Hive: Battle at the Dog Star

HIVE:

Battle at the Dog Star

HIVE:

Battle at the Dog Star

By James D. King

Cover art by Mat Sadler

© 2016, James D. King

All rights reserved. Published in the United States of America. No part of this book may be used or reproduced in any manner whatsoever without written permission except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical articles and reviews. For information address aois21 publishing, LLC, P.O. Box 129, Mount Vernon, VA 22121.

ISBN: 978-1-941771-12-9

Chapter 1

It was late on the fourth day of the battle when the experimental missile ship Hot Spur was called forward from the reserve force. The Spur’s twelve-person crew were apprehensive. From monitoring fleet damage reports they knew that Admiral Komura was running out of operational units and was committing the last of the reserves. That meant the situation was desperate and the Hive fleet was winning.

This battle had become an all-or-nothing fight to the end. The Fifth Imperial Fleet was the only unified force that stood between the Hive and the Empire of Earth. If the Hive were successful here, all humanity was in danger. There could be no retreat.

When the message to advance was received, Lieutenant-Captain Simba Latrobe felt a surge of excitement as he went to his chair at the command console. Speaking to his executive officer at the next console, he said, Lieutenant Bandeen, light the boilers, full steam ahead. We ride to the sound of the cannons.

Aye, aye on the mixed metaphor, Captain, Harvey Bandeen said as he laughed nervously. Everyone aboard the Hot Spur knew of Latrobe’s love of ancient battle lore. From conversations with Latrobe, the crew had learned that as far back as the French Foreign Legion, every generation of Latrobe had a member serving in the military. Simba was of mixed European and African lineage and was proud to be from a long line of military men.

Before the Hot Spur made the light-speed jump, Captain Latrobe took a minute to address the crew. "We have been called forward. As you have heard, the fleet has been taking a beating. We are going to even up the odds and make a difference. The Hot Spur is fast and its weapons powerful. This is what we have trained for. I have complete confidence in this ship and in you. Stand by for a short light jump to the battle zone. Good luck to us all."

Chapter 2

Lieutenant Bandeen punched in the coordinates and the faster-than-light drive generator energized. A kaleidoscope of colors ran through the ship until a popping sound was felt more than heard, indicating that they were in para-dimensional space. Things returned to normal for three seconds until a second popping occurred, and the mixed rainbow of colors again flashed through the internal structure of the Hot Spur as the dimensional drive generator wound down.

The small ship appeared at its assigned location in the rear battle area. Now that they were in the operational zone, the tactical display transmitted by the flagship could be received. The holographic display that projected from the overhead into the middle of the bridge flickered on and stabilized. Simba looked into the column-shaped projection and could see the red dots representing the enemy and the blue dots of the Imperial Fleet. He tapped into his console and ran the time sequence back to the beginning of the battle and then forward at high speed. He watched as the red dots, with what seemed to be planned deliberation, began to bend around the blue dots. Simba recognized it as a classic envelopment maneuver. If nothing was done soon, the Hive would have the Imperial Fleet in a fatal trap. Only a fool would allow himself to be maneuvered into such a position, Simba thought. He kept his observations private. It would not be good for the crew’s morale if they believed that Admiral Komura was a fool.

Latrobe tried to tell himself that it was not all Admiral Komura’s fault. The old officer was a late replacement for Fleet Admiral Sebastian Lamoreaux. Admiral Lamoreaux had been a brilliant strategist, more than equal to the Hive fleets he had defeated in the past. Four weeks ago, the lone scout ship transporting Lamoreaux to the Imperial Fleet’s assembly point near Sirius had disappeared. It was assumed that the scout ship’s FTL drive had malfunctioned or it had been attacked and destroyed by the Hive.

Simba called across the three meters that separated him from Chief Obie O’Brian at the communication console. "Obie, contact Fleet Com and advise that Hot Spur has arrived and is awaiting orders."

Yes, sir.

Lamastra, enter the current tactical display into the targeting computer and have it begin tracking the enemy’s movements.

Gunnery Tech Maria Lamastra replied from her console position beside Chief O’Brian. Yes, sir!

Obie looked over the top of the com console and spoke. Immediate reply from Fleet Com, Captain.

Read it.

"‘From Flagship Pomeranz to Hot Spur: Take independent action. Good hunting.’ It’s got Admiral Komura’s name at bottom. Obie looked worried as he peered across his console at his captain. That’s all it says."

Latrobe stared at O’Brian and said calmly, Chief, acknowledge receipt of the flagship’s message.

Lieutenant Bandeen burst out, My god, Captain, that’s not much to go on. What’ll we do?

Simba sat silently thinking. Obviously the old admiral had no idea how to use the strange new ship. It was not armed with high-powered laser cannons as were all the other ships in the fleet. The Hot Spur was small, agile, and twice as fast in normal space as any other Imperial vessel. It was built to deliver the eight high-energy missiles attached around the hull like a load of pipes. The Madison Mark XII missiles topped out at forty g's of acceleration. The high-speed force of the missile would do more damage upon impact than the small warhead it carried.

Admiral Komura’s ignorance was to the Hot Spur’s advantage. Instead of being thrown into the fray blindly to be misused, Simba could employ the ship in the way it had been designed for. It would be up to him to determine how to attack the enemy. A dozen ancient battles that he had studied ran through his head. Standing, he walked around the holographic battle display and looked into the three-dimensional cylindrical projection from every angle, rubbing his chin.

There’s really only one way to proceed, he muttered. "Use the Hot Spur’s speed and, as the horse cavalry used to do, attack from an unexpected quarter."

Simba spoke over his shoulder. Harvey, see the large red dot at the back of the Hive fleet? That’s our target. During the entire battle, that red blip has maintained its position at the rear. I believe it’s the Hive command ship. If we can take it out, the fleet still has a chance. We will attack from the rear and put as many missiles up its ass as we can.

Bandeen stared uncertainly at the projection, with its display of a multitude of colored dots. He nodded his head only once in response.

Lieutenant, this is what I want to do.

Simba pointed to the pulsing blue dot that represented the Hot Spur. Then he poked his finger into the projection, ignoring the tingling that the charged particles produced on his hand. Harvey watched as Latrobe’s finger made a sparkling arc through the ionized display from their current location toward the enemy fleet.

"We will skirt the edge of the Hive fleet and