Just off to starboard of the Alliance bows were the ten dark battle cruisers and the smaller dark warships accompanying them. Those dark battle cruisers were also steadying up for a direct intercept, but one that would take place considerably after the two dark ship formations coming from the docks. Finally, almost directly ahead were the eight dark battleships and the cruisers and destroyers with them, coming on steadily at a rate that would cause them to intercept the Alliance formation a few light-minutes before Geary’s force reached the dark ship docks and warehouses.
“They’re setting this up as if they’re going to hit us with each formation in succession,” Geary said. “I don’t think they’ll actually do that. It would let us whittle them down as each smaller dark ship formation encountered our entire force. But they’re probably hoping I’ll think that’s what they are planning, if ‘hoping’ is the right word to use for an AI’s calculations.”
“You’ve tried that trick more than once yourself against opponents,” Desjani pointed out.
“Yes, but it’s a little insulting for an AI that’s supposed to think like me to think I would fall for one of my own tricks. That first battle cruiser formation could dodge a direct encounter, then harass us until other dark ships get here. And if the dark battleships coming from the docks slow a little, they’ll reach us about the same time as the big battle cruiser formation that was hiding behind Star Alpha. We need something to keep that first dark battle cruiser group busy.” He nodded to himself, then called General Charban. “General, could you and your lieutenants put together a poetic invitation for the Dancer ships to engage that first formation of dark battle cruisers? It would help us a lot if those battle cruisers had the Dancers hitting them while we dealt with the other dark ship formations.”
“We will write them a battle hymn,” Charban said.
“Have the Dancers sent anything since all of the dark ships appeared?”
“Not a word, Admiral. They are definitely waiting on us.” Charban looked thoughtful. “I have the impression now that they regard us as the senior partner when they are in regions of space controlled by us. It may be a territorial thing. I’m not certain. But since we stopped using their version of ‘baby talk,’ the Dancers have been acting less like someone manipulating us and more like someone who is partnering with us.”
“Thank you, General.” Geary paused, then entered another call.
Victoria Rione’s image gazed back, her expression serene but her eyes dark. “It’s a little early for last-minute instructions, Admiral.”
“I may be too busy with other matters at the last minute,” Geary said. “There’s something else that you need to find on that facility. There is a real possibility that the hypernet gate here has been blocked in the same manner that the Syndics blocked theirs. We won’t have confirmation of that for several hours yet, but the tactics of the dark ships make me suspect that has happened. If the gate is blocked, and if there is anything on that facility that would allow us to unblock that gate, we need it.”
“If it is there, I will find it,” she replied. “If you can get us to the facility.”
“Mistral will get you there,” Geary said. “And I’ll make sure that Mistral can get there.”
After he ended that call, Desjani indicated her display. “So, we stay the course?”
“For now,” Geary said. “We still have over an hour and a half before that first dark battle cruiser formation closes on us. I have no intention of holding this vector long enough for all of those dark ships to hit us at their leisure, though.”
She leaned close, ensuring the privacy fields around their seats were active. “Have you noticed that when the dark ships are maneuvering, we’re seeing more judicious use of fuel cells? They’re not going to maximum burn on everything like they did at Bhavan.”
“I noticed,” Geary said. “They never repeat a mistake. This is like Bhavan, but a lot worse.”
“Jack, we’re going to have a hell of a time getting out of this.”
She almost never called him that when they were on her ship.
“I know. But if nothing else, we’ll get those support facilities. Even if we don’t make it out of this star system, the days of the dark ships are going to be numbered.”
“We who are about to die salute you!” she murmured.
“Tanya—”
“It’s all right. I should have died a dozen years ago, and I should have died a dozen times in the years since then. Lead on. Even if we lose this one, we’ll win in the long run, and it’ll be a fight they’ll be talking about for centuries.”
An hour later, Geary brought the fleet to full battle readiness again. Just about everyone on every ship was already at their battle stations, since they all knew about the oncoming enemy and had watched the dark ships’ approach for the last hour. As a result, every ship reported ready in record time.
He had spent the last hour trying to think rather than worry. He could outsmart the dark ships. He had done that more than once, with Tanya’s help in many cases because the dark ship AIs had been programmed to think like Black Jack and were confused when confronted by the Black Jack/Tanya Desjani team effort.
But the dark ships had known he had to go for their base. Because he had known that it was his only chance to beat them. Maybe someone had tipped the dark ships off with specific information, but in their place, Geary would have tried to lay just such a trap as this.
But he wouldn’t have given his opponent even a chance to get at the support facilities. The dark ships were still weak on logistics, still thinking in terms of tactics, not in terms of long campaigns. That gave him an opening.
He just didn’t know what to do after destroying those docks and warehouses.
“Twenty minutes to contact,” Lieutenant Castries said. “The dark battle cruiser formation is braking their velocity. Given the angle they will encounter us, projected combined velocity at the moment of intercept will be point two one light speed.”
“A little fast, but close enough for our fire-control systems to get good hits. Still holding the vector?” Desjani asked Geary.
“Still holding,” Geary said. “Just in case they do decide to charge us straight on.”
“If they do, Dauntless and Mistral will be their priority targets.”
“And with the screen of battle cruisers and battleships they’ll have to get through, none of them will survive to get a shot at us,” Geary said. He tapped his comm controls. “All units in First Fleet, I expect that this first formation of dark ships will make vector changes to avoid contact. If they do, the Dancers will handle them. If they do not, if they attack our formation, let’s make sure none of them survive the first pass.”
It felt odd, going into an engagement determined not to make any last-moment maneuver. Throwing off the enemy’s fire was always important. But he felt certain that these dark battle cruisers would not throw themselves away on a hopeless attack.
Because he would not have done that.
“Five minutes,” Lieutenant Castries said.
“The Dancers still haven’t moved,” Desjani noted.
“They will,” Geary said. “The dark ships are going to go after them.”