Pride's Prize - Part VI
Lieutenant Syat was the pilot of an imperial NTB-640. Now that the majority of the frigate-modules of the Yirrho was destroyed Syat's Vulcan-squadron had been ordered to assist the "Defender of Tepasi" in her fight against the Yirrho-destroyer. Accelerating towards the place, where the two large ships were fighting each other, the imperial pilots made last preperations for their attack-run. During the battle they had learned the hard way, that the sides of the Yirrho-ships were bristeling with point-defense-cannons, while at the bow and at the stern of the cylindrical ships the concentration of light cannons was lower.
"No surprise." Lieutenant Syat said to Lieutenant Demmings, his weapons-officer who was sitting behind him. "Of course we have to fly in front of those superheavy cannons or into the thruster-exhaust to evade the enemies point-defenses." Briefly he wondered, if the former position of the leading officer of Vulcan-Squadron as a TIE-pilot had something to do with Captain Dresks attack-plan. The shields of their bombers should be strong enough to resist the megaton-firepower of capital ship-point-defenses, but for the unshielded TIE-fighters, which escorted the bombers the situation was totally different.
TIEs had their speed and manouverability for their protection. But they couldn't exploit their speed-advantage as long as they had to escort the much slower bombers and manouverability had little place in an attack-dive.
Syat looked out at the "Defender of Tepasi" and the Yirrho-destroyer exchaning broadsides of heavy turbolaser-fire. Compared to the energies released with each shot in those salvos, fire from point-defense-cannons was insignificant. Insignificant, but still lethal for a fighter-craft. Or a bomber, if the enemy-gunners were good.
"Vulcans, ready for attack." came Captain Dresks voice over helmet-com. The gunners and pilots of the bombers adjusted their targeting-computers for a fight against a Yirrho-destroyer, using data collected earlier in the battle and extrapolating observations and sensor-readings made against smaller Yirrho-vessels onto a destroyer: weak spots, sensitive locations like weapons-placements, sensors and communications-equipment, areas of shield-interferences and so on. Aside from that each bomber got a number of special targets to attack. Finally the individual bombers sent their confirmation to their leading bomber.
"Vulcan-2, ready."
"Three, ready."
One after the other the pilots of Vulcan-squadron confirmed to be ready. Syat was the tenth to report.
"Vulcan-11, ready."
"Vulcan-12, ready."
"Confirmation, Vulcan-Squadron ready for attack." stated Dresk, who piloted Vulcan-1. "Squadrons Onyx, Saber and WhiteDeath are also in position. Execute."
From different angles the four squadrons of naval bombers started to accelerate towards the large cylinder of the enemy-warship with the Vulcans targeting the bow, Onyx-squadron heading for the stern and the other two squadrons attacking the dorsal and ventral side of the Yirrho-destroyer, that was facing away from the "Defender". And while the non-humans aboard the large warship were concentrating against the Bellator, they weren't ignorant of the danger coming from elsewhere. A hail of fire from point-defense-cannons erupted against the NTB-640s, forcing the pilots of the large bombers to twist their craft to the sides or put them into rotation, while their gunners, who controlled the offensive and defensive capabilities of the bombers put all available energy into the forward-shields.
The escorting TIE-fighters didn't have that luxury and despite all the twisting and manouvering they were able to perform the defense-fire of the Yirrho was accurate enough to pick a lot of them out of space. It wasn't a pretty sight, hit by petajoule strong laserblasts the unshielded fighters were almost always completely vaporized.
The small crew of Vulcan-10 tried to ignore the losses. Those were part of the business and if the men piloting the TIEs shouldn't have died in vain, they better concentrated on their job.
"Target-point aquired." informed Captain Dresk his pilots. Syat could hear Demmings shifting in his seat. "Transmitting telemetry." Unnatural silence seemed to fill the cockpit. "Transmission complete. Fire." Lieutenant Syat knew, that his weapons-officer would now press a button, which would cause the mass-drivers of the NTB-640 to unleach its lethal cargo.
"Lets get out of here." Demmings remarked dryly.
Already put on an impressive speed by the mass-drivers the launched missiles activated their own drive-system, adding their own impressive acceleration to the initial burst they had recieved. Their cold start allowed them to get away undetected from the bombers, that had delivered them and when the Yirrho manning the sensors and point-defense-stations of their target detected their presence they had already covered most of the distance and reached their attack-speed.
