain on board and ride the hulk out of the battle and hope that whatever damage control remained could control the fires before they got to the magazines or the plasma containment fields. After the battle they might be rescued, or drift until they cooked or their air ran out. If you wanted to live forever, you certainly didn’t join the Imperial Navy.
‘Bombers attacking Danae , squadrons destroyed.’
‘Bombers attacking Danae , three hits, Danae crippled.’
It was bad enough but it could be worse. The Hammer was a blazing hulk, but it had absorbed the concentrated fire of almost all the enemy and all their bombers and torpedoes were gone for the moment. Now was the time to begin the Retribution.
‘Three quarter ahead.’
‘7 to port, down 5, keep the Hammer at 5,000 to port.’ The Hammer might be gone, but even in death it could still serve. The debris and venting gasses would cover the Scourge’s port flank from most of the Chaos fire. Who would they target if unable to hit the Scourge ?
‘Full power to the weapons batteries.’
‘Over-charge the plasma chambers.’
‘Direct all metriculators and logic engines to the weapons batteries. Fire as you bear.’
Then there was a moment of silence before the ship shuddered to the concentrated fire of massed macro-cannon and plasma batteries. The guns might be short ranged, but the Scourge of Heresy packed the same broadside power as a battleship.
Down on the gundecks it was like a scene from the Eye. The spaces were close and dark, illuminated only by red emergency lights. All available power was diverted to the reaction chambers. The gun crews looked like ghastly monsters, wearing their air hoods and flash aprons. The macro-cannon crews heaved on the traversing levers to engage the metriculator pawls. More men dragged on the chain-hoist to bring the projectile up to the loader. The loading crews frantically pumped the hydraulic reservoir and ran the treadwheel. The loader swung forward and forced the shell into the breach. The lanyard man followed the breech as it swung closed with an almost deafening clang and grabbed the firing lever. The gun captain activated the ready light and waited.
‘FIRE!!!’
Bolts of super-hot plasma and huge macro-shells hurtled off toward targets almost invisible, from guns guided by the metriculators.
Far away, to port, there was a flash as an Infidel raider was converted to an expanding ball of fire and death. Only the range-finder could see it, but he cheered
‘For the Emperor.’ The cheer was caught up by the gun crew and echoed from one end of the gundeck to the other.
‘For the Emperor.’
‘For the EMPEROR.’
‘FOR THE EMPEROR!!!.’
A few veterans added ‘For the Hammer.’ too.
To starboard, the prow of the Esau was hit many times and it’s shields knocked down. Under cover of the distraction, the Danae got a lance shot home against the unprotected port launch bays.
It was not much, but it was a beginning.
**********
Things were now getting personal. The Traitor Bandini’s flagship was about to try and engage the Scourge , but he had a problem. If he turned to bring his batteries to bear, he was in danger of being raked bow and stern. If he turned to starboard, in addition, he would be heading alone into the heart of the Chaos wing, may he take many with him before he died.
‘ Murders altering course, 30 port , down 10.’
That would take then across his own stern, but in a position to rake the Salvation and engage the Esau with the opposite battery.
‘Infidel firing torpedoes’
‘Acheron firing on Hammer !!’
It was typical, firing on a defenseless hulk in the hope of exploding its plasma reactors. The resulting catastrophic explosion could cripple every vessel within 15,000.
‘Fires out!!! It’s a miracle.!!!’ Whatever had happened, miracle or not, the effect of the firing was to extinguish the majority of fires aboard the hulk of the Hammer . The fuels must have been destroyed or the spaces opened further to the emptiness of space. Indeed, the Emperor did provide.
‘Infidel firing. No damage.’
‘ Salvation firing on Acheron. Acheron Braced, Shields down, no damage.’
Commodore M’Dhu returned his full attention to the tactical display. He needed to make the right counter to Admiral Bandini’s action. To be effective he really needed to act before Bandini.
Those unfamiliar to space battles imagined them to be fast moving actions, ships rushing everywhere, guns firing left and right, like insects or birds fighting in flight. This was very far from the truth. Space was vast, even he, who had spent early all his life in the service, had no real grasp of its vastness. Ships were fast, but not that fast. Fighting is space was more like fighting from ice floes drifting in a river. Every move had to be planned in advance and once started, could not easily be deflected.
