[FT] The Long Journey Home (AAR) Part 4/6

>>> CONTINUED FROM PART 3 >>>>

	Marie accepted the inevitable and ordered her command ahead at
half speed,
she wanted to close to her weapons range quickly, but not so fast that
she
didn't have time to evaluate her opponents first. And though the
respective
forces remained out of weapons range composition reports were flooding
in.
These were definitely NARC vessels. The hulls were superficially NAC,
but
there was evidence of extensive modifications. There were two frigates,
flanked on either side by a light cruiser, in a row behind them were an
escort cruiser, heavy cruiser and a battleship and at the rear there
appeared to be some form of light or escort carrier. Marie ordered
Talleyrand to send his pentad of fighter groups against the larger
ships,
she wanted the firepower that those larger vessels probably carried
reduced
quickly. Marie couldn't believe her luck, as the heavy fighters and
interceptors headed out, the oppositions' standard fighter groups broke
off
from screening their carrier and intercepted the FSE groups. Coruscating
lances of fire, and balls of exploding gas and melting metal illuminated
the umbral battlefield. The dogfight saw ten FSE fighters, five heavies
and
five interceptors, dispatched, but it had been at the cost of two of the
three NARC fighter groups. With the fighters almost free to move to
their
primary targets Marie knew she had to get to SM range quickly to
capitalise
on any opportunities for simultaneous missile-fighter strikes. 
	Expecting the NARC vessels to drive along their current heading,
almost
perpendicular to her course, she called for full ahead and a maximum
starboard push. To her horror the NARC came straight for her and the
vessels found themselves head to head and at only 8 mu by the time the
weapons were brought to bear. In one heartbeat she saw her fighters
remove
the remaining NARC group and in the next she saw the entire NARC force
concentrate its pulse-torpedo and beam fire first on the Gravina and
then
the De La Vega. The Gravina managed to inflict minor damage to the
antithetic frigates before it succumbed, the force of its internal
explosions transforming it into a fiery cloud of microdebris. Marie's
chest
tightened and she felt as if she stood exposed to the flailing storm of
debris. Pizzaro had been a good friend, a brave man. That was the down
side
to involving those she trusted, it meant she had to watch them die.
However, she knew that now was not the time to grieve, that would come
later. Now she had to resist succumbing to the anger, using it instead
to
hone her responses. With her sense heightened by Pizzarro's death, Marie
watched as the De La Vega failed to manage any effective fire and took
heavy damage. In the same measured tone that seemingly possessed her
every
time she came under fire, Marie asked as to the status of her nephew's
ship. 
"She's venting atmospheric gases and there are heavy casualties on all
the
lower decks and 3 aft sections, but her Captain is confirming that he
can
still participate in a coordinated SM launch." Marie was grateful the
communications officer had made a point of saying "her Captain", thereby
efficiently, but subtly, informing her that her nephew was still alive
and
in command. It was courtesies such as that which marked crews long used
to
each other from ones newly formed. So despite the pounding the De La
Vega's
essential weapons and critical systems had survived the initial
onslaught. 
	During all this the rest of the FSE's beam fire was doing some
damage,
taking down armour here and there, but they really needed to get those
SMs
launched. 

>>>>>> CONTINUED IN PART 5 >>>>>>>

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Elizabeth Fulton
c/o CSIRO Division of Marine Research
GPO Box 1538
HOBART 
TASMANIA 7001
AUSTRALIA
Phone (03) 6232 5018 International +61 3 6232 5018
Fax (03) 6232 5199 International +61 3 6232 5199

email: beth.fulton@marine.csiro.au