Twenty-four missiles, each armed with a warhead with enough destructice energy to completely obliterate a small town impacted against the shields of the Yirrho-destroyer in a single point. The micro-second it took them to detonate worked as force-multiplier and unlike a direct-energy-transfer-weapon their energy wasn't redirected by the shields or absorbed into the heat-sinks of the neutronium-cladded armor. Through the shields the impact was transmitted to the shield-projectors and their foundations inside the hull.
Immediately the fire on this side of the capital ship increased dramatically.
"Pull it up, pull it up." screamed Demmings.
That was something Syat didn't needed to be told twice. With full power directed to its engines the large bomber tried to get away from the Yirrho-destroyer. It barely succeded, but got hit by one of the petajoule-strong energy-blasts. For several seconds the NTB-640 tumbled through space until its pilot got it back under control.
"Blast, that was close." cursed Syat. "Can somebody tell me, what just happened?"
"Don't tell me you don't know the standard-reaction in case of a shield-failure." admonished Demmings, who had already calmed down. "You rotate ship and direct all available energy into your cannons and hope to hit the little critters before they manage to exploit the opening."
"I know the standard reaction." Syat bite back. "But have you seen the amount of fire the Yirrho were putting out? Not to mention the speed with what they re-directed their energy."
"The energy is easily available from the shield, but you're right about the speed." the weapons-officer admitted. "No organic being would be able to react that quickly and no kind of droid that i know."
The discussion between the pilot of Vulcan-10 and his weapons-officer was interrupted by their squadron-commander, who ordered them to get back in formation with the other bombers.
"As if we need extra orders to do that." Demmings complained.
"Maybe some kind of combat-predictor." speculated Syat. "A few lecturers at the academy were speculating about the possibility of developing such a device."
"You said it. Speculating, nothing more. We don't have such a device and the Yirrho don't have one, too."
"But their advanced technology ... ."
"Wouldn't matter. Some things are destined to stay science-fiction." Lieutenant Demmings stated convienced.
"But if it is not an artificial device ... ." the pilot continued.
"Don't." stated his comrade and friend. Both men were old enough to remember the clone-wars. "Such ideas only get you unwanted attention and visits from ... here we are."
In front of them the survivors of the four squadrons had assembled. A quick count by Syat revealed, that only thirty bombers of the original fourty-eight were left.
"Eighteen destroyed." the pilot muttered. He should have expected losses like that considering all he had seen and learned since the beginning of the battle, but Syat realized that all his experiences and training hadn't prepared him mentally for that. A bomber was a large, unmanouverable craft if compared to a fighter, but it was still too fast and agile for the heavy and massive weapons of a capital ship and its powerful shields should protect it against the firepower of the smaller cannons, that were able to target it.
"Could have been nineteen." Demmings stated. "In case you haven't noticed, they hit us with that last salvo. The last two of five shots. A third one would have killed us."
"Fortunately we were protected by shields."
"Enjoy them as long as ... ." the weapons-officer was interrupted by Captain Dresk, who ordered another attack-run, this time by all thirty bombers concentrating on one spot.
"I suggest you direct all available power into forward shields. Even those of the aft-shields." suggested Syat. "If we're concentrating our attack on one spot other parts of the Yirrho-destroyer aren't under pressure."
"And can afford to support the attacked section with power. We have seen what happens then during our last attack. Is Dresk crazy or what?"
"Crazy or not, he is our captain and we have to follow his orders." Syat accelerated the heavy NTB-640-bomber back to the Yirrho-destroyer. Several seconds passed. "A few moments prior you said "enjoy them". What did you mean by that?" the pilot asked.
"The shields." Demmings answered. "To improve standardisation of our fighter-wings, not to mention cost-efficency the good old NTB-640s are going to be phased out in favour of a new bomber. At least according to a friend of mine on Coruscant."
"How does this improve standardisation and why shall i say good-bye to shields?"
"Sometimes you're really slow Syat. Standardisation and cost-efficency."
"You mean ... ?"
"Yes, i mean."
"Kriff." Then. "They can't be serious about that. Bombers are no fighters. Each of us costs the empire a half million credits and with the losses to be expected ... ."
"Somebody made a similar calculation and came to a different result. With the galaxy largely under control campaigns like this will be a thing of the past and the majority of the starfleet will change from a combat-role to a pacification- and patrol-force. So no large battles, nobody able to challenge us and no heavy losses. Ergo no need for expansive and maintainance-heavy bombers."
"The implaccable logic of the accountants from our logistical branch." Syat commented. "Let me guess our future tin-cans delivered by SienarFleetSystems will not only be shieldless, but also a one-does-it-all design for planetary and naval bombardements."
"Very likely." Demmings agreed.