Bandini was coming on, his velocity was increasing. He was going to ram!!!
‘Connect me with the Captain.’ It was done.
‘Captain Vindire, a Traitor cruiser is going for a bow ram, it will then pass down the starboard side and may attempt to board. I am going to open the blast doors on the starboard gun deck. The crews on that gun deck have been reinforced. As soon as the enemy passes alongside, I am going to transfer power to the air shield on the starboard side and activate the grappling clamps. I am relying on you not only to defend the gundeck, but I expect you to counter-board. Kill his gun crew, wreck his armament, and disable his grappling clamps. You will have fifteen minutes. Anyone not back on board by then is staying with the enemy.’
‘I will not fail you Commodore.’ No, having spent all the action so far in a Chapel, Captain Vindire had two choices, succeed, or die heroically in the attempt. Anything else would be the end of both him and his career and possibly his family too.
‘Open the blast doors on the starboard gundeck and gallery.’
‘Shut the doors on the transfer tubes.’
‘You heard my plan Mr Grau?’
‘Yes Sir,’ replied the First Officer.
‘Very well, prepare to carry it out’.
‘Confessor Malarchius, connect me with the starboard Inspiration circuits’
‘Men, this is Commodore M’Dhu. The Captain is on the starboard gundeck. The enemy is going to try and ram and board us. But we are ready for him. We have taken the best that the can throw at us, and we are still here. Now’s your chance to pay them back. No Quarter! Blessings of the Emperor’
The Commodore cut off the circuit. It must have been his imagination, but he thought the he heard the cry
‘FOR THE EMPEROR!’
That was hardly possible all the way from the gundecks and through all the blast doors.
‘Sound the Collision Alarm, but do not brace for impact.’
Now all he could do was wait; The tension in the battle bridge was almost thick enough to knit a prayer shawl out of. This crew had never been in action before. They had their fears and doubts. It was his job to lead them.
He returned his gaze to the forward opticons. The Salvation looked like palace in space, huge and irresistible. Bearing down like the end of the world.
‘Helmsman, I want port one and up a half, on my command.’
‘Aye aye Sir’
He had to time this just right. Many captains would rely on the thick banded adamantium of their prow armor. The trouble with that was a completely head on ram put everything in the hands of the Emperor. Commodore M’Dhu preferred to help Him out whenever possible. The right course correction at the right time and he would ensure that it was the starboard side that was engaged.
‘Now helmsman, if you please.’ The calmness in his voice hiding his own fears. Fear of failure. Dereliction of Duty.
The course change was imperceptible because it had been so soon before the collision, but it was enough. The Scourge made a violent lurch to port, and even at the great distance, Commodore M’Dhu could feel the Salvation as it ground along the starboard side.
‘Number one starboard defense turret destroyed.’
‘Starboard gundeck power conduit disrupted. Guns off-line.’
‘Hull breach in sections 24 through 32.’
The Damage Control officer mobilized his forces and started the repairs underway. When cruisers met bow to bow, anything might happen. Things were better than he expected.
‘Dammit, they’ve scraped the gilding off the bow. We’ll make ‘em pay for it.’ A nervous laugh broke out among the bridge crew. It was not that humorous, but it did break the tension. For a moment their fears were gone. They had action to occupy them.’
**********
Down on the starboard gundeck the men were ready. They had been thrown from their feet by the collision, but they had been prepared for that. It was impossible to see the full length of the deck because of the slight flare in the ship’s hull, but it was almost packed with men. In the center was Captain Vindire with his armored bodyguard and further toward the bow was the Second Lieutenant with his guards. Captain M’Lee and a large force of Storm Troops held the stern third of the deck. All around them were Engineers with boarding pikes and gun crews armed with training bars and loading chains. They had doffed their air hoods for better mobility, assured that the air shield would be activated. As a final reserve was Rune-Priest Argentum, a squad of Tech-Priests and a company of combat servitors. At his suggestion, the Captain had ordered the access hatches undogged. There was no reason for the ship to be damaged unnecessarily. They all heard as the grappling clamps were activated, and a few could see the pale violet glow that indicated that the air shield was functional. Otherwise, when the boarders blew through the side, the whole gundeck would be open to space. If the boarders were expecting a demoralized and unprepared crew, they were going to be very surprised indeed.
