ShadowArxxy - Omake - We Come Bearing Wonderful Headaches (Part 4)
Omake: We Come Bearing Wonderful Headaches, Part IV
---
System Defense Command, Hilton Head, Terra
“Incoming! Precentors, we have incoming jump signatures at the nadir jump point! Six incoming signatures -- one in the four hundred thousand ton range, two in the seven hundred thousand ton range, two in the seven hundred fifty thousand ton range, and one in the eight hundred twenty five thousand ton range!”
The Comstar adept manning the system defense console murmured a quick prayer to Blake. “Jumps completed, and we have positive warbook recognition on all six incoming WarShips. They are SLNS Mars, SLNS Darius, SLNS Nelson, SLNS Beowulf, SLNS Alexander, and SLNS Athena -- all Star League Defense Force ships known to have been among Kerensky’s exodus. Their IFF transponder signatures are in accordance, but have been changed from SLDF to Wolf’s Dragoons.”
“Wolf’s Dragoons? The mercenaries have WarShips?” The First Circuit was remotely ‘sitting in’ on the system defense, and Myndo Waverly’s tone was even more acidic than usual.
“This confirms certain long standing suspicions.” mused Precentor ROM out loud. “The Dragoons are connected to Kerensky.”
“Suspicions which you saw fit to hide from the First Circuit?!”
“Suspicions which we were unable to confirm being anything more than rumors and which were irrelevant to our actual work.”
“Enough bickering.” growled the Primus. “Given that none of the Com Guard reserves will be able to reach us in time, having any friendly WarShips available to meet these ‘Griffons’ in space is the only good news we’ve had in weeks. And six large SLDF WarShips should considerably overmatch the single Griffon WarShip seen at New Avalon.”
“Unless the Griffons have more WarShips in reserve, as they implied.”
“Obviously a bluff.” sneered Myndo. “A Periphery world couldn’t possibly support large-scale WarShip production. Two or three at the very most.”
“And yet a month ago we would have all agreed that a Periphery world couldn’t possibly have any WarShips.”
“That was YOUR failing!”
Tiepolo signed and turned his attention to the system defense console just as it began to chime with fresh jump signature warnings.
“Incoming!” The adept gasped. “Multiple jump signatures at danger-close separation; we will not be able to identify individual ships until they emerge. The...the collective tonnage is in the millions of tons.”
“The same tactic Kerensky used to take the jump point defenses.” pondered Tiepolo, his inner historian fascinated. “They don’t know if we have the SDS online.”
“Jumps completed....fifteen WarShips, all of unrecognized class.”
“FIFTEEN!?!??!”
“Six WarShips of seven hundred fifty thousand tons, six WarShips of one million tons, and three WarShips of two and a half million tons." reported the adept faithfully. "The large three are of two types, two of one and one of the other, while the two sets of six are of a single type each. Collar count is three hundred thirty -- fifty each on the 2.5-million ton classes, eighteen each on the million tonners, twelve each on the three-quarters. The DropShips are all of one hundred thousand tons, three different models identified, two of which are a broad match for the sensor data obtained from New Avalon. They are maneuvering out of the jump point at a base acceleration of two Gs.”
At least Myndo Waverly wasn't saying anything now, thought Tiepolo in despair.
----
Despite the gross mismatch in tonnage and firepower between his six ships and the fifteen which the Imperial Griffon Navy had brought to Terra, the Captain of the Athena was absolutely exultant. With the total lack of WarShips among the forces of the Inner Sphere, it had seemed that the entire naval Warrior contingent assigned to Wolf’s Dragoons was doomed to fade away without the slightest opportunity to earn even the last morsel of glory. But today, they would die as Clan Warriors should!
“Ah, Wolf’s Dragoons. We were wondering if you would answer Comstar’s call for aid. . . I suppose you couldn’t resist the prospect of an actual naval battle.” There was something deeply disturbing about the Griffon admiral’s tone and posture on the video screen. “Tell me, what brought Clan Wolf all the way back to Terra -- in Clan Widowmaker ships, no less? Little Nicky Kerensky forgot his binky, quiaff?”
Jaime and Joshua Wolf very nearly fell out of their command chairs. “What!?!?!?”
“I am Admiral Patricia McEvedy, of Griffon’s Roost and of Clan Wolverine. If you are Wolves, Widowmakers, or any other of Little Nicky's dezgra fools, we have a Trial of Annihilation to finish!”
“Neg!” Jaime Wolf surged to his feet. “Clan Widowmaker’s treachery against Clan Wolverine was uncovered, and Clan Widowmaker was subjected to a Trial of Absorption by Clan Wolf! There is no need for . . .”
“Clan Widowmaker’s treachery was known during the Trial of Annihilation, Wolf.” purred Admiral McEvedy with mock sweetness. “Your admission merely confirms how utterly dezgra your precious Kerensky was. But be good dogs and run! Crawl back to Strana Mechty and tell the Grand Council that Clan Wolverine waits for them on Terra, if they dare come!”