"Well, in that case ... WATCH OUT, hostiles from the side." the pilot cried out. Their bomber passed the crossing-point with the course of the Yirrho-fighters, which quickly turned around to follow them. Syat pulled their bomber through a number of erratic manouvers without abandoning the general direction towards their target. The Lieutenant (and his superiors agreed on that) considered himself to be an excellent pilot, able to fly combat-missions half-asleep or making conversation with his weapons-officer, while executing a coordinated attack and being persecuted by enemy-fighters.
"No energy for rear-shields with that capital-ship-fire." his weapons-officer stated. "I'll try to keep them at a distance with our tail-cannon. Low-powered shots, that won't hurt, but a lot of them."
"Bombers, stay on course. Help is on the way." Captain Dresk used the moment to announce, that he was still with them.
"How comforting." Syat muttered. "Demmings, how long until we can deliver our torpedos?"
"Just a few seconds more." to the side they could see another bomber of their squadron exploding. "Blast, i can't keep them away. If they get any closer, i HAVE to redirect energy to the rear-shields."
"Not an option." muttered Syat. In front of them the cylinder-shape of the Yirrho-destroyer became larger and larger. Needle-thin lines of laser-fire turned into wide beams and small dots of explosions grew into lethal flowers of fire and light. The huge ship of the non-humans was turning its bow towards the "Defender of Tepasi", trying to get the imperial destroyer-killer before its super-heavy bow-cannons and at the same time reducing the surface facing the dagger-shaped ship.
The bomber-pilot realized, what the Yirrho intended. With the need to shield a much smaller surface against the weapons-fire of the "Defender" they got more energy for their side-shields and point-defense-cannons, what would make it more difficult for the imperial bombers. But it also meant, that the Yirrho were taking them seriously, Syat thought with a grim smile. Suddenly the growing wall of point-defense-fire in front of him lost its terror. And when his tactical computer announced the presence of the Imperial TIE-fighters with a screaming sound he almost cheered.
"Our fighters are here." Demmings had a talent to state the obvious. The weapons-officer turned back to the controls of their missile-launchers, but kept an eye on the events behind them. "Launching torpedos in ten seconds."
Looking at the screen, that displayed their rear Lieutenant Demmings realized, that the TIEs had managed to draw two of the three enemy-fighters away, but one Yirrho was still behind them. He set their rear-cannon on autofire.
"Six, five ... ." Demmings couldn't say four, because a flash appeared on the screen. "Incoming missile. Launching torpedos now. Syat, get us out of here."
While the NTB-640 accelerated upwards, the two heavy torpedos were launched three seconds too early. Not a lot of time, but for the point-defense-cannons of the Yirrho it was enough to track and shoot them down, while the bomber of Syat and Demmings tried to get away from the fire of the Yirrho-destroyer and the missile behind them.
"Demmings, have we shaken that missile off?" Dresk is going to kill us. Syat thought. It was a small consolation, that the rest of the imperial bombers had obviously been able to launch their torpedos at the right point of time. Below them the Yirrho-destroyer was engulfed in a quick expanding ball and the fire of its point-defense-cannons dropped down considerably.
"Negative, it is still on our tail. Directing energy into rear-shields. Brace for impact."
Realizing it was impossible to escape the Yirrho-torpedo Syat closed his eyes and prepared for the inevitable. The missile hit and the large bomber was shaken through. Tumbling through space Syat dared to open his eyes once the shaking subsided.
"We're still here." he said.
"Obviously." commented Demmings with a small laugh. "How is our status?"
"Helm and thrusters are down. What about weapons?"
"Lasers are off-line and shields are down. Sensors ... ." Demmings hesitated. "There is another missile incoming."
The NTB-640-bomber of Vulcan-squadron with the call-sign "Vulcan-Ten" vanished in an explosion.
Its pilot, Lieutenant Syat, and its weapons-officer, Lieutenant Demmings were dead, before they could witness how the Yirrho-destroyer they had tried to attack rotated around his axis to get his now shield-less side away from the remaining imperial fighters and bombers. They were also unable to see how the "Herald of Anaxes" came to the support of the "Defender of Tepasi".
---
It had been the approach of the second Bellator-Class Star Destroyer, that had forced the Yirrho to end their fight against the "Defender" quickly, but fate wasn't on their side this day. Working together the two Imperial Star Destroyers managed to destroy the Yirrho-warship completely and then they moved towards the ISDs and Acclamators, that were still fighting their opponents. The "Paladin of Kuat" was already there and together the Imperial warships had little difficulties to take out the remaining Yirrho-vessels.
Within five minutes it was all over.