There were a series of thuds along the gundeck as the access hatches were blown inward and out of the smoke, broadcasting their cries at full power, came the Traitor Storm Troops. The Second Officer, who had armed himself with a boarding pike as well as his power sword and plasma pistol, thrust the head of the pike into the chest of the Sergeant leading the nearest Storm Squad. The shaped explosive head detonated punching straight through both the front and back of his armor, and that of the man behind too, and with the cry of ‘Scourge the Heretics’ he threw the now useless pike at the feet of the boarders, drew his sword and pistol and leapt into the melee.
‘SCOURGE THE HERETICS’ and ‘HAMMER THE FAITHLESS’ echoed up and down the gundeck as battle was joined.
The initial rush carried the boarders onto the gundeck where they fell among the gun crews. They were better armed, better armored and better trained. But for every two or three they cut down, one of the boarders had his head stove in by a training bar or his legs broken by a loading chain or was borne down by weight of numbers. The attack was held within a minute or two.
Captain Vindire knew that it was time. Now was his chance for glory, his chance to prove once and for all that the rumors behind his back were false. Activating his Refractor field and drawing his power axe, screaming
FOR THE EMPEROR
at the top of his lungs he lead his men into the heart of the enemy.
Such was his fury that none could stand. A Storm Trooper office tried to parry his blow, but was cut from shoulder to crotch. With his back-swing the beak smashed the skull of another Traitor. With the simultaneous hammer blows of the counter attack the enemy boarders were mostly cut down in the first seconds. Some, more sensible or cowardly, tried to make their way back to the Salvation . Few of them made it, and they were followed by a raging horde who burst into their gundeck. There the gun crews were unprepared. Encumbered by their gear and air hoods, they were almost helpless. Their blood covered the deck. and bulkheads and their precious guns. The Scourges hacked and chopped and smashed and burned. Behind them the Engineers and Tech-Priests placed their demolition charges.
Through the clamor of the fight could be heard the Scourge’s Attack Alarm. The officers and midshipmen sounded the recall signal and the majority of the boarders fell back. Some lost in the fury of combat pressed on, hacking away until they were cut down or the charges exploded and killed them and their opponents. Quickly they made their way back to their own ship. Very few were lost to the void as the two ships drifted apart. They got little rest. The gunnery signal was sounded and they heard the hum and whir as the power was restored to the battery. The gun captains and midshipmen marshaled the gun crews back into order. Dazed Storm Troops were pressed to take the place of the fallen, none could refuse when Captain Vindire himself grabbed a training bar and submitted to the lash of the gun captain. Of course in his case it was all symbolic, the lash could hardly be felt through his armor, but in circumstance like this symbolism was everything. The Scourges were victorious, the enemy would pay.
**********
‘Enemy boarders repelled.’
‘Hull breaches sealed.’
‘Starboard battery on-line.’
‘Starboard air shield holding’
’15 starboard and 5 down helmsman.’
‘Starboard battery, rake them as they run.’
This time the order was unnecessary. The starboard broadside was more ragged than Commodore M’Dhu would have liked, but allowance had to be made for poor training and combat casualties. He could not complain about its effectiveness as shot after shot plowed into the aft end of the enemy’s gundeck and his engine rooms and drive tubes.
‘ Salvation shields down. Five hits. Starboard battery on fire.’
In a single massive blow, the Salvation had been crippled. It was a great feat to cripple an identical vessel in single action with one broadside.
‘ Danae and Dragon engaging Aaron . Shields down.
The same turn that had exposed the Salvation’s stern also opened an arc to the Acheron from the port battery.
‘ Four hits on Acheron, damage to prow turrets.’ Again Commodore M’Dhu was frustrated by fate. He had damaged the Salvation badly, but had failed to do nearly anything to a defenseless enemy. Four hits should have crippled it too.
Still, he had a lot to be thankful for.
**********
‘Acheron holding course.’
‘Murders bracketing Esau ’ Given the current formation, the Murders would have two choices, fire point blank broadsides into the Esau or try for longer range shots at the Scourge’s stern. Nothing Chaos did was ever really predictable, but no rational commander would direct much fire his way, just a few parting shots from the unengaged batteries.
‘Infidel closing on stern’
‘Acheron firing on Dragon , shield down, two hits, battery off-line.’
