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Battle of Kirnakir
(Action of 5/7/423311 Fb)
© 2021 by Walter Reimer
Thumbnail art by
baroncoon
A zagr is a predatory mammal native to the Kashlanin home planet. The quadruped is squat, stocky and heavily muscled, and for quite a long time was prized for its luxuriant black fur. Hunting one was considered a major undertaking that could cost the hunters their lives, as the zagr has teeth, claws, and is venomous. It is also intelligent; intelligent enough, in fact, to turn the tables on its pursuers.
Prince Dorvan had described his strategy as “a zagr hunt,” and his staff understood the allusion.
Confed Task Force Two consisted of four battleships, sixteen heavy cruisers and eighty destroyers, and it had come out of hyperspace in an exploratory formation. Seventy of the destroyers had been placed far out ahead of the formation, arranged in a broad curved fan shape, the better to scout out the force’s path. The remaining ten brought up the rear, with the larger ships at the center.
It was not necessarily a formation optimized for attack or defense.
By contrast, the Kashlani had slightly less than twice the number of ships, with most of them behind the Terran force and others coming into view after staying concealed behind the Home System’s largest and outermost planet, the gas giant Kirnakir. The gravitic mines had done their job of flushing the quarry from cover.
***
“Admiral Wen, sir.”
Gromov tore his attention away from the developing battle. The screening destroyers had done a creditable imitation of a murmuration of birds in hopes that the maneuvers might distract the Kashlanin sensors. The first ships were almost within weapons range. “Yes?” he asked peevishly. “What is it, Elian?”
Wen Elian smiled, an expression that belied the glint in his eyes. “A few of my staff and I have had an idea.” He then told the tiger, in as few words as possible.
The tiger glanced at the plot. Yes, it might work, and it would complement his plan . . . “We’ll try to hold them here. Execute your plan, Elian.”
Wen looked to his right, nodded, and said, “Thank you, Feranq.”
“Deus speed you, Elian.”
Now his subordinate did genuinely smile. “We serve Holy Terra. Our place in heaven is assured.”
“Hold that thought, we’re still alive.” Gromov saw that the first flights of missiles were being launched and said to the communications officer, “To all ships: Attack.”
The destroyers swept in behind the wall of missiles to attack the Imperial screening vessels, and the cruisers and all four battleships dove at the heaviest concentration of Kashlanin warships. The Menhit shook as an opposing battleship struck at its shields.
***
“Suicidal,” Dorvan said.
Admiral l’Schan stroked his chin. “I am not certain – “ His tail switched back and forth as the Azr shuddered from the fire of a Terran cruiser. The Imperial ship’s entire primary battery fired at the Terran ship, overpowering its shields and ripping the cruiser open along half its length. “We need to be wary.”
“Agreed,” the younger kam said. Another Imperial battleship drew near and completed the task of disemboweling the enemy cruiser while two more moved to flank the flagship.
L’Schan frowned and his tail stabbed into the flag plot. “Where are those ships going?” Several Terran cruisers and destroyers had broken off from the melee and were headed away from the battle area. Several of the ships that had been hiding behind Kirnakir were in pursuit of them as the Confed ships reached the gas giant’s Lagrange point and inphased.
“Shit!” The senior admiral turned and barked at the Communications Officer, “Alert our ships at Tlath!”
Dorvan ground his teeth, his fingerclaws fully extended. The Terran force engaging him had been a diversion.
Fleet Base Tlath appeared in the flag plot, with fifty ships charging at the Terrans as they outphased at Gwath ka-shlal’s L2 point. The defenders were backed up by the solar energy collectors that provided power to the Homeworld, reconfigured to act as giant microwave lasers.
“Clever,” Dorvan growled as he watched the battle develop.
The Terran ships threw themselves at the Imperial warships, with two cruisers dividing their fire between the defenders and the dockyards orbiting the Homeworld’s innermost moon. L’Schan saw his young charge’s tail shiver and lowered his voice. “I am sure that your family’s safe, my Lord.”
Dorvan gestured affirmatively. “I am sure as well, Admiral.” One Terran cruiser approaching Tlath exploded, and he added, “I don’t want to start my reign as Dorvan the Butcher.”
Another Terran ship, a destroyer, was ripped apart even as a lucky shot caused the ship they were in to shudder. “You won’t,” l’Schan said reassuringly.
***
“Connect me to Tyr.”
“Admiral Wen, sir.” The command center of the Terran battleship looked bad, with several consoles dark and unpowered, with one or two still sparking.
“Admiral Gromov?” It was Wen’s flag officer. “Admiral Wen’s wounded.”
“Badly?” the tiger asked.
“Burns and broken bones,” the armadillo replied. “Orders?”
Gromov licked his lips and said, knowing that his words were being recorded, “Our orders were to destroy the dockyards at Tlath and the Imperial home system’s defenses.” The Menhit heeled sharply, the deck pitching forward and down as the artigrav labored to compensate. “Our present force is insufficient, and I am ordering the task force to disengage and withdraw to Terran space.”
The flag officer nodded. “Understood, sir.” The image vanished, replaced by ships trying to get clear of the Imperial forces before inphasing. Several were too badly damaged to move quickly enough, and were boxed in.
“Captain?” Gromov said.
“I heard you, Admiral,” the canine said. “Helm, get us the hell out of here.”
***
The zagr had attacked its hunters, and then ran.
“Orders, Frelen l’Schan,” Dorvan said. “All ships still combat-worthy will pursue the Terran force after the ones they’ve left behind are dealt with.”
“Understood, sir,” l’Schan said. “If any surrender?”
“We will take prisoners.”
“Understood.”