---
System Defense Command, Hilton Head, Terra
“Incoming! Precentors, we have incoming jump signatures at the nadir jump point! Six incoming signatures -- one in the four hundred thousand ton range, two in the seven hundred thousand ton range, two in the seven hundred fifty thousand ton range, and one in the eight hundred twenty five thousand ton range!”
The Comstar adept manning the system defense console murmured a quick prayer to Blake. “Jumps completed, and we have positive warbook recognition on all six incoming WarShips. They are SLNS Mars, SLNS Darius, SLNS Nelson, SLNS Beowulf, SLNS Alexander, and SLNS Athena -- all Star League Defense Force ships known to have been among Kerensky’s exodus. Their IFF transponder signatures are in accordance, but have been changed from SLDF to Wolf’s Dragoons.”
“Wolf’s Dragoons? The mercenaries have WarShips?” The First Circuit was remotely ‘sitting in’ on the system defense, and Myndo Waverly’s tone was even more acidic than usual.
“This confirms certain long standing suspicions.” mused Precentor ROM out loud. “The Dragoons are connected to Kerensky.”
“Suspicions which you saw fit to hide from the First Circuit?!”
“Suspicions which we were unable to confirm being anything more than rumors and which were irrelevant to our actual work.”
“Enough bickering.” growled the Primus. “Given that none of the Com Guard reserves will be able to reach us in time, having any friendly WarShips available to meet these ‘Griffons’ in space is the only good news we’ve had in weeks. And six large SLDF WarShips should considerably overmatch the single Griffon WarShip seen at New Avalon.”
“Unless the Griffons have more WarShips in reserve, as they implied.”
“Obviously a bluff.” sneered Myndo. “A Periphery world couldn’t possibly support large-scale WarShip production. Two or three at the very most.”
“And yet a month ago we would have all agreed that a Periphery world couldn’t possibly have any WarShips.”
“That was YOUR failing!”
Tiepolo signed and turned his attention to the system defense console just as it began to chime with fresh jump signature warnings.
“Incoming!” The adept gasped. “Multiple jump signatures at danger-close separation; we will not be able to identify individual ships until they emerge. The...the collective tonnage is in the millions of tons.”
“The same tactic Kerensky used to take the jump point defenses.” pondered Tiepolo, his inner historian fascinated. “They don’t know if we have the SDS online.”
“Jumps completed....fifteen WarShips, all of unrecognized class.”
“FIFTEEN!?!??!”
“Six WarShips of seven hundred fifty thousand tons, six WarShips of one million tons, and three WarShips of two and a half million tons." reported the adept faithfully. "The large three are of two types, two of one and one of the other, while the two sets of six are of a single type each. Collar count is three hundred thirty -- fifty each on the 2.5-million ton classes, eighteen each on the million tonners, twelve each on the three-quarters. The DropShips are all of one hundred thousand tons, three different models identified, two of which are a broad match for the sensor data obtained from New Avalon. They are maneuvering out of the jump point at a base acceleration of two Gs.”
At least Myndo Waverly wasn't saying anything now, thought Tiepolo in despair.
----
Despite the gross mismatch in tonnage and firepower between his six ships and the fifteen which the Imperial Griffon Navy had brought to Terra, the Captain of the Athena was absolutely exultant. With the total lack of WarShips among the forces of the Inner Sphere, it had seemed that the entire naval Warrior contingent assigned to Wolf’s Dragoons was doomed to fade away without the slightest opportunity to earn even the last morsel of glory. But today, they would die as Clan Warriors should!
“Ah, Wolf’s Dragoons. We were wondering if you would answer Comstar’s call for aid. . . I suppose you couldn’t resist the prospect of an actual naval battle.” There was something deeply disturbing about the Griffon admiral’s tone and posture on the video screen. “Tell me, what brought Clan Wolf all the way back to Terra -- in Clan Widowmaker ships, no less? Little Nicky Kerensky forgot his binky, quiaff?”
Jaime and Joshua Wolf very nearly fell out of their command chairs. “What!?!?!?”
“I am Admiral Patricia McEvedy, of Griffon’s Roost and of Clan Wolverine. If you are Wolves, Widowmakers, or any other of Little Nicky's dezgra fools, we have a Trial of Annihilation to finish!”
“Neg!” Jaime Wolf surged to his feet. “Clan Widowmaker’s treachery against Clan Wolverine was uncovered, and Clan Widowmaker was subjected to a Trial of Absorption by Clan Wolf! There is no need for . . .”
“Clan Widowmaker’s treachery was known during the Trial of Annihilation, Wolf.” purred Admiral McEvedy with mock sweetness. “Your admission merely confirms how utterly dezgra your precious Kerensky was. But be good dogs and run! Crawl back to Strana Mechty and tell the Grand Council that Clan Wolverine waits for them on Terra, if they dare come!”