‘Lances firing on Dragon , one hits, dorsal sensors damaged, Dragon crippled’
‘Acheron firing on Danae , shield down, one hit, damage to drive tubes.’ The Danae had been hit hard earlier, it could not take much more damage.
‘Infidel firing, absorbed by shields.’
‘Murder 1 firing on Salvation , two hits, Salvation destroyed!!’
‘Murder 1 firing on Esau , shields down, hit on port battery.’
‘Murder 2 firing on Esau , one hit on starboard launch bays.’
‘ Esau firing on Infidel. Infidel destroyed!’
‘ Esau firing on Murder 1, shields down, two hits, fire in prow!’
‘ Aaron firing on Murder 2, shields down, one hit, ventral sensor array damaged.’
All of this fighting was taking place astern, and getting further away every minute. The only obstacle to escape was the Acheron ahead. It was a lucky ship, it seemed, protected by some strange power. Well whatever it was, it was going to have to work overtime.
‘ Danae and Dragon resume station to starboard.’
‘All vessels engage Acheron.’
‘Confessor Malarchius, a prayer for Divine Intercession please.’
‘Direct all metriculators and logic engines to the batteries. Fire as we cross their stern.’
‘Starboard battery prepare!’
Commodore M’Dhu had cut it very fine indeed. His present course would take them past the stern of the Acheron at less than 3,000. At that range even untrained crews could hardly miss. The question was, what would they hit. Unimportant sensors and armor or vital engine tube and plasma reactors.
Down on the starboard gundeck, the officers and gun captains cleared things away with ruthless efficiency. The ratings were a strange bunch. In normal times they could be brought to tears by the death of a pet cat. In battle they turned into insensate savages. The dead were tossed out into the void, whether friend or foe, along with some of the most seriously injured. Debris was jettisoned or tossed into the transfer tubes. The wounded were dragged away, not so much for treatment, but so as their blood would not cause the gun crew to slip and lose their timing. The crews lived for the guns. They died for the guns. They were not going to miss a chance to have the enemy die for the guns too.
As the Scourge crossed the Acheron’s stern a ripple of fire passed down the starboard gundeck, a few guns, obviously crewed by Hammers, managed to get off two shots. The first blasts were dissipated harmlessly by the shields, but they could not withstand the battering for long and collapsed with a violet glow, visible to the whole gundeck at such short range. Shot after shot crashed into the drive tubes and engine decks, the aft weapons turrets were practically blasted off the ship, small fires broke out everywhere. The Acheron had been hit and hit hard.
‘Firing on Acheron, Acheron braced, shields down, five hits, damage to port thrusters, damage to starboard thrusters. Acheron crippled. ACHERON CRIPPLED’
‘I heard you the first time Mr. Haarkon.’
‘Storm Troops, prepare for teleport attack’
‘ Danae firing lance on Acheron, one hit!’
‘ Dragon firing torpedoes on Acheron, two hits, starboard battery damaged.’
‘Launch Storm Troops.’ There was a faint flicker in the lighting as the power was drawn off for the teleporters. With their shields down, the Acheron was helpless to prevent the attack. The best they could do was contain the damage inflicted by parties of fifty well armed and armored Storm Troops as the materialized in their midst. A few minutes later, the light flickered again as the hit and run attackers were retrieved. It would be hard to determine the exact damage inflicted, but combined with the torrent of fire, there could be noting less than total confusion aboard the Acheron.
Now there was nothing between his wing and escape. The Traitors had failed in their plan. With a slight change of course he could ensure one more salvo at the wreck of the Acheron, whoever came to find it would discover only a drifting hulk.
Too many men had died for Commodore M’Dhu to be pleased, but he was proud of the way his wing had fought. He was even proud of the way the Scourge had reacted. They had crippled both enemy flagships. The light cruisers had performed well, destroying the Traitor escorts and helping finish off the Acheron. Commodore M’Dhu brought the port opticon display to his lectern. There, to port, in formation, was the Hammer , leaving a trail of debris, small fires burning along her length the tomb to thousands of her crew. It was a small battle as fighting went, but saving the hulk of the Hammer made it a glorious victory to him.
‘Confessor Malarchius, a prayer for the Dead please.’
‘I want a full Service of Victory after the mid-watch meal’
‘Praise to the Emperor, we are Victorious’