(Action of 5/7/423311 Fb)
© 2021 by Walter Reimer
Thumbnail art by
baroncoonA zagr is a predatory mammal native to the Kashlanin home planet. The quadruped is squat, stocky and heavily muscled, and for quite a long time was prized for its luxuriant black fur. Hunting one was considered a major undertaking that could cost the hunters their lives, as the zagr has teeth, claws, and is venomous. It is also intelligent; intelligent enough, in fact, to turn the tables on its pursuers.
Prince Dorvan had described his strategy as “a zagr hunt,” and his staff understood the allusion.
Confed Task Force Two consisted of four battleships, sixteen heavy cruisers and eighty destroyers, and it had come out of hyperspace in an exploratory formation. Seventy of the destroyers had been placed far out ahead of the formation, arranged in a broad curved fan shape, the better to scout out the force’s path. The remaining ten brought up the rear, with the larger ships at the center.
It was not necessarily a formation optimized for attack or defense.
By contrast, the Kashlani had slightly less than twice the number of ships, with most of them behind the Terran force and others coming into view after staying concealed behind the Home System’s largest and outermost planet, the gas giant Kirnakir. The gravitic mines had done their job of flushing the quarry from cover.
***
“Admiral Wen, sir.”
Gromov tore his attention away from the developing battle. The screening destroyers had done a creditable imitation of a murmuration of birds in hopes that the maneuvers might distract the Kashlanin sensors. The first ships were almost within weapons range. “Yes?” he asked peevishly. “What is it, Elian?”
Wen Elian smiled, an expression that belied the glint in his eyes. “A few of my staff and I have had an idea.” He then told the tiger, in as few words as possible.
The tiger glanced at the plot. Yes, it might work, and it would complement his plan . . . “We’ll try to hold them here. Execute your plan, Elian.”
Wen looked to his right, nodded, and said, “Thank you, Feranq.”
“Deus speed you, Elian.”
Now his subordinate did genuinely smile. “We serve Holy Terra. Our place in heaven is assured.”
“Hold that thought, we’re still alive.” Gromov saw that the first flights of missiles were being launched and said to the communications officer, “To all ships: Attack.”
The destroyers swept in behind the wall of missiles to attack the Imperial screening vessels, and the cruisers and all four battleships dove at the heaviest concentration of Kashlanin warships. The Menhit shook as an opposing battleship struck at its shields.
***
“Suicidal,” Dorvan said.
Admiral l’Schan stroked his chin. “I am not certain – “ His tail switched back and forth as the Azr shuddered from the fire of a Terran cruiser. The Imperial ship’s entire primary battery fired at the Terran ship, overpowering its shields and ripping the cruiser open along half its length. “We need to be wary.”
“Agreed,” the younger kam said. Another Imperial battleship drew near and completed the task of disemboweling the enemy cruiser while two more moved to flank the flagship.
L’Schan frowned and his tail stabbed into the flag plot. “Where are those ships going?” Several Terran cruisers and destroyers had broken off from the melee and were headed away from the battle area. Several of the ships that had been hiding behind Kirnakir were in pursuit of them as the Confed ships reached the gas giant’s Lagrange point and inphased.
“Shit!” The senior admiral turned and barked at the Communications Officer, “Alert our ships at Tlath!”
Dorvan ground his teeth, his fingerclaws fully extended. The Terran force engaging him had been a diversion.
Fleet Base Tlath appeared in the flag plot, with fifty ships charging at the Terrans as they outphased at Gwath ka-shlal’s L2 point. The defenders were backed up by the solar energy collectors that provided power to the Homeworld, reconfigured to act as giant microwave lasers.
“Clever,” Dorvan growled as he watched the battle develop.
The Terran ships threw themselves at the Imperial warships, with two cruisers dividing their fire between the defenders and the dockyards orbiting the Homeworld’s innermost moon. L’Schan saw his young charge’s tail shiver and lowered his voice. “I am sure that your family’s safe, my Lord.”
Dorvan gestured affirmatively. “I am sure as well, Admiral.” One Terran cruiser approaching Tlath exploded, and he added, “I don’t want to start my reign as Dorvan the Butcher.”
Another Terran ship, a destroyer, was ripped apart even as a lucky shot caused the ship they were in to shudder. “You won’t,” l’Schan said reassuringly.
***
“Connect me to Tyr.”
“Admiral Wen, sir.” The command center of the Terran battleship looked bad, with several consoles dark and unpowered, with one or two still sparking.
“Admiral Gromov?” It was Wen’s flag officer. “Admiral Wen’s wounded.”
“Badly?” the tiger asked.
“Burns and broken bones,” the armadillo replied. “Orders?”
Gromov licked his lips and said, knowing that his words were being recorded, “Our orders were to destroy the dockyards at Tlath and the Imperial home system’s defenses.” The Menhit heeled sharply, the deck pitching forward and down as the artigrav labored to compensate. “Our present force is insufficient, and I am ordering the task force to disengage and withdraw to Terran space.”
The flag officer nodded. “Understood, sir.” The image vanished, replaced by ships trying to get clear of the Imperial forces before inphasing. Several were too badly damaged to move quickly enough, and were boxed in.
“Captain?” Gromov said.
“I heard you, Admiral,” the canine said. “Helm, get us the hell out of here.”
***
The zagr had attacked its hunters, and then ran.
“Orders, Frelen l’Schan,” Dorvan said. “All ships still combat-worthy will pursue the Terran force after the ones they’ve left behind are dealt with.”
“Understood, sir,” l’Schan said. “If any surrender?”
“We will take prisoners.”
“Understood.”
Category Story / General Furry Art
Species Alien (Other)
Size 99 x 120px
File Size 43.9 kB
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