Re: Dawn - Bulldog arrives
2409.7
Nekkar III
Corporate Headquarters...
The monthly meeting for the status of the empire revealed that three systems – Haphik, Samora and Ushphada were in need of medical lab upgrades for their respective systems. Seven planetary governors had filed a request for upgrading their climate control facilities. Even the Phong members of the empire were starting to get into the politics of Dawn with their own request – the governor of Zezzis I humbly asked for upgrades to his five radioactive extraction facilities. Some upgrades deemed critical were already in progress – the urban pacification center on Zezzis IV was an example of that. The Zezzis system would soon have a level eight UPC. The current UPC was instrumental in getting the Phong to accept the empire as theirs, and hopefully the Sergetti miners on Zezzis VI would be quick to do so as well.
Mentocka system
onboard CDS Bulldog...
Commander O’Rouke was impressed with the new frigates. The new weapon upgrades had made them extremely effective. Their concept was still the same – trade armor for speed and firepower – but now the firepower didn’t need “reloading”, couldn’t be “shot down” by point defense, and was twice as fast to fire. Two or three frigates, operating together, now were as formidable as any ship class known.
The only real weakness of the frigate now was that if it was alone against multiple targets. With no armor, any loss of speed would be fatal. Commander O’Rourke remembered that lesson when she and Admiral (then Captain) Harrison and her engaged in a one-on-one combat simulation between their old England II class frigates. It would be difficult to remember that now she had a ship with the opposite philosophy. Massive shielding and armor protected the cruiser but the speed and quickness was gone. Commander O’Rourke now wielded a battering ram of a ship. Still, the lessons learned from earlier days could be useful...
Sam Chase was at the sensor panel, and he knew exactly what he was looking at, although the computer confirmed it for him.
“Commander, I have a contact. Range is approximately 320,000km. Contact is an Hoised class destroyer. Contact is maintaining that range.”
Commander O’Rourke thought for a moment. The Abbidon fleet had just been mauled, and this destroyer was probably looking for it. It had surely seen them, but probably thought it was confronting a freighter. After all, no one had seen a warship this size before, had they?
“Sensors, any other contacts?”
“Negative ma’am, only the destroyer.”
O’Rourke made a decision. She wouldn’t run down the destroyer. She wouldn’t have to.
“Comm, signal Mentocka VII. Advise them we have an Abbidon destroyer contacted and request an escort. Helm, make your heading 217, speed at one-quarter.”
Heads almost turned, but the orders were confirmed and carried out.
“Commander, Cardiff and Northampton signal they are en route.”
“Thank you, comm. Helm...”
Sam Chase interrupted her.
“Commander! Contact aspect is changing. He’s headed for us. His speed is now fifteen km/sec.”
O’Rourke smiled. “Helm, limp just a bit faster. We’re trying to run away.”
The Abbidon destroyer captain was in a hurry to pick off the freighter before her escorts showed up. Back on Bulldog, Chase counted the range down.
“Target now 90km and closing.”
Weapons then joined in.
“Target is in range, commander.”
“Understood weapons, hold fire. Helm, give me the smallest speed increase you can. Mr. Chase, range please?”
“Range now 78km, commander. Speed still fifteen km/sec.”
“Hold fire, weapons...Mr. Chase...?”
“Range now 65km...”
“60km...”
“50km...Commander, contact has fired! Speed is slowing to thirteen km/sec.”
Commander O'Rourke heard what she had been waiting for.
“All weapons, open fire.”
It was quiet, she would remember. On West End, when the missiles left the tubes, there would always be a slight shudder throughout the ship. She had expected some kind of feedback that five weapons had fired, but there was absolutely nothing. She was tempted to repeat her order, thinking it hadn’t been carried out. Sam Chase proved to her it had been.
“Target hit! Armor is down to eight percent.”
While they did fire faster than the missiles, the anti-proton beams did require time to recharge. During that time, Bulldog’s shields absorbed the enemy fire. Bulldog fired again...
Later, Cardiff and Northampton assumed formation on Bulldog. When queried on their status O’Rourke replied they were just fine. When the three ships left the sector, the destroyer’s debris field had already dispersed...
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